US2734320A

US2734320A - Fuse socket cleaning tool

Info

Publication number: US2734320A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1956-02-14
Anticipated expiration: 1973-02-14

Description

C. G. HOYE Feb. 14, 1956 FUSE SOCKET CLEANING TOOL Filed July 26, 1954 INVENTOR.

C//HRZFJ 6. HOYE BY United States Patent Ol FUSE SOCKET CLEANING TOOL ICharles G. Hoye, Roseville, Mich.

Application July 26, 1954, Serial No. 445,637

4 Claims. (Cl. 51-186) This invention generally relates to a fuse socket tool and particularly pertains to an easily inserted, high pressured abrasive tool for cleaning the high pressure clip sockets of tubular fuses. A

It is well established in the electrical art that the terminal connections must be clean, bright, and free from corrosion and foreign matter so that a metal-to-metal contact is made without an air gap therebetween to eliminate arcing contact and sparking which actually eats away the pieces and also to furnish a good conductor to insure optimum conductivity. However, it has been found exceedingly difficult to clean the inside walls of the spring sockets due to the fact that it is too dangerous to do so manually, and that the available tools are either practically impossible to get into the sockets or completely unsatisfactory.

To this end, several devices have been developed in the prior art to clean the spring-clip type tubular fuse sockets, however, the devices of the prior art have been found unsatisfactory due to the fact that the spring clips are very strong and resist the insertion of a proper socket size and shape cleaning tool. Smaller than socket size tools are, of course, easily inserted, but are too small to do the job properly.

With the foregoing in view, the primary object of the invention is to provide a tubular-fuse clip-socket cleaning too which is easily inserted and extracted and which is capable of extending a high pressure frictional engagement with the sockets in its working or cleaningl position.

An object of the invention is to provide a tubular fuse socket cleaning tool which is simple in design and construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to use, and easy to remove without the user exerting either insertion or extraction forces to place the tool in the socket or remove the tool from the sockets.

An object of the invention is to provide a fuse-socket cleaning tool of wood which can be manufactured less expensively as the component parts are easily made and the assembly of the parts in general is easily and readily accomplished.

An object of the invention is Vto provide a fuse-socket cleaning tool which can be operated with ease by a professional electrician or an amateur with equal facility.

An object of the invention is to provide a fuse-socket cleaning tool which can be provided in a set of all sizes at extremely moderate cost so that the professional electrician can have a set of proper sized tools at his command without a large outlay of capital.

An object of the invention is to provide a fuse-socket cleaning tool which easily enters the clip opening and easily removes from the clip itself without the exertion of deforming pressures on the clip.

An object of the invention is to provide a fuse-socket cleaning tool which has a narrow side or portion for entering the opening of the spring clip without the exertion of force.

An object of the invention is to provide a fuse-socket cleaning tool which has a wide side or portion which can 2,734,320 Patented Feb. 14, 1956 ice be cammed into frictional high-pressure engagement with the inside walls of the clip socket so that the interior of the clip walls can be scoured under high pressure.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following description of a tubular-fuse-socket cleaning tool embodying the invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the tool which shows the respective wide and narrow portions of the socket engaging ends thereof.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational View of the tool inserted in a spring-clip socket prior to camming the wide side of the tool into engagement with the inside clip walls.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the wide portion of vthe tool cammed into high frictional engagement with the clip inside walls.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of Fig. 3 taken on line 4-4 thereof; and

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view partly in cross-section of a pair of clip sockets with the inventive tool inserted therein such as taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like numerals refer to like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, the tubulartfuse socket cleaning tool disclosed therein to illustrate the invention comprises a head portion 10, handle 11 extending from the head portion 10, and like fuse socket contacting two dimension ends 12 on either end ofthe head 10.

The device comprises the head 10, the middle body portion 13 which may be of any desired shape, but which is shown to be cylindrical in the drawings and the like end portions 12 on either end of the body portion 13 for contacting the paired fuse sockets as hereinafter more fully described.

The end portions 12 are substantially rectangular with the narrow dimension of the rectangular end being easily insertable into the opening of the socket and the wide portion of the rectangular end being so adapted as to be substantially equal or larger than the diameter of the fuse normally inserted in the clip.

More particularly, the preferred embodiment as shown in the drawing comprises of wooden head 10 adapted to lie in the

sockets

20 and 21 and having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the fuse ferrules, not shown, normally frictionally received in the

sockets

20 and 21, with the head ends 12 having like reduced areas 12A and 12B so that the head ends 12 have a reduced cross-sectional dimension along one diameter less than the normal dimension of the receiving opening of the clips to be cleaned by the tool so that the tool can be readily, non-frictionally received in, and extracted from the sockets without the necessity of forcing the tool into and out of the sockets against the spring torsion of the clips.

Abrasive material, such as the emery-paper strips 14 covers the reduced areas or tips 12 especially at the ends of the long axis L-L of the ends. However, it has been found preferable to wrap the entire ends 12 with a strip of emery paper and to stitch same in place with a wire staple so that when the strip is worn out, it can easily be replaced.

The fuse sockets, such as shown at 20 and 21 are made of very strong spring stock and are generally spring loaded such as by the

auxiliary springs

22 and 23 so that when the fuse is in place, a firm metal-to-metal contact is insured. However, in spite of the fact that the fuse ferrules are smooth, a great deal of force is necessary to insert them in and extract them from the clips due to the fact that the narrow receiving opening must be spread to the full diameter of the fuse to permit entry and removal of the fuse and the smooth sliding relationship between the fuse ferrule is relied upon to accomplish same.

ln view of the above, it can be appreciated that if the instant abrasive covered tool did not have reduced areas for entry and extraction, it would be practically impossible to get the tool in and out of the sockets as no smooth sliding relationship exists, but rather as high friction abrasive relationship is present.

ln operation, the user takes the tool by the handle 11 and holds the head 10 so that the reduced areas 12A and 12B will bypass the ends of the clips and the user then inserts the tool relative to the clips as seen in Fig. 2. The user then moves the handle 11 from the position seen in Fig. 2 to that o f Fig. 3 whereby, the long axis LL of the head ends 12 are canimed into a forceful frictional engagement with the interior walls of the sockets. By repeated movement of the handle 11 through an are such as from the position as seen in Fig. 2 past the position seen in Fig. 3, the lciii'gv axis L-L' of the head faces or ends 12 rub the abrasive material 14 across the inside walls of the sockets 2% and 21 to effectively and efficiently scour and 'clean same.

In addition to tne size of the tool shown and the spacing of the sockets, it is understood that various sizes of fuses take various sized fuse sockets and that the spacing between and ythe sizes of 'the' sockets are accordingly adjusted. With the facts in view, it is a purpose of the invention to supply a very inexpensive wood tool which can easily be equipped with the abrasive paper covered ends or emery paper c'o'vered ends so that a set of tools can be supplied a workman 'at a very low cost whereby he can have a tool of the correct size and spacing for each of the various size sockets which he encounters during his w'ork day.

The tool or set of tools with the features disclosed, constitutes a compact, durable, neat, and inexpensive tool or set easily operated to insert and extract from the sockets and easily repaired by removing the abrasive strips and replacing same. It is to be also seen that no strain or force is exerted on the fuse clips by the tool itself such as when inserting or extracting the tool from the clips.

Although but a single embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it is obvious that many changes can be made in the size, shape, detail and arrangements of the various elements of the invention in the scope of the appended claims. For example, the head 10 can be reduced on only one side thereof rather than on two sides as shown. lt is also within the purview of the invention to provide a substantially rectangular head throughout or a cylindrical center portion and reduced rectangular end portions for the device.

l claim:

l. A cleaning tool for a fuse socket of the paired springclip type having a narrow expandable opening for receiving a fuse therethrough comprising a handle, a head on said handle at a right angle thereto, substantially rectangular ends on said head on either side of said handle having a narrow cross-sectional radial dimension less than the width of the opening of the clip to be entered so as to be readily receivable within the clip 'and a wide cross-sec tional radial dimension substantially greater than the width of the clip opening and substantially equal to the diameter of the fuse normally receivable in the socket and abrasive material on said end at least at the faces of the long radial dimension; said handle constituting a safety extension and a lever for turning said head so as to carn said long dimension faces of said end into forceful frictional engagement with the interior of the socket against the spring torsion of the sockets.

2. A cleaning tool for paired fuse sockets of the spring clip type having a narrow expandable opening for forceably receiving and clamping a tubular fuse therein, comprising a head portion adaptable to lie between the paired spring clip sockets, like paired ends substantially rectangular in cross section on said head adapted to lie within said l paired sockets; said ends each having a narrow crosssectional dimension adapted to be readily received through the narrow opening of the sockets without force or friction and a wide cross-sectional dimension substantially greater than the clip openings and substantially equal to the diameter of a fuse normally receivable in the sockets, abrasive material on the rectangular ends at least across the narrow edges thereof, and a handle on said head for turning said head so as 'to cam the long dimension of said ends into frictional engagement with the interior of the socket walls against the spring torsion of the clip socket s o as to frictionally engage said abrasive material with the inside walls of said sockets.

3. A cleaning tool for a spring fuse socket having a relatively narrow force-expandable opening for receiving a fuse ferrule therein, comprising a head having a diameter substantially equal to the fuse ferrule normally frictionally received in the socket, ends on said head of a cr0sssectional radial dimension less than the receiving opening of the clip to be cleaned so as to be readily non-frictionally receivable therethrough, abrasive material on the surface at the faces of the long radial axis of said head end, and a handle on said head intermediate said ends; said head being adapted to be rotated by said handle so as to cam said abrasive covered long radial axis face portions of said head ends into forceful frictional engagement with the interior of the socket against the resistance of the clip.

4. A cleaning tool for paired fuse sockets of the spring clip type having a normal narrow, force expanding opening for forceably receiving and clamping a tubular fuse therein, comprising a head adapted to lie in and between the sockets, tips on said head having a short radial axis dimension substantially equal to the receiving opening of the clips to be cleaned so as to be readily receivable and extractable therethrough and a long radial axis dimension substantially equal to the diameter of the fuse ferrule receivable therein, abrasive material on the surface of said head tips at least at the ends of said long radial axis, and a handle on said head; said head being adapted to be rotated by said handle so as to cam said abrasive covered tip prtions into frictional engagement with the interior of the socket against the resistance of the spring clips.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 289,879 Almond Dec. l1, 18.83 1,252,964 Stafford Jan. 8, v1918 2,411,724 Hill Nov. 26, 1946 2,471,236 Parker May 24, 1949