GB1347723A - Explosive connectors - Google Patents

Abstract

1347723 Explosive jointing BURNDY CORP 26 July 1971 [29 July 1970] 34976/71 Heading B3Q [Also in Division H2] A connector device has an opening for receiving a conductor and associated with it an explosive-containing member which expands on detonation of the explosive to bring about the reduction of the effective cross-section of the opening and grip the conductor received therein. In Fig. 6 conductors 17 are inserted into opposite ends of conductive sleeve 10 having central wall 11. Substantially tubular shells 14 containing explosive are wound around each inserted conductor end and the ends of sleeve 10 are stopped with screwed in plugs 26. Shells 14 may also be wound round plugs 18 abutting central wall 11. A single tubular shell may be wound round both conductors (Figs. 8, 9, not shown) a central portion of the shell being inserted into a cavity in a central plug. Detonation expands the shells within sleeve 10 to grip the conductors. As shown in Fig. 10, detonation of explosive in shell 61 expands it to cause hooks 58 to grip conductors 55. For joining conductors 32 each having a central reinforcing cable 31 (Fig. 12) tubular explosivecontaining shell member 33 is wound round the ends of conductors 32 and round the exposed ends of cables 31. Two, three or four separate shell members may be employed, and adaptor sleeve 34 may surround cables 31 to make up for their smaller diameters. As shown sleeve 30 is turned in at ends 37 prior to detonation. In a further embodiment (Fig. 15) detonation of explosive in shell 81 causes lever 78 to grip securely conductors 70, 71 which may be of widely different diameter. Detonation may be electrical (Fig. 7, not shown) or by a plunger (Fig. 9, not shown).