US2738477A

US2738477A - In-line clasp connector

Info

Publication number: US2738477A
Application number: US242872A
Authority: US
Inventors: Matthysse Irving Frederick
Original assignee: Burndy Engineering Co Inc
Current assignee: FCI USA LLC
Priority date: 1951-08-21
Filing date: 1951-08-21
Publication date: 1956-03-13
Anticipated expiration: 1973-03-13

Description

March 13, 1956 l. F. MATTHYssE 2,738,477

IN-LINE CLASP CONNECTOR Filed Aug. 21, 1951 l0@ 32a 26 21@ f@ 22 22a, 3f /0 JQJMZM/ ATTORNEY IN-LINE CLASP CONNECTOR Irving Frederick Matthysse, New York, N. Y., assignor to Bumdy Engineering Company, Inc., a corporation of New York Application August 21, 1951, Serial No. 242,872

' s claims. (c1. 339-47) My invention relates to connectors and more particularly to clasp connectors which can be longitudinally and positively locked and unlocked.

In my prior application 528,991, led March 31, 1944,- of which this present invention is an improvement, I disclose a clasp type connector having identical halves each composed of a ferrule and an nitegrally extending at blade having a transversely bent over clip. The connection is made by placing one blade on the other in a crisscross position, substantially at right angles, pivoting the halves until they are aligned, and thereafter pulling the halves until the clips abut each other to prevent further longitudinal separation.

While this connector functions satisfactorily in many respects and is presently used in large quantities, it requires considerable slack in the connecting wires to permit the jack-kning action. In addition, this type ofconnector requires adequate lateral space to permit crossing one half over the other.

Accordingly, a principal object of my invention is to provide a connector in which the counterpart halves can be connected and disconnected substantially along the longitudinal axis thereby eliminating the need for considerable slack in the wires and lateral clearance for movement of the parts.

In the prior jack-knife connectors, the counterpart halves could not be completely insulated prior to making the connection as the connecting halves had to be free of insulation in order to permit the necessary lateral movement. The insulation for the connection was usually in the form of a loose elastic sleeve pushed back over one of the conductors until the counterpart halves were con-- nected andthen pulled over the completed connection to provide the necessary insulation.

Therefore another important object of my invention is to provide a connector in which the counterpart halves may be insulated prior to making the connection, and which insulation may be grasped during disconnection.

The insulation may additionally serve as a means to guide the blades into engagement.

`Further objects of my invention are to provide a connector having counterpart halves that are longitudinally self-aligned into locking position when the halves are pushed together; to provide a connector wherein the connector halves are positively locked against longitudinal separation or vibration; to provide a supplemental lock-v ing means to prevent accidental separation; and to provide a connector which has a minimum of parts, free of springs or the like, and which can be easily and economically fabricated of sheet material.

I accomplish these and other objects and obtain my new results as will be apparent from the device described in the following specification, particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying' drawing', in which- Fig. 1 is a plan view of a connector half;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the counterpart halves, partially in section, attached to their respective conductors, each.

connector half inserted in the other with the edges of the' clip portions engaging to start the self-aligning action;

Fig. 4 is a similar view with the connector halves corn-v pletely inserted in one another and aligned along their longitudinal center line;

Fig. 5 is a similar view of the connector halves locked together after being pulled longitudinally;

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan View of the connection in Fig. 5, the connector halves being provided with insulation jackets abutting to form a sealed connection; the insulation shown in section;

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view of therconnectionV in Fig. 5 taken along line 7%7; and

Fig. 8 is a modified connector half where its insulation jacket forms a guide means when the connector halves are being assembled. p

In the drawings, reference numeral l10 designates a connector half made of the conventional conductive material, such as copper, having a ferrule portion 12 which may be Y indented to the bared end 14 of an insulated conductor 16.

blade, and may be integrally attached to the blade along i an oblique line forming .a clip base 28 slanting outwardly toward the free end of the blade. The slanted clip base 28 acts to guide the free end of the counterpart blade longitudinally when the parts are pushed together. The hook 26 is formed by a recessed portion or slot 30 having 1 l oblique sides that conform substantially to the base 28 of a counterpart clip which it engages. A hump 32 is upset on the clip side of the blade between the clip and the ferrule, and engages the rounded end of the counterpart blade forming a supplemental locking means when the parts are interengaged, as is shown in Fig. 5.

A cam face 34 integrally formed along the blade 22 on the side opposite the clip portion 24 projects suiiciently above the blade surface to guide the rounded end of the counterpart blade in longitudinal alignment when inserted. The cam face also functions as a stop and prevents separation of the blades if they are accidently disengaged. The leading edges of the clips 24 and the rounded free ends of the blades may be beveled to facilitate entry of the parts and the camming action.

Figures 3-6 inclusive illustrate the

identical connector halves

10 and 10a respectively, the corresponding parts of the-connector half 10a being similarly identified, in various lstages of engagement.

Each

connector half

10 and 10a are longitudinally brought together with the free ends 25 and 25a of the respective blades inserted under the

corresponding clips

24a and 24. This movement causes a wiping action betweenA the at or plane surfacesof the blades and the clips and insures a good electrical contact. As the blades are forced together, 4their free ends may engage the inner surfaces of the

bases

28 and 28a respectively, on the clips which guide the blades slightly off the longitudinal centerline of the connector to their interlocking position. The cams 34 and 34a guide the blade when it is too far out of-alignment on the other side of the connector halves and cam it into locking position upon continued insertion.

As will be noted in Fig. 8, an insulation jacket aids in maintaining this alignment.

When the forward edges of the

bases

28 and 28a of the clips tirst engage, as; seen in Fig. 3, the connector halves are fully inserted, and upon further longitudinal Patented Mar.v 13, 1956k pressure the connector halves move upon one another in a self-aligning action. The free lends of the blades are moved-until the

hooks

26 and 26a are aligned with their

respective bases

28 and 28a on the clips. In this position the free ends of the blades` have slid over the

humps

32 and 32a, which additionally insure a wiping action between blades and clips by springing the blade ends slightly .away from each other.

The connection is completed b y a longitudinal pull on the connector halves causing the hooks to slide longitudinally and acting as a catch, engage the bases of the clips, as illustrated in Fig. 5. As shown `in Figs. and 6 the `attached connector halves are in complete longitudinnal alignment. The oblique Asides of the

slots

30 and 30a snugly engage the correspondingly vshaped bases .of the clips. In this position the humps are adjacent the blades and bear against the edges thereof to prevent accidental separation. If the

yhook

26 and 26a are loosened from their respective clips for any reason, the cam faces 34 and 34a will prevent release of the parts until the connector halves are manually adjusted to permit separation.

Unless this manual adjustment occurs, a longitudinal pull on the connector halves will cause the hooks to re-engage with their respective bases. Therefore, in order to disconnect the connector halves they must be pushed together to unlatch the hooks, against the resistance offered by the humps and then slightly adjusted laterally'to enable the hooks to clear the base portions of the clips.

In Fig. 6 the connector parts are provided with .insulation jackets 36 and 36a which may be mounted over insulation `sleeves 38and 38a, made of nylon or the like, through which the

ferrule portions

12 and 12a ,may be indented to the .bared end of the conductor, as is for example shown and described in .Patent No. 2,429,585 issued to J. 'Rogoff In the present construction, each insulation jacket may be pre-assembled on each connector half allowing suticient 'space on the sleeve lfor indenting the ferrule to the conductor through the sleeve. Ifthe insulation jackets are made of suitable indentable material, the `insulation sleeve may be omitted, and the jacket made to extend over the ferrule portion of the connector half for identation thereto.

Each insulation jacket 'extends toward the free end of the blade sufficiently to cover the clip portion allowing the remaining portion of the blade to be bare for insertion into the counterpart connector half. If the insulation is made of resilient `material -the ends of the jackets may be shaped in the form of lips 39 `and '39a which resiliently abut one another and provide a sealed connection. If the insulation jackets are of a rigid material the ends of the jackets maybe lapped.

When resilient insulation jackets 40 are utilized as shown in Fig. v8, the cam faces v34 and 34a may be omitted, for the insulation jacket kwill press the blades of the connector halves into proper alignment. The reversed action will be required for separation. The blade 42 -in this modification is shown with a shoulder 44 formed normal to the longitudinal axis which abuts the counterpart of clip 46. The insulation jacket 40 may extend around the outer end of the clip 46 to be anchored 'thereto as at 48.

In providing a hook at the end of each blade member of a clasp type of connector, I can lock the connector halves together by a push-pull movement without a kning or wristlock movement. The locking means of the counterpart connector halves are self aligning when the connector halves are longitudinally pushed together, so that a -subsequent pull will lock the pal-ts. As little side lmotion is required, lI can insulate each connector half prior to .making the connection with an insulation jacket .that will not interfere vwith the Amaking or breaking of the connection. Each connector ,half

will be locked securely in position and cannot be separated by application of a longitudinal force in either direction or by severe vibration. I can utilize the bentover clips to insure a trm electrical engagement between the blades of the connector halves, and form an anchorage for the hook portions of the blades. The connector halves may be identically fabricated of sheet metal or tubular stock which feature facilitates production and minimizes storage of dilferent parts.

l have thus described my invention, but .l desire it understood that it is not conned to the particular forms or uses shown and described, the same being merely illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit of my invention, and, therefore, I claim broadly the right to employ all equivalent instrumentalities coming within the scope of the appended claims, and by means of which, objects of my invention are attained and new results accomplished, as it is obvious that the particular embodiments herein shown and described are only some of the many that can be employed to attain these objects and accomplish these results.

I claim:

l. A separable connector which comprises a blade portion and a ferrule portion adapted to be secured to a wire, said blade having a plane surface portion adapted to lie in face-to-face contact with the corresponding portion of a counterpart connector when interengaged. an upraised portion adjacent an edge of the blade, and means extending from an edge of the blade portion and adapted to press the plane surface portion of the counterpart blade into contact therewith as the counterpart blade is longitudinally inserted therebetween, at engaging means in the blade and formed in the shape of a hook and lying yin the plane surface portion of the blade at the end of the blade to engage an upraised portion of the counterpart connector positioned adjacent the edge thereof to lock the connectors against separation.

.2. A Aseparable connector which comprises a blade portion :and a ferrule portion adapted to be secured to a wire, said blade having a plane surface portion adapted to be in face-to-face contact with the corresponding portion of a counterpart connector when interengaged, an upraised portion adjacent an edge of the blade, and means extending from an edge of the blade portion and adapted to press lthe plane surface portion of the counterpart blade into contact therewith as the counterpart blade is inserted therebetween, said blade having va transverse recessed portion formed in and lying in the plane ofthe blade and adapted to engage an upraised portion of the counterpart connector to lock the connectors positioned adjacent the edge thereof against separation.

'3. A separable connector which comprises a blade portion and a ferrule portion adapted to be secured to a wire, said lblade having a plane surface portion adapted to lie in face-to-face contact with the corresponding portion of a counterpart connector when interengaged, a clip extending from an edge of the blade portion and adapted to lpress the plane surface portion of the counterpart blade into contact as the counterpart blade is longitudinally inserted herebetween, said blade having a recessed portion lying in the plane surface of the blade from the same edge as the clip, and adapted to engage the clip of the counterpart blade to lock the connectors against separation, and a cam portion projecting from the oppofur.

to press the plane surface portion of the counterpart blade into contact therewith as the counterpart blade is longitudinally inserted therebetween, said clip connected to its blade along a line oblique to the longitudinal centerline of the connector and directed laterally outwardly toward the end of the blade to guide the counterpart blade into engagement therewith, hook-like means lying in the plane surface portion and at the end of the counterpart blade to engage said clip.

5. A separable connector which comprises a blade portion and a ferrule portion adapted to be secured to a wire, said blade having a plane surface portion adapted to lie in face-to-face contact with a counterpart connector when interengaged, a clip extending from an edge of the blade portion and adapted to press the plane surface portion of the counterpart blade into contact therewith as the counterpart blade is inserted therebetween, catch means in the form of a hook at the end of the blade and lying in and movable on the plane surface to engage the clip of the counterpart connector and lock the connectors against separation, and a exible insulation jacket mounted on the ferrule and extending over the blade to cover the clip, and adapted to non-rotatably engage the insulation jacket of the counterpart connector, whereby a counterpart connector and insulating jacket may be locked thereto by a movement only in the plane surface of the blade portion.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS