US2574816A - Electrical connector of the trolley tap type - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 13, 1951 J.,F.CONRAD 2,574,816

ELECTRICAL. CONNECTOR OF THE TROLLEY TAP TYPE Filed May 10, 1949 INVENTOR. JOHN F, GOA/PHD.

Patented Nov. 13, 1951 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR OF THE TROLLEY TAP TYPE John F. Conrad, Ebensburg, Pa., assignor to Deltron Electric Products, Inc., Ebensburg, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 10, 1949, Serial No. 92,285

1 Claim.

My invention relates to electrical connectors and is herein shown and described as employed in temporarily tapping trolley wires for the utilization of electrical current therefrom, for motors, welding apparatus, etc. It will be understood that various features of the device render it adaptable for connection to electrical conductors other than trolley wires.

One object of my invention is to provide a connector of the character referred to which can readily and firmly be connected to a trolley wire or the like, simply through manipulation by one hand of the operator.

Another object of my invention is to provide a connector capable of temporary use in tapping a trolley wire, which will not only permit free traveling movement of a trolley Wheel or other current conductor when the connector is in place, but will also be maintained against loosening under vibrations of the trolley wire,

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a side view of the connector with the gripping elements in release position relative to a trolley wire; Fig. 2 shows the gripping jaws of the connector in operative engagement with a trolley wire; Fig. 3 is a front view of the device of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale. of one of the camming members of Fig. 1.

The connector is here shown as employed for tapping a trolley wire 6 to conduct current to a cable 1 that will be connected to a motor, welder, or other electrical device to which current is to be supplied.

The connector is here shown as of the well known fused type, wherein a body member or casing 8 contains a cartridge fuse and is of insulating material so that it can be utilized as a handle during manipulation of the connector.

A stem 9 projects forwardly from the body member and current will flow through this stem to the fuse Within a body member 8 and thence to the conductor 1. A clamping member II is pivotally connected to the stem 9 and has a clamping jaw [2. A pair of cars I3 are formed integrally with the member I l and serve to pivotally support a lever 14 which has a gripping jaw 15 that cooperates with the jaw I2 to grip the wire 6, as shown in Fig. 2. A spring l6 yieldably holds the jaws in relatively expanded relation as shown in Fig. 1.

The stem 9 has a camming nose I! on its forward end, positioned for engagement with a camming member 18 on the lever M. The rounded end of the lever M can have direct engagement with the nose H, but in order to compensate for wear, I prefer to make the camming element I8 as a separate element adjustable by a set screw ill to take up Wear.

In order to make tapped engagement with a wire, the operator will hold the connector in a plane above a trolley wire in approximately the position shown in Fig. 1. Thereupon, he will push the jaw 12 into the groove in the trolley wire or at least rest it on the shoulder immediately below the groove, and rock the handle 3 and the lever H relative to each other, so that the camming nose I! will move upwardly along the camming surface l8. This will result in the lever l4 being swung in a clockwise direction against the expansive force of the spring 16 and cause the jaw E5 to enter into the other groove of the trolley wire.

The camming surfaces I1 and 18 are so arranged that during movement of the parts to the position shown in Fig. 2, the high point of the cam l8 will move a slight distance below the high point or area on the cam ll to thus give an overcenter action that will reduce danger of the clamping members becoming loosened through vibration of the wire 6 by trolley wheels or shoes. This overcenter effect is very slight, and there is enough inherent resiliency in the gripping action to serve the purpose. Since the body member 8 extends substantially at right angles to the trolley wire, from an upper plane, its weight will assist in holding the jaws in gripping engagement with the trolley wire.

I claim as my invention:

An electrical connector of the trolley tap type comprising an insulating holder for a fuse and adapted at one end for connection to an electrical cable, a rigid conductor member extending from the other end of the holder and having a camming nose projecting forwardly therefrom, a

clamping member pivotally connected to the rigid conductor member in a dependent position when the holder is horizontal and having a jaw at its lower end for abutting engagement with one side of a trolley wire or the like, a second clamping member pivotally connected intermediate its ends to an intermediate point on the first-named clamping member and having a jaw on its lower end and positioned to cooperate with the other jaw in gripping a wire, a spring yieldably urging the jaws into relatively expanded position, and a camming block on the upper end of the secondnamed clamping member and adjustable on said member relative to said nose, positioned to be I engaged by the said camming nose for rocking the second-named clamping member relative to the first-named clamping member to effect movement of the jaws toward one another, when the 4 first-named clamping member abuts a, trolley UNITED STATES PATENTS wire and the holder is swung downwardly about Number Name Date the first-named pivot. 1 115 135 Wa gner Oct. 27, 1914 JOHN CONRAD 1,210,445 Fear Jan. 2, 1917 5 1,553,725 Shoffner Sept. 15, 1925 1 R EN CITED- 1,w1,27o Normington July 22, 1930 The following references are of record in the 2,194,138 Crawford Mar. 9, 1940 file of this patent:

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