US3360766A - Strain relief cable clamp - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 26, 1967 w. c. SCHUMACHER 3,360,766

STRAIN RELIEF CABLE CLAMP Filed March 28, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 HHIE IEM INVENTOR Walter C. Schumac/rer @wegw' ATTORNEY 1957 w. c. SCHUMACHER 3,

STRAIN RELIEF CABLE CLAMP Fil ed March 28, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w m0 D v 9 6% a a a a mm 0 5 a a0 3 0 4 4 2 INVENTOR Wa/fer C. Schumac/rer BY fiaw -65 ATTORNEY United States Patent Office 3,360,766 STRAIN RELIEF CABLE CLAMP Walter C. Schumacher, Warwick, R.I., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 28, 1966, Ser. No. 538,049 12 Claims. (Cl. 339-103) This invention relates to electrical conductor mounts and more particularly to mounts for clamping a sheathed electrical conductor at a portion of the conductor sheath and the invention in certain embodiments is concerned with electrical conductor clamp devices and electrical conductor clamp components as products of manufacture.

An object of the present invention is to provide a mount including a support such as afforded by electrical equipment and have a clamp device of the mount on the support to hold a sheathed electrical conductor along the length of the conductor, and which mount quite satisfactorily carries on the support and in the clamp device components having jaws for clampingly engaging a localized region of the conductor sheath.

Another object of this invention is to provide an elec trical conductor mount of the character indicated in which each of the clamp components is well stabilized toward maintaining longtiudinal direction of a jaw of the clamp component while the jaw is being moved laterally, and which mount upon having the jaws therein clamped a sheathed electrical conductor at the sheath also has the jaws and the conductor substantially immunized against forced unitary movements in the mount in directions laterally and longitudinally of the conductor.

A further object herein is the provision of a clamp device which is characterized by having a set of clamp components mechanically in the device and adapted to be constrained externally of the device for jaws of the components to have generally the same longitudinal direction and which device is further characterized by the feature that the jaws upon being moved to clamp a sheathed electrical conductor are braced within the device against movement unitarily with the conductor laterally of the conductor, the bracing being through structure by which the jaws are forced to clamp the conductor.

Another object of this invention is that of providing a clamp device which is characterized by a set of clamp components having feet and the device is adapted for the feet of the set of components slidably to be in contact with a support externally of the device and be stabilized toward keeping longitudinal direction of the jaws not only during lateral movements of the jaws but while the clamp device holds a sheathed electrical conductor clamped at the sheath and has the jaws and the conductor substantially immunized against forced movements unitarily within the clamp in directions laterally and longitudinally of the conductor.

Another object herein is the provision of clamp components which structurally are adapted to be used in an electrical conductor clamp device and thereby contribute worthwhile structural features.

Other objects of this invention in part will be obvious and in part pointed out more fully hereinafter.

As conducive to a clearer understanding of certain features of the present invention it may be noted at this point that there are numerous instances in the electrical arts where it is desired to have clamping arrangements or mounts as in electrical equipment to clamp a sheathed electrical conductor mechanically to substantially immobilize in the mount a localized region of the conductor. A clamping of a region of sheathed electrical conductor often entails such objects as to engage the conductor by the sheath merely to fix the region with reference to sructure. More popularly, this is to forestall having the sheathed conductor transmit axially through and past the 3,360,756 Patented Dec. 26, 1967 clamped region a mechanical load which otherwise on being encountered by the sheathed conductor would impose stress such as upon an electrical junction or junctions made with the wire or wires of the conductor as at a terminal or terminals to which the conductor leads. The junction or junctions are for example afiiliated with electrical equipment having a housing or a panel through which the electrical conductor can extend to the junction or junctions via an aperture in the panel or in a wall of the housing and be regionally clamped and mounted to the panel or housing adjacent to the aperture thus to preent longitudinal movement of the conductor in the clamped region and have the region in advance of the junction or junctions.

In some mounts, heretofore known, clamp components, though laterally movable relatively to a support are without guidance in the movement except by the particular conductor itself and by fastenings which are being used to apply the clamping force. Clamp components which engage the conductor in such situations usually are prone to tilt lengthwise in seeking their clamping positions under the thrust of the fastenings. In other instances of heretofore known assemblies, the laterally adjustable clamp components after being brought into relatively fixed clamping positions with respect to each other, still, because of the feature of lateral adjustability, are prone to be moved with the clamped conductor relatively to the support so much so laterally of the conductor so as to lose all semblance of maintaining the original position of the conductor after clamping. The foregoing and numerous other shortcomings which are observable in the prior art indicative of a further object of the present invention, which is to provide enhanced mounts for electrical conductors and as well as to provide advancements in electrical conductor clamp devices and clamp device components.

More generally in accordance with the present invention a clamp device for use as a member of an electrical conductor mount is provided having a base wherein an opening communicates with first and second sides of the base. In the clamp device also is a pair of clamp components comprising laterally opposed jaws longitudinally coextending laterally movably through the base opening and beyond the aforementioned first side of the base. The clamp components have feet connected with the jaws thereof and the feet extend outwardly along the second side of the base in opposite directions from the base opening for being supported internally and externally of the clamp device. Opposite transverse end portions of each of the jaws enable an electrical conductor to be disposed between these transverse end portions and be clamped by the jaws of the device while the conductor extends through the base opening and externally of the clamp device. More particularly, the clamping is accomplished through having a pair of posts in the device connected with the base of the device and extending adjacent to the aforementioned transverse end portions of the jaws outwardly of the first side of the base. A plurality of fastener means movably engage the transverse end portions of the jaws with the posts to move the jaws laterally to clamp an electrical conductor and for a support externally of the clamp device to cooperate with the clamp device in supporting the feet of the clamp components slidably against the second side of the base. Any one of a variety of external supports are used with one or more of the clamp devices for the support to include a mount for an electrical conductor.

In the accompanying drawing, representing an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the clamp device and clamp components of the device, and further representing an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the electrical conductor mount:

FIGURE 1 is a side perspective view of a clamp device;

FIGURE 2 provides a perspective view of the clamp device of FIGURE 1 from a different vantage point;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded view showing in detail the clamp device of FIGURES 1 and 2;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a support in the form of electrical equipment, the latter to be combined with the clamp device of FIGURE 1 so as to constitute electrical equipment wherein there is a mount for clamping an electrical conductor;

FIGURE 5 is a cross sectional elevation in a plane of line VV in FIGURE 4 and of the longitudinal axis of the support, the view further representing in cross section the clamp device of FIGURE 1 in situ thus for the support in combination with the device to include a mount for the electrical conductor which is also represented.

FIGURE 6 is a transverse cross section taken at line VI-VI in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary elevational view of the equipment of FIGURE 5 partially in cross section which exposes the clamp device along the line VII-VII in FIG- URE 2; and

FIGURE 8 is a half-to-half end view of the electrical equipment represented in FIGURE 4 and thus including a mount for an electrical conductor, and the half-tohalf end view enables a comparsion of certain of the possible settings of the clamp components of the mount to hold electrical conductors of different cross sectional di mensions clam ed in the equipment.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing a clamp device represented in each of FIGURES l to 3, inclusive, and designated generally by the reference numeral 10, is adapted to be associated with a support which, as exemplified in various other figures of the drawing, is in electrical equipment taking the form of a male connector or plug, the plug per se being depicted in FIGURE 4 and being designated there generally by the reference numeral 11. Clamp device 10 and plug 11 in association with each other (see FIGURE 5) share in adding to the plug an electrical conductor mount for such purposes as to clamp a sheathed electrical conductor 22 at the sheath along the length of the conductor in advance of ends 225 of the conductor wires, which as will be understood from a further detailed description hereinafter are electrically connected with the plug contacts 14 within the housing of the plug and by the clamping action of the mount are held to the housing of the plug and spared strain from axial load which the conductor 22 may encounter outside the clamp device 10.

As best shown in FIGURE 5, plug 11 includes a housing member 12 of insulating material, a contact support block 13 also of insulating material, contacts 14, and contact retaining plate 15 which again is of insulating material. The plug further includes a screw 16 for fastening block 13 contacts 14 and the contact retaining plate 15 together as an electrical contact unit, and screws 17 for fastening the latter unit within the housing member 12 in a manner which is to be more fully .set forth herein after. Housing member 12 has an externally cylindrical side wall 18 integral with a transverse end wall 19, the latter being disposed marginally inwardly from the end face 20 of side wall 18. End wall 19 is provided with a substantially central opening 21 and thus defines passage means in the housing for receiving ends 22!) of the wires of the insulated conductor 22 for connection with contacts 14.

Wall 18, at the face inside the hollow housing member 12, is generally cylindrical intermittently of laterally spaced integral studs 18a which extend longitudinally into adjoinment with end wall 19. The housing member 12 at the end opposite from wall 19 is open having side wall 18 marginally projecting somewhat beyond adjacent ends 180 of the studs of the wall 18 so that the contact support block 13 at flanges 13a (see FIGURE 6) of the block can abut the ends 18c of the studs for support while in turn supporting the contact retaining plate 15 for the latter to close the open end of the housing mer her 12. Longitudinal passages 34 in the studs 18a are extended through the integral end wall 19 and have align ment with openings 35 in the contact support block 13 with openings 36 in contact retaining plate 15 to receive screws 17 through the latter two members end through the housing member 12 to assemble the plug 11.

Socketed portions 13b of the contact support block 13 are integral with the flanges 13a (see FIGURE 6) which flanges occur at intervals between the socketed portions. Sockets 27 accordingly formed are entrant from the lower face of block 13 as viewed in FIGURES, there being opposed guideways or grooves in each of the sockets for a terminal end 26 of one of the contacts 14 edgewise to be inserted in the guideways and be guided into the socket and thereafter contained in the guideways and socket. Peripherally of the contact support block 13 the socketed portions 1312 are open at 13a between the guideways of the related sockets 27, thus exposing operably to view externally of the block the heads of screws 14b. The shanks of screws 14b are through apertures in the terminal ends 26 of the contacts 14 in the sockets and threadedly engage clamping nuts for connecting the wire ends 2212 of the electrical conductor to the contacts 14. The wire ends 22b are first inserted through opening 21 in the end wall 19 and thereafter to enter the sockets 27, through wall openings 13 in the bases of the sockets. The electric-a1 connections between the conductor wire ends 2212 and the terminal ends 26 of the contacts then are made. With the contacts 14 thus electrically connected and having their terminal ends 26 in place in the sockets 27, the blade portions 29 of the contacts may also be associated with plate 15 for retention. The blade portions accordingly extend through corresponding slots 30 in the contact retaining plate. A central projection 33 of the contact retaining plate is received in a central cavity in the contact support block 13 and has threads in an aperture 32. Aperture 32 is aligned with a passage axially through the contact support block 15 to receive the screw 31 through the contact support block for engaging the threads in aperture 32 and interconnecting the central support block and the contact retaining plate. In the assembly thus formed, jogged portions 14a of the plug contacts 14 rest on the inside face of the contact retaining plate 15 and the terminal ends 26 electrically connected with wire ends 22b of the electrical conductor 22 are thus supported in place in the sockets 27.

The housing member 12 has a recess 23 (see FIG- URE 4) which opens outwardly externally of the plug 11. Bottom face 24 of the recess 23 is afforded by transverse end wall 19 and has a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of opening 21. Bottom face 24 is interrupted medially between diametrically opposite portions of side wall 18 by thev opening 21, and thus laterally from this opening the bottom face 24 extends in opposite directions to the recess end faces 18d which are on portions 18c. Stepped portions of end wall 19 join the portions 180 and provide substantially parallel side faces 25 of the recess 23 adjacent to opposite sides of the opening 21. Leading into the recess 23, the housing member 12 has an annular rim represented by a marginal projection of side wall 18 outwardly from faces 1% of the stepped portions of the end wall 19. There faces 19a extend from the side faces 25 of the recess 23 and have a common plane substantially paralel to the plane of bottom face 24 of the recess.

In the clamp device 10, a base plate 49 such as of steel or of any other suitable material is provided, preferably as a one-piece sheet product of manufacture. The base plate has a centrally disposed opening 41, and first and second substantially parallel opposed sides 44- and 56 of the base plate are interconnected by this opening. A pair of substantially longitudinally parallel posts 43, securely on the base plate 40 and extending outwardly from side 44 of this plate are on opposite sides of the plate opening 41 and are substantially within a plane which is common to the axis of the plate opening 41. The posts 43, in the form illustrated, are heavy gauge flat sided elements of generally rectangular cross section and are made of steel or of any other suitable material. Inner ends of the posts include projections 45 inserted through corresponding apertures 46 in base plate 40 on diametrically opposite sides of the opening 41 and deformed such as by spreading or heading to connect the posts substantially in fixed position relative to the base plate. It will of course be understood that the base plate 40 and posts 43 may otherwise be made united such as by welding the inner ends of the posts to the base plate.

A pair of clamp components 47 of the clamp device is preferably characterized by each of the clamp components of the pair being a one-piece unit, advantageously a one-piece sheet product of manufacture. More particularly with reference to form, the jaws 48 of the clamp components are troughed throughout the longitudinal lengths of the clamp components and the jaws are integral with feet 49 of the clamp components adjacent to inner ends of the jaws. As more generally related to base plate 40, the jaws 48 longitudinally coextend laterally movably through the base plate opening 41 and beyond side 44 of the base plate while the feet 49 of the clamp components extend outwardly along the opposite side 56 of the base plate for being supported externally of the device, the feet thus to be maintained having a plane in common and be slidably in contact with side 56. Also, the jaws 48 in the present embodiment, have opposing transversely rounded smooth clamping surfaces 48a inside the troughs of the jaws opposed by transversely rounded outer surfaces 48b outside the troughs, each foot 49 being integral with the inner longitudinal end of the related jaw and extending outward radially from the transversely rounded outer surface 481) of the jaw to have a plane substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the jaw. Moreover, the jaw 48 of each of the clamp components 47 has opposite transverse end extensions 51 from opposite sides of the jaw, the transverse end extensions 51 having a plane substantially normal to the plane of the foot 49 of the clamp component and there being apertures 52 through the transverse end extensions. Apertures 52 of the jaw have axes which are substantially normal to the plane of the transverse end extensions 51 of the jaw and thus axes which are generally parallel to the plane of the foot of the clamp component. The transverse end extensions 51 are offset from each other longitudinally of the jaw 48 of the clamp component and so are the corresponding apertures 52. Posts 43 extend between the jaws 48 of the clamp components and more particularly between the transverse end extensions 51 of the jaws. At the sides of the jaws 48 adjacent to each of the posts 43 the transverse end extensions 51 are offset from one another longitudinally of the corresponding post and confront opposite sides of the post. A plurality of individually settable screws 54 having shanks 55 through the apertures 52 in the transverse end extensions 51 of the jaws engage the transverse end extensions individually adjustably with the posts 43. For this purpose, the posts 43 have threads in apertures 53 engaged with threads on the shanks 55 of the screws for the shanks movably to extend axially substantially parallel to the plane of side 56 of the base plate 40 at distances removed from the base plate for the screws to move the jaws 48 laterally toward each other and the feet 49 to slide in stabilizing contact with side 56 of the base plate when the feet are supported externally of the clamp device 10. Apertures 52 in the transverse end extensions 51 of the jaws are slightly larger in diameter than the outside diameters of the related shanks 55 of the screws so that the jaws 48 can be laterally shifted on the screw shanks to engage an electrical conductor be- 6 tween the jaws before the screws are set finally for the jaws to effect the clamping action.

The radius of the transverse curvature of jaws 48 at clamping faces 48a is preferably substantially equal to the radius of opening 41 in the base plate. In order to provide for the clamp components to separate sufficiently to receive a conductor having a diameter substantially equal to that of opening 41, the latter opening is enlarged as at 57 to define lateral recesses adapted to receive the inner ends 58 of the jaws 48. The depth of each recess 57 radially of opening 41 is substantially equal to the thickness of the jaw and the width of each recess is substantially equal to the distance between side edges 50 of the jaw. Thus, when the clamp components 47 are in their outermost positions, the side edges of arcuate inner ends 58 of the jaws 48 coincide with the edges of apertures 41 adjacent the recesses -57. Feet 49 of the clamp components are of a width substantially equal to the diameter of opening 41 and are of a length suflicient for the outer edge 59 of the feet to be disposed behind plate 40 and radially outwardly of outer arcuated edges 60 of recesses 57, both when the components 47 are in their innermost and outermost relative lateral positions, as illustrated in FIGURE 8. Accordingly, when the clamp components are in the innermost position thereof with respect to posts 43, the feet 49 still effectively overlap the base plate 40.

Each of the jaws 48 of the related clamping components 47 is slotted open through from the clamping surface 48a to the outer surface 48b in each of different regions 6 1a and 61b (see FIGURE 7) spaced apart laterally of the jaw and the jaw has pairs of laterally opposed slot edges 61c and 61d each in the pair in a different one of the slotted regions 68a and 68b andconverging in the pair toward a longitudinal end of the slotted jaw. This arrangement is embodied in preferred manner through providing a substantially V-shaped opening 61 in the related jaw. The periphery of the V-shaped opening includes portions converging toward foot 49 of the clamping component. The slot thus formed is Wide enough to assure displacement of the insulating sheath material 22a of conductor 22 underlying the slots into the slot under clamping pressure applied to the conductor sheath by drawing components 47 toward posts 43. The slotted regions 61a and 61b wedgingly resist movement received therein in the event that axial load is encountered by the conductor 22 externally of the clamp device 10 while the conductor being in the jaws 48. Still in accordance with certain practice herein, a V-shaped slot may be replaced by converging non-intersecting slots in the jaw.

Base plate 40 is substantially circular in configuration at the outer edge thereof and is of a diameter slightly less than the inside diameter of wall 18 of housing 12 for the base plate to be disposed having side 56 against faces 19a of the stepped portions of the end Wall 19a in a covering relationship to recess 23. The base plate 40, furthermore, is provided with integral fastening means in the form of bendable tabs 42 which are located adjacent to the inner ends of the posts 43 and extend from opposite sides of the base plate opening 41 as will be seen in FIGURES 2 and 7. The tabs 42 enter notches 24a which lead radially from opening 21 in the housing end wall 19 at the bottom of recess 23. The tabs in notches 24a are bent radially outwardly of opening 21 thus to extend along a side of wall 19 which is inside the housing member 12 and thereby securely interconnected the clamp device 10 with the housing member. Recess 23 in the end wall 19 of housing member 12 is of a width substantially equal to the width of feet 49 of clamp components 47 so as in this respect to have the recess sides 25 available to stabilize the feet, and is of a depth substantially equal to the thickness of the feet. Thus, with the clamp device 10 interconnected with housing member 12, feet 49 are disposed behind face 56 of base plate 40 and in recess 23 for sliding movement in the recess laterally of aperture 41 in the plate and laterally of passage 21 in housing 12.

Prior to clamping the electrical conductor 22 in the jaws 48, the clamp components 47 are brought to an open position which is accomplished by retracting the screws 54 and then sliding the feet 49 by manually moving the jaws laterally. The conductor 22 is then inserted between the jaws 48 and through opening 41 in the base plate 40 and through openings 21 in end wall 19 of the housing member 12. The wire ends 22b of the electrical conductor thereafter are electrically connected with terminals 26 of the plug contacts 14 thrOugh first inserting these wire ends through the openings 13f of the contact support block 13 and the contacts 14 through slots 30 in the contact retaining plate 15 and then making the electrical connections. With the terminal ends 26 disposed in sockets 27 of the contact support block 13 the contact retaining plate 15 is fastened in place by screw 16 and the resulting contact unit is brought into position wherein flanges 13a of the contact support block 13 abut against the ends 180 studs 18a of the housing member 12, the con tact unit thus closing the open end of the latter member. Screws 17 are inserted through apertures 36 in the contact retaining plate 15, thence through the apertures 35 in the contact support block 13 and through passages 34 in the studs 13a, thereafter to have threaded ends project into apertures 64 in the base plate 40 and engage threads provided in the base plate in the latter apertures. The screws 17 are accordingly tightened to draw the base plate 40 into abutment at its face 56 with face 19a of the end wall 19, the feet 49 meanwhile being disposed in recess 43 and held to be moved slidably in the manner hereinbefore described. Any or all of the individually settable screws 54 then as needed are tightened to draw the jaws 48 into clamped engagement with the insulating sheath 22b and maintain securement to the posts 43.

Fasteners 54 therefore are operative to guide and drive the clamp components 47 to accomplish stably lateral movements of the jaws 48 for clamping. Further, it will be appreciated that both the inner and outer ends of clamp components 47 are guided and supported within the device and externally by the plug 11 during lateral movement of the components, whereby manipulation of the clamp components during the insertion of a conductor therebetween and proper association of the clamp components with the conductor during tightening of the components is facilitated. Posts 43 and fasteners 54 of the mount further advantageously provide for restraining lateral displacement of a conductor engaged between clamp components 47, regardless of whether the conductor is of small or large diameter. In this respect, when the clamp components are in clamping relationship on opposite sides of conductor 22, both jaws are restrained against movement outwardly axially of the corresponding headed fasteners 54 because of the fastener heads and the threaded interconnections between the fasteners and posts 43. Further posts 43 and fastener elements 54 restrain lateral shifting of clamp components 47 with respect to the base plate 40 in a direction laterally of the conductor region which is clamped to the mount. The feet 49 in contact with the bottom face 24 of recess 23 and in contact with the base plate side 56 stabilize the clamped jaws 48 for the latter to sustain longitudinal direction. By having each post 43 disposed between a set of the transverse end extensions 51 of the jaws 48 and having the individually settable screw fasteners 54 corresponding to the set of transverse end extensions operable to move the transverse end extensions of the set in opposite directions toward the post, the adjustments of the individually settable screw fasteners 51 at each post 43 may be additive and thus the individually settable screw fasteners may be of short lengths to close the jaws 48 additively laterally toward each other.

A further benefit arises from the fact that the clamp device 10 and the housing member 12 may be preliminarily secured together as a preassembly so that this preassembly can then be connected by the screws 17 with a further preassembly, the latter including the contact support block 13, contacts 14, the contact retaining plate 15 and screw 16. Beneficially, the preassembled unit including the clamp device 10 and the housing member 12 is had by bending the tabs 42 to the positions shown in FIGURE 7 to secure the base plate 40 to the housing member end wall 19. Screws 17 extend adjacent to feet 49 of the clamp components 47 and engage the base plate 4-9 within the apertures 64 thus to fasten together the several aforementioned preassemblies and support the base plate 40 adjacent to the regions where the feet 49 bear upon the base plate face 56 to resist thrust of an electrical conductor 22 when the conductor is clamped in jaws 48 and transmits axially a force which is outwardly directed from the clamp device. The screws 17 very effectively distribute this force in the final assembly and furthermore the tabs 42, being adjacent to the posts 43, distribute this force directly from the posts to the housing member end wall 19 at locations which are intermediate the screws 17 and more particularly intermediate their holes 64.

It will be appreciated that the clamp device in this and other embodiments thereof in accordance with the present invention, lends itself to many possible uses in the electrical conductor clamping field, and that although considerable emphasis has been placed herein upon the fact that the support is an electrical conductor or wiring device having contact blades so as to serve as an electrical supply plug characterized by including an electrical conductor mount, it will be appreciated that the clamp device and an electrode receptacle or any of a large number of other possible supports are also satisfactorily combined to provide the support with a mount for holding an electrical conductor in clamped position.

As many possible embodiments of the present invention may be made and as many possible changes may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore set forth, it is to be distinctly understood that the matter described herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not as a limitation.

I claim:

1. A clamp device including a base having first and second opposed sides and there being an opening in said base communicating with said sides, a pair of clamp components comprising laterally opposed jaws longitudinally coextending and laterally movable through said base opening and. beyond said first side of said base, for a sheathed electrical conductor to be engaged at the sheath by said jaws intermediately of opposite transverse end portions of each of said jaws and the conductor to extend through said base opening, said clamp components having feet connected with said jaws and said feet extending outwardly along said second side of said base in opposite directions from said base opening for being supported externally of the device to maintain said feet slidably in contact with said second side of said base; and the clamp device further including a pair of substantially fixed posts connected with said base and extending adjacent to said transverse end portions of each of said jaws outwardly of said first side of said base; and a plurality of fastener means movably engaging said transverse end portions of said jaws with said posts to move said jaws laterally to clamp a sheathed electrical conductor at the sheath and for a support externally of the device to maintain said feet in sliding contact with said second side of said base to stabilize said jaws.

2. A clamp device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said transverse end portions of said jaws have apertures and said posts extend between said jaws adjacent to said apertures, and portions of said plurality of fastener means extend through said apertures in a direction substantially parallel to said second side of said base and are of form and size in said apertures for said jaws to be moved independently of said plurality of fastener means to initially engage a sheathed electrical conductor at the sheath and for said feet to be maintained against said second side of said base by a support externally of the device.

3. A clamp device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said opposed jaws of said clamp components are troughed throughout their longitudinal lengths, and between said transverse end portions have opposing transversely rounded clamping surfaces inside the troughs opposed by transversely rounded outer surfaces outside the troughs, said feet connected with said jaws being externally of the troughs.

4. A clamp device as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of fastener means is an individually settable fastener means interengaging a respective one of said transverse end portions with a respective one of said pair of posts.

5. A clamp device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said posts extend between said jaws, and said transverse end portions of said jaws are offset from one another longitudinally of the posts and from one another on the jaws longitudinally of the jaws, and said plurality of fastener means includes a plurality of individually settable screws, each of said screws having a head outside a respective one of said transverse end portions of said jaws and a shank extending through an aperture in said transverse end portion, and said shanks and said posts having interengaging threads guiding said screws to move said jaws.

6. A clamp device as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said clamp components is a one-piece sheet product, and said opposed jaws of said clamp components are troughed throughout their longitudinal lengths and between said transverse end portions have opposing transversely rounded clamping surfaces inside the troughs opposed by transversely rounded outer surfaces outside the troughs, said feet connected with said jaws being externally of the troughs.

7. A clamp device as set forth in claim 6, wherein said jaw of at least one of said clamp components is slotted open through from said clamping surface to said outer surface in each of different regions spaced apart laterally of the jaw, and the slotted jaw has pairs of laterally opposed slot edges each in the pair in a different one of said regions and coverging in the pair toward a longitudinal end of the slotted jaw.

8. A clamp device as set forth in claim 5, wherein said base and each of said clamp components is a onepiece sheet product, and each of said clamp components includes a troughed jaw having a transversely rounded clamping surface inside the trough opposed by a transversely rounded outer surface outside the trough, said feet being integral with longitudinal ends of said jaws and extending outwardly radially from said outer surfaces of said jaws to be supported by a support externally of the device and have a plane substantially normal to the longitudinal axes of said jaws, and said opposite transverse end portions of each of said jaws having a plane substantially normal to the plane of said feet and said apertures in said transverse end portions of the jaw having axes substantially normal to the plane of said transverse end portions of the jaw.

9. A clamp device as set forth in claim 8, wherein each of said jaws has a V-slot open through from said clamping surface to said outer surface of the jaw, there being pairs of opposed slot edges of the jaw and each of said edges in the pair being in a different branch of said V- slot regionally laterally of the jaw and the pair converging toward said longitudinal end of the jaw.

10. An electrical conductor clamping mount comprising, base means having first, second and third sides, said first and second sides being opposed and interconnected by an opening in said base means and said second and third sides being opposed in a recess in said base means, a pair of clamp components comprising laterally opposed jaws longitudinally coextending and laterally movable through said opening in said base means and beyond said first side of said base means, and each of said jaws having opposite transverse end portions outwardly of said first face of said base means for a sheathed electrical conductor to be engaged at the sheath by said jaws intermediately of said transverse end portions of each of said jaws and extending through said opening in said base means, said clamp components having feet connected with said jaws and said feet extending in said recess in opposite directions from said opening in said base means to be slidably in contact with said second and third sides of said base means, and the mount further including a pair of substantially fixed posts connected with said base means and extending adjacent to said transverse end portions of each of said jaws outwardly of said first side of said base means, and a plurality of fastener means movably engaging said transverse end portions of said jaws with said posts and moving said jaws laterally for said feet to slide in contact with said second and third sides of said base means and said jaws to clamp a sheathed electrical conductor at the sheath.

11. An electrical conductor mount as set forth in claim 10, wherein said posts extend between said transverse end portions, said transverse end portions of said jaws being offset from one another longitudinally of the post and being offset from one another on the jaws longitudinally of the jaws, and said plurality of fastener means including a plurality of individual settable screws, each of said screws having a head outside a respective one of said transverse end portions of said jaws and a shank extending through an aperture in said transverse end portion, said shanks and posts having interengaging threads guiding said screws to move said jaws and slide said feet.

12. An electrical conductor mount as set forth in claim 11, wherein a clamp device including a base plate and said posts connected with said base plate is characterized by said first and second sides of said base means being opposed sides of said base plate, said third side of said base means being that of a wall connected with said clamp device and having said recess.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,713,526 5/1929 Frederickson 339-103 X 2,033,960 3/1936 Tiffany 339-103 X 2,186,751 1/1940 Chirelstein 339-103 X 2,276,557 3/1942 Woodhead 339-103 X 2,449,916 9/1948 Tandet 339-103 X 2,662,219 12/1953 Hennessey et a1. 399-103 2,930,022 3/1960 Webster 339-103 2,972,492 2/ 1961 Mintz et al.

3,315,213 4/1967 Fischer et a1. 339-103 X RICHARD E. MOORE, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A CLAMP DEVICE INCLUDING A BASE HAVING FIRST AND SECOND OPPOSED SIDES AND THERE BEING AN OPENING IN SAID BASE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SIDES, A PAIR OF CLAMP COMPONENTS COMPRISING LATERALLY OPPOSED JAWS LONGITUDINALLY COEXTENDING AND LATERALLY MOVABLE THROUGH SAID BASE OPENING AND BEYOND SAID FIRST SIDE OF SAID BASE, FOR A SHEATHED ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR TO BE ENGAGED AT THE SHEATH BY SAID JAWS INTERMEDIATELY OF OPPOSITE TRANSVERSE END PORTIONS OF EACH OF SAID JAWS AND THE CONDUCTOR TO EXTEND THROUGH SAID BASE OPENING, SAID CLAMP COMPONENTS HAVING FEET CONNECTED WITH SAID JAWS AND SAID FEET EXTENDING OUTWARDLY ALONG SAID SECOND SIDE OF SAID BASE IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS FROM SAID BASE OPENING FOR BEING SUPPORTED EXTERNALLY OF THE DEVICE TO MAINTAIN SAID FEET SLIDABLY IN CONTACT WITH SAID SECOND SIDE OF SAID BASE; AND THE CLAMP DEVICE FURTHER INCLUDING A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY FIXED POSTS CONNECTED WITH SAID BASE AND EXTENDING ADJACENT TO SAID TRANSVERSE END PORTIONS OF EACH OF SAID JAWS OUTWARDLY OF SAID FIRST SIDE OF SAID BASE; AND A PLURALITY OF FASTENER MEANS

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