Patents by Inventor Richard Chadbourne

Richard Chadbourne has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6309261
    Abstract: An electrical wedge connector comprising a shell, and a wedge section. The wedge section is sized and shaped to be inserted into the shell for connecting two conductors to each other. The wedge section is laminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2001
    Assignee: FCI USA, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard Chadbourne
  • Patent number: 6224433
    Abstract: An electrical connector for connecting first and second conductive crossing bars together comprising a first elongated enclosure for at least partially enclosing the first bar; and a second elongated enclosure intersecting said first elongated enclosure for at least partially enclosing the second bar. The first and second enclosures are comprised of a single sheet metal member. The first elongated enclosure may be crimped on the first bar and the second elongated enclosure may be separately crimped on the second bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: FCI USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Chadbourne, Neil S Dunn
  • Patent number: 6099344
    Abstract: An electrical connector comprising a housing part, a cap part, and a clamp screw. The housing part has a conductor receiving channel formed therein. The cap part is removably connected to the housing part. The clamp screw is threadably mounted to the cap part to clamp a first conduct or located in the conductor receiving channel of the housing part to the housing. The clamp screw has means for connecting a second conductor to an insulated portion of the first conductor. The connecting means comprise the clamp screw having a contact surface disposed to capture a terminal of the second conductor between the contact surface and the first conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2000
    Assignee: Framatome Connectors USA, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard Chadbourne
  • Patent number: 6093065
    Abstract: An electrical wedge connector with a sleeve and a wedge. The sleeve has two locking tabs to lock the wedge in the sleeve. The locking tabs extend into a wedge receiving area of the sleeve generally toward each other and have general cantilevered shapes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2000
    Assignee: Framatome Connectors USA, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard Chadbourne
  • Patent number: 6047464
    Abstract: A removal tool is operable for separating components of an assembled electrical connector used for connecting electrical conductors together. The electrical connector includes a tapered connector sleeve having a general "C" cross section with a slot defining a stop ledge and a wedge having a latching ledge which engages the stop ledge when inserted into the slot preventing removal of the wedge. The removal tool with a first block member includes outwardly projecting ears for selective insertion into the slot for engagement with the stop ledge. A second block member includes outwardly projecting slide pins. The first block member is slidably received on the slide pins for movement toward and away from the second block member, a removal blade on the second block member having a tapered nose member projecting toward the first block member and an integral shoulder on the second block member facing the first block member and spaced from the removal blade in a direction away from the first block member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2000
    Assignee: Framatome Connectors USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Chadbourne, Raymond G. Lavoie
  • Patent number: 5944565
    Abstract: An electrical wedge connector having a shell and two wedges. The shell has two cross-sectional hook shaped sections orientated generally reverse to each other, but angled relative to each other at an acute angle. One of the wedges has insulation piercers and flaps over conductor contacting surfaces. The other wedge can be trimmed to length and has locking notches to longitudinally lock its relative position with the shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Assignee: Framatome Connectors USA Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Chadbourne, William J Lasko, Armand T Montminy
  • Patent number: 5944564
    Abstract: An electrical wedge connector having a shell and a wedge. The wedge has a main body and flaps extending from the main body. Conductor receiving areas are formed between the flaps and the main body. The main body also has insulation piercers for piercing through electrical insulation on the conductors in the receiving areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Assignee: Framatome Connectors USA Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Chadbourne, William J Lasko, Armand T Montminy
  • Patent number: 5916001
    Abstract: A wedge connector with a shell and a wedge. The shell has insulation piercing sections to pierce through insulation of electrical conductor cables. The wedge has a frame and piercing supports movably attached to the frame. The piercing supports pierce through insulation of the cables such that conductors in the cables are directly contacted by both the shell and the wedge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Framatome Connectors USA, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard Chadbourne
  • Patent number: 5911604
    Abstract: An electrical wedge connector having a shell, a wedge assembly, seals and cushions. The wedge assembly has a dielectric frame and electrically conductive bars. The seals are mounted around the outer ends of the bars. The cushions are positioned between the conductors and the shell. When the wedge connector connects the two conductors the bars electrically connect the conductors in a sealed electrical connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1999
    Assignee: Framatome Connectors USA Inc.
    Inventor: Richard Chadbourne
  • Patent number: 5898131
    Abstract: An electrical connector with a first U-shaped section and a second section. The first and second sections each have a conductor receiving channel. The channels have center axes that extend along parallel planes, but are angled relative to each other. One embodiment has the second section with a U-shape orientated generally reverse to the first section and sharing a common bottom. A set of compression dies are provided to allow the first and second sections to be compressed onto respective conductors at the same time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1999
    Assignee: Framatome Connectors USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Chadbourne, Daniel David Dobrinski, William J. Lasko, Gary E. Schrader
  • Patent number: 5868588
    Abstract: An electrical wedge connector with a sleeve and a one-piece wedge. The wedge has a rearward extension extending at one lateral side. When the wedge is fully inserted into the sleeve, the rear end of the wedge is substantially located inside the sleeve. However, the rearward extension extends past the rear end of the sleeve to provide a grasping surface. The rearward extension is preferably collapsible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1999
    Assignee: Framatome Connectors USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Chadbourne, Armand T. Montminy
  • Patent number: 5862589
    Abstract: An electrical wedge connector having a C-shaped sleeve and a one-piece wedge. The wedge has a generally tubular wedge shape with a hollow interior, a constant wall thickness, and two conductor contacting surfaces for sandwiching conductors against an interior side of the sleeve. The wedge can be formed by deep drawing or tube forming.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1999
    Assignee: Framatome Connectors USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Chadbourne, William J. Lasko, Armand T. Montminy
  • Patent number: 5830019
    Abstract: An electrical wedge connector having a C-shaped sleeve and a one-piece wedge. The wedge has a generally tubular wedge shape with a hollow interior, a constant wall thickness, and two conductor contacting surfaces for sandwiching conductors against an interior side of the sleeve. The wedge can be formed by deep drawing or tube forming.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Assignee: Burndy Corporation
    Inventors: Richard Chadbourne, William J. Lasko, Armand T. Montminy
  • Patent number: 5820422
    Abstract: A one-piece electrical wedge connector cover having a base section and two flap sections hinged to the base section. The base section has tow posts. A first one of the flap sections has two snap-lock latches. A second one of the flap sections has two holes. The latches pass through the holes and attach to the posts. The posts prevent an electrical wedge connector from being pulled out of the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Assignee: Framatome Connectors USA Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Chadbourne, Armand T. Montminy
  • Patent number: 5816865
    Abstract: An electrical connector with a wedge and a shell. The shell has a general "C" shaped cross-section. Opposite ends of the shell have outwardly flared shapes. Burrs are provided at junctions of the outwardly flared shapes with the rest of the shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1998
    Assignee: Framatome Connectors USA Inc.
    Inventor: Richard Chadbourne
  • Patent number: 5794334
    Abstract: A wedge connector with a shell and a wedge. The shell has a general "C" shape and is suitably sized and shaped to receive the wedge and a conductor in a receiving area. The conductor is sandwiched between the wedge and the shell. A curved wall of the shell has a hole with an edge of the wall at the hole projecting inwardly into the receiving area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1998
    Assignee: Framatome Connectors USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Chadbourne, William J. Lasko
  • Patent number: 5774987
    Abstract: An electrical connector with a C-shaped sleeve and a one-piece wedge. The wedge has two opposite ends adapted to sandwich conductors against the sleeve and a center section. The center section has outwardly laterally bowed sections. The bowed sections are sequentially oppositely outwardly bowed along the length of the wedge. The wedge is preferably formed from an extruded or formed I-beam shaped member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1998
    Assignee: Burndy Corporation
    Inventors: Richard Chadbourne, William J. Lasko
  • Patent number: 5759072
    Abstract: A conductor is formed from a single unitary sheet of metal and is bent so as to form a body portion and two overlapped flange sections. The flange section which is immediately adjacent the contact surface to which the conductor is connected may include at least one surface scratching projection which extends outwardly beyond the undersurface of that flange section to scratch and make electrical contact with the contact surface to permit electric flow between the conductor and the contact surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Framatome Connectors USA Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Chadbourne, Keith Mello, Gennaro L. Pecora
  • Patent number: 5679030
    Abstract: An electrical connector for grounding an electrical conductor. The connector has a base, a U-shaped fastener and a nut. The base is a one-piece metal member with a threaded stud, an elongate seat along one exterior side, and a hole through the base located between the seat and the stud. The U-shaped fastener has a first leg that extends through the hole, a second leg that extends along an exterior side of the base, and a head located opposite the seat on the base. The nut is attached to the legs of the U-shaped fastener on a side of the base opposite from the side of the base facing the head of the U-shaped fastener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignee: Framatome Connectors USA Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Chadbourne, Armand T. Montminy
  • Patent number: 5679031
    Abstract: A wedge connector with a shell and a wedge. The shell has a general "C" shape and is suitably sized and shaped to receive the wedge and a conductor in a receiving area. The conductor is sandwiched between the wedge and the shell. A curved wall of the shell has a hole with an edge of the wall at the hole projecting inwardly into the receiving area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignee: Framatome Connectors USA Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Chadbourne, William J. Lasko