US2308811A - Electrical cable connector - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 19, 1943. H. A. JACKSON ELECTRICAL CABLE CONNECTOR l T J I I ll Filed Feb. 27, 1941 n 5 W h m M M 1 mm M w W um MW a F a M Q\ NW d5 V om ww vrfi kgg I! Q Patented Jan. 19, 1943 UNITED ELECTRICAL CABLE CONNECTOR Honel A. Jackson, Detroit, Mich.

Application February 27, 1941, Serial No. 380,902

7 Claim.

This invention relates to electrical cable connectors.

An important object of this invention is to provide a novel form of cable connector which is quickly connected and functions to positively hold the terminal members against accidental disengagement. Another object of this invention is to provide a novel two plece'insulating cover which not only protects the terminal from contact with outside objects but is-also capable of drawing the two terminal members-of the connector together and hold the same against accidental separation. An important feature of the invention is the provision of novel means on the insulating cover and the terminal members which cooperate with one another to hold the terminals in engaged position until the cover is removed.

Various other objects, advantages and meritorious features of this invention will become more fully apparent from the following specification,

appended claims and accompanying drawing,

wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the two parts of the connector and the and the insulating cover therefor, illustrating the position of the parts before connection is'made,

Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig. 1 showing the position of the parts when the terminal members of the connector are engaged.

Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 2 showing the position of the parts when the insulating cover I, is acting to hold the terminal members against engagement, and

Fig. 4 is an outside view of the assembly showing the parts in connected position.

Fig. 5 is a section along line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

The type of terminal members used in the illustrated embodiment of the invention exemplifies one form of cable connection for which this invention is adapted. In this form, male and female terminal members are employed, the former being capable of sliding within the latter to complete the electrical connection. Other ways of bringing the terminals longitudinally into engagement are possible and the invention is intended to apply to these other means.

Referring particularly to the drawing, the male terminal member'is indicated at in; the female member at l2. The latter is provided with a tapering recess [4 of a size to slidingly receive J the shank of member l0 and bring the two into tight frictional engagement before the end of the member l0 reaches the bottom of the recess H. The rear end of the members 10 and 12 are simi: larly formed to provide recesses l6 into which the exposed end of-cables l8 may be received and soldered or otherwise permanently secured thereto.

In Fig. 1 the terminals I0 and H are separated from one another; in Fig. 2 they are brought together, forming electrical connection.

As previously described. the connection is enclosed within a novel protecting insulating cover. This cover is formed of two parts, each in the form of a sleeve loosely mounted on a terminal member and composed of electrical insulating material. The sleeve on terminal member I0 is indicated at 20. The sleeve on terminalmembet [2 is indicated at 22. Except for final operation in the process of manufacture, these sleeves are similar to one another in construction. In other words, until their final step of manufacture they are exact duplicates of one another and as a result there is a considerable saving of time, labor and material in constructing these parts.

The sleeves in the illustrated embodiment of the invention diifer from one another by the provision ofa'proiecting metal collar 24 secured in the end of one of the sleeves which is adapted to be threaded into the end fof the other sleeve to couple the two sleeves together. Collar 24 is ex ternally threaded as indicated. It is immovably secured in any suitable way in the end of one of the sleeves with approximately one-half of its length projecting therefrom. The'forward end of the other sleeve is internally threaded as indicated at 26 for threaded engagement with the collar on the other sleeve.

As hereinabove mentioned, novel means is provided between the sleeve and the terminal members which-function to positively prevent accidental disengagement of the terminal members. This means is in the form of special abutting surfaces between the two sleeves and the members I!) and I2. As the sleeves are threadedly coupled together their surfaces come into engagement and hold the terminal members from disengagement. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, these surfaces comprise shoulders 28-28 on the terminal members and'internal shoulders 30-30 on the sleeves; Shoulders 28-J8are preferably formed integrally on their respective terminal members. 'The shoulders 30-30 are preferably formed by boring each sleeve with two different diameters to form a rear end section which slidingly fits-the cable end of the terminal member which it encloses and a forward section which may slide over the shoulder 28.

The position of the respective shoulders bear such a relation to one another and to the engagement of the members l and I! that when the latter are fully engaged as in Fig. 2, there is a slight clearance between the shoulders when the sleeves are flrst threaded together. Thus, upon further threading the two sleeves together the shoulders 30-40 approach the backside of the shoulders 28-28 and will abut the latter before the two sleeves are completely threaded together as Fig. 3 indicates. It is evident that upon tightening the sleeves when in this position the shoulders function to positively hold the terother to form an electrical connection, a sleeve on each member shiftable toward and away from the free ends thereof,-a1i=extemal shoulder on each member, an internal shoulder on each sleeve adapted to abut the shoulder of the member which it encloses on the cable connectedside thereof, and means on the adjacent ends of said sleeves adapted to thread the same together and by such action draw the two sleeves together until the shoulders on the sleeves abut the shoulders on the members.

2. An electrical cable conductor comprising, in combination, a pair of electrical conducting metal member shaped on one of their ends for telescoping engagement and on their opposite ends for attachment to the ends of electrical cables, a sleeve of electrical insulation material encircling each member and slidable longitudinally thereon, an external shoulder on each member, an internal shoulder on each sleeve adapted to abut the cable side of the external shoulder of the member it encircles, an externally threaded section carried on the end of one of the sleeves adapted to be brought into threaded engagement with an internally threaded section carried on the other sleeve, said shoulders on the sleeves and members so disposed with respect to one another and the threaded sections that the shoulders are brought into abutment before .the sleeves are fully threadedly coupled together.

3. A cable connector comprising, in combination, a female member adapted to be connected to a cable, a male member adapted to be connected to another cable, said male member having a tapered shank receivable in a tapered recess in the end of the female member, both of said members being formed with circular shoul-- ders, asleeve on each member formed of insulation material and provided with an internal shoulder adapted to abut the shoulder of the member on which it is mounted. and means for threading the ends of said sleeves together to draw the two toward one another until the shoulders on the sleeves engage those on the members.

4. A cable connector comprising, in combination, a pair of elongated metal conducting members shaped for endwise engagement with one another to form an electrical connection, each member provided with two concentric circular surfaces of unequal diameter connected by a radially extending surface forming a shoulder, a

vthe shoulder of the memberitencircles on the side thereof opposite to the engaging end of the member, and means for threadediy coupling the sleeves together so related to the shoulders that before the sleeves are fully threadedly coupled together the shoulders on the sleeves abut their respective shoulders on the members.

5. A cable connector comprising two cooper- .ating members formed of rigid electrical conductive material, one having a substantially frustoconical projection and theother a irusto-conical recess, said members being adapted for fitting engagement with one another with their conical surfaces in facial contact and with the outer end of said projection spaced from the bottomof the frusto-conical recess, a pair of insulating sleeves of like construction rotatably and slidably received one on each of said members, one of said sleeves having a metal ring projecting forwardly therefrom toward the other sleeve and externally threaded, said other sleeve provided on its forward end with, an internally threaded section adapted to be threadcdiy received upon the threads of said ring, said members each provided with an external annular shoulder intermediate their ends, said sleeves each provided with an internal annular shoulder adapted to abut the external annular shoulder of the member it encloses on the side thereof opposite to said frusto-conical surfaces, said shoulders so disposed with respect to one another and said ring as to abut one another after the frustoconical surfaces are brought into facial contact but before the ring is completely threaded to said internally threaded section of the opposing sleeve.

6. A cable connector comprising, in combination, two cooperating members formed of rigid electrical conductive material, each member correspondingly shaped with an external integrally formed annular shoulder intermediate its ends and with an axial opening in one of its ends for receiving the end of an electric cable, the opposite end of one of said members having a substantially frusto-conical recess and the opposite end of the other member having a frustoconical projection, said projection and recess being adapted for fitting engagement with one an other with their conical surfaces in facial contact and with the outer end of the projection spaced from the bottom of the recess, a pair of insulating sleeves of like construction each shaped internally with longitudinal sections of different diameters forming at their juncture an annular shoulder having a diameter substantially that of the external shoulders on said members, saidsleeves each enclosing one of said members with the internal shoulder thereof on the side of the external shoulder of the member adjacent to the cable receiving ends, a ring fitted into the forward end of one of said sleeves and projecting therefrom having an externally threaded section adapted to be threadedly engaged to an internally threaded section on the forward end of the other member, said threaded sections so disposed with respect to the external and internal shoulders of each member and the sleeve enclosing the same that after the frusto-conical surfaces are engaged the shoulders abut one another before the ring is completely threaded home.

'7, A cable connector comprising, in combination, two cooperating elongated members of rigid electrical conductive material each having its rear end provided with an opening for receiving the end of an electric cable, said members each provided with a corresponding outside cylindrical surface adjacent its rear end and with a corresponding integrally formed external annular shoulder rising from said cylindrical surface forwardly thereof, the forward end of one of said members having a substantially frusto-conical recess and the forward end of the other member having a frusto-conical projection being adapted for fitting engagement with said recess with their conical surfaces in facial contact and with the outer end of the projection spaced from the bottom of the recess, a pair of sleeves of like conand each adapted to enclose one of said members, said sleeves each shaped interiorly with longitudinal circular sections of different diameters forming at their 'juncture an internal annular shoulder, the section of less diameter of each sleeve having substantially the same diameter as said cylindrical surface of the member which it encloses and adapted to slide and rotate thereon, a metal ring attached to the forward end of one of said sleeves and provided with external threads, the forward end of the other sleeve provided internally with threads adapted to engage those on said ring and upon relative rotation of the sleeves in one direction struction formed of electric insulating material to draw the two together, the annular shoulders of each sleeve and the member enclosed thereby adapted after said frusto-conical surfaces are brought into engagement to abut one another before said ring has been completely threaded home.

HONEL A. JACKSON.

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