Ground Clamps And Cable Clips Patents (Class 174/40CC)
  • Patent number: 6156969
    Abstract: A transport and storage container for liquids with a pallet-like underframe of an electrically conductive material, an exchangeable inner container of synthetic material with four side walls, a bottom wall and a top wall, a closable inlet opening at the top and a lower outlet opening with a draining device, and an outer casing formed of grating or sheet metal. The transport and storage container for liquids further includes a grounding member of an electrically conductive material, preferably metal, arranged in the passage opening of the discharge device between the discharge valve of the discharge device and the inner container, wherein the grounding member is connected to an electrically conductive connecting element, preferably a screw of metal with a grounding connection to the underframe of the container, wherein the connecting element is introduced from the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Assignee: Protechna S.A.
    Inventor: Udo Schutz
  • Patent number: 6155847
    Abstract: A grounding device is provided for use with an electrical connector such as an antenna connector. The grounding device includes a forked member which may be inserted through a slot into an insulative connector body to (a) pierce the jacket of a coaxial cable positioned within the connector body and (b) thereby engage the ground wire braid of the cable. The forked member may be integral with a conductive connector shell into which the insulative connector body is inserted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Assignee: Osram Sylvania Inc.
    Inventor: John O. Wright
  • Patent number: 6143980
    Abstract: An assembly for clamping and retaining a cable in attached relation to a utility pole. The assembly generally includes a block portion and clamping member pivotally and slidably connected thereto. The block member includes a rear end having a bored hole formed therein, a recessed portion formed in its upwardly facing surface, and a pair of spaced apart tongues vertically spaced from the recessed portion. The clamping member includes a body portion and a pair of spaced apart forks extending downwardly therefrom which are movable between engaged and disengaged relation to the recessed portion. A pivot pin passes through the body of the clamping member and the tongues of the block member. The hole formed through the clamping member's body is oval in shape so as to permit not only pivotal movement thereof with respect to the block member, but also sliding movement. The forks and tongues are shaped so as to receive and clamp a cable thereinbetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2000
    Inventor: Douglas Blanding
  • Patent number: 6137049
    Abstract: An electrical ground connector assembly for providing a fast, secure, moisture-resistant ground connection without using special tools. The electrical ground connector assembly includes a ground rod and a cap having an tapered rod chamber for receiving the ground rod. The cap also includes a slot for receiving a ground wire. The angle of the slot may vary, depending on the diameter of the ground wire. The cap may be cylindrical or rectangular in shape. In installation, the ground wire is inserted into the slot of the cap. The upper end of the ground rod is forced into the rod cavity of the cap by any suitable manner, such as hammering the cap down over the ground rod. As the upper end of the ground rod reaches the end of the rod cavity, a compression contact is made between the wire and said ground rod. Alternatively, the ground rod can first be driven into the ground, and then the ground wire and the cap can be assembled on the ground rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: E & J DeMark, Inc.
    Inventor: John David Hecock
  • Patent number: 6111193
    Abstract: A mast clamp assembly including a strap, a drop wire clamp, and a hook. The ribbon-like strap forms a loop which engages a utility pole or mast. The drop wire clamp includes a clamp for clamping to the drop wire and a loop which engages the hook. The hook includes a back wall and first and second side walls. The loop of the drop wire is received in loop mounting slots in the side walls and engages a protrusion on each side wall. Each side wall also has a strap mounting opening having a triangular-shaped lower portion and a rectangular-shaped upper portion. The hook is mounted on the strap by inserting the strap, bottom edge first, through a slot in the back wall into the lower portion of the strap mounting openings and rotating the hook around the strap such that the upper edge of the strap rotates into the upper portion of the strap mounting opening and the strap engages the hook back wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2000
    Assignee: Electric Motion Company, Inc.
    Inventors: William T. Auclair, John W. Auclair, William J. Balfour
  • Patent number: 6096970
    Abstract: A clamp for an overhead line including a clamp body in which a first gripping groove for gripping the overhead line is formed; a clamp cap in which a second gripping groove for gripping the overhead line is formed and which is pivotably attached to the clamp body via a hinge unit; a fastening unit for fastening the clamp body and clamp cap in a manner enabling free opening and closing so that the overhead line is affixed between the first and second gripping grooves so as to be unable to move in an axial direction at the pivot position of the final fastening state; and an expansion unit for causing the clamp cap to stop at a position where it is forcibly kept open by a predetermined clearance from the clamp body against a fastening force given by the fastening unit so that the clamp body and the clamp cap are not located at the pivot position of the final fastening state and in addition so that a clearance is formed between the first and second gripping grooves and the overhead line and a method for attachmen
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2000
    Assignees: The Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd., Chubu Electric Power Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Katoh, Naoshi Kikuchi, Tomoyuki Watanabe, Takaharu Mitsuhashi, Yoshitake Shibata, Kazuhiro Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6064009
    Abstract: A universal cable clamp for coupling a wide variety of electrical cables to an electrical box is capable of accepting metal or non-metallic sheathed cables. The cable clamp includes upper and lower clamping plates and a front wall having at least one opening for receiving the cable. The upper and lower clamping plates are coupled together by bendable coupling arms. A fastener extends through the upper and lower clamping plates and into the electrical box to deform the bendable coupling arms while the cable is clamped between the upper and lower clamping plates. The opening in the front wall in embodiments is oval-shaped and is dimensioned to allow a non-metallic sheathed cable to pass through, while preventing the metal sheath of a metal sheathed cable from passing through. The clamp provides a grounding connection of the metal cables and conduits. The cable clamp accommodates thick or thin steel and aluminum flex metal conduits, armored cable, metal clad cable and non-metallic cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventors: Robert W. Jorgensen, Thomas E. Lewis, Richard D. Swanson
  • Patent number: 6043433
    Abstract: A clamping mechanism for mounting a circuit conditioning monitoring device to electrical cables of various diameters includes a fixed sleeve and a movable sleeve positioned within the fixed sleeve. Both sleeves include gaps whereby an electrical cable may be pasted therethrough. The inner movable sleeve further includes a clamping means, preferably a tightening screw, whereby after a cable is passed through the gaps, the inner sleeve rotates within the outer sleeve to close the gap and further clamps onto the cable for secure mounting of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: E.O. Schweitzer Manufacturing Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Edmund O. Schweitzer, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6040525
    Abstract: An electrical clip for attaching an electrical conductor to the face of a bar characterized by a U-shaped rigid housing having opposed windows through which a conductor may be inserted, spring legs shaped to embrace and snap around both edges of a bus bar and hold the bus bar securely. The clip also includes a clamp screw and blade to compress a conductor inserted through the windows against the face of the bus bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2000
    Assignee: Erico International Corporation
    Inventors: Jacques Chauquet, Jean Claude Fuchs
  • Patent number: 6011218
    Abstract: A U-shaped universal ground assembly with oversheath protection for use in grounding a cable, the grounding clip having a ground `block` including a framework with a generally open end and a spaced closed end. The framework includes a pair of bifurcated leg members extending from the open end of the framework toward the closed end thereof. An arcuate toothed portion is formed as a lower grip member at the closed end of the framework, and an opposed upper grip member, slidably positioned on the framework, is adapted to be moved toward the closed end of the framework. The grounding block also includes a wire retainer pivotally and slidably supported on the open end of the framework and adapted to be moved into a generally closed position across the open end of the framework. At least one ground wire opening is defined in the framework, and at least one ground wire opening is defined in the wire retainer in substantial registry therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Denis E. Burek, Marc D. Jones, William H. Small
  • Patent number: 6005195
    Abstract: Shelves for removably receiving circuit board packages including telecommunications equipment are made according to existing design standards thus allowing interchangeability of various shelves among various housing structures, e.g., electrical equipment cabinets. Components of such shelves, consistent with the design standards, but providing certain improvements include two kinds of clips for rigidly but removably securing various cables to the shelves; a recessed handle for a cover plate of the shelves; and two types of brackets for improved and interchangeable mounting of various shelves in various supporting frame assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1999
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Lit-Yan Kam
  • Patent number: 5949020
    Abstract: A clip (100) for securing a cable (202) and shield (216) to a surface (209) of a printed wiring board (208) includes a retainer (102) and a shield clip (112). The retainer includes a first side wall (104) and a second side wall (106) joined by a base (105). The side walls and base define a channel (108) sized to retain the cable. The shield clip extends from the retainer and is spaced from the retainer to retain a wall of the shield between the retainer and the shield clip. The retainer further includes a flange (110) for mounting to the surface of the printed wiring board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1999
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Jay R. Mitchell, Matthew R. Michieli
  • Patent number: 5936197
    Abstract: A clamp for an overhead line including a clamp body in which a first gripping groove for gripping the overhead line is formed; a clamp cap in which a second gripping groove for gripping the overhead line is formed and which is pivotably attached to the clamp body via a hinge unit; a fastening unit for fastening the clamp body and clamp cap in a manner enabling free opening and closing so that the overhead line is affixed between the first and second gripping grooves so as to be unable to move in an axial direction at the pivot position of the final fastening state; and an expansion unit for causing the clamp cap to stop at a position where it is forcibly kept open by a predetermined clearance from the clamp body against a fastening force given by the fastening unit so that the clamp body and the clamp cap are not located at the pivot position of the final fastening state and in addition so that a clearance is formed between the first and second gripping grooves and the overhead line and a method for attachmen
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1999
    Assignees: The Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd., Chubu Electric Power Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Katoh, Naoshi Kikuchi, Tomoyuki Watanabe, Takaharu Mitsuhashi, Yoshitake Shibata, Kazuhiro Nakamura
  • Patent number: 5890684
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for securing a stranded cable to an object involves passing a first end portion of the cable through an opening defined by a wall of the member, by moving the first end portion in a direction toward the connector member. A spreader member formed of a material operable to plastically deform, is placed between strands of the cable to spread apart at least some of the strands of the cable and the cable end portion and the spreader member are forced into the opening until the spreader member and at least some of the cable strands are plastically deformed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 6, 1999
    Inventors: Troy Duncan Stewart, Anton Opsetmoen
  • Patent number: 5869785
    Abstract: Wire clamp including a pair of clamping members for clamping a wire therebetween, one of the clamping members is provided with a plurality of teeth for engaging the wire, and the clamping members are provided with cooperative sliding engaging members which, upon the clamping members being forced into sliding engagement, move the plurality of teeth toward and parallel to the wire to cause the teeth to engage the wire in parallel gripping action and clamp the wire between the clamping members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1999
    Assignee: Antec Corporation
    Inventors: Ronald D. Bechamps, William N. Pesola
  • Patent number: 5864090
    Abstract: A grounding device is provided for use with a coaxial cable. The grounding device includes a forked member which includes a channel into which a coaxial cable may be inserted to pierce the jacket of the coaxial cable so that the forked member engages the ground wire of the coaxial cable. A gate attached to the fork and bendable relative to the fork member is then bent at a fold line so that the gate closes the channel to sandwich the pierced coaxial cable between the gate member and the forked member. A method of using the grounding device is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1999
    Assignee: Osram Sylvania Inc.
    Inventor: John O. Wright
  • Patent number: 5850056
    Abstract: A grounding kit for a transmission line cable having a portion of its outer jacket removed to reveal an exposed section of its conductor is set forth. The grounding kit includes a clip, a bail and a housing. The clip has a fulcrum portion and means for connecting the clip to a ground wire. The clip encompasses a part of the exposed section of the conductor. The bail includes a mounting element pivotably mounted on the fulcrum portion of the clip to permit rotation of the bail between an open position and a closed position. The handle contacts the clip and forces the clip into clamping engagement with the exposed section of the conductor in response to the bail being rotated to the closed position. The hollow housing has an opening at both ends and an exit port. The housing encompasses and seals the clip, the bail and the exposed conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1998
    Assignee: Andrew Corporation
    Inventor: Frank A. Harwath
  • Patent number: 5814763
    Abstract: A clamp for securing a protection hose to an electrical connector is formed as a cuff with a longitudinal gap. The cuff has an inherent bias which normally tends to close the gap. The cuff is provided with tool insertion elements for widening the gap to insert the protection hose into the cuff. When a tool is released the inherent bias generates force components so directed that the cuff will clamp the hose between the connector and the cuff. The tool insertion elements may also be used for electrically grounding the cuff made of electrically conducting material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1998
    Assignee: Daimler-Benz Aerospace Airbus GmbH
    Inventor: Safa Kirma
  • Patent number: 5789700
    Abstract: A grounding device for positively grounding a broken electrical conductor has a primary body having a mounting post extending therefrom. A bracket is fixed to the pole carrying the conductor, and a clamp connects the mounting post to the bracket. To raise the grounding device, an extension bracket is fixed to the bracket, and the grounding device is clamped to the extension bracket. A secondary body is rotatable with respect to the primary body. A spring-urged tongue carried by the primary body is held in place by hooks on the secondary body; so, when the secondary body is rotated, the hooks are moved, and the tongue is projected from the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Inventors: J. Ronald Young, Dorothy J. Young
  • Patent number: 5747731
    Abstract: A device for use with one or more similarly constructed devices for spacing a utility wire from a supporting cable. The device has a top portion defining a U-shaped configuration including of opposite sides and of a bottom wall adapted to receive thereon the utility wire. The bottom portion has opposite side walls and a bottom wall adapted to receive thereagainst the supporting cable. The opposite sides of the top portion are spaced from another a distance so as to allow nesting therein of the bottom portion of a superposed similarly constructed device. A series of these devices may be nested together so that the spacing of the utility wire from its supporting cable may be varied in accordance with particular requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1998
    Assignee: IPL, Inc.
    Inventor: Gaston LaCasse
  • Patent number: 5739474
    Abstract: An all weather cable clip assembly (1) having a cable body (2) and a nail or similar fastener (3), is used to secure a coaxial type cable (4) against a mounting surface (16). The cable clip body (2), made of a material that can undergo extreme weather conditions, has an upper surface (4), a lower surface (5), a front surface (6), a back surface (7), a first end surface (8), a second end surface (9), a cable engaging surface (10) and a cable opening (15). The nail is forced into a hole (17) in the body that extends from the upper surface towards the lower surface. In the preferred embodiment the hole has a longitudinal portion that has an upper transverse dimension (18) and a longitudinal portion that has a lower transverse dimension (19), where the transverse dimension of the nail is less than the lower transverse dimension of the hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1998
    Assignee: Edward J. Bradley
    Inventor: Edward J. Bradley
  • Patent number: 5674023
    Abstract: A clip rigidly joins two parts, one part abutting the other. A first part has a hole spaced from the surface of the second part. The clip has two spaced plates connected by a spine. One plate has a hooked or notched tongue which engages the hole. The other plate seats on the second part and both plates have edges abutting the first part. Apertures in the plates accept a screw, rivet or other fastener which holds the clip to the second part and pulls the two parts together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 7, 1997
    Assignee: Delco Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: David Ray Williams
  • Patent number: 5402315
    Abstract: An assembly module for a printed circuit board for the connection of screened conductors includes a metallic grounding plate comprising multiple modules. Each module includes a mechanism for fixedly connecting the module to a printed circuit board and at least one spring clamp conductively supported on the module. The clamp has an approximately shell-shaped conductor accommodating area for detachably enclosing at least one screened conductor. The plate further includes one rated breakage point between each two adjacent modules so that adjacent modules may be separated from one another by breaking the plate at the rated breakage point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1995
    Assignee: Reichle+De-Massari AG
    Inventor: Hans Reichle
  • Patent number: 5336846
    Abstract: A cable clamp for holding a cable suspended from a support comprises a shell member having a mouth opening for the passage of the cable and first and second elongated inner abutment surfaces against which first and second portions of the cable received through the mouth opening are adapted to bear. The shell member also has a planar wall and a side opening defined by elongated walls which extend transversely to the planar base wall. A movable wedge is attached to the planar base wall for limited guided movement and retention within the shell member. The wedge is attached to the shell member by a tongue, which projects outwardly from the base wall and into a guide slot formed in a side wall of the wedge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1994
    Inventor: Isaac Sachs
  • Patent number: 5315489
    Abstract: A telecommunications closure (1) includes a pressure clamp (21) for sealingly clamping mating parts (47, 48) of the closure together so as to form a water tight seal. The clamp member requires no tools during installation and creates no uncertainty as to the generation of appropriate clamp pressure on a sealing O-ring when installed. The pressure clamp includes an over-center latch which is rotatable between a first unlatched position and a second latched position, a clamping pressure generated by the latch increasing to a maximum value as the rotatable latch is moved from its first position to an intermediate position between the first and second positions and then decreases from this maximum value as the latch is moved from the intermediate position to the second position so as to generate a predetermined appropriate clamping pressure when in its second position so as to appropriately compress the O-ring disposed within a groove between the closure parts at their mating area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1994
    Assignee: Raynet Corporation
    Inventors: Mark McCall, Donald Del Fava, Thomas Wong, Lowell I. Koht
  • Patent number: 5228653
    Abstract: Tension clamp of the type including a sheath provided with an anchoring element and a tapered cavity inclined at a slight angle. In the cavity is a slidably mounted, transversely movable core including a single jaw having an abutting face against the cable. A part of the cavity of the sheath serves as a cradle for the cable and has a substantially semicylindrical cross-section with a radius matching that of the cable. A shell is provided between the part of the cavity of the sheath serving as a cradle for the cable and the cable. The shell is connected axially to the single jaw so as to follow its lengthwise movements, namely those parallel to the cable, but which is displaceable perpendicular to the lengthwise movements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1993
    Assignee: Malico
    Inventor: Jean-Claude Libert
  • Patent number: 5226620
    Abstract: Tension clamp having a sheath provided with a tapered cavity inclined at a slight angle, opened by a lengthwise slit in which is slidably mounted a transversely movable core having a single jaw. An abutting face of the jaw facing a cable is equipped with a bar having a serration in a free face. A bearing face of the single jaw abutting a tapered bearing part of the cavity and the tapered bearing part have matching semicylindrical cross-sections and a common lengthwise axis. The tip of each serration is sloped such that its point of contact with the cable is offset toward a bottom of the cavity opposite lengthwise slit, relative to a diametral plane which contains the axis of the bearing face of the jaw and the axis of the cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1993
    Assignee: Malico
    Inventor: Jean-Claude Libert
  • Patent number: 4281238
    Abstract: A tubular jacket heater having a C-wise radial cross section with an aperture extending in a parallel direction to the axis is proposed which is used to envelop and preheat a tubular lamp used, for example, in a electrophotographic copying machine. The heater is composed of an inner layer made of an electrically insulating rubbery elastomer, an outer layer also made of an electrically insulating rubbery elastomer and a flexible heater element sandwiched by and entending between the inner and the outer insulating layers. The rubbery elastomer recommended is a silicone rubber with a specified hardness.Different from conventional similar tubular jacket heaters in which the insulating layers are made of a rather rigid plastic resin such as a polycarbonate resin, the inventive heater has an excellent adaptability to the outer surface of the tubular lamp inserted therein so that a greatly improved efficiency of the heater is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1979
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1981
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Polymer Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideyuki Noma, Takaaki Nakano
  • Patent number: 4189807
    Abstract: A clamp includes a cushion and a strap each made from a resilient material. The cushion has a body portion and a pair of lip portions extending toward each other in spaced relationship to the body portion to define a pocket. The strap is disposed in the pocket and is bendable in a loop to retain a cable within the cushion.A pair of projections extend from the body portion at the side opposite to the lip portions. The projections are shaped to retain cables of different cross-sectional area in the space between the projections when the strap is bent in the loop. The projections define resilient springs which bend outwardly from each other to accommodate cables of different cross-sectional area.Each of the projections has a pyramidal shape and defines a shallower angle with the body portion at the inboard side than at the outboard side. The width of each projection is approximately equal to the height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1978
    Date of Patent: February 26, 1980
    Assignee: Viking Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert M. Byerly
  • Patent number: 4010348
    Abstract: A bracket means for supporting at least one heater rod disposed within an open - front housing of an electric radiant heater assembly comprises at least one bracket having an elongate, generally flat, planar brace portion having clip means at opposite ends for removable engagement with the housing. At least one integral support arm located intermediate the ends of the brace portion and disposed normal thereto is provided with an arcuate surface which serves as a seat for the heater rod. The bracket is insertable into the housing through the open front and rotatable to bring the arcuate portion into supporting engagement with the rod and the clips into engagement with the housing. The brace portion is made of a nickel - chrome alloy having spring like characteristics at elevated temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1974
    Date of Patent: March 1, 1977
    Assignee: Electro-Therm, Inc.
    Inventor: Fred G. Salinger