US3899238A - Cable lock connector - Google Patents

Abstract

A cable lock connector for cables having circle sector crosssection is provided. The cable lock connector has a lug which may be rotated with respect to the cable connector sleeve. The lug is in the form of an angular piece, one leg being provided with a hole for a screw. The sleeve is plane at the end facing the said lug leg and has a thread bore in this end for receiving the screw.

Description

United States Patent [191 Vinje CABLE LOCK CONNECTOR [76] Inventor: Gunnar Vinje, Vilbergveien 2, Oslo,

Norway [22] Filed: Apr. 4, 1974 21 Appl. No.: 457,845

[52] U.S. Cl. 339/245; 339/276 T [51] Int. Cl. ..H01R 11/08 [58] Field of Search 339/100, 245, 253, 257, 339/275, 276, 277; 403/299, 307, 343; 85/32 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Schwarzmann 339/100 5] Aug. 12, 1975 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 516,672 12/1920 France 339/277 C Primary ExaminerJoseph H. McGIynn Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Morris Liss [57] ABSTRACT A cable lock connector for cables having circle sector cross-section is provided. The cable lock connector has a lug which may be rotated with respect to the cable connector sleeve. The lug is in the form of an angular piece, one leg being provided with a hole for a screw. The sleeve is plane at the end facing the said lug leg and has a thread bore in this end for receiving the screw.

3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTED AUG 1 21975 FIG. 3

FIG. 2

FIG. 4

CABLE LOCK CONNECTOR The invention relates to. an improvement in a cable lock connector for cables of the type having a circle sector cross-section and with a cable connector lug which can be rotated with respect to the cable connector sleeve. Cables of this type are more and more widely used. Such cables have the advantage, for example, that three cables can be grouped to a circular cable thus using the circular cross-section in full. Cable connectors for cables of circle sector cross-section have, in the receiving area, the same cross-sectional shape as the cables which entails the disadvantage that the cable is frequently twisted when it is to be secured, for example, to a busbar. Such twisting can destroy the insulation of the cable.

The object of the invention is to eliminate this disadvantage, that is to say that necessary fitting adjustments at the place of securement of the cable connector can be carried out without twisting the actual cable.

From U.S. Pat. No. 1,438,454, for example, a cable connector is known having a securing lug which may be rotated to various positions. Repositioning is limited, however, due to the actual construction of the known cable connector where the securing lug is provided with a conical bore adapted to fit a conical portion surrounding the cable. After the securing lug has been disposed in a desired position it is possible later to adjust this position, however, it is then necessary first to loosen a securing screw and to hammer loose the two parts as, due to the conical cooperation, they are wedged firmly together when the screw is tightened. Only after the parts have been hammered loose in this manner is it possible to undertake any adjustment of position. One disadvantage is that it is easy to lose ones grip on the cable when releasing the conical locking construction.

From U.S. Pat. No. 2,463,144, a cable connector is known where the cable connector is provided with a securing lug having a flange with a securing hole. The said flange is not in itself adjustable, however, since it is not possible immediately to rotate the flange. The flange is disposed on an end piece which serves as locking piece in the cable connector and, if the said end piece is rotated, the cable connection is released.

In accordance with both said examples of the prior art, however, is the fact that there is no need to twist the securing lug, since the said known cable connectors are envisaged utilized in connection with conventional circular cables only.

In accordance with the invention, an improvement is provided in a cable connector of the type having the cross-section in the form of a circle sector and with a cable connector lug which may be rotated with respect to the cable connector sleeve and, according to the invention, the improvement is characterized in that the cable connector lug is formed as an angular piece, one leg of which is provided with a hole for receiving a screw and in that the cable connector sleeve is plane at the end thereof facing away from the end of the cable in order to cooperate with the said leg of the annular piece and is provided in the said end with a thread bore adapted for receiving the screw.

In this manner, a simple and inexpensive construction of a cable connector is provided adapted for a cable having a cross-section in the form of a sector. By loosening the screw, it is possible, without risk of loosening the cable connector, to rotate the angular piece to the desired degree and thereafter to secure the angular piece in the position desired by tightening the screw.

Advantageously, the cable connector sleeve at the said end may be formed with plane surface adapted for cooperation with a key for tightening the screw.

The invention is further described hereinbelow with reference to the drawings which illustrate two embodiment examples of the invention.

On the drawings,

. FIG. 1 illustrates a cable connector, viewed from the side, I i 1 FIG. 2 is a sectional view along line II-II,

FIG. 3 is an end view indicated by IIIIII in FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a modified embodiment of the cable connector viewed from the side, and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view along the line VV in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a cable connector in accordance with the invention.

The cable connector in FIG. 1 is assembled from acable connector sleeve 1 and anangular piece 2 which forms the securing lug of the cable connector. Thesecuring lug 2 has a securing hole 3 and, in its other leg, ahole 4 is provided for free passage of ascrew 5 which, with its head, bears against the angular piece, as illustrated in FIG. 1.

Thecable connector sleeve 1 is formed such that, in cross-section, it constitutes the sector of a circle, as will be apparent from FIGS. 2 and 3 and, in one end thereof it is provided with athread bore 6 for receiving thescrew 5. The end of thecable connector sleeve 1 which faces toward thesecuring lug 2 is plane, such that the securing lug has good surface contact with the sleeve when thescrew 5 is tightened.

Instead of being circle sector-shaped in cross-section over its entire length, the cable connector sleeve can optionally have circular cross-section at the area of thethread bore 6, with a uniform transition to a circle sector cross-section in the receiving portion of the cable connector sleeve.

FIG. 6 illustrates, as previously stated, a perspective view of a cable connector where the cable connector sleeve is ofcircular cross-section 15 at the end where the securing lug which is in the form of anangular piece 16 is mounted, with uniform transition to thesectorshaped cross-section 14 in the receiving area of the cable connector sleeve for the cable, not shown.

In FIG. 4, the cable connector sleeve of FIG. 1 is modified in that, in the area of the end whereon thesecuring lug 7 is disposed,plane surfaces 8, 9 are provided on thecable connector sleeve 10. Otherwise, the embodiment is as illustrated in FIG. 1, i.e. the remainder of thecable connector sleeve 10 has the crosssection of a circle sector. This embodiment has the advantage that plane surfaces are provided for cooperation with a wrench, for example, an open end wrench, such that the cable connector sleeve can be retained during tightening of thescrew 11. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, for retaining the cable connector sleeve, a pair of pliers, for example, conventional plumbers pliers are necessary.

The cable connector sleeve 1 or 10, respectively, is secured to the cable, not shown, the cable having the cross-section of a circle sector adapted to the circle sector cross-section within the cable connector sleeve, signified by 12 in FIG. 1 and by 13 in FIG. 4, in that the cable is inserted into the cable connector sleeve whereafter, with a suitable tool, the cable connector sleeve is clamped around the end of the cable. By releasing thescrew 5 or 11, respectively, it is possible to rotate thesecuring lug 2 or 7, respectively, of the cable connector with respect to thecable connector sleeve 1 or 10, respectively, and to obtain the desired relative position of the two members.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A cable connector comprising:

an elongated sleeve having a sector-shaped cross section for receiving a cable in a first end of the sleeve;

an angular lug having a first leg rotatably mounted to a second end of the sleeve, a second leg of the lug having means formed therein for securing the lug to a stationary support; and

fastener means disposed between the sleeve and the first leg of the lug for permitting preselected angular displacement of the lug with respect to the sleeve as well as subsequent securement therebetween.

2. The subject matter as set forth inclaim 1 wherein a second end portion of the sleeve has plane surfaces formed thereon for effecting engagement with a wrench which facilitates securement by the fastener means.

3. The subject matter as set forth inclaim 1 wherein the elongated sleeve has its first end portion characterized by a sector-shaped cross section, a second end portion of the sleeve having a uniform transition from the sector-shaped cross section to a circular cross section.

Claims (3)

1. A cable connector comprising: an elongated sleeve having a sector-shaped cross section for receiving a cable in a first end of the sleeve; an angular lug having a first leg rotatably mounted to a second end of the sleeve, a second leg of the lug having means formed therein for securing the lug to a stationary support; and fastener means disposed between the sleeve and the first leg of the lug for permitting preselected angular displacement of the lug with respect to the sleeve as well as subsequent securement therebetween.

2. The subject matter as set forth in claim 1 wherein a second end portion of the sleeve has plane surfaces formed thereon for effecting engagement with a wrench which facilitates securement by the fastener means.

3. The subject matter as set forth in claim 1 wherein the elongated sleeve has its first end portion characterized by a sector-shaped cross section, a second end portion of the sleeve having a uniform transition from the sector-shaped cross section to a circular cross section.

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