GB2269190A

GB2269190A - Connector assemblies

Info

Publication number: GB2269190A
Application number: GB9216050A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ivor Barfield
Original assignee: STA LOK TERMINALS Ltd
Current assignee: STA LOK TERMINALS Ltd
Priority date: 1992-07-28
Filing date: 1992-07-28
Publication date: 1994-02-02
Anticipated expiration: 2012-07-28
Also published as: GB9216050D0; GB2269190B

Abstract

A connector assembly suitable for use for example rotatably to connect a rigging wire or rod to a fixed component has a tubular main body 13 threaded at both ends. A link 21 is rotatably connected to one end by means of a threaded pin 17 passing through a bore in the link and having a head at one end, to restrain the link on the pin. The threads on the pin have a pair of diametrically opposed flats and the material of the main body is deformed into those flats in such a way as to form a pair of opposed flats 24 externally of the main body and which may be engaged by a spanner. The rigging wire or rod is connected to a stud 10 having threads 12 adjustably engaged in the other end of the main body and locked in place by means of lock nut 14. <IMAGE>

Description

CONNECTOR ASSEMBLIES This invention relates to a connector assembly suitable for connecting a first component to a second component, when one of those components has to be rotatable with respect to the other for example to permit a relative adjustment therebetween. The invention further relates to an adjuster incorporating such a connector assembly, suitable for use for example with rigging, life-lines or the like. The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing an adjustable connector assembly, for example for use on a rigging wire or rod.

There have been innumerable proposals of connector designs, adapted to allow two components when connected together to be rotated one with respect to the other.

A particular problem however arises when a rigging wire or rod is to be connected to a fixed component. The strength of such a connector must be at least as great as the strength of the rigging wire or rod connected thereby, and yet it is often important that the connector has the smallest possible cross-sectional dimensions. This may be to allow the connector to be passed through some opening, or perhaps to minimise the obtrusiveness of the connector, for example to enhance its aesthetic appearance. This is particularly so in the case of rigging used on motor and sailing yachts, and even more so in the case of- a life-line (guardwire) intended to extend between a pulpit (at the bow) and a taff rail (at the stern) of such a yacht.

Especially in the case of a life-line connector, it must display a very high reliability and strength, resistance to weakening from corrosion, for example from the hostile environment of salt spray, and be easy to fit, release and to permit adjustment of the tension in the life-line.

According to the present invention, there is provided a connector assembly comprising a main body adapted for coupling to a first other component, a link adapted for coupling to a second other component in a non-rotatable manner, and a swivel assembly rotatably mounting the link on the main body, which swivel assembly comprises a bore formed in the link, a threaded pin passing with clearance through the bore in the link and having a head which restrains the link on the pin, the threaded portion of the pin having at least one flat formed thereon and being received in a correspondingly threaded bore in the main body, and the material of the main body being deformed into engagement with the flat on the pin to restrain unscrewing rotational movement of the pin out of the main body.

It will be appreciated that in the connector assembly of this invention, the link is rotatably connected to the main body of the- assembly by means of a threaded pin received in a screw-threaded bore in the main body. Adequate strength may therefore be obtained by selecting an appropriate thread diameter and thread form on the pin and in the main body, together with a sufficient thread length for the inter-engagement of the pin with the body. An adequate factor of safety may be built into this selection, to allow for the environment in which the connector assembly is to be used and the duty to which the components connected by the connector are likely to be subjected.

In the connector of this invention, problems associated with the possible unscrewing of the threaded swivel pin if locked for example by means of a lock nut, a split pin, or other conventional locking techniques are obviated by virtue of the deformation of the material of the main body into engagement with a flat formed on the swivel pin, so locking that pin against unscrewing rotation in a wholly permanent manner.

Though the connector assembly of this invention may be used or other purposes, it is primarily intended for use in the connection of a rigging wire or rod to some fixed component, and primarily for use in connecting a life-line of a boat to a fixed part of the boat. The connector assembly will therefore be described hereinafter expressly with reference to such intended primary use, though it will be appreciated that the connector may find uses in other fields. The following detailed description of the invention should not be regarded as limited just to rigging and lifeline connectors.

Most preferably, the main body of the connector assembly is generally cylindrical and is formed with female coaxial screw threads at its two ends. In this case, the pin is threaded into the female screw threads at one end of the main body, and a stud provided on the end of a life-line (being said second other component) may be threaded into the female screw threads at the other end of the main body.

To facilitate the connection of the connector assembly to said first other component, such as an eye provided on a pulpit or taff-rail of a boat, the link preferably is in the form of a generally U-shaped fork with said bore formed through the base region of that fork, and a pair of aligned openings being formed through the arms of the link for receiving a connector pin, such as a clevis pin. In this case, the connector pin may pass through said eye to permit the link to be coupled to the second other component.

The permanence of the locking of the pin within the main body may be enhanced by forming on the pin a pair of flats in a diametrically-opposed relationship, the material of the main body being deformed at diametrically opposed locations so as to engage the opposed flats of the pin. The deformation may be performed by a pressing operation using a tool with a pair of substantially planar opposed jaws so as to form externally on the main body an opposed pair of flats.

These flats may subsequently be engaged by a conventional spanner during the installation of the adjuster, so facilitating the control of the main body - that is, either to assist the rotation of the main body, or to hold the main body against rotation.

To assist the deformation of the main body into engagement with the flats of the pin once the pin has been screw-threaded into the main body, it is preferred for the head of the pin to have a transverse slot aligned with the flats on the pin, whereby the connector assembly may appropriately be positioned within a tool for deforming the material of the main body, using that transverse slot as an alignment guide.

Of course, the transverse slot may also be used to assist the threading of the pin into the main body, as during the fitting thereof.

This invention extends to an adjuster including a connector assembly of this invention as described above, in combination with a screw-threaded stud threaded into a threaded bore provided within the main body co-axially with the threaded bore which receives the pin. Preferably, the screw-threaded stud is provided with locking means to hold the stud in an adjusted relative disposition with respect to the main body; such locking means may comprising a lock-nut threaded on to the stud and which may be tightened on to the main body.

The stud may be formed with a socket into which a rigging wire or rod may be inserted, the stud then being swaged securely to hold the wire or rod, in a manner known in the art.

This invention further extends to a method of manufacturing an adjustable connector assembly for use on a rigging wire or rod, which connector assembly has a rotatable link for connecting the assembly to a fixed component, in which method a threaded pin having a head and having at least one flat formed on the threaded portion thereof is passed through a bore in the link, the pin is screw-threaded into a threaded bore in the main body of the connector assembly, and the material of the main body is deformed into engagement with theflat on the pin so as to restrain unscrewing rotational movement of the pin out of the main body.

The deformation of the main body is preferably performed in such a manner as to form on the main body a pair of flats suitable for engagement by a spanner, during subsequent installation of the adjuster.

By way of example only, one specific embodiment of this invention, in the form of a life-line adjuster intended for use on boats, will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view on the life-line adjuster, when assembled; Figure 2 is an exploded view of the principal parts of the life-line adjuster of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a side view on the fork used in the adjuster illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

It is a common practice to provide on motor and sailing yachts a life-line (or guard-wire) which extends from a pulpit at or adjacent the bow of the boat, to a taff-rail (often called a push-pit) at or adjacent the stern, the life-line usually being supported between its ends by one or more stanchions upstanding from the boat deck. Such a life-line is usually made from stranded stainless steel wire, carrying suitable end fittings to allow its termination to eyes provided on the pulpit and the taff-rail.

Since the production and placement of pulpits and taffrails is open to relatively wide manufacturing tolerances, it is usual to provide some means of adjustment for the length of a life-line, to allow it to be set with an appropriate tension.

The embodiment of connector assembly shown in the drawings is configured as a length adjuster for use on a life-line as described above, to permit the easy adjustment of the tension in a life-line without subjecting the life-line to an axial twist. Though it is envisaged that such an adjuster would ordinary be provided at only one end of a life-line, it may if required be provided at both ends thereof.

Referring initially to Figure 1, the adjuster is attached to the end portion of a life-line (not shown) by means of a swage stud 10 having a barrel 11 adapted for swaging on to the life-line. The stud includes a co-axial externally-threaded portion 12. The adjuster itself comprises a cylindrical main body 13, internally screw-threaded from one end with a complementary thread to that of the threaded portion 12 of the swage stud 10, whereby the stud may be threaded into the main body. A lock nut 14 is provided, whereby the relative positions of the screwed stud 10 and main body 13 may be locked at a desired setting.

The other end of the main body 13 is also internally screw-threaded, and receives a headed swivel pin 15 having a bearing (non-threaded) portion 16 adjacent its head 17. Rotatably mounted on the bearing portion of the swivel pin 15 is a fork 18, a clevis pin 19 extending through aligned bores 20 in the two arms 21 of the fork. A split pin or ring (not shown) is passed through a transverse hole 22 formed in the clevis pin, to restrain the pin the position illustrated in Figure 1.

The swivel pin 15 is formed with two diametrically-opposed flats 23, part-way along the threaded portion thereof (Figure 2). These flats have a chordal depth of about 10% of the diameter of the pin - that is to say, the across-the-flats dimension is about 80% of the overall pin diameter. The head of the pin is formed with a transverse slot in a manner similar to that of a conventional screw, which slot is aligned with the flats 23. This slot allows turning of the pin with a suitable tool to interengage the pin with the threads in the bore of the main body, and also serves as an alignment guide, as discussed below.

Once the swivel pin 15 has been assembled with the fork 18 and threaded into the main body 13, the swivel pin is permanently locked against subsequent rotation with respect to the main body 13. This is achieved by deforming inwardly at two opposed locations the material of the main body, so as to engage the flats 23 formed on the swivel pin 15, as illustrated in Figure 1. In the preferred arrangement the deformation is performed by clamping the end portion of the main body between a pair of jaws located for example in a fly press, so as to form a pair of opposed flats 24 on the outside of the main body. The slot in the head of the pin should be aligned with the jaws, whereby the deformation of the main body will be into the flats of the pin.Once done, the swivel pin 15 is restrained from rotating with respect to the main body, and yet the fork 18 may freely rotate about the axis of the swivel pin.

In order to use the life-line adjuster, the lifeline is strung between the pulpit and the taff-rail in the usual way, with the swage stud 10 mostly unscrewed from the main body 13. Then, when both ends of the life-line have been made fast, the tension in the lifeline is adjusted to the required value by rotating the main body 13, with respect to the swage stud 10 - which latter is held against rotation. The rotation of the main body conveniently is performed by engaging the pair of opposed flats 24 on the main body with a conventional spanner. When the desired tension has been achieved, the lock nut 14 is tightened against the main body 13, so completing the assembly, this time by holding the main body against rotation, using the spanner engaged with the flats 24. It will be appreciated that the life-line itself is not rotated during the adjustment, and that there is no risk of the swivel pin unscrewing from the main body and so releasing the fork, either during adjustment of the life-line, or subsequently.

Claims

1. A connector assembly comprising a main body adapted for coupling to a first other component, a link adapted for coupling to a second other component in a non-rotatable manner, and a swivel assembly rotatably mounting the link on the main body, which swivel assembly comprises a bore formed in the link, a threaded pin passing with clearance through the bore in the link and having a head which restrains the link on the pin, the threaded portion of the pin having at least one flat formed thereon and being received in a correspondingly threaded bore in the main body, and the material of the main body being deformed into engagement with the flat on the pin to restrain unscrewing rotational movement of the pin out of the main body.

2. A connector assembly as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the main body is generally cylindrical and is formed with female coaxial screw threads at its two ends.

3. A connector assembly as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the link is in the form of a generally U-shaped fork with said bore formed through the base region of that fork, a pair of aligned openings being formed through the arms of the link for receiving a connector pin.

4. A connector assembly as claimed in any of the preceding Claims, wherein the pin has a pair of flats formed thereon in a diametrically-opposed relationship, and the material of the main body is deformed at diametrically opposed locations so as to engage the opposed flats of the pin.

5. A connector assembly as claimed in Claim 4 and in which the main body is generally cylindrical, wherein the deformation of the main body is performed in such a way as to form an opposed external pair of flats on the main body.

6. A connector assembly as claimed in any of the preceding Claims, wherein the head of the pin has a transverse slot aligned with the flat or each of a pair of flats on the pin.

7. A connector assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

8. An adjuster comprising a connector assembly according to Claim 2 or any Claim dependent thereon in combination with a screw-threaded stud threaded into the threaded bore provided within the main body coaxially with the threaded bore which receives said pin.

9. An adjuster as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the screw-threaded stud is provided with locking means to hold the stud in an adjusted relative disposition with respect to the main body.

10. An adjuster as claimed in Claim 9, wherein said locking means comprises a lock-nut threaded on to the stud and which may be tightened on to the main body.

11. A method of manufacturing an adjustable connector assembly for use on a rigging wire or rod, which connector assembly has a rotatable link for connecting the assembly to a fixed component, in which method a threaded pin having a head and having at least one flat formed on the threaded portion thereof is passed through a bore in the link, the pin is screwthreaded into a threaded bore in the main body of the connector assembly, and the material of the main body is deformed into engagement with the flat on the pin so as to restrain unscrewing rotational movement of the pin out of the main body.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the deformation of the main body is performed in such a manner as to form on the main body a pair of flats suitable for engagement by a spanner.

13. A method as claimed in Claim 12, wherein the deformation of the main body is performed by a tool having a pair of substantially planar opposed jaws arranged to form on the main body said pair of flats.

14. A method of manufacturing an adjustable connector assembly for use on a rigging wire or rod and substantially as hereinbefore described, 'with reference to the accompanying drawings.