US2768363A - Wire connector - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 23, 1956 c. H. HAYN Es WIRE CONNECTOR Filed Aug. 14, 1950- INVEN TOR.

WIRE CONNECTOR Application August 14, 1951), Serial No. 179,34'1

7 Claims. (Cl. 339-270) The present invention relates to wire connectors used in connecting a wire, to a terminal block or to another wire.

The problem encountered in the designing of the pres.- ent wire connector was to provide a connector which could be electrically and mechanically secured to a wire without the use of. any special tools. Prior wire connectors required special tools, such as crimping pliers or soldering irons or wrenches to electrically and mechanically secure them to the wire. In the present preferred connector, tightening of the terminal bolt on a terminal block also mechanically and electrically secures the end of the Wire in the wire connector.

One of the objects of the invention is to construct a wire connector which secures itself to a wire inserted therein when the, connector is pinched under a terminal bolt.

Another object of the invention is to construct a wire connector which is easily secured electrically and mechanically. to a wire without the use of special tools.

Another object of the invention is to construct a wire connector which is easily secured electrically and mechanically to a wire and which may easily be removed from the wire.

Another object of the invention is to construct a wire connector from a straight member and a non-straight member aligned side by side wherein straightening of the non-straight member causes the same to pinch a wire and form a secure electrical and mechanical connection.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of this invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a top view of the preferred wire connector With certain parts thereof illustrated in cross-section;

Figure 2 is a side view of the wire connector of Figure 1 with parts thereof in cross-section;

Figure 3 is a side view of the wire connector of Figure 2 electrically and mechanically secured to a wire;

Figure 4vis a top view of a modification of the wire connector;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the modified connector of Figure 4 with part thereof shown in crosssection;

Figure 6 is a view of another modification of the wire connector; and

Figure 7 is a view of a connector for connecting two wires together with the connector incorporating the principles of the invention.

The wire connector illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings may be constructed from a single piece of material. The present preferred connector was designed for stamping machines. However, it is understood that the wire connector may be constructed by any other process without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The wire connector illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 comprises a straight member 10 and a non-straight mem- Stes atent O ber 11 aligned in side by side relationship and interengaged at one end 12 thereof. In the preferred embodiment, these members 10 and 11 are integrally joined at the one end 12 since they are constructed from a single sheet of material folded generally back upon itself. One of these members has. wire receiving means. In this instance, the straight member 111 has a free end 13 supporting the wire receiving means 14. The wire receiving means 14 is aligned to receive the free end 15 of the non-straight member 11.

The straight member. 10 has a bolt receiving openin 16 therein for receiving a terminal bolt 17 threadable into a terminal block 18. It is understood that the terminal bolt 17 and the terminal block 18 are of any construction and are normally foundon electrical appliances wherein a Wire should be connected to the appliance. The bolt receiving opening 16 has a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the terminal bolt 17 in the terminal block 18., The non-straight member. 11 is provided with an elongated bolt receiving opening 19 which is aligned'with the bolt receiving opening 16 in the straight member 10. The center of the elongated bolt receiving opening 19, however, is preferably positioned closer to the interengaged ends 12 of the straight andnon-straight members than the center of the bolt receiving opening 16. Thus, when the terminal bolt 17 is threaded into the terminal block 18 to straighten the portion of the non-straight member 11, the elongated receiving opening 19 will permitthe free end 15 of the non-straight member 11to travel or move along the straight member ltl towards the free end 13 thereof and thus towards the wire receiving means 14. In the preferred connector illustrated in the drawings, the straight member and the non-straight member when tightened to the terminal block have portions completely encircling the terminal bolt 17. This provides a stronger connection and interengagement between the straight and nonstraight members 10 and 11 along the interengaged end 12. It is understoodthat the bolt receiving opening 16 and the elongated receiving opening 19 can be merged into a single elongated opening in the straight and nonstraight members, with that opening extending through the interengaging one end 12, By merging these openings 16 and 19 into a single opening, the wire connector would be in the shape of the commonly termed spade" which would slide under the head of the terminal bolt 17, whereas in the illustrated connector, the bolt 17 must be inserted through the connector.

The non-straight member 11 is illustrated in Figure 2 as havinga somewhat V-shaped cross-section. The head of the terminal bolt 17 engages the vertex of this V and one leg of the V is fastened at the interengaging end 12 to the straight member with the other leg of the V terminating inthe free end 15-which is slidable along the base or straight member 10 when the V is flattened. This generally V formation provides great pinching force upon tightening of the terminal bolt 17 from the position of Figure 2 to the position of Figure 3. It is understood, however, that-other non-straight formations may be used wherein pinching force is obtained by straightening the non-straight member 11 along the straight member 111,.

The wire receiving means 14 is illustrated as having a somewhat modified cone-shaped formation which in its simplest form is a cone-shaped ferrule. The wire receiving means 14 is provided with spaced surface portions 20 and 21 preferably disposed at an angle to each other and generally spaced apart and facing each other. These surface portions 20 and 21 diverge from each othertowards the said interengaging one end 12 of the members 10 and 11. The free end 15 of the non-straight member 11 is movable between the surface portions 20 and 21 or into the Wire receiving means 14 to engage a wire inserted into wire receiving means as illustrated in Figure 3. The free end 15 has a thickness sufficient to pinch the wire between the free end 15 and one of the surface portions 26 or 21. In this instance, the free end 15 engages the surface portion 21 and pinches the wire between the surface 20 and the free end 15. This pinching of the wire may be sufficient to deform the wire as illustrated in Figure 3 and thereby secure the wire to the terminal or connector in a tight electrical and mechanical connection.

In Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings is illustrated a modification of the invention. In this modification a wedge member 25 is inserted in the wire receiving means 14 between the surface portion 26 and the surface portion 21. The free end 15 of the non-straight member 11 abuts this wedge member 25 forcing the wedge member along the surface portion 21 and into the wire receiving means 14 to pinch a wire inserted therein between the surface portion 20 and the wedge member 25. In this instance, the wedge member 25 has been provided with teeth 26 extending transversely of the wire receiving means 14 and facing the surface portion 20. As the wedge member 25 is forced into the wire receiving means 14, these teeth 26 will dig into the surface of the wire to increase the electrical and mechanical connection with the wire.

In the modification illustrated in Figure 6, the straight member is provided with an upturned end 27 against which the non-straight member 11 abuts to form the interengaging one end 12 of the wire connector. The upturned end 27 restrains movement of the non-straight member 11 along the straight member 10 in a direction away from the wire receiving means in much the same way that the interengaged end 12 of Figure 2 does.

The free end of the non-straight member 11 is also provided with transverse teeth 28 engageable with a wire inserted in the wire receiving means. These transverse teeth 28 will dig into the surface of the wire to provide a tight electrical and mechanical connection between the wire and the wire connector. It is understood that teeth may be formed in the wire receiving means wherein the teeth would extend transversely of the wire and would operate in much the same manner as the teeth 28 on the free end 15. The general operation of the modified wire connectors in Figures 4 and 5 and 6 is substantially the same as the preferred embodiment in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

A butt end wire connector may be easily formed using the same principle of operation as used with the single end connectors as illustrated in Figure 7. In Figure 7 a straight member 33 is provided with wire receiving means 34 on each end thereof and spaced apart. A non-straight member 35 is inserted between these wire receiving means 34 and has free ends 36 movable into each of the wire receiving means 34. Straightening of the non-straight member forces both free ends 36 into their respective wire receiving means 34 to grip the ends of two wires simultaneously. .Each wire is gripped or pinched in the same manner that a wire inserted in the connectors of Figures 2 and 3 is gripped. In this embodiment of Figure 7, each of the wire receiving means on the opposite ends of the straight member 33 would form the means for preventing movement of the non-straight member 35 away from the opposite wire receiving means. In this embodiment, the free ends 36 have also been provided on the ends thereof with minute teeth 37 adapted to engage and hold a wire inserted in the wire receiving means 34 to form secure electrical and mechanical connection therewith.

These structure will also mechanically pinch other objects having a shape similar to wire, such for example, as wire rope, cable, rods, buss bars, and cords.

In all of these modifications of the present invention, it is noted that a force is applied to the connector in a line generally perpendicular to the straight member to force the non-straight member against the straight member thereby straightening the non-straight member. The straightening of the non-straight member causes it to cffectively elongate and force the free end thereof against the wire in the wire receiving means. The resultant force against the wire is thus .in a line more nearly parallel to the plane of the straight member than the applied force which is generally perpendicular to the plane of the straight member. A mechanical advantage is thereby gained which will result in an increasing of the applied force so that the pinching force on the wire is greater than the applied force. It is understood that other structures similar to the modifications and the preferred structures described herein can be constructed using this same arrangement of forces and that numerous minor differences may be made in the disclosed constructions without materially changing the principle of operation thereof.

Therefore, although this invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it .is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A wire connector comprising, a straight member and a bent member aligned in side by side relationship and joined at one end thereof, one of said members having wire receiving means of somewhat modified cone-shaped formation on the free end thereof provided with opposing spaced surfaces generally facing each other and aligned at a slight angle to each other, said spaced surfaces diverging from each other towards said one end of said members and aligned to receive the free end of the other of said members upon straightening of the bent member, said members having aligned apertures therein, a terminal block, headed means threaded in said terminal block and extending through said apertures to simultaneously secure the members to the terminal block and straighten the bent member by forcing the same toward said terminal block.

2. A wire connector consisting entirely of a single piece of elongated sheet metal formed into a configuration defining a straight portion and a bent portion disposed in a generally side by side relationship, the free end of one of said portions having formed thereon somewhat conical shaped wire receiving means provided with opposing surfaces generally facing each other and aligned at a slight angle to each other and adapted to receive a wire therebetween, the free end of the other of said portions aligned to enter said wire receiving means and hold a wire therein when said bent portion is straightened, said straight and bent portions having aligned opening means to receive a terminal bolt.

3. A wire connector consisting of a single elongated member folded back upon itself and defining a straight leg and a bent leg, each of said legs terminating in an end portion with said end portions having cooperating wire deforming means, one of said end portions having a somewhat conical providing opposing surfaces generally facing each other and the other of said end portions having wedge means forceable into a wire inserted therebetween upon straightening of the bent leg, said straight and bent legs have aligned opening means to receive a terminal bolt.

4. A wire connector consisting entirely of a single piece of elongated sheet metal formed into a configuration defining a straight portion and a bent portion disposed in a generally side by side relationship, the free end of said straight portion having formed thereon somewhat conical shaped wire receiving means provided with opposing surfaces generally facing each other and aligned at a slight angle to each other and adapted to receive a wire therebetween, the free end of said bent portion aligned to enter said wire receiving means and hold a wire therein when said bent portion is straightened, said straight and bent portions here aligned opening means to receive a terminal bolt.

5. A wire connector consisting of a single elongated member folded back upon itself and defining a straight leg and a bent leg, each of said legs terminating in an end portion with said end portions having cooperating wire deforming means, the end portion of said straight leg being bent into a somewhat conical shape providing opposing surfaces generally facing each other and diverging from each other in a direction towards the bent leg, the end portion of said bent leg having wedge means forceable into a Wire inserted therebetween upon straightening of the bent leg.

6. A wire connector consisting of a single elongated member folded back upon itself and defining a straight leg and a bent leg, each of said legs terminating in an end portion with said end portions having cooperating wire deforming means, the end portion of said straight leg having a somewhat conical shape providing opposing surfaces generally facing each other and the end portion of said bent leg having wedge means forceable into a wire inserted therebetween upon straightening of the bent leg, said straight and bent legs have aligned opening means to receive a terminal bolt.

7. A wire connector comprising a straight member and a bent member, adapted to be straightened, aligned in side by side relationship and joined at one end thereof, one of said members having wire receiving means on the free end thereof provided with opposing spaced surfaces generally facing each other and aligned at a slight angle to each other, said spaced surfaces diverging from each other towards one end of said member aligned to receive the free end of the other of said members upon straightening of the bent member, a first aperture in the bent portion of said bent member and a second aperture in said straight member aligned with said first aperture, and headed means extending through said apertures for straightening the bent member by forcing the same toward the straight member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 465,202 Preston Dec. 15, 1891 543,125 Brown July 23, 1895 584,069 Beers et a1 June 8, 1897 631,284 Ellison Aug. 22, 1899 702,191 Ferre June 10, 1902 1,705,579 Lutz Mar. 19, 1929 1,785,870 Marles Dec. 23, 1930 1,817,386 Maszczyk Aug. 4, 1931 2,183,109 Sipe Dec. 12, 1939 2,231,916 Jackson Feb. 18, 1941 2,485,217 Semilof Oct. 18, 1949 2,611,199 Stelzer Sept. 23, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 10,505 Great Britain May 8, 1903 369,579 Germany Oct. 7, 1921 465,042 Germany Sept. 14, 1928

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