US2548896A

US2548896A - Sealing means for the cable inlet of a terminal connector

Info

Publication number: US2548896A
Application number: US634345A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert P Gutterman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1945-12-11
Filing date: 1945-12-11
Publication date: 1951-04-17
Anticipated expiration: 1968-04-17

Description

' R. P. GUTTERMAN 2,548,896 SEALING MEANS FOR THE CABLE INLET. OF A TERMINAL CONNECTOR Filed Dec. 11, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 17, 1951 arwe/wto'b R. B (Zuiierman April 17, 1951 R. P. GUTTERMAN 2,548,895 I SEALING MEANS FOR THE CABLE INLET OF A TERMINAL CONNECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Filed Dec. 11. 1945 tizl/lierman Patented Apr. 17, 1951 SEALING MEANS FOR THE CABLE INLET OF A TERMINAL CONNECTOR Robert P. Gutterman, Arlington, Va.-

Application December 11, 1945, Serial No. 634,345

1 Claim.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

This invention relates generally to electrical cable connectors and more particularly to new and improved designs therefor adapted to increase the effectiveness of the electrical connection between the cable and its associated conamended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) nector under certain critical conditions of use thereof.

In the use of cable connectors, for example, in

certain types of underwater ordnance gear such as mines, depth charges, and the like, it frequently becomes necessary to prevent water from coming into contact with the electrical connections between the cable and connector in order to avoid electrical leakage between the several conductors and/or between the connector and the conductors, whichever the case may be.

A broad object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide new and improved methods and means for forming a simple and efiective watertight seal between the electrical cable and the connector associated therewith.

Another object is to provide a watertight seal between the connector and the cable in which the means comprising the seal therebetween also serves to secure the connector to the cable.

Still another object is to provide a watertight seal between the connector and a cable inwhich is prevented.

' The more specific objects, features and ad-,

vantages of the present invention are those inherent in or implied from the novel methods of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will become more clearly apparent from .the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the inventionand a modification thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig.1 is a plan view of a connector having a cable connected thereto according to the preferred embodiment of the invention, certain parts of the connector being shown in. section to illustrate the manner and method of ,the connection;

Fig. .2 is a sectional view of a conventional soldering ferrule;

chafing between the sealing means and the cable Fig. 5 is a sectional view of apparatus for 2" ing operation on the ferrule of a conventional type connector.

Referring now to the drawings for a more complete understanding of the invention and more particularly to Figs. 1 through 3 thereof, it will be seen that a rubber covered electrical cable [0 is secured to a connector II which may be of any conventional type, the conductor or conductors, as the case may be, of the cable being secured to the terminals of the connector in the usual manner.

The particular means by which the connector is secured to the cable includes a sleeve l2 which may be formed of any material suitable for the purpose such, for example, as rubber or a synthetic variety thereof and having an inner diameter which is less than that of the cable whereby the diameter of the cable'is reduced or necked down under pressure of the sleeve when itis forced onto the cable, thereby to form a watertight connection therebetween.

Sleeve l2 thus forms, in effect, a shoulderon the cable, which shoulder is adapted to'be engaged under pressure by a conventional soldering type ferrule 13 having an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the sleeve whereby a substantially watertight connection is also provided therebetween. Such ferrules are usually employed in connection with armoured or shielded electrical cables and are usually provided with an inner projection or inturned flange portion [4 which extends beyond the armour or shielding into contact with the rubber coverin of the cable. Projection 14, as employed herein, serves to fix the position of the ferrule on the sleeve 12, and the ferrule is secured thereto by crimping the end of the ferrule about the end of the sleeve as at l5. Crimping of the ferrule in excess of as illustrated in each of Figs. 1 and 4, compresses the resilient sleeve between the ferrule and the cable whereby an annular bulge 30 of the sleeve is formed between the crimped end of the ferrule and the cable to prevent chafing between the cable and ferrule. V The ferrule also is provided with an external projection or outturned flange portion l6 which is adapted to be engaged as in the usual manner by the standard clamping unit ll to move the ferrule forcibly into abutment with the threaded body portion 18 of the connector, a copper gasket I9 preferably being interposed between the main body portion and the ferrule to insure a watertight connection therebetween.

Referring now to Fig. l in which the alternate form of the invention is illustrated, it will be seen that the electrical cable 28 has an annular rubber shoulder 2| formed integrally therewith as by being molded or vulcanized to the rubber or sheath covering 22, the ferrule and manner 3 of assembly thereof with respect to shoulder 2| otherwise being the same as in the case of the preferred embodiment.

Referring now to Fig. 5 wherein one form of apparatus is illustrated for crimping the end of ferrule 13 before the ferrule is secured to connector II, it will be seen that the apparatus includes a split die 23 having a bore or opening 24 extending therethrough or otherwise suitably formed therein for receiving either of the cables E or 20, as illustrated, when die

halves

23A and 23B are assembled and held together by any suitable means (not shown). Bore 24 terminates at a forming surface 25, Fig. 6, having a contour designed to give the desired crimping effect to the ferrule, the end of the ferrule preferably being turned in excess of 90", as illustrated in each of Figs. 1 and 4, whereby the rubber sleeve l2 or shoulder 2|, as the case may be, is compressed and firmly held thereby, the degree of turning of the ferrule being controlled by a stop (not shown) as is well known in the art.

7 A sleeve 25 adapted to receive the cable and the conductors thereof is abutted against the shoulder l6 of the ferrule whereby pressure applied to sleeve 26 from press member 21 is transferred to the ferrule, thereby to force the end of the same into the forming surface 25 of die the die being positioned on the platen or bed 28.0f the press which is provided with a suitable opening 29 therein through which the cable passes in cases in which the cable extends through the bottom surface of the die. The ferrule preferably is formed of a material suitable for the purpose such, for example, as soft brass whereby the crimping operation is facilitated.

In Fig. 7 the apparatus of Fig. is used to perform a crimping operation on a ferrule employed with a conventional type of connector in which theconhector and cable may be fully assembled .1

when the crimping operation is performed.

The methods involving the aforedescribed steps of forming a watertight seal between the electrical cable and its associated connector may best be understood from the following specific example which consists in placing a rubber-like sleeve on the cable so as to form a shoulder thereon at a predetermined distance from the end thereof, placing a soldering type ferrule on the shoulder such that the inner projection on the ferrule abuts the shoulder, and crimping the end of the ferrule over the corresponding end of the shoulder sufiiciently to compress the shoulder into watertigh-t relation with the cable and ferrule and to secure the ferrule thereto.

From the foregoing, it should now be apparent that novel methods and means have been provided for establishing a simple and effective watertight seal between the electrical cable and its conhector. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such which it more nearly appertains, after understanding the invention, that the invention may be embodied in diverse forms involving diverse methods of fabrication of the parts thereof without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

The invention herein described and claimed may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A cable connection comprising a rubbersheathed electric cable having a necked-down portion, a ferrule having a longitudinally extending cylindrical portion terminating at one end thereof in an inwardly and outwardly laterally extending flange portion and at the other end in an inwardly and substantially arcuately shaped portion describing an arc in excess of and overhanging one end of the necked-down portion, said inwardly extending flange portion having one surface portion thereof in engagement with the cable and another surface portion overhanging the other end of said necked-down portion of the cable whereby an annular wedge-shaped space is defined therebetween, a substantially cylindrical resilient shoulder of flowable material interposed between the ferrule and the necked-down portion and having an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the cable and an outer diameter substantially greater than the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion of the ferrule prior to assembly of said device whereby the shoulder is under compression between the cable and the cylindrical portion, an anti-chafing bulge integral with said shoulder and positioned between the arcuately shaped portion of the ferrule and said one end of the necked-down portion, an annular wedge-shaped seal portion integral with said shoulder and positioned within said annular wedge-shaped space, and a ring nut in engagement with said outwardly laterally extending flange portion.

ROBERT P. GUTTERMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS England Apr. 14, 1927