Claims
- 1. An electrical grounding connector for interconnecting lengths of a pair of conductive members, comprising:
- an assembly of at least an outer body member including a first base section, and an inner body member including a second base section and being disposed within said outer body member, said first base section defining a first conductor-clamping surface and said second base section opposed therefrom and defining a second conductor-clamping surface, said first and second base sections defining a conductor-receiving region therebetween;
- said assembly including corrosion-penetrating means defined along at least two opposed surface portions adjoining said conductor-receiving region and engageable with surfaces of lengths of each of a pair of conductors disposed within said conductor-receiving region, and said assembly defining a conductive path between said corrosion-penetrating means;
- said outer body member having a pair of first extensions extending from at least proximate opposed lateral edges of said first base section, and said inner body member having a pair of second extensions extending from opposed lateral edges of said second base section, said first extensions diverging at a selected first angle from first joints at said conductor-receiving region, and said second extensions extending along inside surfaces of said first extensions and diverging at a slightly greater selected angle from second joints with said second base section at said conductor-receiving region;
- said first extensions including engagement means proximate free ends thereof firmly engageable during crimping with cooperating engagement means of said second extensions proximate free ends thereof, said cooperating engagement engagement means closer to said second joints than the distance of said means to said first joints,
- whereby when said first extensions are deformed by being rotated toward each other about said first joints, said second extensions therebetween are correspondingly rotated by said first extensions toward each other about said second joints and said cooperating engagement means are engaged by said engagement means and cause said second extensions to urge said second base section of said inner body member toward said first base section pressing said conductor-clamping surfaces against conductors disposed in said conductor-receiving region and urging said corrosion-penetrating means against said conductors and through corrosion on surfaces thereof to establish an electrical interconnection sufficient to define a grounding connection therebetween.
- 2. An electrical grounding connector as set forth in claim 1 further including indicator means for indicating that the assembly has attained a fully crimped configuration.
- 3. An electrical grounding connector as set forth in claim 2 wherein said indicator means is a visual indication which after crimping is adapted to continuously indicate a fully crimped configuration thereafter.
- 4. An electrical grounding connector as set forth in claim 1, wherein said corrosion-penetrating means comprise arrays of closely-spaced small spikes.
- 5. An electrical grounding connector as set forth in claim 4 wherein said arrays of spikes are disposed on conductor-proximate faces of an insert member disposed in said conductor-receiving region between said first and second conductor-clamping surfaces, said arrays of spikes positioned to engage surfaces of respective conductors to be disposed between said conductor-proximate faces and said first and second conductor-clamping surfaces.
- 6. An electrical grounding connector as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first extensions have tab shapes, and said engagement means comprises free ends thereof bent back along said inside surfaces thereof to define slots.
- 7. An electrical grounding connector as set forth in claim 6 wherein said first joints are characterized by notches formed into outer surfaces thereof to facilitate bending of said tab-shaped first extensions thereat.
- 8. An electrical grounding connector as set forth in claim 6 wherein said second extensions have tab shapes, and said cooperating engagement means comprises free ends thereof disposed within said bent-back free ends of said first extensions engageable during crimping with bottoms of said slots.
- 9. An electrical grounding connector as set forth in claim 8 wherein said second joints are characterized by grooves along said lateral edges of said second base section into a conductor-remote surface thereof opposed from said conductor-clamping surface to facilitate bending of said tab-shaped second extensions thereat.
- 10. An electrical grounding connector as set forth in claim 8, wherein said free ends of said second extensions include locating bosses extending slightly beyond said free ends and centrally therealong, and said slots of said bent-back free ends of said first extensions include cooperating apertures therethrough into which said locating bosses extend upon full crimping.
- 11. An electrical grounding connector as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first extensions have tab shapes including bent-back portions extending along and at an angle with respect to inside surfaces of said tab shapes to end edges adapted to engage upon full crimping, and said end edges including locking means to mechanically secure said tab shapes together and assuredly retain said assembly in its fully crimped configuration.
- 12. An electrical grounding connector as set forth in claim 11 wherein said locking means comprises flanges adapted to interlock behind each other in respective associated grooves, and bearing surfaces of said end edges are beveled in a manner to initiate deflection of said bent-back portions for said flanges to ride over each other until entering said associated grooves whereupon said bent-back portions resile and said flanges interlock.
- 13. An electrical grounding connector as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first base section is reinforced.
- 14. An electrical grounding connector as set forth in claim 13 wherein said first base section is thicker than the general thickness of said outer body member.
- 15. An electrical grounding connector as set forth in claim 13 wherein said first base section has transverse strength ribs formed thereinto.
- 16. An electrical grounding connector as set forth in claim 1, wherein said outer body member includes vertical wall sections extending from said first lateral edges of said base section to said first joints thus defining a U-shaped channel, and said assembly further includes an insert member disposed within said U-shaped channel between said first and second conductor-clamping surfaces and includes a base section having first and second conductor-proximate faces opposing said first and second conductor-clamping surfaces forming respective conductor-receiving passageways, and said corrosion-penetrating means are defined on portions of said first and second conductor-proximate surfaces of said insert member, engageable with said surfaces of said lengths of conductors to be disposed within respective said conductor-receiving passageways upon said conductor-clamping surfaces urging said conductors against said surface portions of said insert member.
- 17. An electrical grounding connector as set forth in claim 16, wherein said corrosion-penetrating means comprise arrays of closely-spaced small spikes.
- 18. An electrical grounding connector as set forth in claim 17 wherein said base section of said insert member is planar and said insert member includes an elongate array of said spikes along a median of each conductor-proximate face of said planar base section each engageable with and along a surface of a respective round conductor to be disposed along each conductor-proximate face of said planar base section, whereby said assembly is suitable for groundingly interconnecting a pair of round conductors.
- 19. An electrical grounding connector as set forth in claim 18 wherein said insert member includes along each said conductor-proximate face at least two raised platforms extending from proximate lateral edges of said planar base section on each side of said elongate spike array to outer surface portions including respective arrays of spikes each engageable with and along surfaces adjacent lateral edges of a respective flat conductor disposed along each conductor-proximate face adjacent said outer surface portions of said raised platforms, whereby said assembly is suitable for groundingly interconnecting a pair of conductors irrespective of either conductor being flat or round.
- 20. An electrical grounding connector as set forth in claim 19 wherein said insert member includes four said raised platforms along each said conductor-proximate face in pairs spaced apart along each said lateral edge of said planar base section.
- 21. An electrical grounding connector as set forth in claim 20 wherein said four raised platforms along the one of said conductor-proximate faces facing said first base section of said outer body member include laterally outwardly facing side surfaces shaped and dimensioned to be adjacent to inner surfaces of said first extensions, stabilizing said insert member therebetween during crimping to a round lower conductor.
- 22. An electrical grounding connector as set forth in claim 16 wherein said insert member further includes leg sections coextending from corners thereof along outer edges of said vertical wall sections of said outer body member to feet extending outwardly along edges of said outer extensions, and said feet including latching means adapted to extend along outwardly facing surfaces of said outer extensions after said outer extensions have been deformed to their fully crimped configuration, whereby the latching of said latching means along said outwardly facing surfaces of said outer extensions defines a visual indication of the assembly attaining a fully crimped configuration.
- 23. An electrical grounding connector as set forth in claim 22 wherein said feet include extension-facing surfaces engageable with said edges of said outer extensions during rotation thereof during crimping, and said extension-facing surfaces are angled to facilitate deflection of said leg sections away from said outer extension edges when engaged thereby during crimping, whereafter said leg sections resile to attain latching of said latching means along said outwardly facing surfaces of said outer extensions.
- 24. An electrical grounding connector as set forth in claim 16 wherein said planar base section of said insert member has a width about as large as the width of said U-shaped channel so that lateral edges of said planar base section abut inside surfaces of said vertical wall sections of said outer body member proximate said first joints to support said vertical wall sections during crimping and facilitate rotation of said outer extensions at said first joints.
- 25. An electrical grounding connector as set forth in claim 1 wherein the lengths of a pair of conductors are a length of wire and a length of ground rod and wherein said first base section is rounded and said first extensions extend divergingly therefrom to define a V-shaped channel, said rounded base section having an inner radius about equal to the radius of a respective said wire to be grounded, and said second base section is arcuate upwardly to define a convex clamping surface having a radius about equal to the radius of a respective said ground rod to which said wire is to be grounded.
- 26. An electrical grounding connector as set forth in claim 25 wherein said outer body member includes lances formed at bases of said first extensions to extend upwardly and inwardly, said lances being associated with and opposed from bottom surfaces of said second joints for free ends of said lances to be engageable therewith during crimping for support to assure uniform bending thereof.
- 27. An electrical grounding connector as set forth in claim 25 wherein said assembly further includes an insert member disposed within said V-shaped channel between said first and second conductor-clamping surfaces and includes a base section having first and second conductor-proximate faces opposing said first and second conductor-clamping surfaces forming respective conductor-receiving passageways, and said corrosion-penetrating means are defined on portions of said first and second conductor-proximate faces of said insert member, engageable with said surfaces of said lengths of said grounding rod and wire to be disposed within respective conductor-receiving passageways upon said conductor-clamping surfaces urging said grounding rod and wire against said surface portions of said insert member.
- 28. An electrical grounding connector as set forth in claim 27 wherein said corrosion-penetrating means comprise arrays of closely-spaced small spikes, and said base section of said insert member is planar and said insert member includes an elongate array of said spikes along a median of each conductor-proximate face of said planar base section each engageable with and along a surface of a respective grounding rod and wire to be disposed along respective ones of said conductor-proximate faces of said planar base section, whereby said assembly is suitable for groundingly interconnecting a wire to a grounding rod of larger diameter.
- 29. An electrical grounding connector as set forth in claim 27 wherein said insert member includes ridges depending from lateral sides thereof proximate inside surfaces of said first extensions and engageable therewith upon full crimping, said ridges being shaped to support and position said planar base section in a manner not interfering with rotation of said first extensions during crimping and not engaging said wire along said V-shaped channel, and said insert member further includes projections coextending from ends of said ridges received into corresponding recesses along outer edges of said first extensions of said outer body member for retention of said insert member in position within said outer body member during crimping.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/624,858 filed Dec. 10, 1990.
US Referenced Citations (16)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
731999 |
Feb 1943 |
DE2 |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
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624858 |
Dec 1990 |
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