Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for installing an oil pan heater on an oil pan while the oil pan is mounted on an engine block. Oil is drained from the engine oil pan. Then the engine oil pan is pierced to provide a pilot hole having pierced ends extending into the engine oil pan. A circular chamfered groove is formed surrounding the pilot hole so as to provide an oil pan thickness at a base of the chamfered groove. A pull is inserted into the oil pan through the pilot hole to engage an internal portion of the oil pan surrounding the pilot hole. The pull extracts a circular slug from the oil pan and a substantially circular hole is formed in the oil pan. An expandable heater bushing is inserted in the substantially circular hole. The heater bushing has an expandable tubular section extending from an enlarged head. The tubular section is crimped and the enlarged head is sealed to the oil pan. Then the heater is attached to the enlarged head.

Abstract: A two-part system for attaching a gauge housing assembly to an armored insulated electrical conductor includes a hollow molded connector. The hollow molded connector is molded around the armored insulated electrical conductor and the gauge housing: A seal is formed between the hollow molded connector and the insulation portion of the insulated electrical conductor. Surrounding the hollow molded connector and the gauge housing assembly is a hollow outer sleeve which is swaged to compressively engage the hollow molded connector in the end of the gauge housing assembly.

Abstract: A clamp that is locked to a body panel by inserting a flexible locking blade portion thereof into an installing hole and utilizing a return of the locking blade portion to an original state thereof when the locking blade portion exceeds the installing hole. The clamp comprises a resinous material having Rockwell hardness at 100 or more and 150 or less and molded by one-piece molding. When the clamp fits on the body panel, a fit-on sound and consciousness of a return of the locking blade portion to the original state are generated. In the clamp, an increase of an insertion force that is generated by increasing a hardness of the clamp is offset by increasing a height of a projection portion with respect to a substrate portion and decreasing an angle of the locking blade portion formed by turning down a front end of the projection portion to decrease a projection amount of the locking blade portion in a lateral direction thereof.

Abstract: A snap in locking cable connector is composed of two mating pieces that snap together and provide a connector for armored or metal clad electrical conducts. One piece includes a die cast member including a smooth outer cylindrical section having an inner diameter that may accommodate a spring steel adaptor with flanges to hold the spring steel adaptor in place. The spring steel adaptor is used in conjunction with an electrical junction box to fix the location of the locking cable connector with respect to the junction box. Another piece includes a spring steel locking ring provided to receive an armored cable and lock into the die cast member. The spring steel locking ring has tangs allowing unidirectional insertion into the die cast member and restricting withdrawal motion from the die cast member. The spring steel locking ring also includes oppositely directed tangs to permit reception of the armored cable in one direction and restrict its movement in the reverse direction.

Abstract: The invention has been contrived to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior grommets and to provide a water-proof grommet, in which insertion load can be reduced further than those of the prior grommets and an entire grommet is not moved axially irrespective of plate thickness of a member being mounted.

Abstract: A sealing device includes a base with a first end and a second open end. A cylindrical inner wall is formed inside the base and communicates the first end to the second open end. First threads are formed on the cylindrical inner wall, and a first through hole is formed in the first end. A cap includes a top, an open bottom, and a cylindrical outer wall. Second threads are formed on the cylindrical outer wall for mating engagement with the first threads. A second through hole is formed in the top. A tapering inner wall is formed inside the cap and communicates the second through hole to the open bottom. A gasket resides adjacent to the first end of the base and within the tapering inner wall of the cap. A third through hole is formed in the gasket and the first, second, and third through holes are aligned to receive a cable, wire or similar cylindrical object. Tightening of the cap into the base results in compression of the gasket, constriction of the third through hole, and thereby sealing of the cable.

Abstract: In the case of a housing seal (3, 3′) for cable through-duct apertures that can be inserted into receptacles (2, 2′) for the cable through-duct apertures, whereby housing seal (3, 3′) has at least two sealing areas (7, 7′or 9, 9′) with different sealing contours and can be inserted into receptacles (2, 2′) in different directions as desired, a low overall height and the use of the housing seal with the same shape for the inlet and outlet apertures of a housing are possible even when asymmetrically profiled cables are used if two sealing areas (7, 7′or 9, 9′) are provided on adjacent sides of housing seal (3, 3′), whereby one side points in the direction of the cable through-duct.

Abstract: A cable sealing device that may be quickly installed and that provides both gripping of a cable and sealing of an opening in an enclosure end cap. The inventive cable sealing device further provides a quick, inexpensive, reliable, and includes gripping and sealing for cable ingress to and egress from an enclosure.

Abstract: A water heater has a cold water inlet bushing which screws into a threaded boss in the side wall of a hot water tank near its bottom. Cold water is injected through a pipe into the inlet bushing. A blind passageway is formed within the inlet bushing which extends radially inwardly from the tank outer wall. An outlet port intersects the blind passageway at 90 degrees, and is positioned tangent to the circular outer wall of the hot water tank at the point the tank is penetrated by the inlet bushing. The inlet bushing creates a jet of water which results in the water within the tank rotating. When turbulent mixing and circulation are created by the inlet water jet, smaller particles of sediment which are placed into suspension can be removed from the hot water tank along with the hot water.

Abstract: A grommet is provided for positively mounting a long member (e.g. a wire harness) in such a manner that the long member is passed through a mounting plate such as a panel of a vehicle body. A grommet for passing and holding a wire harness relative a mounting hole formed through a mounting plate includes a first cylindrical portion for passing the wire harness therethrough, a second cylindrical portion connected to the first cylindrical portion through a connection portion, a groove formed in an outer peripheral surface of the second cylindrical portion, and a flange portion formed on that portion of the outer peripheral surface of the second cylindrical portion lying between the groove and the connection portion. A plurality of guide portions, extending radially from the outer peripheral surface of the first cylindrical portion, are brought into contact with an inner peripheral edge of the mounting hole in such a manner that the second cylindrical portion is disposed coaxially with the mounting hole.

Abstract: The present invention involves a cable clamp for securing an electrical cable within the aperture or “knock-out” of an electrical distribution panel. The cable clamp is a single piece of molded material, with a wedge-shaped head portion, having a hypotenuse side with at least one angled step, a base side with at least one angled step depending inward, a tail side substantially perpendicular to the base side, and a tail portion extending from the tail side away from the hypotenuse side for hand gripping. The clamp is inserted between a cable and an interior wall of the knock-out opening until a right angled step passes thorough the knock-out opening, thereby locking the clamp into position with the cable firmly and securely held between an obtusely angled step of the clamp and an interior wall of the knock-out opening. The number and size of the obtusely angled and right angled steps on the clamp may be varied to accommodate cables and knock-outs of various sizes.

Abstract: A sealing system for sealing environmental elements from passing between at least one cable and a wall, including a hug secured to the wall and having threads. A ring is disposed about the cable and has at least one slit disposed therein for sliding the cable therein to dispose the ring about the cable. A pressure nut compresses the cable therein and has threads for screwingly engaging the threads of the hug, a first half, and a second half releasably coupled to the first half for inserting the cable therein to dispose the first half and the second half about the cable. Further, a mechanism for sealing is disposed about the cable between the ring and the pressure nut. The ring, the mechanism for sealing, and the pressure nut are installed about the cable without interruption of cable transmission service.