US2461994A - Wire terminal - Google Patents

Description

WIRE TERMINAL Filed Aug. 12, 1946 FIG-1- INVENTOR.

J. F. Merke],

MXQM,

H I S ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 15, 1949 WIRE TERMINAL Joseph F. Mcrkel, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to General Railway Signal Company, Rochester,

Application August 12, 1946, Serial No. 689,879

3 Claims.

This invention relates to wire terminals, and it more particularly pertains to terminals of the eyelet type in which the end of a wire to be attached to the terminal is formed around the opening in the eyelet.

In a wire terminal of a character conventionally employed, the eyelet is formed of yieldable material; the end of a wire is formed around the opening in the eyelet; and, by compressing the eyelet with a suitable tool, ears are formed downwardly over the wire to secure it within the eyelet. When a wire terminal of this character after being soldered is further compressed by tightening a nut on to it on a terminal post, the solder bond between the wire and the eyelet is often broken resulting in a poor electrical connection, and the soft strands of the wire are often broken due to such further compression of the eyelet.

An object of the present invention is to provide a wire terminal that is substantially noncompressible upon tightening a nut on the wire terminal by the use of a suitable non-yieldable tubular spacer as an insert in an eyelet, such spacer serving as an inner support for the attachment of a wire and being of sufilcient height above the eyelet when a wire is applied to the terminal to absorb all of the compression of a nut tightened on to the terminal thus protecting the solder bond between the terminal and wire and the strands of the wire against damage.

Other objects, purposes, and characteristic features of the present invention will be in part obvious from the accompanying drawings and in part pointed out as the description of the inven' tion progresses.

In describing the invention in detail, reference is made to the accompanying drawing in which corresponding parts are designated throughout the several views by like reference characters, and in which:

Fig, 1 is a plan view of a wire attached to a wire terminal;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of a Wire attached to a wire terminal with a portion shown in cross section as taken along the section line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a spacer used in the wire terminal assembly shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the spacer with a portion shown in cross section as taken along the section line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan view Of an eyelet used in the wire terminal assembly shown in Fig. l; and

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of the eyelet shown partly in cross section as taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

With reference to Figs. 5 and 6, the eyelet I!) used in this embodiment of the present invention is formed circular in shape of yieldable material having low electrical resistance such, for example,

as copper, with ears ll spaced about the periphthe eyelet. A sleeve l2 for supporting the wire at the point of its connection to the wire terminal extends from the right of the terminal as shown in Figsj 5 and 6, and comprises the ears l3 which are formed upwardly for use in clamping down on the insulation of a wire when it is attached to the terminal as shown in Fig. 1. Inasmuch as the sleeve l2 clamps on to the insulation of the wire it is ofi'set slightly downwardly as illustrated in Fig. 6 from the base Illa of the eyelet to an extent substantially comparable to the thickness of the insulation of the wire.

The spacer M of substantially non-yieldable material is substantially tubular in shape, having a base portion of an outside diameter to be receivable within the opening I5 of the eyelet Ill. The spacer I4 is receivable within the opening l5 of the eyelet l0 only to the extent limited by the shoulder l6 which allows the spacer M to be receivable within the opening l5 of the eyelet [0 only to an extent not greater than the thickness of the base Illa of the eyelet. The opening 9 in the spacer is of a size determined by the diameter of the binding post to which the wire connection is to be applied.

A groove ll is formed in the periphery of the spacer to conform to the shape of a wire to be connected to the terminal, and the flange l8 at the lower edge of the groove ll is provided to facilitate in forming the wire strands 20 within the groove H, The flangev I8 is of a diameter only slightly less than the diameter of the area within the upwardly formed ears ll of the eyelet H].

In the connection of the wire I!) to the terminal the spacer I4 is inserted within the opening IS in the eyelet I0, and the insulation of the wire is removed to an extent to allow the wrapping of the strands 20 of the wire around the spacer l4 in the groove ll, preferably as shown in Fig. 1, with the strands 20 of the wire divided and substantialy half of the strands extending around the spacer l4 each way to be joined at the point 2| at the left-hand end of the terminal and twisted together at that point.

The strands 2B of the wire 19 are clamped within the groove I! of the spacer M by bending the ears ll of the eyelet inwardly, preferably with a suitable tool provided for this purpose. After the ears are formed as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to clamp the strands 20 within the groove H the solder 22 is properlyapplied to the left-hand end of the terminal'to secure the twisted strands-of the wire at the point 2| shown in Fig. l, and when the solder is thus applied it flows to provide a bond between the eyelet ill and the strands 20 of the wire and the spacer It.

To complete the assembly pi a wire is to the terminal T, the ears ii of the eyelet iii are bent inwardly around the insulation of the wire i9 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to.securely support the wire at the point of its attachment to the wire terminal T, and thus limit the flexing of the wire I! at the point of its connection to the wire terminal '1.

With reference to Fig. 2 it will be noted that when the wire is is completely assembled to the terminal T, and the ears ii are bent inwardly,

the spacer It extends slightly above the ears ii of the eyelet and therefore the surface 23 of the spacer ll absorbs the full pressure applied to the terminal T when a nut is tightened on to the terminal in its assembly to a terminal post. Inasmuch as the spacer i4 is rigidly constructed to withstand considerable pressure, a nut may be tightened upon the terminal as tightly as desired without in anymanner disturbing the bond of the soldered connection or to in any manner damage the strands 20 of wire l9.

Having thus described a specific wire terminal as one embodiment of the present invention, it is desired to be understood that this form is selected to facilitate in the disclosure of the invention rather than to limit the number of forms this invention may assume, and it is to be understood that various adaptations, alterations, and modifications may be applied to the specific form shown to meet the requirements of practice, without in any manner departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention except as limited by the appending claizns.

What I claim is: 1. A wire terminal comprising an eyelet havin several ears formed upwardly about its periphery and having a center opening, and a tubular spacer of substantially non-yieldable material receivable within said upwardly formed ears and I0 concentric with said opening in said eyelet, said spacer having a flange at its base bearing against the inner base surface of said eyelet, said flange being of a diameter only slightly less than the diameter of the opening formed within said ears,

and said spacer extending upwardly from said inner base surface of said eyelet to an'extent to space the ears of said eyelet from a nut securing said terminal to a terminal post when said ears are formed inwardly to secure a wire between said ears and the periphery of said spacer.

2. In combination, an eyelet having several upwardly extending ears about its periphery and having a center opening of a substantial diameter, a tubular spacer of substantially non-yieldable material having a shoulder of reduced diameter extending downwardly from its base, said shoulder being of a diameter to fit within said opening and of a depth substantially comparable to the thickness of the base of said eyelet, said spacer having a groove formed about its periphery for receiving a wire, and said spacer extending upwardly from the base of said eyelet sufllciently to space the upper side of said eyelet from a nut securing said terminal to a terminal post when said ears are,formed inwardly so as to clamp a wire within said groove.

3.-The combination with an eyelet having ears formed upwardly about its periphery and having a center opening, of a tubular spacer of relatively non-yieldable material having a groove extending about its periphery for receiving a wire, said spacer being receivable within said ears of said eyelet concentric with said opening whereby said ears when formed inwardly secure a wire wrapped around said spacer, and said spacer extending upwardly from the inner surface of said eyelet to an extent to space the ears of said eyelet from a nut securing 'said terminal to a terminal post when said ears are formed inwardly to secure a wire within said groove.

JOSEPH F. MERKEL,

FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Number Great Britain 1904

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