US2522810A - Insulated electrical clip - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 19, 1950 w. H. BAILEY INSULATED ELECTRICAL CLIP Filed Jan. 28, 1947 IWW Inventor Wyman H. Bailey B) A Home];

Patented Sept. 19 1950 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE INSULATED ELECTRICAL CLIP Wyman H. Bailey, Norfolk, Va.

Application January 28, 1947, Serial No. 724,901

2 Claims. (01. 173-273) This invention relates generallytoelectrical connectors, and more particularly to an insulated electrical connector comprising a pair of spring loaded pivoted jaws, the jaws being insulated, that is, covered by an insulating layer extending completely over each jaw excepting the terminal engaging faces of the jaws and the hinge joint, one of the jaws being provided with novel means forconnecting the same to a conductor in a manner inhibiting a break in the insulative covering of the clip and the end of the conductor.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device of this character in which the connection of one of the jaws to the conductor is designed to be extremely strong and perfectly insulated.

Another object of this invention is to provide a means of connecting the conductor to an electrical clip so that the conductor is conveniently disengageable from the clip.

Another object of-this invention is to provide an electrical connector particularly well adapted for manufacture insmall sizes as well as large sizes, and which is particularly well adapted for use by radio technicians, and for general use where relatively high voltages are encountered in small or compacted apparatus.

Another object of this invention is to provide a means of connecting the conductor to a clip, wherein provision has been made to prevent the actual soldering of the conductor from damaging any portion of the device.

And a last object to be specifically mentioned is to provide a device of this character which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, simple and convenient to use and which is suinciently sturdy to provide for generally efiicient and durable surface.

With these and other objects in view, this invention resides in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which form a material part of this application, and in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the assembled clip and a portion of the conductor to which this clip is applied;

Figure 2 is a central vertical section through the structure shown in Figure l; and

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section, taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Similar characters of reference designate simi-- lar or identical parts and portions throughout the specification and throughout the several views of the drawing.

faces 28 and 32.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the numeral I 0 indicates an electrical conductor to which this invention is to be applied, this conductor being normally an insulated wire as best illustrated in Figure 2, where the wire is represented at I2 and the insulative covering at 14. The bared portion of the wire I2 is inserted into an elongated aperture l6 disposed longitudinally of a plug l8, this aperture being flared, as at 20 to facilitate the entrance of the bared terminal portion of the wire. This flaring has a secondary function since it facilitates the soldering of the wire [2 to the plug I8 without undue spreading of the solder. The other end of the plug I8 is reduced in diameter and threaded as at 22, and it will be noted that the threadedportion 22 is well removed from the flared apertured portion 20, so that the above referred to soldering will not damage the threads.

This plug I8 is designed to be screwed into an interiorly threadedsocket 24 on the end of the jaw 25, which jaw is one of a pair of jaws com prising the terminal engaging portion of this device, the actual terminal engaging faces being serrated and disposed in substantially parallel relation, the terminal engaging face of thejaw 26 being represented at 28, and the terminal engaging face of theother jaw 30 is represented at 32. The actual shaping of theseterminal engaging faces 28 and 32 will Vary in accordance with the use to which the device is to be put, that shown in the drawing being thought practicable for general or universal use. It will be noted that the metallic portion of the jaws is in each case completely covered byinsulation 34 and 36 excepting the actual terminal engaging An apparently minor detail which has been found of great importance in the actual use of this clip is the insulation of thetips 38 and 40, it being found preferable to extend the insulative covering beyond said tips, as shown in Figure 2, so that the tip can be inserted with safety and, without undue care being necessitated, into energized electrical equipment, since the clip is effectually insulated until such time as the jaws are opened. The relatively thin structure of the strap portions of the jaws will be evident from an examination of Figure 3.

Theinsulative material 34 and 36 is extended as at 42 and 44, respectively, to comprise hinge members which are transversely drilled to receive ahinge pin 46. Theextensions 42 will preferably be extended transversely of the clip as at 48, to improve the insulation of the ends of thehinge pin 46, and this hinge pin will nor mally be made fast within themembers 42 by slightly expanding the ends thereof by a punch. Aspring 50 is inserted on thishinge pin 46, one end of the spring engaging each of the jaws, as best illustrated in Figure 2.

It will therefore be seen that the insulative covering 34 adjacent thesocket 24 does not cover the plug 18 and aninsulative sleeve 52, of an external diameter preferably substantially equal to the external diameter of the insulation covering thesocket 24, and an internal diameter feature having been found to greatly increase the useful life of the device.

The operation of this invention will be clearly understood from the foregoing description of the mechanical details thereof but, in recapitulation, it should be noted that this device is adapted for insertion into compacted electrical or electronic equipment, being especially adapted for use as a detachable terminal on the ends of flexible leads in test equipment.

' Many and various minor modifications may be made in the structural detail and proportioning of various parts of this device, all Within the scope and spirit of this invention, and though there has been shown a particular embodiment of this invention, this application is not limited 4 to this particular embodiment, but it is desired to include in the scope of this invention the construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

Number What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An electrical connector including a pair of coacting jaws, said jaws having serrated terminal engaging faces, and insulation coverings on said jaws except on said faces and having a spring loaded hinge joint indirectly hinging said jaws and comprising interfitting flange extensions on said coverings, a hinge pin disposed transversely of and through said extensions, and a spiral spring arranged coaxially on said pin and terminally engaging said coverings, and means to detachably secure a conductor to one of said jaws.

2. An electrical connector including a pair of coacting jaws, said jaws having serrated terminal engaging faces, insulation coverings on said jaws except on said faces and having a, spring loaded hinge joint indirectly hinging said jaws and comprising interfitting flange extensions on said coverings, a hinge pin disposed transversely of and through said extensions, and a spiral spring arranged coaxially on said pin and terminally engaging said coverings, and means to detachably secure a conductor on the end of one jaw and remote from the corresponding serrated terminal engaging face.

WYMAN H. BAILEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Zannoth Jan. 25, 1916 Wentworth Mar. 25, 1919 Niemann May 2 1, 1932 Winkle Aug. 22, 1933 Davis Nov. 13, 1934 Brown Dec. 28, 1937 Buettell May 27, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Dec. 29, 1931 Number

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