Patents Assigned to Etcon Corporation
  • Patent number: 7050571
    Abstract: A telephone distribution center for organizing, labeling, and coupling multiple paired input telephone wires to multiple output telephone wires. Paired input lines can be coupled to respective pairs of punch down terminal strips. Each punch down terminal strip is an electrically conductive terminal strip inserted into a row of insulation displacing punch down connectors. Multiple paired output lines can be coupled to one or more punch down terminal strip pairs thereby coupling one or more paired output lines to the desired input line pair or pairs. A convenient place is provided for labeling the location of the telephone jack to which each paired output wire leads. A wire channel, wire channel hooks, and tie wire loops are provided for organizing paired input and output telephone wires. Mounting holes are also provided for fastening the telephone wire distribution center to a wall or other suitable mounting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: Etcon Corporation
    Inventors: Mark A. Mars, David W. Kirby
  • Patent number: 6069320
    Abstract: A cable splice enclosure made up of: (1) a splice enclosure tube having two compressible ends with annular ledges inside the compressible ends; (2) first and second compressible grommets adapted to be inserted into the compressible ends; and (3) two outer shells adapted to be fastened to said first and second compressible ends of the cable splice enclosure tube. The outer shells have an inclined outer end portion that: (1) holds the compressible grommets in abutted relation to the annular ledges; and (2) compresses the compressible ends, which, in turn, radially compresses the grommets to form a watertight seal around the cables to be spliced. In a different embodiment, which is suitable for enclosing butt-splices, the splice enclosure tube has an open compressible end and a closed end. The open compressible end of the butt-splice enclosure tube uses the same parts and works the same as both ends of the splice tube extender.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2000
    Assignee: Etcon Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph Rocci, David W. Kirby
  • Patent number: 6014810
    Abstract: A portable cutter for cutting materials such as conduit tubing made of metal or other semi-rigid material including a motor, a power source for the motor, a saw blade, gripping mechanism for gripping an object to be cut, mechanism for automatically connecting the power source to the motor for a cutting operation, and mechanism for automatically activating the gripping mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2000
    Assignee: Etcon Corporation
    Inventors: Kent L. Earle, Greg L. Lauriano
  • Patent number: 5760332
    Abstract: An enclosure for protecting cable splices having a pair of outer shells, a pair of inner shells, an extender between the pairs of inner and outer shells, and clips inside the inner shells for resisting forces applied to the spliced cables that would tend to separate the spliced cables. The cables to be spliced are passed through a hole in the outer shell, inner shell, and compressible grommets in the inner shells, and space for the cable splices is provided by the extender tube. As the outer shells are threaded onto the extender tube, a seal is formed around the splice by the compression of the grommets and the joining of the inner ends of the inner shells with the ends of the extender tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Etcon Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph Rocci, David W. Kirby
  • Patent number: 5642052
    Abstract: An electrical test device for testing the function of a receptacle ground fault circuit interrupter. The tester plugs into a receptacle and includes a current source, timer, testing circuit, and display. The current source introduces a substantially constant fault current between the hot and ground leads of the receptacle. Once this occurs, the timer begins counting time and generates a time count signal. The test circuit receives the time count signal and determines whether the interrupter enters a tripped state within a designated time. The testing circuit responsively generates a trip indicator signal reflecting whether or not the ground fault interrupter circuit tripped within the designated trip time. The display means receives the trip indicator signal and responsively indicates whether the interrupter functioned properly by tripping the designated trip time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 24, 1997
    Assignee: Etcon Corporation
    Inventor: Kent L. Earle
  • Patent number: 5617018
    Abstract: An electrical test device for use by an electrician in testing circuits. The device includes a voltage sensor, display, and steady current source. The voltage sensor monitors the type of voltage (AC or DC) between the two conductors, and provides a signal to the display which responsively displays the type of voltage and the voltage level. The power supply has a steady current source that is in series with a tactile transducer, so that the test device may measure a broad range of voltages while only a limited amount of current flows through the voltage sensor. Consequently, lower cost components may be used in the voltage sensor. In another embodiment, the tester also includes a substantially independent continuity tester. The continuity tester includes its own power supply and alarm to indicate the continuity of a conductor and, thus, may operate even if the voltage sensor and display become inoperable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 1, 1997
    Assignee: Etcon Corporation
    Inventor: Kent L. Earle
  • Patent number: 5612616
    Abstract: An electrical test device for use by an electrician in testing circuits. The device includes a voltage sensor, display, and steady current source. The voltage sensor monitors the type of voltage (AC or DC) between the two conductors, and provides a signal to the display which responsively displays the type of voltage and the voltage level. The power supply has a steady current source that is in series with a tactile transducer, so that the test device may measure a broad range of voltages while only a limited amount of current flows through the voltage sensor. Consequently, lower cost components may be used in the voltage sensor. In another embodiment, the tester also includes a substantially independent continuity tester. The continuity tester includes its own power supply and alarm to indicate the continuity of a conductor and, thus, may operate even if the voltage sensor and display become inoperable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1997
    Assignee: Etcon Corporation
    Inventor: Kent L. Earle
  • Patent number: 5502280
    Abstract: A cable splice protector for protecting one or more cable splices located in an inner recess defined by the combination of a first inner shell and a second inner shell, an outer recess for containing the two inner shells including a first outer shell and second outer shell, the cable splice being compressively sealed from the element where the spliced cables pass through apertured grommets associated with the first and second inner shells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1996
    Assignee: Etcon Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph Rocci, David W. Kirby
  • Patent number: 5477133
    Abstract: An electrical test device for use by an electrician in testing circuits. The device includes a voltage sensor, display, voltage transducer and steady current source. The voltage sensor measures the voltage between two conductors and provides a signal to the display, which responsively displays the voltage. The steady current source is in series with the voltage transducer, so that the voltage sensor may respond to a broad range of voltages while only a limited amount of current flows through the voltage transducer. Consequently, lower cost components may be used in the voltage transducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 19, 1995
    Assignee: Etcon Corporation
    Inventor: Kent L. Earle
  • Patent number: 5422564
    Abstract: This invention permits one to trace more than one electrical conductor, each of the electrical conductors being associated with both a circuit breaker and an electrical outlet. The invention consists of a receiver and multiple transmitters. Further, in a single transmitter form of the invention, the invention permits the transmitter to continually transmit its signature signal without power dissipation concerns, just like the ability to continually transmit in the multiple transmitter form of the invention. Lastly, the device is able to trace conductors regardless of the load electrically connected to the conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 6, 1995
    Assignee: Etcon Corporation
    Inventors: Kent L. Earle, Joseph A. Rocci
  • Patent number: 4797604
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining the length of wires includes connector assemblies, a current source circuit, a voltage gain circuit, analog-to-digital converter, a read-only memory, a microprocessor and a display unit. The connector assemblies are connected across the ends of the wire whose length is to be determined. The current source circuit is used to selectively supply different values of currents to the wire whose length is to be determined. The voltage gain circuit is responsive to the different values of currents for selectively generating a plurality of different voltage levels for each of the different values of currents so as to provide an analog voltage signal having a predetermined range. The analog-to-digital converter is responsive to the analog voltage signal for converting the same to a first digital signal corresponding to a resistance of the wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1989
    Assignee: Etcon Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph A. Rocci, John Crosetto, Kent L. Earle, David W. Kirby