US2682570A - Terminal for electrical apparatus - Google Patents

Description

lJune 29, 1954 H. v. ELLIOTT TERMINAL FOR EECTRICAL APPARATUS W74 /NVENTOR "IA NA .ATTORNEYS l Patented June 29, 1954 2,682,570 v TERMINAL Eon ELECTRICAL APPARATUSl Harold V. Elliott, Anderson, Ind., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application October 26, 1949, Serial No. 123,687

2 Claims. (Cl. 174--153) This invention'relates to terminals for an electrical apparatus, for example, ignition timers.

An object of the invention is to provide a terminal and means for insulatingly supporting the terminal by a metal housing of the apparatus such as the housing of an ignition timer having means for securing the terminal to the housing and to conductors within the housing, said means being independent of the use oi any other device, such as a screw for fastening an external wire to the terminal. In the disclosed embodiment, this object is accomplished by the use of a termi-- nal comprising a screw and a tubular nut threadedly engaged by the screw. The screw and nut extend within two non-conducting members, one of which extends from the interior through the housing and has a spline connection with the housing and with the external non-conducting member. The tightening of the nut on the screw secures conductors within the housing to the head i of the screw and causes the non-conducting members to clamp the housing between them. The nut can be turned to permit loosening of the screw suiciently to provide for removal or application of the conductors within the housing to n the head of the screw while the non-conducting members remain in loose assembly with each other and with the housing. The nut provides for the reception of a screw for the attachment of an external conductor to the terminal of which the nut forms a part.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference `being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an ignition timer having' a terminal embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 includes as a group of parts the terminal in section, a wire attached to a terminal clip, a lock washer and a screw used to attach the lock Washer and the terminal clip to the tubular nut of the timer terminal.

Figs. 3 and 4 are end views of the terminal insulating members, these views being taken, respectively, in the direction of arrows 3 and 4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a housing It supports a breaker plate I I attached to the housing by screws I2. Plate II supports a bracket I3 which carries a stationary contact i A engageable with a movable contact I5 carried by circuit breaker lever I 6 journaled on a pivot post I'I and insulated therefrom, said post being attached to l supported by the plate II.

. by slot 23 of bracket I3. This adjustment varies 2 the plate I I and providing a pivot for the bracket I3 which is adjustable by the turning of a slotted disc I8 attached to an eccentric shank I9 pivotally Disc i2 is received the location of a rubbing block 2l attached to lever I5 relative to the ignition timer cam 22 against which the block is urged by leaf spring 27 passing through a slot 28 in bracket I3 and' threaded into plate I l, secures the bracket in adjusted position.

The terminal 24 (Fig. l) comprises, as shown` in Fig. 2, a screw 3D and a tubular nut 3| threadedly engaged by the screw. These terminal members extend through non-conducting bodies 32 and 33. Body 32 has a spline connection with the screw 30. For this purpose, body 32 has a square opening 34 for receiving the square portion 36 of the shank of screw 30. Body 32 has a tubular extension 38 extending through a'hole 33 provided by the housing Ill which includes a notch 4I for receiving a boss I3 of body 32, thus providing a spline which is received by a groove 35 in the external insulating body 33 which provides a pocket 3l for receiving the tubular extension 38 of body 32. Thus body 32 is splinedh7 connected with housing I3 and with body 33. Body 33 provides a hole 42 for receiving the nut 3I and provides a pocket 43 for receiving a lock washer 44 and the head `of the screw 3l which is provided with cross slots (one shown at 45, Fig. 2) for receiving a screwdriver blade.

The screw 30 and the body 32 are assembled loosely together and are placed within the hous- 4ing and are assembled therewith by movement of the tubular extension 38 through the hole 35 cf the housing, the rib 40 being received by the notch 4I provided by the housing. The body 33 is assembled with the internal body 32 loosely, the groove 35 receiving the rib 42. The lock washer 43 is assembled upon the nut 3| and, while manually holding parts 3G, 32 and 33 in assembly, the nut 3|V is screwed onto the threaded shank of the screw 30. Before the nut is tightened, the leaf spring 23 and a terminal clip 25a of Wire 25 are assembled between the head of the screw 30 and the body 32, said parts 23 and 25ct having square notches for receiving the square shank portion 36 of the screw 30. Then by use of a screwdriver, the nut 3| is tightened in order to maintain the assembly as shown in Fig. 2, left. When the terminal memy bers 30 and 3| are tightened together, the terminal assembly cannot turn relative to the housing Hl since body 32 is splinedly connected with housing It' and with body 33 and bodies 32 and 33 are provided, respectively, with cylindrical surfaces 32a and 33a which conform to the interior and exterior surfaces of the housing I0.

`An external conductor, such as terminal clip:

5I) attached to a wire 5 I, is attached. to the termi nal nut 3| by a screw 52 passing through a lock Washer 53, the screw 52 threadedly engagingnut` 3|. The tightening or loosening ofthe screw' 52 does not effect any turning of nut 3| by reason of the fact that its threads are frictionally. held,v

by the threads 0f screw 3|! which is prevented from turning since its square shank portion 3B1is received by the square hole 34 in body 32 which has a splined connection with housing I0. Nut 3|- cannot be turned by threading the screw 52 therein also by virtue 4ci the fact that the head of nut 3| is gripped by a lock washer which grips body trwhich is splinedly connected with body 32 which is splint-:diy connected with housing I0;

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

l. In combination with an apertured wall of a metal housing, an insulatedI terminal member adapted to pass through said aperture and comprising a telescopic element including two insulated parts, the first of said parts being adapted for insertion through said housing` aperture and comprising a shouldered member having a hole therethrough and a reduced diameter extension thereon of sufficient length to extend outwardly at the opposite side of said wall, the second of said insulated parts including a recess adapted to t over said outwardly extending reduced diameter extension, said second part having a hole therethrough in substantial register with the hole in the rst part, means for holding said parts together in telescopic arrangement with the Wall interposed therebetween, said means comprisingzay conductor'including maleI and female parts engageable within saidterminal member and accessible from either end of said member.

2. An insulating` bushing adapted to pass through an aperture in a conducting wall oomprisingi in;` combination, two nonuconducting members;v one of which is partially insertable through-said aperture so as to extend outwardly oisaid, wall` andthe other of which is adapted to embrace the outwardly extending portion of theliirst"` member at the other side of the wall, key means disposed between the embraced portions of said members and engaging. the wall fcrpreventingrelative rotation of the members with respect4 to eachother and to the Wall. and means for preventing axial displacementoff said members.,4 said meansy comprising. a conductor adaptedito draw said members into tight engagement ywith-said wall, ,said conductor consisting of male andfemale,membersaccessible from either end of saidbushing andrpassing through aligned holes extending axially withinsaid two bushing members.

References Citedin` the ille of this patent` UNITED `S'lIA'IES PATENTS Number Name Date 1 1346,525 B'eetem July 13; 1.920 1,813,716 Thordarson July 7; 1931 15931456 Gaston Oct. 31', 1933 2,304,334 Boucher et` al Dec; 8, 1942 21.448,76@ Burke` Sept 7,1948 21,456,246 Berg etal.' Dec. 14;,1948

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