US2010453A - Metallic connecter - Google Patents

Description

1935- H. A. DOUGLAS 2,010,453

METALLIC CONNECTER Filed July 30, 1932 Ftij' F32 III.

Patented Aug, 6, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Harry A. Douglas, Bronson, Mich.

Application July 30, 1932, Serial No. 626,632

This invention relates to metallic more particularly for electrical conductors.

Among other objects, the invention aims to provide an integral metallic connecter embodying a receptacle portion and an attaching portion formed from a single blank and readily adaptable for receiving one or a plurality of conductors by a snap action.

Other objects and advantages will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, my improved connecter also provides clamping means whereby it and a fuse clip, for instance, may be secured to an insulating mounting.

The invention will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a cross-section through one form of my improved connecter, being a section taken on the line I-l of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1, parts being shown in elevation;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a blank from which my improved connecter may be formed;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view showing a fuse block with the invention applied thereto, parts being shown in section; a

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a modified form of connecter embodying my invention;

Figure 6 is'a cross-section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5; and

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figures 1 and 6 but showing a further modification.

My improved connecter is desirably formed from a single piece of metal I such as brass or other suitable sheet material which may be stamped out and intermediately bent as shown in Figure 3.-

The intermediate blank shown in Figure 3 may be further shaped as shown in Figure '1.

to have its free ends 2 and 3 overlap each other. One of these overlapping ends, such as the end 3, may have a slot 4 struck out of the material thereof and the other overlapping end, such as the end 2, may have a tongue 5 struck inwardly thereof to be received in the slot 4, thus forming male and female interengaging portions which prevent separation of the ends.

These ends 2 and 3 are, in this instance, shaped to provide a rectangular receptacle portion 6 which receives the flat wire terminal I. The terminal I which is broadly claimed in my copending-application, Serial No. 616,842 filed June 13, 1932 is securely attached to the insulated wire 7 Claims. (01. 173-328) "Q connecters 8 as by having cylindrical'portions 9 and I which receive the end of the wire 8, the cylindrical portion 9 receiving the wire 8 with its insulation and the cylindrical portion l being of reduced diameter and snugly receiving the bared end It of the wire which may be further secured thereto as by soldering.

Where the receptacle portion 6 receives but one wire terminal 1, the sides of the connecter forming the receptacle portion 6 may be in- 10 dented as at l2 to receive the terminal 1 snugly therebetween.

In accordance with my invention the bight of the connecter provides the attaching portion 13 which is desirably cylindrical and hasits hollow 1 interior I 4 communicating with the interior I5. .of the receptacle portion.

but yieldingly retained in the receptacle portion 6, I provide resilient means carried by the con- 3 necter for yieldingly engaging the terminal 1. As shown in Figures 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 such means may comprise a. dome-shaped detent (6, pro-:. jected into the interior I5of the receptacle portion 6 and pressed thereinto by the compression coil spring I! housed in the interior ll of the attaching portion Hi. The terminal I may be 7 provided on its edge adjacent the detent 16 with' r a shoulder l8 over which the detent rides to snap into the recess IS, the edge of the terminal being desirably tapered on each side of the shoulder l8 to provide a cam'surface upon which the detent rides. To-limit movement of the dea tent into the interior l5 when the terminal is removed, I provide interengaging means carried. by the connecter limiting movement of the detent into the receptacle, but permitting movement of the detent against the force of the spring l1. As shown in Figures 1 to 6, inclusive, the detent l8 may be provided with lugs 20 which are 40 received in slots 2| formed in the wall of the connecter and slightly elongated in the direction of movement of the detent toward and away from the receptacle portion 6. One use forthe connecter where it receives but one wire terminal 1 may be in conjunctionj wi th a fuse block comprising the insulating mounting 22 and the metallic fuse clips 23, two of the connecters being mounted on the mounting 22 and desirably clamping thereto the fuse clips 23. To 5 permit my improved connecter to be used also for this purpose as a clamping means, I may form the attaching portion l3 of the connecter with the screw threads 24 upon its exterior to have threaded thereon the clamping nut 25. Since the receptacle portion 6 of the connecter is longer than the diameter of the attaching portion I 3 shoulders 26 are afforded between the receptacle portion 6 and attaching portion l3 which overhangs the attaching portion. The nut '25 and shoulders 26 receive therebetween the margins 2'! of holes 28 in the mounting 22 through which the attaching portion I3 is passed. Ihe mounting 22 is desirably thickerthan the length of the attaching portion [3 and the holes 28 may be counterbored as at 29 to receive the clamping nuts 25 therein. Thus not only are the connecters themselves connected to the mounting 22; but the connecters may serve to clamp thereto the clips 23 as by having the attaching portions M of the connecters pass through suitable apertures in the clips, the margins of which are clamped between the shoulders 26 and the mounting 22. The circuit between the insulated wires 8, one of which is secured to each of the connectors, as shown in Figure 4, may be continued through the conventional fuse 30 carried by the clips 23.

My improved connecter may alsobe advantageously used as a direct connection between the two insulated Wires 8 as shown in Figures and 6. For the latter purpose, the attaching portion ti of the connecter may be secured to any suitable insulating mounting and the indentations it may be omitted'as shown in Figures 5 and 5 so that the receptacle portion 32 may receive two of the terminals i in side by side overlapping relation, the terminals being inserted from opposite sides of the connecter and the dome-shaped detent 33 engaging both of-the terminals l.

As shown in Figure 7, the detent 36 may be of spherical form. Movement of the spherical detent 34 inwardly of the receptacle portion 35 may be limited by tongues 36 struck inwardly of the wall of the connecter upon one side of the diam- 1. A connecter embodying an integral metal blank folded upon itself to form a cylindrical a-ttaching portion and a rectangular receptacle portion, the attaching portion being formed by the bight of the blank and the receptacle portion by the free ends of the blank being spaced apart from each other and adapted to receive a terminal member and the interiors of said portions communicating, the exterior of the bight being screw-threaded and the free ends having interlocking formations to secure the ends together; a detent interposed between the said interiors, said detent having means intereng aging with the connecter to permit limited movement therebetween; and a coil spring housed'in the interior of the attaching portion bottomed on the bight and pressing the detent into the receptacle portion.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the interlocking formations on the free ends of the blank consist of struck out male and female portions interengaging to lock the ends together.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein a shoulder is provided between the receptacle and attaching portions and said shoulder overhangs the attaching portion for engagement with a mounting member.

4. The structure of claim 1 wherein a nut is threadedly received upon the attaching portion, and the receptacle portion provides a shoulder overhanging the attaching portion, whereby the connecter may be clamped to a mounting member received between said 'nut and shoulder.

5. The structure of claim 1 wherein the sides of the connecter are provided with oppositely disposed elongated slots and the detent is'provided with lugs received in said slots to permit limited movement of the detent.

6. The structure of claim 1 wherein the sides of the connecter are oppositely indented to reduce the distance therebetween to snugly receive a terminal member.

7. A connecter embodying an integral metal blank folded upon itself to form a cylindrical attaching portion and a rectangular receptacle portion, the attaching portion being formed by the bight of the blank and the receptacle portion by the free ends of the blank being spaced apart from each other and adapted to receive a terminal member and the interiors of said portions communicating, the exterior of the bight being screwthreaded and the free ends having interlocking formations to secure the ends together, a detent interposed between the said interiors, and a coil spring housed in the interior of the attaching portion bottomed on the bight and pressing the detent into the receptacle portion, said detent bei of spherical formation and the sides of the connecter having inwardly struck tongues spaced apart a distance less than the diameter of the detent to limit movement of the detent.

HARRY A. DOUGLAS.

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