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US3757283A - Electrical connector using plastic clamp - Google Patents

Electrical connector using plastic clamp Download PDF

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Publication number
US3757283A
US3757283A US00185265A US3757283DA US3757283A US 3757283 A US3757283 A US 3757283A US 00185265 A US00185265 A US 00185265A US 3757283D A US3757283D A US 3757283DA US 3757283 A US3757283 A US 3757283A
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Prior art keywords
connector
hole
threads
molded
electrical connector
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US00185265A
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J Kelly
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NORTH AMERICAN MANUF Inc
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NORTH AMERICAN MANUF Inc
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R11/00—Individual connecting elements providing two or more spaced connecting locations for conductive members which are, or may be, thereby interconnected, e.g. end pieces for wires or cables supported by the wire or cable and having means for facilitating electrical connection to some other wire, terminal, or conductive member, blocks of binding posts
    • H01R11/11—End pieces or tapping pieces for wires, supported by the wire and for facilitating electrical connection to some other wire, terminal or conductive member
    • H01R11/28—End pieces consisting of a ferrule or sleeve
    • H01R11/281—End pieces consisting of a ferrule or sleeve for connections to batteries
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16B—DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING
    • F16B2/00—Friction-grip releasable fastenings
    • F16B2/02—Clamps, i.e. with gripping action effected by positive means other than the inherent resistance to deformation of the material of the fastening
    • F16B2/06—Clamps, i.e. with gripping action effected by positive means other than the inherent resistance to deformation of the material of the fastening external, i.e. with contracting action
    • F16B2/08—Clamps, i.e. with gripping action effected by positive means other than the inherent resistance to deformation of the material of the fastening external, i.e. with contracting action using bands
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16B—DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING
    • F16B2200/00—Constructional details of connections not covered for in other groups of this subclass
    • F16B2200/67—Rigid angle couplings
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T24/00—Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
    • Y10T24/14—Bale and package ties, hose clamps
    • Y10T24/1412—Bale and package ties, hose clamps with tighteners
    • Y10T24/1441—Tangential screw
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T24/00—Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
    • Y10T24/39—Cord and rope holders
    • Y10T24/3958—Screw clamp
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T403/00—Joints and connections
    • Y10T403/34—Branched
    • Y10T403/341—Three or more radiating members
    • Y10T403/345—Coplanar
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T403/00—Joints and connections
    • Y10T403/53—Split end with laterally movable opposed portions
    • Y10T403/535—Split end with laterally movable opposed portions with separate force-applying means

Definitions

  • a non-corrosive connector includes a lead antimony alloy connector member having a compressible sleeve fitting a terminal post of a storage battery and a wire receiving. portion which can be crimped about such wire.
  • the connector also includes a clamp member of molded plastic material having a split ring portion extending around the split sleeve and provided with adjacent end elements having aligned holes through which a clamping screw also made of molded plastic material extends.
  • One of the end elements has internal threads molded during the molding of the clamp member ineluding separate sets of half threads molded on axially contiguous wall portions of the hole in such element. The sets of half threads are displaced from each other axially of such hole and are on opposite sides of such hole. An opening in the side of the hole opposite each set of half threads enables mold members having complementary threads to be employed to mold the threads.
  • a number of connectors which have internally threaded caps of plastic material for clamping a split sleeve of a connector member on a battery post by screwing the cap onto such split sleeve or which have a more complicated arrangement including an externally threaded plastic clamping plug screwed into an internally threaded bore in a plastic housing surrounding a split sleeve or equivalent connector member, have been proposed.
  • These connectors have either not been capable of maintaining an effective electrical connection over long periods of time or have been of complicated and expensive construction.
  • the connector disclosed in the present application provides a simple and inexpensive connector. It includes three members only, all of which can be produced by injection casting or injection molding operations. The cast or molded members require no machining operations, even though one of the elements has internal threads for screw threaded engagement with the threads of a clamping screw.
  • the three members of the connector include a connector member made of a non-corrosive metal alloy which can be cast in its final form by an injection casting operation using permanent molds.
  • This connector member has a compressible sleeve fitting a terminal post of a storage battery and a wire receiving portion which can be crimped about the conductor wire and insulation of a battery cable.
  • the three members also include a split or bifurcated clamp ring made of plastic material which can be injection molded in final form including internal threads for receiving the threaded portion of a clamping screw extending through aligned holes in spaced but adjacent end elements of such ring.
  • a split or bifurcated clamp ring made of plastic material which can be injection molded in final form including internal threads for receiving the threaded portion of a clamping screw extending through aligned holes in spaced but adjacent end elements of such ring.
  • the clamping screw including its external threads can also be injection molded in its final form so that the three members of the connector can be assembled by the user after the connector member has been crimped on a wire by employing a known type of hand actuated crimping tool of the correct size.
  • the resulting assembly is sufficiently rugged to withstand continued use in cluding repeated installation on and removal from the terminal post of a storage battery.
  • An aligned hole in the other end element of the clamp ring is employed to keep the clamping screw in correct engagement with the partial threads in the molded clamp ring.
  • Such hole through the other end element of the clamp ring can be molded by employing two mold members in the same manner as the two mold members are employed to mold the partial threads, except that the complementary threads can be omitted from the mold members.
  • three or more sets of partial threads can be em-ployed on angularly related side portions of the hole for the bolt or screw. It is also possible to omit one or more of the sets of partial threads to leave smooth sides of the hole while retaining the aligning function as long as at least one set of partial threads is retained.
  • Another object is to provide an internally threaded element for receiving the threaded portion of a screw or the like, which internally threaded element can be injection molded.
  • FIG. 1 is a plan view of a connector in accordance with the present invention installed on the terminal post of a storage battery;
  • FIG. 2 is an end view of the connector of FIG. 1 with the terminal post of the battery omitted;
  • FIG. 3 is a plan view of the clamp member of FIGS. 1 and 2;
  • FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIG. 3;
  • FIG. 5 is a side view of the clamping screw of FIGS. 1 and 2;
  • FIG. 6 is an end view of the clamping screw of FIG.
  • FIG. 7 is a side elevation partly in vertical section of the connector member'of the connector of FIGS. 1 and FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the connector member of FIG. 8;
  • FIG. 9 is a vertical section through a modified connector member
  • FIG. 10 is a vertical section through another modified connector member
  • FIG. 11 is a plan view of a modified internally threaded element, also showing fragments of mold members for such element.
  • FIG. 12 is a view showing the threaded element of FIG. 11 in vertical section and the mold members in side elevation.
  • the embodiment of the connector shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 includes a molded plastic clamp member 12 in the form of a split or bifurcated ring fitting the exterior of a compressible sleeve 14 forming part of a connector member 15.
  • a split ring 12 being separate from and axially movable of the sleeve 14 to enable assembly and disassembly.
  • the connector member is preferably made of a known or suitable lead-antiminy alloy so as to be corrosion resistant to storage battery acid.
  • the connector also includes a molded plastic clamping screw 16 extending through aligned holes in the adjacent end elements 18 and 20 of the clamp member 12.
  • the end element 20 is provided with molded internal threads 22 for threaded engagement by the clamping screw 16 to enable tightening of the clamp member 12 about the split sleeve 14 to compress such sleeve about a battery post 24 shown in FIG. 1.
  • the clamp screw 16 may have any suitable type of head 17 enabling turning of the screw by hand or with a wrench or other tool.
  • the threads 22 in the end element 20 of the clamp member are divided into two sets of partial threads which are formed in wall portions 26 and 28 of a hole 30 extending through such end element 20.
  • the wall portions 26 and 28 are on opposite sides of the hole 30 and disposed axially of such hole with respect to each other. These wall portions and the molded sets of threads thereon each extend substantially 180 around the hole.
  • An opening 32 opposite each wall portion 26 and 28 extends to the exterior of the end element. These openings 32 are formed as the result of employing mold members to mold the wall portions 26 and 28 of the hole 30 including the partial threads 22 on such portions as explained in connection with FIGS. 11 and 12.
  • FIGS. 11 and 12 A separate internally threaded element 34 having three sets of molded partial threads 22 is shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 along with diagrammatically illustrated mold members 36 and 38.
  • the mold members 36 and 38 are shown as projecting from opposite walls of the mold cavity and no attempt has been made to show the complete mold, since such mold may otherwise be a conventional mold for injecting molding having a number of mold cavities for simultaneously molding a plurality of elements.
  • the mold members 36 and 38 occupy positions which result in producing the openings 32 in the internally threaded element during a molding operation. Since the ends of the mold elements are rounded and have partial threads thereon complementary to the partial threads 22, the result is the molding of the partial threads 22.
  • the rounded ends of the mold members 36 and 38 overlap and are in contact with each other and that mold walls will be in contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the molded element 34 so that a hole 30 is formed which extends entirely through the molded element.
  • the two sets of partial threads 22 shown in the end element 20 of FIGS. 1 to 4 can be molded by employing two mold members, such as the mold member 36 and one of the mold membPrs 38 of FIGS. 11 and 12, and that the hole 42 in the end ellem'ent 18 of FIGS. 1 to 4 can be molded by merely omitting the complementary partial threads 40 on similar mold members.
  • the threaded element 34 of FIGS. 11 and 12 can have all but one of the sets of partial threads 22 omitted to leave unthreaded wall portions of the hole 30, particularly for light duty applications.
  • the clamp member 12 of FIGS. 1 to 41 as well as the threaded element of FIGS. 11 and 12 or the screw 16 may be made of any suitable high strength plastic material which can be molded and which need not be the same for all of such elements.
  • Particular suitable materials are glass filled polyethylene or polypropylene thermoplastic materials or various copolymers of these materials including copolymers of either or both of such materials with other polymerizable materials, and also including various other suitable modifiers known to the art.
  • the glass filling is made up of short pieces of very fine glass fibers.
  • The'connector member 15 of FIGS. 1 to 3 is shown in more detail in FIGS. 7 and 8.
  • the compressible sleeve of this connector member has an open end 44 for receiving a battery post and has a plurality of slots 46 circumferentially spaced in the sleeve and extending axially from the open end of the sleeve.
  • the other end of the sleeve is closed and has a portion 48 of the wire connecting element 15 extending axially from said closed end.
  • a wire receiving portion 50 extends at right angles to the portion 48 and has an axial bore 52.
  • the bore 52 has a diameter adjacent the portion 48 of a suitable size for receiving a conductor wire of a battery cable and a larger diameter adjacent its open end to receive the insulation surrounding such wire. It is apparent that the wire connecting element may be crimped on the wire and on the insulation of a battery cable by a suitable crimping tool.
  • the modified connector member 15' of FIG. 9 is the same as that of FIGS. 7 and 8 except that it is provided with two wire receiving elements 50 for receiving two different cables, and is useful, for example, for connecting storage batteries in parallel.
  • the modified connector member 15" of FIG. 10 has a compressible sleeve 14 which is open at both ends and has a wire connecting element 50 extending at right angles from one end of the compressible sleeve so that the connector member 15" requires less vertical clearance above the top of a storage battery than the connector members 15 and 15 of FIGS. 7 and 9, respectively.
  • the clamp member 12 of FIGS. 1 to 3 can be employed with any of the connector members 15, 15' or 15" and has an axially extending internal rib 54 which fits any of the slots 46 in the compressible sleeves of such connector members to prevent rotation of the clamp member about the axis of the sleeve while at the same time enabling the clamp member so occupy several angular positions on the sleeve.
  • An electrical connector comprising: connector means including a connector member of non-corrodable metal having a compressible sleeve means adapted to fit a terminal post and means for connecting a wire to said connector member;
  • clamping means for clamping said sleeve means to said post, including a split ring member of molded plastic material extending around said sleeve means and having adjacent end elements spaced from each other, said split ring member being separate from and movable axially of said sleeve means;
  • said compressible sleeve of said connector member has a plurality of slots extending axially of said sleeve means and said ring member of said clamping means has an internal rib engaging in a selected one of said slots to prevent relative rotation between said sleeve and said clamping means.
  • said connector member has a portion extending axially from one end of said sleeve means and terminating in a wire connecting element extending at right angles to said portion;
  • said wire connecting element having its axis spaced from said split ring member, being hollow for receiving the end of an insulated wire and being crimpable about said wire.
  • one of said end elements is provided with internal screw threads molded in said plastic material for threaded engagement by said clamping screw.
  • one of said end elements has openings extending from opposite sides of said one element past each 7.
  • the electrical connector of claim 5 in which another of said wall portions positioned on the opposite side of said hole also has internal partial threads molded thereon for threaded engagement by said clamp screw.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Connection Of Batteries Or Terminals (AREA)

Abstract

A non-corrosive connector includes a lead antimony alloy connector member having a compressible sleeve fitting a terminal post of a storage battery and a wire receiving portion which can be crimped about such wire. The connector also includes a clamp member of molded plastic material having a split ring portion extending around the split sleeve and provided with adjacent end elements having aligned holes through which a clamping screw also made of molded plastic material extends. One of the end elements has internal threads molded during the molding of the clamp member including separate sets of half threads molded on axially contiguous wall portions of the hole in such element. The sets of half threads are displaced from each other axially of such hole and are on opposite sides of such hole. An opening in the side of the hole opposite each set of half threads enables mold members having complementary threads to be employed to mold the threads.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Kelly [451 Sept. 4, 1973 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR USING PLASTIC CLAMP {75] lnventor: Jerome Kelly, Portland, Oreg.
[73] Assignee: North American Manufacturing,
Inc., Portland, Oreg.
22 Filedz Sept. 30, 1971 [21] Appl. No.2 185,265
[52] US. Cl. 339/230, 24/125 R, 24/135 R [51] Int. Cl. H01r 11/26, F16g 11/06 [58] Field ofSearch.....339/224-240,116,114,199;
[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,356,988 12/1957 Gall 339/227 X 3,397,382 8/1968 Shannon 339/230 R 3,636,504 1 1972 Applegate... 339/228 2,806,724 9/1957 Anspach 287/118 2,077,821 4/1937 Baird et al. 339/228 1,870,112 8/1932 Hand et al. 24/135 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 212,398 12/1960 Germany 339/230 R Primary Examiner-Marvin A. Champion Assistant ExaminerWilliam F. Pate, llI Attorney-Stephen W. Blore, James Campbell, Jr. et a1.
['57 ABSTRACT A non-corrosive connector includes a lead antimony alloy connector member having a compressible sleeve fitting a terminal post of a storage battery and a wire receiving. portion which can be crimped about such wire. The connector also includes a clamp member of molded plastic material having a split ring portion extending around the split sleeve and provided with adjacent end elements having aligned holes through which a clamping screw also made of molded plastic material extends. One of the end elements has internal threads molded during the molding of the clamp member ineluding separate sets of half threads molded on axially contiguous wall portions of the hole in such element. The sets of half threads are displaced from each other axially of such hole and are on opposite sides of such hole. An opening in the side of the hole opposite each set of half threads enables mold members having complementary threads to be employed to mold the threads.
7 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PATENTEUSEP 4W 3.757.283
JEROME KELLY IN VEN TOR BUCKHORN, BLORE, KLARQUIST & SPARKMAN ATTORNEYS ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR USING PLASTIC CLAMP BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The corrosion of parts of connectors employed to make electrical connections to the lead terminal posts of automotive storage batteries has been a long standing problem. The type of connector which has been employed for a number of years on most cars and trucks has been a split clamping member made of a lead-antimony alloy which extends around and fits a battery terminal post. A bolt extends through the ends of such member and has a nut upon its threaded end. The bolt and not has been made of ferrous metal because of strength requirements and even though the bolt and nut may be provided with a protective coating, such coating does not, in general, remain effective. Corrosion of the bolt or nut by battery acid usually occurs.
A number of connectors, which have internally threaded caps of plastic material for clamping a split sleeve of a connector member on a battery post by screwing the cap onto such split sleeve or which have a more complicated arrangement including an externally threaded plastic clamping plug screwed into an internally threaded bore in a plastic housing surrounding a split sleeve or equivalent connector member, have been proposed. These connectors have either not been capable of maintaining an effective electrical connection over long periods of time or have been of complicated and expensive construction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The connector disclosed in the present application provides a simple and inexpensive connector. It includes three members only, all of which can be produced by injection casting or injection molding operations. The cast or molded members require no machining operations, even though one of the elements has internal threads for screw threaded engagement with the threads of a clamping screw.
The three members of the connector include a connector member made of a non-corrosive metal alloy which can be cast in its final form by an injection casting operation using permanent molds. This connector member has a compressible sleeve fitting a terminal post of a storage battery and a wire receiving portion which can be crimped about the conductor wire and insulation of a battery cable.
The three members also include a split or bifurcated clamp ring made of plastic material which can be injection molded in final form including internal threads for receiving the threaded portion of a clamping screw extending through aligned holes in spaced but adjacent end elements of such ring. By providing two sets of partial threads on opposite sides of the wall of a hole extending through one of the end elements of such ring with the sets of partial threads disposed axially of the hole relative to each other, two mold members each having partial threads complementary to one set of such partial threads can be employed to mold the two sets of partial threads.
The clamping screw including its external threads can also be injection molded in its final form so that the three members of the connector can be assembled by the user after the connector member has been crimped on a wire by employing a known type of hand actuated crimping tool of the correct size. The resulting assembly is sufficiently rugged to withstand continued use in cluding repeated installation on and removal from the terminal post of a storage battery.
An aligned hole in the other end element of the clamp ring is employed to keep the clamping screw in correct engagement with the partial threads in the molded clamp ring. Such hole through the other end element of the clamp ring can be molded by employing two mold members in the same manner as the two mold members are employed to mold the partial threads, except that the complementary threads can be omitted from the mold members.
For other applications of such molded internal threads, where an aligning hole in a separate portion of an article is not present, three or more sets of partial threads can be em-ployed on angularly related side portions of the hole for the bolt or screw. It is also possible to omit one or more of the sets of partial threads to leave smooth sides of the hole while retaining the aligning function as long as at least one set of partial threads is retained.
It is therefor an object of the invention to provide a simple and inexpensive non-corrosive electrical connector for the terminal post of a storage battery.
Another object is to provide an internally threaded element for receiving the threaded portion of a screw or the like, which internally threaded element can be injection molded.
' BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TI-IE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a connector in accordance with the present invention installed on the terminal post of a storage battery;
FIG. 2 is an end view of the connector of FIG. 1 with the terminal post of the battery omitted;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the clamp member of FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a side view of the clamping screw of FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 6 is an end view of the clamping screw of FIG.
FIG. 7 is a side elevation partly in vertical section of the connector member'of the connector of FIGS. 1 and FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the connector member of FIG. 8;
FIG. 9 is a vertical section through a modified connector member;
FIG. 10 is a vertical section through another modified connector member;
FIG. 11 is a plan view of a modified internally threaded element, also showing fragments of mold members for such element; and
FIG. 12 is a view showing the threaded element of FIG. 11 in vertical section and the mold members in side elevation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The embodiment of the connector shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, includes a molded plastic clamp member 12 in the form of a split or bifurcated ring fitting the exterior of a compressible sleeve 14 forming part of a connector member 15. Such split ring 12 being separate from and axially movable of the sleeve 14 to enable assembly and disassembly. The connector member is preferably made of a known or suitable lead-antiminy alloy so as to be corrosion resistant to storage battery acid.
The connector also includes a molded plastic clamping screw 16 extending through aligned holes in the adjacent end elements 18 and 20 of the clamp member 12. The end element 20 is provided with molded internal threads 22 for threaded engagement by the clamping screw 16 to enable tightening of the clamp member 12 about the split sleeve 14 to compress such sleeve about a battery post 24 shown in FIG. 1. The clamp screw 16 may have any suitable type of head 17 enabling turning of the screw by hand or with a wrench or other tool.
The threads 22 in the end element 20 of the clamp member are divided into two sets of partial threads which are formed in wall portions 26 and 28 of a hole 30 extending through such end element 20. The wall portions 26 and 28 are on opposite sides of the hole 30 and disposed axially of such hole with respect to each other. These wall portions and the molded sets of threads thereon each extend substantially 180 around the hole. An opening 32 opposite each wall portion 26 and 28 extends to the exterior of the end element. These openings 32 are formed as the result of employing mold members to mold the wall portions 26 and 28 of the hole 30 including the partial threads 22 on such portions as explained in connection with FIGS. 11 and 12.
A separate internally threaded element 34 having three sets of molded partial threads 22 is shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 along with diagrammatically illustrated mold members 36 and 38. The mold members 36 and 38 are shown as projecting from opposite walls of the mold cavity and no attempt has been made to show the complete mold, since such mold may otherwise be a conventional mold for injecting molding having a number of mold cavities for simultaneously molding a plurality of elements. When the mold is closed, the mold members 36 and 38 occupy positions which result in producing the openings 32 in the internally threaded element during a molding operation. Since the ends of the mold elements are rounded and have partial threads thereon complementary to the partial threads 22, the result is the molding of the partial threads 22.
It is apparent from FIG. 12 that the rounded ends of the mold members 36 and 38 overlap and are in contact with each other and that mold walls will be in contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the molded element 34 so that a hole 30 is formed which extends entirely through the molded element. It is also apparent that the two sets of partial threads 22 shown in the end element 20 of FIGS. 1 to 4 can be molded by employing two mold members, such as the mold member 36 and one of the mold membPrs 38 of FIGS. 11 and 12, and that the hole 42 in the end ellem'ent 18 of FIGS. 1 to 4 can be molded by merely omitting the complementary partial threads 40 on similar mold members. Furthermore, the threaded element 34 of FIGS. 11 and 12 can have all but one of the sets of partial threads 22 omitted to leave unthreaded wall portions of the hole 30, particularly for light duty applications.
The clamp member 12 of FIGS. 1 to 41 as well as the threaded element of FIGS. 11 and 12 or the screw 16 may be made of any suitable high strength plastic material which can be molded and which need not be the same for all of such elements. Particular suitable materials are glass filled polyethylene or polypropylene thermoplastic materials or various copolymers of these materials including copolymers of either or both of such materials with other polymerizable materials, and also including various other suitable modifiers known to the art. The glass filling is made up of short pieces of very fine glass fibers.
The'connector member 15 of FIGS. 1 to 3 is shown in more detail in FIGS. 7 and 8. The compressible sleeve of this connector member has an open end 44 for receiving a battery post and has a plurality of slots 46 circumferentially spaced in the sleeve and extending axially from the open end of the sleeve. The other end of the sleeve is closed and has a portion 48 of the wire connecting element 15 extending axially from said closed end. A wire receiving portion 50 extends at right angles to the portion 48 and has an axial bore 52. The bore 52 has a diameter adjacent the portion 48 of a suitable size for receiving a conductor wire of a battery cable and a larger diameter adjacent its open end to receive the insulation surrounding such wire. It is apparent that the wire connecting element may be crimped on the wire and on the insulation of a battery cable by a suitable crimping tool.
The modified connector member 15' of FIG. 9 is the same as that of FIGS. 7 and 8 except that it is provided with two wire receiving elements 50 for receiving two different cables, and is useful, for example, for connecting storage batteries in parallel.
The modified connector member 15" of FIG. 10 has a compressible sleeve 14 which is open at both ends and has a wire connecting element 50 extending at right angles from one end of the compressible sleeve so that the connector member 15" requires less vertical clearance above the top of a storage battery than the connector members 15 and 15 of FIGS. 7 and 9, respectively.
The clamp member 12 of FIGS. 1 to 3 can be employed with any of the connector members 15, 15' or 15" and has an axially extending internal rib 54 which fits any of the slots 46 in the compressible sleeves of such connector members to prevent rotation of the clamp member about the axis of the sleeve while at the same time enabling the clamp member so occupy several angular positions on the sleeve.
I claim: 1. An electrical connector, comprising: connector means including a connector member of non-corrodable metal having a compressible sleeve means adapted to fit a terminal post and means for connecting a wire to said connector member;
clamping means for clamping said sleeve means to said post, including a split ring member of molded plastic material extending around said sleeve means and having adjacent end elements spaced from each other, said split ring member being separate from and movable axially of said sleeve means;
and a thread clamping screw of molded plastic material extending through aligned holes in said end elements.
2. The electrical connector of claim 1 in which:
said compressible sleeve of said connector member has a plurality of slots extending axially of said sleeve means and said ring member of said clamping means has an internal rib engaging in a selected one of said slots to prevent relative rotation between said sleeve and said clamping means.
3. The electrical connector of claim 2 in which:
said connector member has a portion extending axially from one end of said sleeve means and terminating in a wire connecting element extending at right angles to said portion;
said wire connecting element having its axis spaced from said split ring member, being hollow for receiving the end of an insulated wire and being crimpable about said wire.
4. The electrical connector of claim 1 in which:
one of said end elements is provided with internal screw threads molded in said plastic material for threaded engagement by said clamping screw.
5. The electrical connector of claim 1 in which:
one of said end elements has openings extending from opposite sides of said one element past each 7. The electrical connector of claim 5 in which another of said wall portions positioned on the opposite side of said hole also has internal partial threads molded thereon for threaded engagement by said clamp screw.

Claims (7)

1. An electrical connector, comprising: connector means including a connector member of non-corrodable metal having a compressible sleeve means adapted to fit a terminal post and means for connecting a wire to said connector member; clamping means for clamping said sleeve means to said post, including a split ring member of molded plastic material extending around said sleeve means and having adjacent end elements spaced from each other, said split ring member being separate from and movable axially of said sleeve means; and a thread clamping screw of molded plastic material extending through aligned holes in said end elements.
2. The electrical connector of claim 1 in which: said compressible sleeve of said connector member has a plurality of slots extending axially of said sleeve means and said ring member of said clamping means has an internal rib engaging in a selected one of said slots to prevent relative rotation between said sleeve and said clamping means.
3. The electrical connector of claim 2 in which: said connector member has a portion extending axially from one end of said sleeve means and terminating in a wire connecting element extending at right angles to said portion; said wire connecting element having its axis spaced from said split ring member, being hollow for receiving the end of an insulated wire and being crimpable about said wire.
4. The electrical connector of claim 1 in which: one of said end elements is provided with internal screw threads molded in said plastic material for threaded engagement by said clamping screw.
5. The electrical connector of claim 1 in which: one of said end elements has openings extending from opposite sides of said one element past each other and having contiguous portions with rounded ends which overlap to provide said hole in said one element and also provide wall portions of said hole in said one element which are on opposite sides of said hole in said one element and disposed axially of said hole in said one element with respect to each other.
6. The electrical connector of claim 5 in which at least one of said wall portions has internal partial threads molded thereon for threaded engagement by said clamp screw.
7. The electrical connector of claim 5 in which another of said wall portions positioned on the opposite side of said hole also has internal partial threads molded thereon for Threaded engagement by said clamp screw.
US00185265A 1971-09-30 1971-09-30 Electrical connector using plastic clamp Expired - Lifetime US3757283A (en)

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Cited By (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3936134A (en) * 1973-10-04 1976-02-03 Piscionere Sr Anthony G Battery clamp
US3963303A (en) * 1974-10-15 1976-06-15 Amp Incorporated Battery terminal connector
US5123769A (en) * 1989-11-03 1992-06-23 Telemecanique Adjustable mounting flange for a proximity detector
US6135667A (en) * 1998-10-20 2000-10-24 The Torrington Company Expanding clamp for slap yoke
US20050202731A1 (en) * 2004-03-11 2005-09-15 Jaime Brito Vehicle battery terminal connector
US20080092458A1 (en) * 2006-10-20 2008-04-24 Payne Stephen W Acoustic isolator clip for isolating wallboard support channels from frame member
US20080286040A1 (en) * 2005-07-19 2008-11-20 Gm Global Technology Operations, Inc. Device for Connecting an Intermediate Shaft to a Pinion of a Steering Mechanism
US20100254756A1 (en) * 2009-04-02 2010-10-07 Douglas Chiang Bicycle Seat Post Protecting Member
US20110168135A1 (en) * 2010-01-12 2011-07-14 Denso International America, Inc. Sealed wire interface
US20140001327A1 (en) * 2012-06-29 2014-01-02 Jay H. Penzes Clamping assembly for flexible conductors used on elevated platforms
US20240052959A1 (en) * 2021-02-03 2024-02-15 Norma Germany Gmbh Profile Clamp, Flange Connection, and Turbocharger Comprising Same
US12158178B2 (en) * 2020-09-21 2024-12-03 Dell Products L.P. Systems and methods for universal clamping of information handling resource

Cited By (16)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3936134A (en) * 1973-10-04 1976-02-03 Piscionere Sr Anthony G Battery clamp
US3963303A (en) * 1974-10-15 1976-06-15 Amp Incorporated Battery terminal connector
US5123769A (en) * 1989-11-03 1992-06-23 Telemecanique Adjustable mounting flange for a proximity detector
US6135667A (en) * 1998-10-20 2000-10-24 The Torrington Company Expanding clamp for slap yoke
US20050202731A1 (en) * 2004-03-11 2005-09-15 Jaime Brito Vehicle battery terminal connector
US20080286040A1 (en) * 2005-07-19 2008-11-20 Gm Global Technology Operations, Inc. Device for Connecting an Intermediate Shaft to a Pinion of a Steering Mechanism
US20080092458A1 (en) * 2006-10-20 2008-04-24 Payne Stephen W Acoustic isolator clip for isolating wallboard support channels from frame member
US7647744B2 (en) * 2006-10-20 2010-01-19 United States Gypsum Company Acoustic isolator clip for isolating wallboard support channels from frame member
US20100254756A1 (en) * 2009-04-02 2010-10-07 Douglas Chiang Bicycle Seat Post Protecting Member
US20110168135A1 (en) * 2010-01-12 2011-07-14 Denso International America, Inc. Sealed wire interface
US8490602B2 (en) * 2010-01-12 2013-07-23 Denso International America, Inc. Sealed wire interface
US20140001327A1 (en) * 2012-06-29 2014-01-02 Jay H. Penzes Clamping assembly for flexible conductors used on elevated platforms
US9810250B2 (en) * 2012-06-29 2017-11-07 Jay H. Penzes Clamping assembly for flexible conductors used on elevated platforms
US12158178B2 (en) * 2020-09-21 2024-12-03 Dell Products L.P. Systems and methods for universal clamping of information handling resource
US20240052959A1 (en) * 2021-02-03 2024-02-15 Norma Germany Gmbh Profile Clamp, Flange Connection, and Turbocharger Comprising Same
US12498063B2 (en) * 2021-02-03 2025-12-16 Norma Germany Gmbh Profile clamp, flange connection, and turbocharger comprising same

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