US2076694A - Electrical connecter - Google Patents

Description

Ami i3, i937 J. BERTSCH; of/6,6%

ELECTRICAL CONNECTER Filed May 26, 1935 Patented pr. 13, 1937 PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL CONNECTER Jacob Bertschi, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Utah Radio Products Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application May 26, 1933, Serial No. 672,948

5 Claims.

The invention relates generally to electrical connecters and more particularly to devices for establishing a connection between a radio valve terminal and a lead thereto.

Certain types of present day radio valves embody a terminal, usually in the form of a cylindrical cap, at the upper end of the valve. Inclusion of the valve in a circuit is, in part, through this terminal and in the past various forms of connecters have been employed, all of which are subject to the disadvantage of being incapable of engaging the cap with suiicient force to maintain the connection under all conditions of operation. For example, in automobile receiving set installations Where unusual conditions of vibration are present, there is a decided tendency for these connecters to work free 0f the cap.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved connecter which is capable of exerting a strong gripping force on the terminal ample to maintain the connection under all conditions of operation.

Another object is to provide a novel connecter embodying a closed loop which is extensible along its length so that it may be forced over a somewhat larger cap.

More specically stated, another object resides in the provision of a connecter formed of a strip of material which has been fashioned to produce inherent longitudinal resiliency therein, said strip being bent upon and secured to itself short of one end to form a closed expansible loop for engaging a terminal, and a part extending therefrom for connection with a lead.

Another object of the invention is to provide a connecter of this nature which is capable of being cut or stamped from a sheet of metal and which is so formed that very little waste material results, thereby effecting a substantial saving in the cost of production.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following description and fromv the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a valve showing a device embodying the features of the invention assembled thereon.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the connecter on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device partially in section as indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an extended view of a formed strip, the scale on which this view is made being somewhat less than that of Figs. 2 and 3.

The invention is illustrated and will be described in the environment of a connecter forv the screen grid terminal cap of a thermionic valve but it will be evident that the invention is capable of other uses without substantial modification.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the connecter generally comprises a closed ring or loop l0 which is adapted to tit over the terminal cap ll of a valve l2 as shown in Fig. 1 and has an outwardly extending part I3 through which 10 an electrical connection is permanently made with a lead ld (Fig. 1). The loop Ill of the connecter is made somewhat smaller than the dimension of the cap over which the loop ts and the loop is so fashioned that, while it is permanently closed, longitudinal extension thereoff is possible whereby the loop may be forced over the cap into a substantially fixed engagement therewith. The material from whichthe connecter is formed may of itself be disto-rtable sol that, when the connecter is forced onto the cap, the longitudinal expansion occurs through distortion of the metal itself. It is preferable, however, to form the connecter of a material'which is inherently resilient, thus introducing yielding resistance to longitudinal distortion which results in the creation of a force tending always to contract the loop into a firm holding engagement with the cap. Y

A preferred formation of a strip by which the 30 desired longitudinal extensibility is obtained is best seen in Fig. 4. The device is fashioned from an elongated blank strip of suitable current con-i ducting material such as thin gauge sheet steel, the overall dimensions vof the blank strip being 35 only Aslightly largerk than the dimensions of the formed strip shown in Fig. 4. Byv a die-cutting or similar operation, a series of transversely extending recesses I5 are formed to extend substane tially but not entirely across the strip from opposite longitudinal sides thereof and are disposed in alternate or staggered relation. Thus, a series of relatively narrow transversely extending and longitudinally spaced bars I6 is formed, said bars being successively connected at alternate 45 ends with each other. In other words, the pattern embodies an elongated relatively narrow strip of material which is wound back and forth upon itself through a substantially circuitous or serpentine path.

At one end of the formed strip (in this instance the left-hand end as shown in Fig. 14) an end portion Il is defined by a pair of short ears or ngers I8 produced by making small transverse cuts in the blank strip. At the opposite or right hand end the connection part I3 is fashioned by cutting away opposite longitudinal sidesl of theV blank strip Vto form a relatively narrow extension I9.

5 The properly fashioned blank strip is bent upon itself into the form of a loop which is usually circular. The end portion I1 and extension I9 are bent to extend outwardly and generally radially Vof the loop so that these parts may be l brought into abutment as the loop is` formed, after which the ears I8 may be crimped or bent about the opposite sides of the extension I9 to` secure these parts together and thereby produce a permanently closed loop.

V15 The resulting structure is one vwhich'may be readily slipped-over a cap to establish an :electrical connection. Preferably, the material about each open face of the loop flares slightlyout- Y' Y wardly'as indicated at 20 (Figs. 2 and 3) to facili- Y 20 tate assembly of the device on the cap; If the suitable manner to providerfor the connection ofV the lead I4 therewith.V In the present instance, an aperture 2l is arranged'to receive the end of 35 the lead I4 which may then be soldered in place.

"- In addition, projections 22 are formed Von an end portion 2,3 which is substantially a continuation of" the extension, and this end portionis usually channel-shaped as shown in Fig.,2 to receive the 40 end of the insulation 24 enclosing the lead I4 and to Yfacilitate bending of the material about the insulation. Y Itrwill, be evident from the foregoingthat a novel connecter has been provided'which may be 45 economically manufactured and which will embraceand rmly engage apart with which it is assembled. The connecter may-be easily slipped on or removed from a terminal, yet will'not become accidentally disengaged therefrom under o'operatingconditions.V Y

K While'the invention'i'sksusceptible of' various modications and alternative constructions, I have shown in the drawing andhaver described in detail the preferred embodiment, but it isk to 55 beunderstood that I do not thereby intend to 1 limit the invention to the specific form disclosed,

but intend to Vcoverall modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. A connecter comprising an elongated resilient strip of current conducting material having transverse recesses extending inwardly from opposite side edges in alternate and staggered relationship, said strip havingatoneend trans- `Versely extending iingersand near the other end a portion of reduced width about which saidV lingers may be bent to formthe strip'intoV a closed loop. A

2. A connecter fashioned as a loop comprising an elongated strip of resilient current conducting materlalformed to turn back and forth a numy ber of times in a-cicuitous path, and means lncluding an integral bendable finger near one end of the strip bent over into engagement with the strip for lsecuring said'one end shortv of the other end to form a closed loop and provide a free endk for connection with a conductor.

3. A connecter comprising an elongated resil-V ient strip of current conducting material partial` ly severed from opposite sides to render the strip longitudinally extensible and bent to form a,v closed loop, the ends ofY said strip being bent,

laterally'and lying in face to face abutment, one of said ends being longer than the other to provide means for connection of a conductor, and

means integral with Vthe other end connectedr with said one end tosecure said ends permanently together in said face-to-face abutment.

4. A connecter of `the character described, comprising a loop `formed from an elongated strip of resilient current conducting material having transversely, extending recesses `therein extending from opposite sides of the stripin staggered.y

relation and rendering'said strip longitudinally extensible, one end of said strip providing a connection to a conductor, the other end of the strip being disposed imposition adjacent said one end, and Vmean's'for securing said ends in permanent relationship to forma closedloop.

. 5. Means adapted to form a connecter of they character described, ycomprising an elongated resilient strip of current conducting sheet material having transversely extending spaced apertures to render the same longitudinally extensible and arranged to be fashioned as a loop to tover an electric terminal, a bendable vmember near one end of said strip adapted to be bont over against an adjoining` part for connecting the strip into a closed loop, and means neary the opposite end of the strip for engagement by said member after vthe same has been bent over.

JACOB BERTSCHI.

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