GB1565477A

GB1565477A - Dropper clip for overhead electric traction conductor

Info

Publication number: GB1565477A
Application number: GB566778A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Pirelli General Cable Works Ltd; Pirelli General Cable Works
Current assignee: Pirelli General Cable Works Ltd; Pirelli General Cable Works
Priority date: 1978-02-13
Filing date: 1978-02-13
Publication date: 1980-04-23
Also published as: BR7808450A; AR214373A1

Description

(54) DROPPER CLIP FOR OVERHEAD ELECTRIC TRACTION CONDUCTOR (71) We, PIRELLI GENERAL CABLE WORKS LIMITED, a British Company of Thavies Inn House, 3-4 Holborn Circus, London EC1N 2QA, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a clip for supporting an overhead electric traction conductor.

Such clips are commonly known as dropper clip.

The overhead contact conductor comprises a slid wire formed with two longitudinallyextending shouldered grooves. Known dropper clips comprise several components, two of which have bottom edges which engage the respective grooves, these two components of the clip being drawn towards each other and locked, so that the wire is rigidly held and is unable to rotate or move laterally or vertically relative to the clip. The clip is secured to a suspending element (a dropper) and the wire is supported generally horizontally from a cateniry cable or other suitable support by means of droppers and dropper clips positioned at intervals along its length.

Prior art dropper clips have comprised a plurality of different components which must be assernbled together on site about the contact wire.

This invention provides a dropper clip comprising two identical components having edges for engaging respective ones of two longi tud,aalIyeiding shouldered grooves of a contact wire, the two components being arranged to interfit together in clamping relation about the contact wire upon engaging their said edges in respective said grooves and then sliding the two components towards each other along said grooves, and the two components comprising ridges and grooves which interengage, upon sliding the components together, to locate the two components against relative movement in the vertical direction.

Thus the dropper clip according to the invention has the advantage that it involves only a single component, a pair of which are assembled together about the contact wire.

Thus only a single component, which may be mass produced, needs to be stocked and assembly on site is simplified, which is particularly important under adverse weather and light conditions.

In an embodiment to be described, a leading portion of each component locates behind a shoulder on the other component, when the two components are fully interfitted, so as to lock the two components against relative longitudinal movement in the opoosite direction.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a contact wire with the two identical components of a dropper clip engaged therewith, prior to sliding the components together to interfit; and FIGURES 2 and 3 are vertical sections through leading and trailing portions of one of the clip components.

Referring to Figure 1, a contact wire 1 is formed with two longitudinally-extending shouldered grooves 2, 2. A dropper clip comprises two identical components 3, 4, of which component 3 will be described in detail.

Component 3 is formed from sheet metal or other suitable material (for example reinforced plastics) for example 12SWG (2.64 mm) thick. The component comprises a main body 5 which is divided into leading and trailing portions 6, 7 by a vertical slit 8 which extends from the top edge of the main body 5 to almost the bottom of the main body 5.

The main body is planar with the exception of ridged and grooved regions 10 and 20 of the respective leading and trailing portions and of a region 11 of the leading portion which is above the region 10, all of which exceptions will be described later in this specification.

From the bottom of the main body 5, a downwards extension 9 of the clip body is provided, which extension is bent first outwardly from the main body and then inwardly to tenninate in a bottom edge of the clip which is directed inwardly and downwardly to engage the respective groove of the contact wire.

From the trailing portion 7 of the component, a horizontal camming extension 12 is provided, which is bent so as to lie generally parallel to the trailing portion 7, but spaced therefrom, to form a pocket for receiving the leading portion of the other component 4, as will be described. The free end of extension 12 is flared outwardly as shown.

Referring to Figure 2, there is shown the arrangement of ridges and grooves in the region 10 of the leading portion 6. Thus the side (or inner side) which is to face the other component 3 is formed with a ridge 13 and a groove 14, which formation results in a complementary groove 15 and ridge 16 on the other, or outer side. It will be noted that the top region 11 is offset slightly, from the plane of the main body 5, in the direction towards the other component 3.

Referring to Figure 3, there is shown the arrangement of ridges and grooves in the region 20 of the trailing portion 7. Thus the inner side (which is to face the other component 3) is formed with two ridges 21, 22 and an intermediate groove 23, which formation results complementarily, in two grooves 24, 25 and an intermediate ridge 26.

In order to apply the clip to the contact wire, the two components are disposed in the positions shown in Figure 1, with their bottom edges engaged in the respective grooves 2, 2 of the wire and with the two components offset from each other longitudinally of the wire. In this condition, leading portion ridge 13 and region 11 of component 3 abut the corresponding leading portion ridge and region of the component 4. The two components are then slid longitudinally towards each other along the grooves 2, 2 as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1, so that the leading portion of each component will enter the pocket of the other component, being cammed by the extension 12 of that other component.The leading portion ridge 13 of each component will now have slid into the trailing portion groove 23 of the other component, and likewise the trailing portion ridges 21 of each component will have slid into the leading portion groove 14 of the other component. Also, once the leading portions of the two components have passed each other, the regions 11 will resiliently snap inwards relative to each other to lock the two components against longitudinal withdrawal.

The two components 3, 4 are made of a spring material having good weathering qualities. It is important that their bottom edges enter the full depth of the grooves 2, 2 of the contact wire and the bottom edge portions are oriented and chamfered to complement the shape of the grooves 2, 2.

It will be noted that a circular aperture is formed in each of the leading and trailing portions of each component, so as to form two pairs of aligned apertures in the clip when assembled about the contact wire. These aligned pairs of apertures serve for securing the clip to the lower end of a dropper.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A dropper clip, comprising two identical components having edges for engaging respective ones of two longitudinallyextending shouldered grooves of a contact wire, the two components being arranged to interfit together in clamping relation about the contact wire upon engaging their said edges in respective said grooves and then sliding the two components towards each other along said grooves, and the two components comprising ridges and grooves which interengage, upon sliding the components together, to locate the two components against relative movement in the vertical direction.

2. A dropper clip as claimed in claim 1, in which a leading portion of each component locates behind a shoulder on the other component, when the two components are fully interitted, so as to lock the two components against relative linear movement parallel to the contact wire.

3. A dropper clip as claimed in either of the preceding claims, in which each component comprises a single piece of sheet material.

4. A dropper clip as claimed in claim 3 appended to claim 2, in which each component comprises a main body which is divided into said leading and trailing portions by a vertical slit extending from the top edge of the main body to almost the bottom of the main body.

5. A dropper clip as claimed in claim 4, in which a downwards extension of the main body is provided, said downwards extension terminating in a said edge for engaging a contact wire groove.

6; A dropper clip as claimed in claim 4 or 5, or 6, in which a camming extension of the trailing portion of each component is provided, said camming extension being bent so as to lie generally parallel to the trailing portion, but spaced therefrom, to form a pocket for receiving the leading portion of the other component 7. A dropper clip as claimed in claimed in claim 6, in which the free end of the camming extension is flared outwardly.

8. A dropper clip as claimed in claim 2 or any one of claims 3 to 7 appended to claim 2, in which a top region of the leading portion of each component is offset from the main

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. downwards extension 9 of the clip body is provided, which extension is bent first outwardly from the main body and then inwardly to tenninate in a bottom edge of the clip which is directed inwardly and downwardly to engage the respective groove of the contact wire. From the trailing portion 7 of the component, a horizontal camming extension 12 is provided, which is bent so as to lie generally parallel to the trailing portion 7, but spaced therefrom, to form a pocket for receiving the leading portion of the other component 4, as will be described. The free end of extension 12 is flared outwardly as shown. Referring to Figure 2, there is shown the arrangement of ridges and grooves in the region 10 of the leading portion 6. Thus the side (or inner side) which is to face the other component 3 is formed with a ridge 13 and a groove 14, which formation results in a complementary groove 15 and ridge 16 on the other, or outer side. It will be noted that the top region 11 is offset slightly, from the plane of the main body 5, in the direction towards the other component 3. Referring to Figure 3, there is shown the arrangement of ridges and grooves in the region 20 of the trailing portion 7. Thus the inner side (which is to face the other component 3) is formed with two ridges 21, 22 and an intermediate groove 23, which formation results complementarily, in two grooves 24, 25 and an intermediate ridge 26. In order to apply the clip to the contact wire, the two components are disposed in the positions shown in Figure 1, with their bottom edges engaged in the respective grooves 2, 2 of the wire and with the two components offset from each other longitudinally of the wire. In this condition, leading portion ridge 13 and region 11 of component 3 abut the corresponding leading portion ridge and region of the component 4. The two components are then slid longitudinally towards each other along the grooves 2, 2 as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1, so that the leading portion of each component will enter the pocket of the other component, being cammed by the extension 12 of that other component.The leading portion ridge 13 of each component will now have slid into the trailing portion groove 23 of the other component, and likewise the trailing portion ridges 21 of each component will have slid into the leading portion groove 14 of the other component. Also, once the leading portions of the two components have passed each other, the regions 11 will resiliently snap inwards relative to each other to lock the two components against longitudinal withdrawal. The two components 3, 4 are made of a spring material having good weathering qualities. It is important that their bottom edges enter the full depth of the grooves 2, 2 of the contact wire and the bottom edge portions are oriented and chamfered to complement the shape of the grooves 2, 2. It will be noted that a circular aperture is formed in each of the leading and trailing portions of each component, so as to form two pairs of aligned apertures in the clip when assembled about the contact wire. These aligned pairs of apertures serve for securing the clip to the lower end of a dropper. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A dropper clip, comprising two identical components having edges for engaging respective ones of two longitudinallyextending shouldered grooves of a contact wire, the two components being arranged to interfit together in clamping relation about the contact wire upon engaging their said edges in respective said grooves and then sliding the two components towards each other along said grooves, and the two components comprising ridges and grooves which interengage, upon sliding the components together, to locate the two components against relative movement in the vertical direction.

6; A dropper clip as claimed in claim 4 or 5, or 6, in which a camming extension of the trailing portion of each component is provided, said camming extension being bent so as to lie generally parallel to the trailing portion, but spaced therefrom, to form a pocket for receiving the leading portion of the other component

7. A dropper clip as claimed in claimed in claim 6, in which the free end of the camming extension is flared outwardly.

body in a direction towards the other compb nent, so as to provide said shoulder along its trailing edge.

9. A dropper clip as claimed in claim 8, in which said interengaging ridges and grooves extend across said top region.

10. A dropper clip as claimed in claim 6 or 7 or either of claims 8 or 9 appended thereto, in which said pocket is not substantially wider than the thickness of the leading portion which it is to receive.

11. A dropper clip as claimed in claim 10, in which, as the two components are being slid together, said camming extensions act upon the two leading portions, which are themselves in face-to-face contact, to urge the offset top regions of the leading portion towards the same planes as the main body portions, against resilience of the components, so that the two components snap-engage upon the two components becoming fully interfitted to the extent that the two leading portions completely pass each other, to register with the opposed trailing portions.

12. A dropper clip as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the components are provided with respective apertures which are aligned in the fully interfitted positions of the two components.

13. A dropper clip substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

14. A dropper clip as claimed in any preceding claim, when fitted to an overhead electric traction conductor.