US2112680A - Electric cord terminal - Google Patents

Description

March 29, 1938. F SAMBLESCQN 2,112,680

ELECTRIC CORD TERMINAL Filed Oct. 25, 1934 Fig. 1

Inventor: Robert F. Samblson,

His Attorney.

Patented Mar. 29, 1938 PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC CORD TERMINAL Robert F. Sambleson, Bridgeport, Conn., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application October 25, 1934, Serial No. 749,935

1 Claim.

My invention relates to an improved electric cord terminal.

Tabulating machines and the like are provided with electric cords for interconnecting circuits.

The circuit connections must be frequently changed and so it is necessary to disconnect the cords and reconnect them. Difficulty has been experienced with cords formerly used in the fre quent breakage of the conductor at or adjacent 0 to the plug terminal.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved cord which will Withstand hard usage and which may be manufactured economically.

What I consider to be novel and my invention may be better understood by reference to the following specification and appended claim when considered in connection with accompanying drawing in which Fig. l is a plan View of my improved cord; Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of one end of the cord, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view at right angles to Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, I0 indicates an electric cord having a stranded conductor II with a covering I2 of insulating material and terminals I3 and I4 connected to each end of the conductor I I. Terminals I3 and I4 are of the type used to connect conductors to telephone jacks and have annular depressions I5 and I6 respectively which are engaged by spring contact clips of the jacks, not shown. Terminals I3 and It may be removed from the jacks by a pull on the cord.

The repeated strains placed on the cord-frequently result in a breakage of the conductor.

The conductor most often breaks at the point of its connection to the terminal where the strain .is transmitted tothe terminal. To relieve the conductor of any strain at this point a resilient connection is made between the conductor and terminal. Also the terminal is secured directly to the covering of insulation so that the strain is transmitted to the terminal through the covering instead of the conductor. As best indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, terminal I3 is a hollow metal tube closed at one end and open at the other end. Terminal I3 extends over the end of conductor 'II and covering I2. The bared end of conductor II is looped back over the end of covering I2 and extends out through the open end of terminal I3. ConductorII is connected to. terminal I3 adjacent its open end as by means of solder II. Terminal I3 is secured to covering I2 by projections I8 and I9 which are embedded in the covering I2. Projections I8 and Ill are formed by lancing the terminal I3 on opposite sides after it has been placed-over the end of conductor II and covering I2. By this construction any strain produced by a pull on the cord is transmitted to the terminal directly by the cover- 10 ing of insulation and notby the conductor. In addition if the conductor II is moved within the covering I2 it is not placed under strain because of the looped connection of the conductor II to the terminal I3. In such a case the loop in the 15 end of conductor II is merely shortened or lengthened depending on the direction of movement. To prevent breakage of the conductor II by a twisting or bending of the cord over the open end of terminal I3 a resilient strain relief 20 is provided, formed preferably of rubber and 20 molded over the open end of terminal I3 and the adjacent portion of covering I2. Strain relief 20 is tapered away from terminal I3 to distribute the bending or twisting strain over a larger area. 1

From the foregoing it will be seen that an improved cord is provided which will have a longer life and one which may be expeditiously and economically manufactured.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

In combination, a conductor, a covering of insulating material for said conductor, a hollow terminal surrounding the conductor and covering, said conductor having a bared end extending back over the adjacent end ofthe covering within the terminal to a point beyond the confines of said terminal with a portion thereof bent over v the end of the terminal, means fixedly electrically 40 connecting the bent-over portion of the conduc tor to the outer periphery of the terminal, a pro vjection onsaid terminal embedded in the coverportion ofthe conductor and covering.

ROBERT F. SAMBLESON.

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