US2801395A - Angle adapter - Google Patents

Description

y 7 E- c. QUACKENBUSH 2,801,395

ANGLE ADAPTER Filed Dec. 2 0. 1954 FIGQZ IMVENTOR.

- Edward Clorke'Quockenbush -ATTORNEYS r wiq United States Patent ANGLE ADAPTER Edward Clarke Quackenhush, Hamden, Coma, assignor to Whitney Blake Company, New Haven, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application December 20, 1954, Serial No. 476,297

1 Claim. ((31.339-94) My invention relates to electrical connectors particularly for use in radio and aircraft electrical circuits, which connectors are of the general type of axially mating male and female connector assemblies and in which each connector assembly includes one or more solid bar contact members positioned lengthwise within a resilient insert which is housed within a generally cylindrical shell. At one end of each connector assembly the ends of the contact bars are exposed to permit their axial engagement with the ends of the contact members of a complementary connector assembly. The remote end from the mating end of each connector assembly is arranged to permit connection of external electrical conductors to the bar contact members.

My present invention is primarily concerned with the construction of an angle adapter which serves as a curved extension of a connector assembly shell which is joined at one end to the non-mating end of the shell with a moisture-tight connection. At its other end the extension is provided suitably for mounting in a partition or on the end of an elongated conduit, for example, by threaded connection therewith. It is another object of my present invention to provide an angle adapter extension for electrical connectors of the type described which is light in weight and which can be securely engaged with the nonmating end of the connector assembly to provide any desired angular position with respect to the axial line of the connector.

These and other objects of my invention are obtained essentially by an adapter formed from a curved conduit having a straight end portion which receives the nonmating end of the connector. The straight end portion is provided with an internal shoulder and an annular gasket together with a plurality of set screws, or similar fastening devices, which angularly pass through the end portion and engage a flange on the end of the connector to force the end of the connector to abut the gasket and force it tightly against the annular shoulder in the adapter to provide a moisture-tight seal while at the same time permitting the angle adapter to be secured at any angle with respect to the axial line through the connector assembly.

In the accompanying drawings to which reference is made hereinafter and which illustrate the application of my invention in a connector assembly construction:

Figure l is a longitudinal section of an angle adapter constructed in accordance with my invention illustrating the manner of its connection to a connector assembly as an extension thereof;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the angle adapter disconnected from the connector assembly;

Figure 3 is a cross-section of the'device as seen in Figure 1 taken at line 3-3 in Figure 1.

In the drawings the reference numeral designates a female connector assembly including a generally cylindrical shell 11 and a resilient insert 12 retained within' shell 11. A plurality of female bar contact members Patented July 30, 1957 ice 13 extend lengthwise through resilient insert 12 and are visible in Figures 1 and 2 at their non-mating ends only as these extend from the rear face of resilient insert 12 and form conventional solder cups 13a, in each of which the end of a conductor 14 is soldered.

Shell 11, as indicated in the drawings, is provided with a radially extending annular flange 15 located intermediate the ends of shell 11 and with a radially extending annular flange 16 located at the non-mating end of shell 11. A coupling ring 17 which is internally threaded at 18 to engage the external threads on the mating end of a shell of a complementary male connector unit (not shown) and which is provided with an inwardly extending annular shoulder 19 at its non-mating end is slipped over the non-mating end of shell 11 to a position in which shoulder 19 abuts flange 15 and is thus limited in axial movement by flange 15.

The angle adapter 20 includes a curved conduit 21 which is open at both ends. One end is provided with a cylindrical straight portion 22 having external threads 23 suitable for engaging a mounting bracket or the like. The other end of angle adapter 29 is provided with a cylindrical straight portion 24 which is of an inside diameter sufficient to pass flange 16 on the end of connector shell 11.

Cylindrical portion 24 is provided with three threaded openings 25 which are aligned and are spaced at equal arcuate intervals about cylindrical portion 24. Each opening 25 is at an angle of about 45 to the axis of cylindrical portion 24 and is inclined inwardly toward curved portion 21 of angle adapter 20. A set screw 26 having a conical point 27 which has an apex angle of approximately 45 with the axis of the set screw is threadedly engaged in each opening 25 with conical point 27 extending inwardly.

A resilient annular gasket 28 which fits tightly within cylindrical portion 245 of angle adapter 20 abuts an annular shoulder 29 in adapter 20 which extends inwardly to an inside diameter smaller than the inside diameter of cylindrical portion 24 and than the outside diameter of flange 16. Shoulder 29 separates cylindrical portion 24 from curved conduit portion 21 of angle adapter 2%.

Angle adapter 20 is secured upon the non-mating end of connector assembly 10 by unthreading and withdrawing set screws 26 sufliciently to permit cylindrical extension 24 to be slipped over the non-mating end of shell 11 to a point in which flange 16 abuts gasket 23 and compresses it tightly against shoulder 2 to form a moisture-tight seal between shell 11 and angle adapter 20. Set screws 26 are then tightened down to bring conical tips 27- into engagement with flange 16 andthus tighten the two units (connector 11) and adapter 2d) together. It will be apparent upon inspection of the drawings that a slight bevel 16a on the rear face of flange 16 is employed to assist etficient seating of gasket 28. At the same time the angle at which each set screw 26 enters cylindrical portion 24 and the angle of each conical tip 27 is correlated with the angle of the engaged face of flange 16 to assure as flat a contact between the side of conical tip 27 and the engaging face of flange 16 as possible in order to prevent undue wear of flange 16 or of the point of conical tip 27.

it will be further apparent upon inspection of the drawings that angle adapter 20 can be rotated to any desired position on the end of connector 10 and then secured in such position by tightening set screws 26. At the same time a solid electrical connection is obtained between angle adapter 20 and the shell 11 of connector 10 where this is desired for grounding purposes.

Although I have described my invention as applied to a female connect-or assembly in which the conductor is secured to contact bars byuse of a solder cup construction, it will also be apparent that my invention is equally applicable to male connector assemblies and to connector assemblies in which other methods of securing connection between contact and conductor are employed.

I claim:

An electrical connector assembly which comprises a resilient insert containing a bar contact member extending lengthwise therein exposed at one end for axial engagement with a corresponding bar contact member of a complementary connector and connected to an external electrical conductor at its other end; a shell retaining said insert having an outwardly extending annular flange at its end adjacent to the end of said bar contact member from which said conductor extends; an angle adapter which includes an open-ended hollow conduit having a straight cylindrical portion at one end receiving endwise and enclosing the flanged end of said shell and having a curved portion intermediate its ends whereby said open ends of said conduit are aligned about different axes; a plurality of openings in said conduit aligned with respect to the axis of and spaced at arcuate intervals about said cylindrical portion, each of said openings extending through said cylindrical portion at an acute angle to the axis of said cylindrical portion and being inclined inwardly toward said curved portion of said conduit; an internal annular shoulder in said conduit having an inside diameter less than the inside diameter of said cylindrical portion and less than the outside diameter of said flange on said shell and disposed between said cylindrical portion and said curved portion; an annular resilient gasket press said gasket whereby a moisture-tight seal is obtained between said shell and said angle adapter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,775,352 Mahan Sept. 9, 1930 2,374,971 Benander May 1, 1945 2,662,219 Hennessey et a1. Dec. 8, 1953 2,674,722 Hubbell et al. Apr. 6, 1954

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