US3544955A - Cable connector - Google Patents

Description

Dec- 1, 19-70 R. HERES RUIZ 3,544,955

CABLE CONNECTOR Filed March 28. 1967 mvsrm m RAUL HERES RUIZ FIG6- BY M A ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,544,955 CABLE CONNECTOR Raul Heres Ruiz, Calle Cerro Macuiltepec 89, Colonia Campestre Churubusco, Mexico City 21, Mexico Filed Mar. 28, 1967, Ser. No. 626,590 Int. Cl. H01r 7/08 US. Cl. 339-244 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The electrical connector includes a body portion having a cable receiving channel, a slidably engaged closure portion and a screw threaded into the channel to clamp cables therein and the two portions together. The body may be provided with a transverse passageway to accommodate cross cables.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Cable connector clamps of the general type with which the present invention is concerned are well known, for example, see Pat. No. 1,741,804. The prior connectors are capable of accommodating only aligned cables of the same size and approximately the width of the channel in the connector. Moreover, the in line connectors are not capable of accommodating cross cables so that special connectors are employed for the latter purpose.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION A connector according to the invention includes a body portion in the form of a U-shaped saddle having outstanding flanges at the free ends of its branches. A clamp screw is threaded through the bight portion into the channel between the branches of the saddle. A closure portion generally in the form of a C-shaped stirrup having inturned flanges, slidably spans the open side of the saddle with the respective flanges interengaged. The diameter of the clamp screw is at least as great as the width of the channel so that cables of diameters less than the width of the channel positively will be clamped by the screw against the stirrup to clamp the saddle, cables and stirrup firmly together.

The saddle may be provided with a transverse passageway through its branches and aligned with said clamp screw. The width of the passageway is not greater than the screw diameter and is completely spanned by the screw. Preferably, the passageway is formed by a channel opening through the open side of the saddle so that the saddle can be fitted over cables and avoid the necessity of threading cables through the device. The connector may be elongated and provided with a plurality of cross channels and a corresponding plurality of clamp screws. The number of such cross channels and screws may be selected according to the requirements of the particular arrangement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a connector in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the open or inner side of the body portion or saddle;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the open or inner side of the closure portion or stirrup;

FIG. 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a side view in elevation of a modified connector according to the invention, and

FIG. 7 is an end view of another modification of the connector.

3,544,955 Patented Dec. 1, 1970 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION Referring now to the drawing in detail, specifically to FIG. 1, a connector in accordance with the present invention comprises a body portion 10 in the form of a U- shaped saddle and a closure portion 12 in the form of a C-shaped stirrup. The saddle 10 includes a bight 14 and two substantially parallel branches 16 extending from said bight and defining a cable receiving channel 18 therebetween. Flanges 20 extend outwardly from the free edges of said branches 16. The stirrup 12 includes a body 22 that preferably is curved or bowed, and inwardly extending flanges 24 spaced from the body 22 and slidably receiving therebetween the saddle flanges 20. A clamp screw 26 is provided to clamp one or more cables C within the channel 18.

The foregoing description is generally characteristic of clamp connectors of the present type, and in which the diameter of the clamp screw is less than the width of the channel so that the screw may be threaded through either part of the connector into the channel. As a consequence such connectors are limited to use with cables whose diameters approximate the width of the channel because smaller diameter cables can slip between the side of the screw and the side wall of the channel, resulting in a poor connection.

In accordance with the present invention, however, as best shown in FIG. 2, the diameter of the screw 26 is at least as great as the width of the channel 18 so that regardless of the size of cable in the channel 18 it will be clamped by the screw. Because of the fact that the screw 26 completely spans the channel 18, the screw preferably is threaded through an internally threaded bore 28 in the bight 14 of the saddle 10 so that the threads can be extended into the inner walls of the branches 16, if necessary. Preferably, the threads are very narrow and fine so that they substantially are self locking.

Another feature of the invention resides in providing the saddle with a transverse passageway 30 to accommodate a cross cable C. While the passageway 30 can be an opening through the branches 16, preferably it is constituted by a channel opening through the free edges of the branches 16 and flanges 20 so that the saddle can be fitted over crossed cables rather than having to thread the cross cable C through the device. Preferably, the cross channel 30 is of the same dimensions as the channel 18, and the channel 30 is transversely aligned with the clamp screw 26 so that the screw can clamp the crossed cables, one against the other.

Thus, the center planes of the channels 18 and 30 intersect at the axis of the screw 26 and the latter spans both channels. As clearly shown in FIG. 2, the diameter of the screw 26 is such as to almost engage the corners 32 of the branches 16 at the channel intersections. By this arrangement, the screw will completely span the channels but the cutting of threads in the branches is avoided.

Due to the thickness of the flanges 20 and 24 their combined thicknesses may be greater than the diameter of the cable C seated against the inner surface of the stirrup 12, in which event, contact between a cross cable C and the cable C might not be as firm as desirable. To preclude such a possibility, the stirrup flanges 24 each are provided with aligned cross grooves 34 to accommodate a cross cable C.

Whereas the connector illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 has only one screw 26 and one cross channel 30, the saddle 10 and stirrup 12 may be elongated and provided with a plurality of corresponding clamp screws and cross channels in any desired number. As shown in FIG. 6, a saddle 10' may be provided with a plurality of clamp screws 26 and a corresponding plurality of cross channels 30, and the stirrup 12 may be provided with a corresponding plu- OPERATION AND USE In the operation and use of the invention, the stirrup 12 is slidably removed from the saddle and the saddle is placed astride the cables to be connected, the stirrup 12 is slidably replaced along the saddle 10 and the clamp screw 26 is threaded inwardly to clamp the cables, stirrup and saddle together. If the cables are of different diameters, the saddle is positioned so that the larger cable is l I toward the open side of the channel 18 and engages the stirrup. In this manner, the clamp screw will press only on the smaller cable and the larger main cable is not subject to scratching or damage by the screw 26.

As shown in FIG, 4, the present connector is particularly adapted to connect cables of difierent diameters ranging from a cable C having a diameter substantially equal to the width of the channel 18 to a cable c whose diameter is many times less than that of the cable C. The only limitation is that the diameter of the cable c must not be so small that it could fit within the cavity between the side wall of the channel 18 and the transverse inner end surface of the screw 26 when it engages the surface of the cable C. Due to the fact that the screw 26 completely spans the channel, the cables are clamped regardless of size.

The foregoing comments apply equally to cross cables C' due to the fact that the relation of the cross-channels to the screw 26 are the same. The plural clamp connectors have the advantage of accommodating a plurality of cross wires, but with at least two clamp screws 26, the two in-line cables Ca and Cb can be secured in end abutment as shown in FIG. 6.

Although certain specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is obvious that many modifications thereof are possible.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cable connector, including a U-shaped body portion defining a saddle and presenting a bight and spaced branches defining a cable receiving channel therebetween,

a channel closure portion in the form of a stirrup including a body and flanges on the sides thereof slidably interengaged with said branches, and

a clamp screw threaded through said bight to project into said channel and clamp cables within said channel while securing said portions together,

the improvement comprising the diameter of said screw being greater than the width of said channel and opposed portions of said branches having partial threads therein receiving said screw, whereby said screw will clamp a cable regardless of the size of such cable said saddle branches being provided with aligned openings defining a cross passageway aligned with said screw and of a width substantially the same as the width of said channel whereby the cross passageway is completely spanned by said screw.

2. A connector according to claim 1 wherein said saddle is provided with a plurality of cross channels spaced longitudinally thereof and a corresponding plurality of clamp screws.

3. A connector according to claim 1 wherein the free ends of said branches define inwardly opening channels and said stirrup flanges slidably engage in said last mentioned channels.

4. A connector according to claim 1 wherein the free ends of said branches are provided with outwardly extending flanges and said stirrup flanges are inwardly directed to nest said outwardly extending flanges.

5. A cable connector including a body portion constituted by a U-shaped saddle including a bight having spaced branches defining a cable receiving channel therebetween and outwardly extending flanges on the free edges of said branches,

a channel closure portion in the form of a stirrup including a body and flanges on the sides thereof and slidably interengaged with said stirrup flanges,

a clamp screw threaded through one of said portions into said channel to clamp cables within said channel and secure said portions together,

the improvement comprising:

the diameter of said screw being at least as great as the width of said channel and said screw completely spanning said channel, whereby said screw will clamp a cable regardless of the size of such cable,

said screw being threaded through the bight of said saddle,

said saddle branches being provided with aligned openings defining a cross passageway aligned with said screw and completely spanned thereby,

said openings being constituted by cross chan nels opening through the free edges of said branches and flanges thereon, said cross channels being of substantially the same dimensions as said main channel between said branches, the center plane of said main and cross channels intersecting at the axis of said screw, said stirrup flanges overlying said saddle flanges and being provided with aligned grooves registering with said cross channel.

6. A connector according to claim 5, wherein said saddle is provided with a plurality of cross channels spaced longitudinally thereof and a corresponding plurality of clamp screws, and said stirrup flanges are provided with a plurality of cross grooves corresponding to said cross channels.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,429,448 10/1947 Bakke 24-125(N) 3,144,293 8/1964 De Smidt 339-244 1,648,887 11/1927 Armen 339-272(U) 1,741,804 12/1929 Zilliox 339272(U)X 2,196,383 4/1940 Buchanan 339272(U)X 2,551,636 5/1951 Ratigan 339272(U)X 2,713,672 7/1955 Allen 339272(U)X 2,732,535 1/1956 Hammerly 339272(U) 3,335,399 8/1967 Rys 339272(U)X 3,339,174 8/1967 Walter et al. 339272X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,012,800 4/1952 France 339272(U) 932,580 7/1963 Great Britain 339--272(U) 473,771 8/1952 Italy 339-272(U) MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner J. H. MCGLYNN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

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