US3212535A

US3212535A - Jamming feature

Info

Publication number: US3212535A
Application number: US337056A
Authority: US
Inventors: William F Broske
Original assignee: AMP Inc
Current assignee: TE Connectivity Corp
Priority date: 1964-01-10
Filing date: 1964-01-10
Publication date: 1965-10-19
Anticipated expiration: 1982-10-19

Description

Oct. 19, 1965 w. F. BROSKE 3,212,535

JAMMING FEATURE Filed Jan. 10, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 6Ros E W M BYEZSZQW W United States Patent 3,212,535 JAMMING FEATURE William F. Broske, Camp Hill, Pa., assignor to AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa. Filed Jan. 10, 1964, Ser. No. 337,056 8 Claims. (Cl. 140-413) This is a continuation-in-part of my earlier filed application, Serial No. 215,562, filed August 8, 1962, of the same title.

In the art of making pressure-type electrical connections, it is frequently desirable to employ a powderactuated tool to provide the power to form the connection. In a typical application, conductors are grasped between a wedge and a C-shaped member to make a stable connection. This type of connection is described in a prior application, Serial No. 172,183, filed February 9, 1962.

It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved powder-actuated tool for causing this type of connection to be formed. A specific improvement in the tool resides in the use of a minimum number of parts, thus providing a simple mechanism for permitting the tool to be fired.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a tool which may be actuated by striking it with a hammer or a pair of pliers, whereby the reaction force drives the firing pin against the primer to detonate the explosive charge.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a safety feature in the tool to lock the plunger in place if the tool is accidentally fired.

Other objects and attainments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention; it is to be understood, however, that this embodiment is not intended to be exhaustive nor limiting of the invention but is given for purposes of illustration in order that others skilled in the art may fully understand the invention and the principles thereof and the manner of applying it in practical use so that they may modify it in various forms, each as may be best suited to the conditions of a particular use.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 illustrates a perspective view of a tool made according to the principles of the invention and showing a connector and conductors therein;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary, sectional view of the device of FIGURE 1 without the connector and conductors;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2, showing the tool after firing;

FIGURES 4-6 illustrate the tool of FIGURE 1 in the prefired, firing and post-fired conditions (respectively); and

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the invention.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 46, a pair of conductors C and C are adapted to be disposed within a C- shaped connector body A, having a slidable wedge W designed to hold the connectors in place as described above.

The tool includes a body member B, and a firing mechanism F. The body member is comprised of a flat, planar member 10 adapted to receive a connector body A, of the type disclosed in the previous application. This planar member 10 is supported by a longitudinal rib 12, and has a post 14 at one end to restrain the conductor and connector during the crimping operation. A second post 16 at the opposite end is adapted to receive the barrel of the firing member. The post 14 has a pair of

recessed portions

18 and 20 which permit the conductors C and C to be received therein. Post 14 also has a lip 22 projecting toward the other post 16 which fits over the top of the connector body A when the connector and conductors are in place (see FIGURE 1).

The firing mechanism F (FIGURES 2, 3 and 5) includes a barrel 24 with external screw threads 26 which mate with screw threads 28 on an aperture 30 in the post 16. The barrel 24 is longitudinally coaxial with the wedge W. The central section of the barrel 24 contains an opening 32 which retains a firing pin 34 slidably therein. The opening 32 is undercut at 36 to permit sliding motion of a shoulder 38 on the firing pin 34.

The opposite end of the opening is also undercut at 40, forming an abutment 41, to accept a shoulder 42 on the other end of the firing pin. The length (FIGURE 2) of the undercut 40 is greater than the length of the shoulder 42 to permit movement of the firing pin 34 so that it can slide in a direction away from the Wedge W. The abutment 41 limits longitudinal travel of the firing pin 34. The barrel 24- is further recessed at 43 to permit an explosive shell 44 to be inserted therein.

The explosive shell is disclosed in my prior application, Serial No. 793,814, filed February 17, 1959 (now Patent No. 3,007,409), and includes a cylindrical member 46 sealed at one end 48, and having a plug 50 seated therein. The plug 50 retains a powder charge 52 and also has a primer 54 on its outer surface. A projection 56 on the inner end of the shoulder 38 operates to detonate the primer 54, thus igniting the powder charge 52. The shell has a shoulder 58 which seats on. one end of the barrel 24 to support it therein.

A cap 60 is threaded over the end of the barrel 24 and has a pin 62 on its inside surface which punctures the sealed end of the shell 44. The outer surface of the barrel 24 may contain radially-extending ridges 64 to permit the operator to grasp the barrel more easily. Also, a ring 66 may be attached to the rib 12 to permit the operator to suspend the device from a peg or his belt when not in use.

At the outer end of undercut 36, there is an abutting surface 68 opposite abutment 41. A ring 70 of malleable material is disposed in engagement with abutting surface 68 (see FIGURE 7). Ring 70 may be any suitable plastic material, metal or alloy thereof.

The function of ring 70 is to provide a safety means whereby if the tool is accidentally fired, as by dropping or otherwise, the outer end of shoulder 38 engages ring 70 with sufficient force to deform same and thereby wedge firing pin 34 in a locked position.

This feature has the advantage that the tool cannot be operated again until the firing pin has been unlocked or unjammed and this serves to allow inspection of the tool in order to determine whether or not the tool has been damaged to the extent that further operation thereof might cause injury to the operator. The firing pin can be unjammed by application of pressure or heat depending upon the material of ring 70. While ring 70 has been illustrated and described as containing a particular configuration, it is obvious that it can assume many other desirable configurations that will effect the desired result.

Operatiom-When it is desired to make an electrical connection, the connector body A is fitted on the planar member 10 with the lip 22 securing it therein. The conductors C and C are inserted in opposite arms of the connector with the wedge W therebetween. The barrel 24, with the firing pin therein, is thread-ed into the post 16. A shell 44 is forced into the firing chamber in the barrel with the shoulder 38 of the firing pin projecting into the shell. The shoulder 42 on the firing pin is re- 3 tained within the undercut 40 by the wedge W, while allowing rearward movement of the firing pin.

A cap 60 is threaded onto the outer surface of the barrel 24 with the pin 62 puncturing the closed end of the shell. The cap is then struck a sharp blow with a hammer or a pair of pliers, and the reaction from the blow causes the firing pin 34 to move toward the primer 54 with sufficient force to cause detonation. This ignites the powder charge 52 and the plug 50 is driven forward, forcing the firing pin 34 ahead of it. The firing pin 34 drives the wedge W into the connector body A, thus tightly securing the conductors C and C between the wedge W and the connector body A.

After the connection is made, the cap 60 may be unthreaded from the barrel and the release of the cap and the pin 62 permits burnt gases to escape from the shell. This relaxes the shell and permits it to be removed rather easily. The firing pin may be moved rearwardly to drive the shell 44 partially out of the chamber, thus permitting easy access to it. The tool is then ready to make another connection.

Changes in construction will occur to those skilled in the art and various apparently different modifications and embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only. The actual scope of the invention is intended to be defined in the following claims when viewed in their proper perspective against the prior art.

I claim:

1. A device for making electrical connections comprising a body member, means for holding a connector body on said body member in which electrical conductors are adapted to be disposed, explosively-operated means on said body member, a firing chamber in said explosively operated means for receiving an explosive shell, firing pin means movably mounted in said firing chamber, one end of said firing pin means adpated to rest within said explosive shell for actuating same, the other end of said firing pin means adapted to engage a wedge member disposed within said connector body upon firing of said explosive shell to drive said wedge member securely within said connector body, and jamming means in said firing chamber to lock said firing pin means in a locked position when the firing pin means moves beyond an effective operating position.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said explosively-operated means is adjustable on said body member to accommodate different sizes of said connector body and wedge member.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein said jamming means includes a ring of malleable material-which is engaged by an enlarged portion of said firing pin means.

4. In an explosively-operated device, a mounting means, firing means on said mounting means, said firing means having a firing chamber adapted to receive an explosive shell therein, a firing pin movably mounted in said firing means for detonating said explosive shell, and jamming means in said firing means adjacent said firing pin to engage and lock said firing pin in an inoperative position when the firing pin has moved beyond a normally operative position.

5. A press comprising a frame having a work area thereon for receiving workpieces on which work is to be performed, said work area including a movable member and a stationary member, one of said movable and stationary members having a cartridge-receiving chamber in which a cartrdige is to be disposed, firing pin means movably mounted in said cartridge-receiving chamber for detonating said cartridge, an operating member movable under the force of the detonation of said cartridge into said work area, and jamming means in said cartridge-receiving chamber for engaging said operating member to lock the same in an inoperative position when the operating member moves beyond a normally operative position.

6. A press according to claim 5 wherein said cartridgereceiving chamber is in said movable member which is adjustably mounted on said frame.

7. A press according to claim 5 wherein said jamming means includes a malleable piece of material which upon sufiicient engagement by said firing pin means wedges same into said inoperative position.

8. An explosively-operated device for'performing useful work comprising a frame, a handle on said frame, a work area on said frame between said handle and a stationary member thereon, means in said frame for generating an explosive force, a ram member movably mounted in said handle, said ram member having a detonat-ing pin thereon for engaging said means for generating an explosive force and an element for moving into said work area, and jamming means on said frame for engaging said ram member to lock same in an inoperative position when said ram member has moved beyond a normally operative position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,968,043 1/61 Der'nler 1-215 3,060,437 -10/62 Henning et al. 1-44.5

CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

Claims

4. IN A EXPLOSIVELY-OPERATED DEVICE, A MOUNTING MEANS, FIRING MEANS ON SAID MOUNTING MEANS, SAID FIRING MEANS HAVING A FIRING CHAMBER ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AN EXPLOSIVE SHELL THEREIN, A FIRING PIN MOVABLY MOUNTED IN SAID FIRING MEANS FOR DETONATING SAID EXPLOSIVE SHELL, AND JAMMING MEANS IN SAID FIRING MEANS ADJACENT SAID FIRING PIN TO ENGAGE AND LOCK SAID FIRING PIN IN AN INOPERATIVE POSITION WHEN THE FIRING PIN HAS MOVED BEYOND A NORMALLY OPERATIVE POSITION.