US3138422A

US3138422A - Electrical connector with wiregripping means

Info

Publication number: US3138422A
Application number: US319487A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert E Lawlor
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-10-28
Filing date: 1963-10-28
Publication date: 1964-06-23
Anticipated expiration: 1981-06-23
Also published as: DE1972071U; CH413037A; GB1049313A; NL6412558A; DK108336C; AT266959B

Description

June 1964 R. E. LAWLOR 3,138,422

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WITH WIRE-GRIFFING MEANS Filed Oct. 28, 1963 I 0554 LBW-40E,

United States Patent 3,138,422 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WITH WIRE- GRIPPING MEANS Robert E. Lawlor, 4 19 S. Sanders, Ridgecrest, Califi, as-

signor of fifty-five percent to Paul A. Cornell, Los Angeles, Calif.

Filed Oct. 28, 1963, Ser. No. 319,487 6 Claims. (Cl. 339-466) This invention relates to electrical connectors of the type disclosed in US. Patent No. 3,118,720, issued January 21, 1964 to Richard L. Schuck and Robert E. Lawlor, for electrical connector.

More specifically, the connector of this invention is one embodying a pair of cylindrical jaw members having respective tangential tails provided with registrable apertures to receive a fastener bolt or screw, one of the cylindrical jaw members being rotatably received within the other, and the jaw members having respective pairs of diametral apertures adapted to be disposed in alignment upon effecting an opening movement between said tails with one jaw member rotating upon the other, whereby a conductor wire or cable can be inserted through the aligned apertures, said jaw members then being operable to effect a crimping type of clamping action against the conductor cable upon bringing the tails together and securing them to the metal conductor body by a fastener screw inserted through the tail apertures, leaving the conductor tightly clamped between the jaw members. With respect to this type of connector, the invention embraces the following objects:

(1) To provide such a connector embodying a construction which is simplified and reduced in cost;

(2) To provide such a connector which can be fabricated of form strap metal;

(3) To provide such a connector including a relatively simple means for retaining the respective parts of the connector in properly aligned assembly prior to attachment of the connector to a conductor body;

(4) To provide such a connector having means for facilitating the insertion of a conductor wire or cable through the aligned apertures of the jaws;

(5) To provide such a connector having means for maintaining it in an opened condition, with its respective jaw apertures in alignment for reception of a conductor, prior to installation of the connector;

(6) To provide such a connector having means to minimize the shearing action of the relatively rotatable jaw members against a conductor when the latter is being clamped between the jaw members by closing of the connector during an installation;

(7) To provide such a connector wherein the last four described objects are attained by means of a deformable soft metal sleeve inserted through the four jaw apertures, maintaining them in alignment and retaining the respective connector members against relative lateral displacement prior to installation of the connector, providing a smoothwalled receptacle into which the end of a conductor wire can be inserted to a position traversing the full diameter of the jaw member assembly without catching against the edges of the jaw apertures, and protecting the conductor wire against shearing action by the edges of the jaw apertures as the connector is closed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the ensuing specification and appended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector embodying the invention, seen in its open condition prior to installation as a conductor connection;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same;

FIG. 3 is a head end view of the same; and

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of an electrical connection assembly embodying the connector in a closed condition attached to a conductor body and clamping the end of an electrical conductor between its jaws.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, I have shown therein, as an example of one form in which the invention may be embodied, an electrical connector comprising, in general, a pair of connector parts A and B and a retainer sleeve C retaining the parts A and B in assembly in an open condition of the connector and with their respective lateral margins in' alignment in common planes at the respective sides of the connector.

Connector part A comprises a cylindrical jaw member 10 having diametrically aligned

jaw apertures

11 and 12, a fiat attachment tail 13 having a fastener aperture 14, and an intermediate oifset neck 15 joined to the tail 13 by an integral right-angle bend 16, and formed as an integral tangential extension of one side of the cylindrical jaw 10. The neck 15 has a height such that the jaw member 10 is offset above the plane of the tail 13.

The connector part B is generally similar to the part A, embodying a cylindrical jaw member 20 provided with diametrically aligned

jaw apertures

21 and 22, a flat attachment tail 23 having a fastener aperture 24, and an intermediate offset neck 25 formed as a tangential continuation of one side of the cylindrical jaw member 20 and joined to the tail 23 by a right-angle integral bend 26.

The cylindrical jaw member 20 has an end which is spaced from the neck 25 to define a gap 27 through which the olfset neck 15 of part A extends. From its end to its point of tangency with neck 25, jaw member 20 extends approximately 4 of a circumference, its open end being disposed on a radius substantially parallel to the neck 25 and substantially in or tangent to the extended plane of its tail 23. Thus the gap 27 is of adequate width to accommodate relative rotation of jaw member 20 on jaw member 10 through an angle of approximately 20, to shift the connector parts A, B from the open position shown in FIG. 2 to the closed position shown in FIG. 4 wherein the tail 23 is seated against the tail 13.

While the tail 23 of connector part B is substantially tangent to the open end of the outer jaw member 20, the tail 13 of connector part A is only approximately tangent to the inner jaw member 10, the open end of which is oifset upwardly from the respective tail 13 by a distance sufiicient to provide a space between this open end and the plane of the underface of jaw 13 (and of the face of body 32 on which it is seated) adequate to freely receive the open end of the outer jaw member 20.

The retainer sleeve C, which may be either of seamless metal tubing or rolled tubular construction as shown, is preferably cylindrical so that

jaw apertures

11, 12, 21, 22 can be circular as indicated in FIGS; 1 and 3. The sleeve C extends through all four of these apertures and has its ends riveted outwardly, at 30, into shallow counter-bores at the outer ends of

apertures

21 and 22. Thus the sleeve is secured at its respective ends to opposite sides of jaw member 20. The sleeve C fits relatively snugly within the jaw apertures, and thus retains the connector in the open condition shown in FIGS. 1 and 2'.

In the installation of the connector, the conductor wire or cable 31 is inserted into the sleeve C full length, or

I 5 with the end of the cable slightly projecting as indicated 3 the screw 34 is then threaded into the tapped hole 33,

in FIG. 4, so that it may be clamped at both sides of the assembly of

jaw members

10 and 20 when the connector is closed. The connector is then applied to a conductor. body 32 to which an electrical connection is to be established, the tall 13 is seated against the surface of body 32' with its aperture 14 registering with a tapped hole 33 provided in the body 32, a fastener screw 34 is then in-' sorted through the

fastener apertures

24 and 14 of

tails

23 and 13, the tail 23 is pressed toward the tail 13, and

drawing the tail 23 against the tail 13, and is tightened to secure the connector to the body 32. During the operation, the connector is closed, rotating the jaw member on the jaw member 10, displacing the

jaw apertures

21 and 22 counterclockwise partially out of register with the

inner jaw apertures

11 and 12, and correspondingly deforming the soft metal sleeve C in a manner to exert a pinching or crimping action against the conductor cable 31 at both sides of the jaw assembly. Thus the cable 31 is securely anchored to the connector. At the same time, the sleeve C, functioning as a liner for the jaw apertures, protects the cable 31 against shearing action from the edges of these apertures as the connector is closed. This makes it possible to form the jaw apertures in a simple and inexpensive manner by die-punching or driling operations, which operations tend to leave the apertures with relatively sharp edges. The protective liner action of the sleeve C eliminates the necessity for finishing these edges to a rounded condition such as to avoid shearing action.

The aperture 22 is centered substantially at the point of tangency between neck and jaw member 20, thus extending into the neck 25. The aperture 12 of connector part A may likewise extend into the neck 15 thereof but to a smaller extent, since the

apertures

11 and 12 are disposed on a diameter of jaw member 10 which diverges when the plane tail 13 by a substantial angle which may be approximately 20 so as to dispose the

tails

12 and 23 in flaring relation at an angle of approximately 20 in the open condition of the connector, the

apertures

21 and 22 of connector part B being disposed on a diameter substantially parallel to the respective tail 23. Thus, in the closed, installed condition of the connector shown in FIG. 4, the axis of connector cable 31 may be disposed substantially parallel to the

tails

13, 23.

The connector can be reused (by removal of a cable therefrom and subsequent reattachment thereof, or subsequent attachment of a new cable) under the following procedure: After first unbolting the connector, the tail 23 is forced away from the tail 13, thus reforming the soft metal sleeve C to an approximately straight condition, the cable 31 (which is left in the sleeve during this operation) functioning as a core which prevents the collapse of the sleeve during the reforming. The cable can then be removed and the device is left in a condition in which it can be used again.

I claim:

1. In an electrical connector, in combination: a pair of connector parts each comprising a cylindrical jaw member having diametrally opposed jaw apertures, a generally tangential attachment tail having a fastener aperture, and an intermediate offset neck formed as a tangential continuation of the respective cylindrical jaw member and joined to a respective tail by an integral bend, one of said jaw members being rotatably received within the other so as to provide a hinged connection between said connector parts for movement between an open condition of the connector in which said tails are spread apart in diverging relation and a closed condition of said connector in which one of said tails is seated upon the other and their fastener apertures are in registering relation so that a fastener may be extended therethrough and into a body to which an electrical connection is to be made; said jaw apertures being so positioned that the alignment of all four of them will effect the disposition of said tails in said opened, diverging relation; and a retainer sleeve of deformable metal extending through said four jaw apertures, retaining said connector parts against relative lateral displacement, initially retaining said connector parts in the opened condition of the connector, and functioning as a guide for the insertion of the end of a conductor through said jaw apertures and as a liner for said apertures to transmit crimping action from said jaws to said conductor to clamp the same between the jaws when the connector parts are relatively moved to the closed condition of the connector in which ,4 said tails are seated one upon the other, said fastener apertures registering with one another in said closed condition and functioning to receive a fastener extended therethrough, anchored in said body, and drawing said tails tightly into engagement with one another and with said body.

2. A connector as defined in claim 1, wherein the outer jaw member has an open end spaced from the offset neck of the respective connector part to define a gap through which the neck of the other connector part extends with sufficient clearance to accommodate the relative movements of the connector parts between said open condition and said closed condition.

3. A connector as defined in claim 2, wherein said open end of said outer jaw member is disposed substantially in the extended plane of the tail of the respective connector part, and in which the jaw member of the other connector part is bodily offset from the plane of the tail of said other connector part to provide space in which said open end of the outer jaw member may be received between the inner jaw member and the plane of the tail of said other connector apart.

4. A connector as defined in claim 1, wherein said connector parts are of formed strap metal.

5. A connector as defined in claim I, wherein said retainer sleeve has its ends riveted outwardly against the outer face of the outer jaw member at the edges of the jaw apertures therein.

6. In an electrical connector, in combination: a pair of connector parts of formed strap metal each comprising a cylindrical jaw member having diametrally opposed jaw apertures, a generally tangential attachment tail having a fastener aperture, and an intermediate offset neck formed as a tangential continuation of the respective cylindrical jaw member and joined to a respective tail by an integral right-angle bend, one of said jaw members being rotatably received within the other so as to provide a hinged connection between said connector parts for movement between an open condition of the connector in which said tails are spread apart in diverging relation and a closed condition of said connector in which one of said tails is seated upon the other and their fastener apertures are in registering relation so that a fastener may be extended therethrough and into a body to which an electrical connection is to be made; one of said connector parts having its respective jaw apertures disposed on a common axis which subtends an acute angle with reference to the plane of its respective tail and the other connector part having its respective jaw apertures disposed on a common axis approximately parallel to its respective tail, whereby the alignment of all four of said jaw apertures will effect the disposition of said tails in said opened, diverging relation; and a retainer sleeve of deformable metal extending through said four jaw apertures, retaining said connector parts against relative lateral displacement, initially retaining said connector parts in the open condition of the connector, and functioning as a guide for the insertion of the end of a conductor through said jaw apertures and as a liner for said apertures to transmit pinching action from said jaws to said conductor to clamp the same between the jaws when the connector parts are relatively moved to the closed condition of the connector in which said tails are seated one upon the other, said fastener apertures registering with one another in said closed condition and functioning to receive a fastener extended therethrough, anchored in said body, and drawing said tails tightly into engagement with one another and with said body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,023,271 Nungesser Apr. 16, 1912 2,585,055 Thomas et al Feb. 12, 1952 2,700,807 Petersen Feb. 1, 1955 2,752,583 Tracy June 26, 1956

Claims

1. IN AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR, IN COMBINATION: A PAIR OF CONNECTOR PARTS EACH COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL JAW MEMBER HAVING DIAMETRALLY OPPOSED JAW APERTURES, A GENERALLY TANGENTIAL ATTACHMENT TAIL HAVING A FASTENER APERTURE, AND AN INTERMEDIATE OFFSET NECK FORMED AS A TANGENTIAL CONTINUATION OF THE RESPECTIVE CYLINDRICAL JAW MEMBER AND JOINED TO A RESPECTIVE TAIL BY AN INTEGRAL BEND, ONE OF SAID JAW MEMBERS BEING ROTATABLY RECEIVED WITHIN THE OTHER SO AS TO PROVIDE A HINGED CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID CONNECTOR PARTS FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN AN OPEN CONDITION OF THE CONNECTOR IN WHICH SAID TAILS ARE SPREAD APART IN DIVERGING RELATION AND A CLOSED CONDITION OF SAID CONNECTOR IN WHICH ONE OF SAID TAILS IS SEATED UPON THE OTHER AND THEIR FASTENER APERTURES ARE IN REGISTERING RELATION SO THAT A FASTENER MAY BE EXTENDED THERETHROUGH AND INTO A BODY TO WHICH AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTIOIN IS TO BE MADE; SAID JAW APERTURES BEING SO POSITIONED THAT THE ALIGNMENT OF ALL FOUR OF THEM WILL EFFECT THE DISPOSITION OF SAID TAILS IN SAID OPENED, DIVERGING RELATION; AND A RETAINER SLEEVE OF DEFORMABLE METAL EXTENDING THROUGH SAID FOUR JAW APERTURES, RETAINING SAID CONNECTOR PARTS AGAINST RELATIVE LATERAL DISPLACEMENT, INITIALLY RETAINING SAID CONNECTOR PARTS IN THE OPENED CONDITION OF THE CONNECTOR, AND FUNCTIONING AS A GUIDE FOR THE INSERTION OF THE END OF A CONDUCTOR THROUGH SAID JAW APERTURES AND AS A LINER FOR SAID APERTURES TO TRANSMIT CRIMPING ACTION FROM SAID JAWS TO SAID CONDUCTOR TO CLAMP THE SAME BETWEEN THE JAWS WHEN THE CONNECTOR PARTS ARE RELATIVELY MOVED TO THE CLOSED CONDITION OF THE CONNECTOR IN WHICH SAID TAILS ARE SEATED ONE UPON THE OTHER, SAID FASTENER APERTURES REGISTERING WITH ONE ANOTHER IN SAID CLOSED CONDITION AND FUNCTIONING TO RECEIVE A FASTENER EXTENDED THERETHROUGH, ANCHORED IN SAID BODY, AND DRAWING SAID TAILS TIGHTLY INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE ANOTHER AND WITH SAID BODY.