US2750151A - Guide for an electrician's snake - Google Patents

Description

June 12, 1956 F. F FOWLERIET AL GUIDE FOR AN ELECTRICIANS SNAKE Filed May 21, 1954 United States Patent O 2,750,151 GUIDE Fon AN ELECTRICIAS SNAKE Application May 21, 1954, sei-iai No. 431,552 4 claims. (ci. 2511-1343) This invention relates to a guide for `an electricians snake and has for its primary object to facilitate the introduction of anv electricians snake into a conduit and to avoid the possibility of the snake `becoming snagged during its passage through a conduit. l

Another object is to avoid the danger of the guide becoming wedged in the conduit and to enablei't to follow bends 'in the conduit even though the latter rn'ay be relatively sharp. i j y ,l

A further object is to reduce to a minimum cthe friction of the guide on the walls of the conduit so -as to enable the snake to be passed through vthe conduit with but a minimum of effort.

A still further object is to detachably 'couple the guide to the snake in a manner that will prevent it frornbecoming accidentally disengaged from the snalr'ey while passing through a conduit and yet will facilitate ,the di'sconnection of the guide from the snake and the substitution for said guide of a cable pulling head.

The above and other objects may be attained by employing this invention which embodies among its features a body which tapers adjacent opposite ends and is constricted intermediate its ends to facilitate its passage through a bent conduit, antifriction elements carried by and extending outwardly from said body intermediate the ends thereof for engagement with the conduit during its passage therethrough, and means carried by the body adjacent one end thereof for detachably coupling an electricians snake thereto.

Other features include an annular ange carried by the body and extending longitudinally therefrom adjacent one end thereof, an inwardly extending annular ange carried by the longitudinally extending ange and delining with said body an annular chamber, and said flanges having a slot extending therethrough in intersecting relation to the longitudinal axis of the body for admitting a coupling member into the chamber.

Still other features include recesses extending through the flange and opening into the chamber to receive a portion of the coupling member to hold the coupling member and the body against relative rotation, and yieldingly projected means carried by the body and extending into the chamber for engaging the coupling member and holding it in the recesses.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view through a length of conduit showing this improved snake guide in the process of being passed therethrough;

Figure 2 is an end view of the snake guide on an enlarged scale;

Figure 3 is a side view of the guide illustrated in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on the line 4 4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 5 5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 6 6 of Figure 3;

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Figure 7 is an enlargedy fragmentary perspective view of the coupling by which the snake is connected to the snake guide; l l

,Figure 8 is a side view of a pulling head which is adapted to be detachably coupled to the snake after l-it has been guided through the conduit and the snake guide has been removed therefrom; and

l Figure 9 is `a plan view partially in section of the head illustrated in Figure 8. v

Referring to the drawings in detail, this improved snake guide designated generally 10 comprises an elongated body 12`which is tapered as at 14 adjacent one end and as at 15 adjacent its opposite end. This guide is provided intermediate its ends `with a constriction 18 to enable it to be passed through a conduit C having a relatively sharp bend therein, as will be readily understoodupon reference to Figure 1. l

The body 12 is provided adjacent its forward end 14 with an annular row of circumferentially spaced recesses 20 in which are seated antifriction bearings 22 anda similar row of recesses 24 are provided inthe body adjacent 'the rear end thereof for the reception ofrjantif rictionbearings 26. These antifriction bearings 2 2 and 26' are adapted to engage the wall of a conduit C to red uce to a minimum the frictionalvcontact of the guide 10 with the conduit during its passage therethrough.

Anelectricians snake S hasd connected thereto adjacent one end thereof a cross member or bar 28, the .purpose of which will hereinafter appear,rand carried by the b ody 12 Vadjacent the rear end thereof and extending longitudinally outwardly therefrom is an annular extension 30 carrying vadjacent its outer en d anV inwardly extending flange 32 which defines with the body 12 an annular chamber 34 which is adapted to receive the cross member or bar 28 to couple the snake S to the guide 10. A slot 35 extends transversely through the extension 30 and ange 32 to accommodate the cross bar 28 during its introduction into the chamber 34. Extending through the flange 32 and opening into the chamber 34 is a groove 36 which extends perpendicularly to the slot 3S so that when the cross member or bar 28 is introduced into the chamber and rotated a quarter turn, it will be received in the groove 36 so that relative turning movement between the snake S and the guide 10 will be resisted.

Extending into the body 12 in concentric spaced relation to the extension 30 is an opening 38 in which is mounted for longitudinal movement a spring pressed ball 40 which is yieldingly extended into the chamber 34 under the influence of a compression coil spring 42 which seats against the inner end of the opening or bore 38 and the ball 40 to hold it in the position substantially as illustrated in Figure 4. It will thus be seen that when the snake S is coupled to the guide 10 by the insertion of the cross member 2S into the chamber 34 and the rotation thereof a quarter turn relative to the body 12, the ball 40 will bear on the adjacent end of the snake S to yieldingly urge the cross member into the groove 36 to retain the parts connected until deliberate uncoupling effort is employed.

After the snake S has been pushed through the conduit C, the guide 10 will extend into an outlet box to which the conduit is connected and in order to install a conductor in the conduit, a wire pulling head designated generally 44 having a coupling unit designated generally 46 which conforms in all respects to the coupling unit of the guide 10 is coupled to the cross member 28 of the snake S, and carried by the head 44 adjacent the end thereof remote from the coupling unit 46 is an eye 48 having an opening 50 extending therethrough through which the conductor or cable containing the conductors is extended to couple the conductor or cable to the head 44. The head is provided with outwardly extending antifriction bearings 52 corresponding in all respects to thc antifriction bearings 22 and 26, previously described, in order to facilitate the pulling of the head 44 through the conduit C and the introduction of the conductor or cable into the conduit.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A guide for detachable connection to an electricians snake comprising a body which tapers adjacent opposite ends and is constricted intermediate its ends to facilitate its passage through a bent conduit, antifriction elements carried by and extending outwardly from said body intermediate the ends thereof for engagement with the conduit during its passage therethrough, and means carried by the body adjacent one end thereof for detachably coupling an electricians snake thereto.

2. A guide for detachable connection to an electricians snake comprising a body which tapers adjacent opposite ends and is constricted intermediate its ends to facilitate its passage through a bent conduit, antifriction elements carried by and extending outwardly from said body intermediate the ends thereof for engagement with the conduit during its passage therethrough, and said body having a bayonet type coupling socket opening through one end thereof for receiving a bayonet type coupling carried by an electricians snake.

3. A guide for detachable connection to an electricians snake comprising a body which tapers adjacent opposite ends and is constricted intermediate its ends to facilitate its passage through a bent conduit, antifriction elements carried by and extending outwardly from said body intermediate the ends thereof for engagement with the conduit during its passage therethrough, an annular extension carried by the body and extending longitudinally therefrom adjacent one end thereof, an inwardly extending annular flange carried by the extension and defining with said body an annular chamber, and said extension and flange having a slot extending therethrough in intersecting relation to the longitudinal axis of the body for admitting a coupling member into the chamber.

4. A guide for detachable connection to an electricians snake comprising a body which tapers adjacent opposite ends and is constricted intermediate its ends to facilitate its passage through a bent conduit, antifriction elements carried by and extending outwardly from said body intermediate the ends thereof for engagement with the conduit during its passage therethrough, an annular extension carried by the body and extending longitudinally therefrom adjacent one end thereof, an inwardly extending annular ange carried by the extension and defining with said body an annular chamber, said extension and flange having a slot extending therethrough in intersecting relation to the longitudinal axis of the body for admitting a coupling member into the chamber, said ange having recesses extending therethrough and opening into the chamber to receive a portion of the coupling member to hold the coupling member and the body against relative rotation, and yieldingly projected means carried by the body and extending into the chamber for engaging the coupling member and holding it in the recesses.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 263,586 Rittenhouse Aug. 29, 1882 1,194,793 Styers Aug. 15, 1916 1,672,324 Kepler June 5, 1928 2,509,115 Wait et al. May 23, 1950

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