US3381257A - Antirotation device - Google Patents

Description

April 30, 1968 w. w. NELSON ANTIROTATION DEVICE INVENT R. )M/l/c 071 Filed May 18. 1966 vg/Zz/r 9 TraF/vEKs'.

United States Patent 3,381,257 ANTIROTATION DEVICE Wilbur W. Nelson, Pinckney, Mich., assignor to Chrysler Corporation, Highland Park, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 18, 1966, Ser. No. 550,996 4 Claims. (Cl. 339-) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for connecting an electrical wire to an automobile starter solenoid terminal adjacent the exhaust manifold of the automobile engine. The device includes a terminal surrounded by an insulating head having a surface which mates with the solenoid surface and prevents such terminal and the electrical wire from being inadvertently rotated to a position wherein the Wire would be damaged by the heat from the exhaust manifold.

This invention relates to electrical wire terminals, and more particularly to a device for preventing relative rotation between one end of an electrical wire, such as an automobile battery cable, and a terminal on an electrical unit, such as a terminal on a starter solenoid of the automobile starting apparatus.

In an automobile, the wire or cable which connects the battery to the starter coil usually is in close proximity to very hot engine parts, such as an exhaust manifold, for example. The cable is prevented from coming into contact with the hot engine by clips which secure the cable in a predetermined path away from the engine. Obviously, if the cable were permitted to contact the hot engine, the insulation on the cable might be burned or otherwise damaged, which, in turn, could cause further damage to the automobile.

Moreover, when installing the terminal end of a battery wire or cable on the terminal of a starter solenoid, care must be exercised to attach the connector on the end of the wire to the solenoid terminal so that the wire, after the connector is secured to the solenoid terminal, extends away from the solenoid in the proper direction, i.e., in a direction away from the exhaust manifold for example. This operation requires a certain amount of dexterity and time, which are important factors in assembly line manufacturing operations. Furthermore, it is necessary that the connection between the connector on the wire and the solenoid terminal be secure to pre vent the cable from working loose and contacting the engine.

Accordingly, one of the principal objects of this invention is a provision of a device for preventing relative rotation between one end of an electric Wire, such as a battery cable, and a terminal on an electric unit, such as a starter solenoid, thereby decreasing the possibility that the cable might work loose from the starter solenoid.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a device such as described for orienting and guiding a wire or cable away from an electric unit to which the cable is connected.

Still another object of this invention is a device of the class described, the use of which eliminates the need for certain retaining clips for holding the cable away from a hot engine.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a device which facilitates attachment of the terminal and a battery cable terminal to a terminal on starter solenoid of an internal combustion engine.

A further object of this invention is a provision of a device for preventing relative rotation between the terminal end of an electric wire and a terminal of an electric unit to which it is attachable, the device being relatively simple and economical in construction, yet effective in operation.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent as the description proceeds.

Two embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of certain parts of an internal combustion engine with one embodiment of the device of this invention incorporated therein;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged section taken along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIGURE 3 is a section taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the device illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating a different internal combustion engine having a second embodiment of the device of this invention incorporated therein;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged section taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIGURE 7 is a section taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 6; and 1 FIGURE 8 is an enlarged perspective view of an embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 through 7.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings, one embodiment of a device 1 of this invention is shown in FIG. 1 as being connected to a starter solenoid 3 for a starter 5. An internal combustion engine is indicated at 7 and an exhaust manifold for the engine 7 is indicated at 9.

The device 1 is connected to a'cable 11, the distal end of which is attached to a battery (not shown). The end of the cable 11 to which device 1'is attached is connected to a terminal 13 of solenoid 3. The terminal end of the cable 11 includes a metal connector 15 attached to the ends of metallic conducting elements 17. Insulated material 19, such as rubber, for example, surrounds elements 17.

The device 1 of this invention comprises an enlarged head 21, which surrounds and grips both the connector 15 and the end of the insulating material 19. The head 21 is formed of a relatively rigid insulating or non-conducting material, such as hard rubber or a plastic, and preferably is molded directly onto the connector 15 and wire 11. The grip exerted on connector 15 and wire 11 is suflicien-t to act as a rigid sleeve or splint for the joined members 11 and 15, thus assuring the alignment of these members and the direction in which member 11 initially extends.

Head 21 is provided with a surface portion 23 which mates with an adjacent surface portion 25 of the solenoid 3. This mating feature by the surfaces 23 and 25 assures that the end of wire 11 cannot be rotated about terminal 13 after connector 15 has been securely fastened thereto.

With the above described device, it will be seen that not only is the terminal end of wire 11 prevented from rotating on terminal 13, but also the wire 11 is guided away from the terminal 13 in a predetermined direction. The wire 11 may thus be directed away from any hot parts of the engine, such as exhaust manifold 9, by properly positioning the mating surfaces 23 and 25. Since the wire 11 cannot be inadvertently placed in juxtaposition with the exhaust manifold 9, the possibilities of insulation fire or other damage to the wire are substantially reduced. Moreover, it will be seen that a workman in an assembly line connecting the terminal end of wire 11 to terminal 13 only has to slip the connector 15 over terminal 13 and place surfaces 23 and 25 together to properly orientate the wire 11 with respect to other parts of the engine.

A second embodiment of the device of this invention is indicated at 1a in FIGS. 5-8. Device 1a is generally similar to device 1 except that the mating surface 23a is of a slightly different shape and is located in a slightly different position relative to connector 15. The reason for these differences is that the engine with which device 1a is associated is constructed differently than engine 7. It will be noted that the exhaust manifold 9a shown in FIG. 5 is different than the manifold 9 shown in FIG. 1. Thus, the device 1a is provided with a surface which will guide the wire 11 away from manifold 9a.

In view of the foregoing, it will be seen that a device of this invention not only prevents rotation of the terminal end thereof relative to a terminal, and additionally guides the cable away from hot parts of the engine, but it also performs these functions without complexity. Additionally, the device may be quickly and easily installed on the wire, and when so installed facilitates the operation of connecting the wire 11 to terminal 13.

The particulars of the foregoing description are provided merely for purposes of illustration and are subject to considerable latitude of modification without departing from the novel teachings disclosed herein. Accordingly, the scope of this invention is intended to be limited only as defined in the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

I claim:

1. A device for connecting an electrical wire to a first terminal on electrical starting apparatus of an internal combustion engine with the wire being guided away from an engine part which is located adjacent the starting apparatus and which becomes hot during operation of the engine, said device comprising a second terminal connected to the end of the wire, said second terminal having an opening therein which adapts said second terminal to generally mate with the first terminal and which would normally permit said second terminal to rotate relative to the first terminal to allow said wire to rotate toward the engine part, and guide means surrounding a portion of said second terminal and having one surface thereon adapted to abut and generally mate with a surface on the electrical starting apparatus to prevent rotation of said second terminal relative to the first terminal and to guide the wire away from the engine part.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said guide means comprises a non-conducting molded body surrounding and splinting said second terminal and the electrical wire together, said surface on said guide means being curved for mating with the surface on the electrical starting apparatus.

3. A device for connecting an electrical wire to a first terminal on electrical starting apparatus of an internal combustion engine with the wire being guided away from an engine part located adjacent the starting apparatus and which becomes hot during operation of the engine, said device comprising a second terminal having a shape which permits connection thereof to the first terminal and which normally permits said second terminal to be oriented to a position wherein the wire is improperly located adjacent the engine part, and abutment means surrounding said second terminal and having one surface thereon adapted to abut a surface on the electrical starting apparatus to prevent rotation of said second terminal relative to the first terminal and to guide the wire away from the engine part.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said abutment means comprises a relatively rigid body molded on said second terminal, the mating surfaces of said abutment means and said electrical starting apparatus being curved.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,292,716 1/1919 Cox 339-29 2,145,744 1/1939 Whitney 339198 X 2,272,432 2/1942 'Rogie 339-186 2,533,200 12/1950 Rogoff 339-223 2,788,386 4/1957 McCarty 339126 X 3,104,658 9/196-3 Olsen 123-148 RICHARD E. MOORE, Primary Examiner.

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