ES359280A1 - Connecting devices - Google Patents

Abstract

A connecting device for releasably clamping one or two flexible elongated elements, comprises a sleeve 1, having a first bore 5 which extends in the longitudinal direction of the sleeve and which opens at at least one end face of the sleeve, one or two further bores 7 extending through the wall of the sleeve into the first bore such that the axis of the or each further bore lies at an acute 'angle to the axis of the first bore, one or two clamping members 8 retained within the sleeve in the first bore and loaded towards the or an end face by one or two springs 5 and being axially displaceable and limitedly tiltable relative to the axis of the first bore, and one or two axially extending slots 16 formed in the wall of the sleeve and capable of guiding a respective actuating member 15, 19 for axially displacing the or each clamping member, the arrangement being such that in use of the connecting device, an end portion of a corresponding said element inserted into the first bore is clamped within the sleeve by the or a respective clamping member. In the construction shown the clamping member has a dome shaped head and a series of annular steps 11 behind the head which engage the elongated element when it is inserted into the bore 7 the clamping member tilting for this purpose. The clamping member has a spherical end portion 13 connected by a neck 12 to the remainder of the clamping member and the spring 5 has several of its turns passed over the spherical end portion 13 to connect the spring to the clamping member. The neck portion is engaged by a loop of a wire member 15 which is connected to a handle 19, which together form the actuating member, the wire member passing through the slot 16 in the wall of the sleeve 1 the handle enables the clamping member to be withdrawn so that the flexible elongated element can be inserted into the bore 7. The sleeve 1 is connected by means of a screw thread to a member 2 which carries a hook 3, the hook having a shank 23 with a nut 24 on one end portion, a spring 22 being disposed between the nut and an end of a bore in the member 2. A dividing plate 25 is interposed between the sleeve 1 and member 2 and the end of the spring 21 bears on this plate. The hook can be a snap hook or an open hook. In an alternative construction the member 2 is omitted and a said clamping member 8 is disposed at each end of the bore 5 therebeing a common biasing spring between them and two bores 7 one for each clamping member at opposite end portions of the sleeve 1 the arrangement enables two elongated flexible elements to be connected together. Each clamping member is connected by an individual wire member 15 to its own handle 19 the slots for the wire members 15 being diametrically opposite each other and their axes being at angles of 90 to the axes of the bores 7 which are also on opposite sides of the member 1. Several similar devices which differ in that the bores 7 and slots 16 are diametrically opposed with one bore and one slot in each side of the sleeve, can be encased in an insulating plastics block for making electrical connections. A number of other constructions are described which differ in minor details from those described above.