US2855577A

US2855577A - Electrical connector

Info

Publication number: US2855577A
Application number: US420560A
Authority: US
Inventors: Flower Archibald Thomas
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1954-04-02
Filing date: 1954-04-02
Publication date: 1958-10-07
Anticipated expiration: 1975-10-07

Description

Oct. 7, 1958 A. T. FLOWER 2, ,5

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed April 2. 1954 IINVENTOR flrclz zibald Z i 'lower ATTORNEY United States Patent ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Archibald Thomas Flower, Glenside, Pa.

Application April 2, 1954, Serial No. 420,560

Claims- (Cl. 339-14) This invention relates to an electrical connector and 7 is wrapped around the locking bar, at a point intermediate its ends so that when the locking bar is positioned on the cable 6, a portion of the braided wire 7 will be disposed between the locking bar and cable 6. With the locking bar in position, one end of the coil spring 8 is threaded through an opening 12 at one more particularly to an expansible and contractible conlength of wire 13 through the coils at the end and one nector.

It is an object of the invention to provide an elastic connector for electric conductors subject to expansion and contraction which will establish 'a' firm electrical connection and yet is yieldable upon expansion and contraction of the conductors.

A further object of the invention resides in providing an elastic member adapted to be spirally wound about electric conductors to be joined and secured under tension to allow for the expansion and contraction of the conductors without breaking the connection.

A still further object of the invention resides in providing a locking member for holding the elastic member under tension at all times.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a device of the above-mentioned character which is simple and durable in construction, reliable and efiicient in use and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same.

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the connector,

Fig. 1a is a side elevational view of another form of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the form of invention shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 2a is a top plan view of the form of invention shown in Fig. la,

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 44 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 55 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of a slightly modified form of the connector, and,

Fig. 7 is a section taken on line 77 of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawing wherein for the purpose of illustration, the preferred examples of the invention are shown, the numeral 5 denotes generally the connector which is applied to a ground connection between a lead sheathed cable 6 and a flat braided ground wire 7. While the connector is shown applied to a ground connection it is apparent it may be employed as a connector for various types of electrical conductor connections, such as connecting distribution lines to a main conductor line.

The connector comprises a coil spring 8 and locking bar 9. The locking bar consists of an elongated metal strip 10 transversely curved to conform to the curvature of the conductor or cable 6 and bent upwardly from one longitudinal edge of the strip is a flange or rib 11 having a series of openings 12 arranged at spaced intervals. The locking bar 9 is disposed longitudinally of the cable 6 with the curved portion 10 in contact with the lead sheathing of the cable. The braided wire end of the bar until several of the coils of the spring have passed through the opening to secure one end of the spring to the locking bar. With one end of the spring attached to the locking bar, the coil spring, While under tension, is spirally wound around the cable and locking bar and wherever the spring crosses over the upper edge of the flange 11, the flange will interfit between the coils of the spring thereby holding the spring fully tensioned. The free end of the wound spring is fixedly attached to the flange of the locking bar by passing a of the openings 12 in the flange and twisting the ends of the wire together, as at 14.

The coil spring 8 may be used without the locking bar 9, as shown in Figs. 1a and 2a, by looping the braided wire 7 around the spring as at 15, and then winding the spring spirally about the cable 6 and braided wire, with the ends of the spring engaged with one of the spring coils, as at 16, to secure the spring under tension.

In Figs. 6 and 7 a slightly modified form of locking bar 9 is shown wherein the flange 11 at one end adjacent its upper edge is provided with a longitudinal slot 17 to receive the free end of the coil spring which is securely held in the slot by bending the end of the fiangeabove the slot downwardly to close the slot and clinch the wire or as shown in Fig. 7 the portion of the flange above the slot may be bent at right angles, as at 18. In this form of the invention the braided wire 7 is shown wrapped around the cable 6 with the locking bar 7 disposed on top of the braided wire and held thereon by the spirally wound coil spring 8.

In use, the spirally wound spring 8, under tension, establishes a firm electrical connection between the conductors and yet allows the conductors to expand and contract without breaking the connection, thus insuring a positive electrical contact between the conductors at all times. When the locking bar 9 is employed with the spirally wound spring, each convolution of the wound spring has interfitting connection with the locking bar thus holding the spring under tension at spaced intervals throughout its length insuring a more constant tension on the connection.

It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herein shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same and changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. A connector for electrical conductors comprising a bar disposed longitudinally of the conductor, said bar having an upstanding flange provided with openings at spaced intervals, and a coil spring having one end threaded in an opening of the flange of said bar, said spring being spirally Wound about said conductor and bar in a series of turns each turn of the spring having convolutions straddling the flange of said bar.

2. A connector for electrical conductors comprising a bar transversely curved and disposed longitudinally of the conductor, said bar having a flange bent upwardly from its longitudinal edge and provided with spaced openings throughout its length, and a coil spring spirally wound under tension about said conductor and bar in a series of turns, one end of said spring being threaded in an opening in the flange of said bar and the other end of said spring being attached to another opening in the flange of said bar, each turn of said spring having convolutions straddling the flange of said bar to hold the spring under tension. a a

3. An electrical connector comprising a bar disposed longitudinally of a conductor, said bar having an upstanding flange provided with an opening adjacent one end and a longitudinal slot at the opposite end and a coil spring spirally wound about said conductor and said bar in a series of turns with each turn having convolutions straddling the flange of said bar with some of the coils having interfitting engagement with the flange of said bar, one end of said spring being threaded in the opening in the flange of said bar and the opposite end of said spring being disposed in the slot in the flange of said bar, the end of said flange above the slot being bent at right angles against the coils of said spring to hold the spring in the slot.

4. A connector for electrical conductors comprising a bar disposed longitudinally of the conductor and transversely curved to conform to the contour of the conductor, said bar having an upstanding flange along one Y 4 longitudinal edge, and a coil spring having one end attached to one end of the flange and spirally wound about the conductor and said bar in a series of turns with each turn having convolutions straddling the flange of said bar, the other end of said spring being attached to the other end of said flange.

5. A connector for electrical conductors comprising a bar disposed longitudinally of the conductor, and a coil spring spirally Wound under tension about said conductor and bar in a series of turns, said bar having an upstanding flange engaging each turn of said spring between convolutions thereof to hold the spring under tension.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,508,456 Lenz Sept. 16, 1924 2,265,006 Rubel et al. Dec. 2, 1941 2,296,346 Hearn Sept, 22, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 214,377 Great Britain Apr. 24, 1924 291,190 Great Britain May 31, 1928