US2432635A - Clamp type connector - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 16, 1947. A. VAN RYAN CLAMP TYEE CONNECTOR Filed June '7, 1944 TOR.

VEN

v 0 a 0\ I 7 u V 42. leaf $01 Patented Dec. 16, 1947 CLAMP TYPE CONNECTOR Anthony Van Ryan, South Milwaukee, Wis., as-

signor to Kyle Corporation, South Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application June 7, 1944, Serial No. 539,157

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to clamp type connectors.

Objects of this invention are to provide a clamp type connector which is adapted to connect conductors, guy wires, or other members of this type, and which is so made that a single U-bolt is employed and yet is associated with the elements of the connector so that the stresses from the U- bolt are not localized but are distributed throughout substantially the entire body of the connector.

In greater detail objects of this invention are to provide a connector having outer members and an intermediate member associated with a slantingly arranged U-bolt so that the ends of the U- bolt are spaced laterally and longitudinally of the connector, and in which the U-bolt is permanently attached to one of the outer members of the connector and has one arm pivotally related to the other outer member and to the intermediate member, such other outer member and the intermediate member having notches for the reception of the other arm of the U-bolt, thus permitting the positioning of the U-bolt on the conductors without detaching any portion of the connector from the other portions thereof.

Further objects are to provide a clamp type connector which is of simple construction and which may be easily made and may be easily applied to or removed from the conductors.

Embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the connector, with parts broken away and parts in section.

Figure 2 is an end view of the connector.

Figure 3 is a top view of the connector.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view corresponding to Figure 4 showing a portion of the connector before the ears have been bent over around the u-bolt.

Figure 6 is a view from th underside of Figure 1 showing the connector as it appears when opened out prior to positioning over the conductors.

Figure '7 is a. view of a portion of a modified form of connector with a part in section.

Referring to the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 through 6, it will be seen that the connector comprises three main members-a pair of outer members I and 2 and an intermediate member 3. These members are each provided with channels 4 to receive the conductors or cables 5 and 6. These conductors or cables may be of any type. The outer members I and 2 receive between them the conductors 5 and 6 and the intermediate member 3 is positioned between the conductors, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

A U-bolt I has one of its legs 8 pivotally related to the intermediate member 3 and the outer member 2. This leg 8 passes through holes in the members 2 and 3 so that such members are free to pivot about such leg. The other ends of the members 2 and 3 are provided with notches indicated at 9 which are adapted to receive the other leg ID of the U-bolt. The ends of the legs 8 and III of the U-bolt are threaded and these threaded end portions 8 and [0' receive the clamping nuts II.

The legs of the U-bolt pass through holes in the outer member I and the U-bolt is permanently attached to the member I. This is accomplished by bending the ears l2, which are integral with the member I, over the transverse portion 1' of the U-bolt I. The initial position of the ears is shown in Figure 5 and the material of which the member I is composed is sufilciently ductile to allow the ears to be bent over, as shown in Figure 4.

An ordinary washer and a lock washer indicated at I3 and I4 respectively are positioned between each nut I I and the outer member 2, as indicated in Figure 1.

The outer ends of the channels 4 formed in the members I, 2 and 3 are flared as indicated at I5 in Figure 1 so that when the cable bends due to swaying or other causes, it will not be cut by the v connector as a gradually rounded or flaring terminal portion is provided for each of the channels 4 in the three main members of the connector.

The conductors may be made of relatively soft material, such as stranded aluminum cable or of stranded copper or other material. The connector is made relatively elongated so as to have an extensive bearing area on the conductors so that the pressure per unit area will not be high enough to mar or damage the connectors. However, though the connector is relatively elongated, a single U-bolt is employed and serves adequately to distribute the pressure or stresses imparted to the connector without localizing such stresses at any restricted zone. This is accomplished by placing the U-bolt in a slanting manner with respect to the channels 4 and th cables or conductors 5 and E, as shown in Figures 1 and 3. One leg of the U-bolt is positioned laterally of the other leg and in a longitudinally advanced position with respect to the other leg. In other words, the U-bolt is so positioned, as shown most clearly in Figure 3, that it exerts its pressur substantially throughout the entire effective zone of the members I, 2 and 3 and thus, though a single U-bolt, is employed, the pressure is not localized but is relatively evenly distributed throughout the entire body of the connector.

Another important feature of this invention is the facility with which the connector may be applied to the conductors. It is not necessary to remove the nuts I I from the lugs 8 and H) of the U-bolt. The U-bolt is permanently attached to the member I, as described hereinabove, and the leg 8 of the U-bolt is permanently pivotally related to the members 2 and 3 as it passes through holes through such members. When the nuts H are loosened without removing them from the legs 8 and H] of the U-bolt, the members 2 and 3 are swung about the leg 3, as shown in Figure '6, and the connector is placed over the conductor .5 and thereafter the intermediate member 3 is swung back into its normal position and the notch 9 receives the leg H! of the U-bolt. Thereafter the second conductor 6 is positioned and the outer member 2 is then swung back to its initial position, the notch 9 therein receiving the leg Iii of the U-bolt. The nuts H are then tightened to firmly clamp the connector in place.

It is apparent that none of the parts will become detached or lost in the ordinary manipulation of the connector either in applying it to the conductors or removing it therefrom.

It is to be understood thatythe members 1, ,2 and :3 .of the connector may be of any suitable materiaLsuch as aluminum, copper, bronze or alloys thereof, and they ma be die cast or otherwise formed as desired. The -U.-bolt "i' is preferably a galvanized steel bolt.

it ,is obvious that other means may be employed for permanently attaching the .U-bolt l to one .of the outermost members. For instance, instead of forming the ears i2 and subsequently bending them over as previously described, the outermost member 1' of Figure '7 corresponding to the member I of Figure 1 may be die cast about the bolt 1 and may either partiallyor wholly enclose the transverse portion of the .bolt 1, the latter form being shown in Figure 7.

While the connector has been described throughout as designed to connect conductors, it is to be distinctly understood that the connector could be used not only for the primary purpose of electrically connecting conductors but could be used for the mechanical connection of members such as the adjacent portions of guy wires, tor instance, and therefore the expression conductors is not to be interpreted as a limiting term.

It will be seen that a novel form of connector has been provided by this invention in which a single U-bolt is employed for clamping the several parts of the connector together and is so associated with the elements of the connector that the stresses produced by the U-bolt are distributed throughout a ver substantial portion of the elements making up the connector.

It is .to be noted that the slanting arrangement of the U. bolt produces an eiTect which is equiv-.

alent to having two widely spaced U-bolts at opposite ends of the connector for it will be seen that the slanting arrangement provides clamping means at each end of the connect-or at longitudinally, widely spaced points in the form of nuts screwed on the threaded ends of the U bolt and also provides an extended bearing member, namely, the transverse portion of the U-bolt. However, only two nuts are employed and only a single U-bolt is used.

It will be seen further that by having the U-bolt arranged in the slanting manner hereinabove set forth, the two ends of the U-bolt are spaced not only laterally of the connector but also longitudinally of the connector.

The connector has the additional advantage in that it prevents the inadvertent loss of parts of the co nector for during the positioning of the connector on the conductors it is not necessary to remove any part of the connector as all of the parts of the connector stay attached to each other during this operation and the intermediate and one of the outer members are merely pivotally moved or rocked about one arm of the U-bolt until the other end of such members engages the other arm of the U-bolt without requiring detaching of any Part of the connector during this operation.

It will be seen further that the connector is of very simple construction and may be easily produced and easily applied.

While the invention has been described as embodying a connector having two outer members and a-si-ngle intermediate member, it is, of course, within the province of this invention to employ two or more intermediate members depending on the number of conductors it is desired to connect. While it is preferable to employ an intermediate member as described in detail, nevertheless it is within the province ,of the invention to dispense with the intermediate member and use merely the two outer members, thus causing the cables or conductors to bind one against the other, though this is not the preferred construction.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, it is to be understood that such description is intended as illustrative rather than limiting, as the invention may be variously embodied and is to .be interpreted as claimed.

.1 claim:

A clamp type connector for connecting a pair of conductors, said connector comprising three members consisting of a pair of outer members adapted to receive the conductors between them and an intermediate member adapted to be positioned between said conductorseach of said outer members having a groove on its inner side and said intermediate member having grooves on opposite sides, a .U-bolt having its transverse portion bearing against one of said outer members, such outer member having holes adjacent opposite ends and on opposite sides and said U-belt having its legs projecting through the holes in such outer member, the other outer member and the intermediate member having a hole for the reception of one of the legs of said U-bolt to provide pivotal mounting of the said other outer member and said intermediate member on the said leg of the U-bolt and said other out-er memher and said intermediate member each having a notch ,for the detachable reception of the other leg of said U-bolt, said U-bolt being arranged in a slanting manner with reference to said members with the legs of the U-bolt spaced both laterally and longitudinally of said members and straddling said grooves and having threaded ends, and nuts screwed on said threaded ends.

ANTHONY VAN RYAN.

REFERENCES CITED The Iollowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Da 540,262 Lightner June 4, 1895 768,819 Palmer Aug. 30, 1904 905,556 .Mockbee l r Dec. 1, 1908 1,939,813 Hagist Dec. 19, 1933 2,199,370 Card Apr. 30, 1940

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