US2136547A - Electrical conductor outlet - Google Patents

Description

NOV. 15, 1938. GQRT ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR OUTLET Filed May 3, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR rf YTW ATTORNEY Nov. 15, 1938. G R 2,136,547

ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR OUTLET FiledMay 3, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR BY l ATTORN EY Nov. 15, 1938. G. GORT 2,136,547

ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR OUTLET Filed May 3, 1958 I: Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 15, 1938 PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR OUTLET Godfrey Gort, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Western Railroad Supply Company, Chicago, Ill.

Application May 3, 1938, Serial No. 205,669

7 Claims.

This invention relates to an electrical cable outlet generally referred to as a bootleg, a term applied to structures for bringing out a parkway cable such as used with railway signal track circuits. Sometimes this cable is carried in wood conduits commonly called trunking, and in other cases, in metal conduits having outlet risers at the places where it is desired to make connection with the conductor or cable.

It is the principal object of my present invention to simplify the construction and cost of such outlets.

Another object of my invention is to provide an outlet in which a maximum coverage or protection is given to the parkway conductor or cable and the outgoing cables.

Other objects will be discernible by one skilled in this art, from a reading of the specification taken in connection with the annexed drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a part-elevational and part-sectional view through one form of my improved type of outlet as applied to a wood pump log.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1, with the cap removed and a part of the interior mechanism broken away to show the method of making connection to the parkway conductor and outgoing cables.

Ffgure 3 is a plan view of one of the clamping members shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a plan view of another one of the clamping members used in conjunction with the clamping members shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a part-elevational and part-sectional view of a modified form of outlet as applied to a pipe.

Figure 6 is a View similar to Figure 5, with the top portion of the fitting shown in elevation, but showing a different method of attachment to the pipe.

Figure 7 is a plan view of the fitting shown in Figure 5, but with the cap removed and some of the interior parts broken away as in Figure 2.

Figure 8 is a sectional view of the structure shown in Figure l, with a modified form of clamping means.

Figure 9 shows a modified form of one of the clamping members.

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing a modified form of fitting applied to a pump log.

Figure 11 is a plan view of the structure shown in Figure 10, with the cap removed and a portion of the interior broken away to show the method of making connection to the electrical conductor and outgoing cables.

Figure 12 is a view similar to Figure 11, but with all of the interior parts removed.

Figure 13 is a plan view of the bottom clamping member or the one which engages the outgoing cable.

Figure 14 is a plan View of the top clamping member which is positioned about the member shown in Figure 13 when in assembled position as in Figure 10.

Referring now to the details wherein like numbers refer to corresponding parts in the various views, I is a pump log having a parkway cable conductor 2 therein. The end of the conductor 2 passes through an opening 3, over which is placed a fitting 4, the same being fastened to the pump log in any satisfactory manner as by lag screws 5 positioned in oppositely disposed ears 6.

Extending upwardly from the base portion of the fitting 4 is an integral, circularly formed por tion I which, as shown in Figure 1, has external threads 8 which are engaged by internal threads on the flange of cap member ii. The cap member 9 is preferably provided with a hex head It for the application of a wrench thereto. Positioned within the centrally disposed space of the upwardly extending portion I of the fitting, are a pair of discs II and I2. The base of the fitting 4 preferably has grooves to receive the outgoing or bond cables I 3, and the disc or clamping member I I may be provided with cooperating grooves,

although these are not absolutely necessary.

The top surface of the member ll may have a depressed surface I4, within which is seated the coiled or curled up end I5 of the conductor 2, it being understood that the diameter of the conductor 2 is greater than the depth of the depressed portion I4, so that the clamping member I2 may always engage the curled end IS without coming into contact with the rim I6 of the member II, whereby when the cap 9 is screwed into locking position, the two members II and I2 grip the curled end I5 of the conductor 2 securely in place, as Well as the outgoing cables I3. Also, it is to be noted that the thickness of the members II and I2, taken in connection with the conductor, is such that the central interior area of the cap 9 will always contact with the member [2 and, preferably, does not come into engagement with the upper edge of the projecting portion '1 of the fitting, so the conductor will always be securely clamped by the cap which performs the function of acting as a cover for concealing the clamping members and the conductors engaged by them, as well as to act as the medium for applying a clamping force to the clamping members H and I2.

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Before the cap 9 is set into locking position, it is to be understood that the members H and 12 are loosely and slidably positioned within the extended portion of the fitting which, it may be noted, has a hole I? for the passage of the conductor 2 therethrough, and the clamping member H likewise has a hole l8 therein for the pas" sage of the conductor 2 to its position between the clamping members ll and I2.

In Figure 5 the extended portion 1 of the fitting is internally threaded and the cap or cover is externally threaded in the form of a plug, but otherwise the method of making connections to the parkway conductor 2 is the same as has been described with respect to Figure 1. In this form, the conductor 2 is shown as coming through a pipe Ed on which a flange member 25 is screw-threaded or welded, and the ears 6 are provided with bushings 2| and insulators 22, the entire base of the fitting being insulated from the flange member 29 by an insulator 23.

In Figure 6 the fitting itself is provided with a depending skirt 24 which is slotted at 25 and provided with clamping ears 26 to fasten the depending skirt 24 in position, an insulator 2'! being used to insulate the fitting from the pipe Hi.

In Figure 10 the fitting is fastened to a pump log I, the same as in Figure l, but the integrally upwardly extending portion 1 is cut out so as to provide an interior space which extends transversely across the extended portion 1. Within this centrally disposed space is located a clamping member 28 having grooves 29 for receiving the outgoing cables H5. The upper surface of the member 28 has a depressed area M, the same as the member H in Figure 4, for the purpose of providing a seat for the curled end l5 of the conductor 2.

The top clamping member 38, shown in Figure 14, is positioned Within the centrally disposed space as indicated in Figure 10, in such a way that it will be gripped by the cap 9 when the cap is screwed downwardly into locking position. The member 28 has a hole IS, the same as the member H for the passage of the conductor 2.

In Figure 8 I have shown a modified form of construction in which only a single clamping member 3| is shown. The member BI is of a thickness extending-above the rim 32 of the extended portion 1 and the curled end iii of the cable 2 is shown in direct contact with the cen tral interior area of the cap 9. Because of the liability of the conductor 2 being twisted within the pump log or pipe by this construction, I prefer to introduce an intermediate member such as l2 between the interior surface of the cap and the curled end l5 of the conductor as shown in Figure 1.

In some cases the top surface of the member l 2 may be provided with relatively fine lenurls 33, and even the interior central surface of the cap may be provided with fine knurls to secure a locking engagement between the cap 9 and the extended portion of the fitting. A suitable type of lock washer may also be used between the upper surface of the clamping member l2 and the interior central surface of the cap so as to prevent vibrations from passing trains from loosening the cap.

Other details may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An electrical conductor outlet including a member through which the conductor is brought,

a fitting having a base portion mounted on said member, said fitting having an integral circularly formed threaded portion extending upwardly from the base portion with a centrally disposed space therein, the fitting having a hole through the base portion to permit the passage of said conductor from said member into said space, said base portion having transverse passageways therein at the bottom of said space and intersecting said space, to receive outgoing cables, clamping means positioned within said space for engaging said conductor and the outgoing conductors or cables and a threaded member engaging said threaded portion on the fitting for forcing said clamping means to securely grip the conductors or cables.

2. An electrical conductor outlet including a member through which the conductor is brought, a fitting having a base portion mounted on said member, said fitting having an integral circularly formed threaded portion extending upwardly from the base portion with a centrally disposed space therein, the fitting having a hole through the base portion to permit the passage of said conductor from said member into said space, said base portion having transverse passageways therein at the bottom of said space and intersecting said space, to receive outgoing cables, clamping members positioned within said space, one member having a hole therein for passage of the said conductor, the curled end of which is positioned between certain of said clamping members while the outgoing cable or cables are positioned between the clamping member having the hole therein and the base of the fitting and a threaded member engaging said threaded portion on the fitting for forcing said clamping members to securely grip the conductor and cables.

3. An electrical conductor outlet including a member through which the conductor is brought, a fitting mounted on said member, said fitting having an integral upwardly extending cylindrically threaded portion, the fitting having a hole in its base for the passage of the conductor into said cylindrical portion and also having cross-holes at the base of the upwardly extending portion for reception of outgoing cables, clamping means within said portion to engage the conductor and outgoing cables, and a closure member having threads to engage the threads on the cylindrical portion and acting to close the opening into the cylindrical portion and to force said clamping means to securely clamp the conductor and cables.

4. An electrical conductor outlet as set forth in claim 2, further characterized in that the clamping member having the hole therein also has a slightly depressed surface to receive the curled end of the conductor.

5. An electrical conductor outlet including a member through which the conductor is brought, a fitting mounted on said member, said fitting having an integral upwardly extending part having threads thereon and having its central portion removed for the reception of clamping members, the fitting having a hole therein for passage of said conductor into said central portion, clamping members slidably positioned in said central portion before being set up into clamping position, the bottom one of said clamping members having a hole therein for passage of said conductor therethrough, the conductor end being curled up in a plane parallel to the adjacent faces of said clamping members and clamped between said faces and a member having threads for engaging the threads on said extending part for covering and concealing said clamping members and for forcing them to clamp said conductor and outgoing cables securely within said central portion.

6 An electrical conductor outlet including a member through which the conductor is brought, a fitting mounted on said member, said fitting having a base portion with an integral upwardly extending part having threads thereon and having its central portion removed for the reception of clamping members, the fitting having a hole therein for passage of said conductor into said central portion, and also having cross-grooves in the central base portion to receive outgoing cables, at least one clamping member positioned in said central portion and a member having threads for engaging the threads on said extending part for covering and concealing said clamping member and having a centrally disposed area for engaging said clamping member to force it to securely clamp said conductor and outgoing cables within said central portion of the fitting.

'7. An electrical conductor outlet including a member through which the conductor is brought, a fitting mounted on said member, said fitting having a base portion with an integral upwardly extending part having threads thereon and having its central portion removed for the reception of clamping members, the fitting having a hole thereon for passage of said conductor into said central portion, and also having cross-grooves in the central base portion to receive outgoing cables, slidable clamping means positioned Within said central portion and a closure member having threads for engaging the threads on said extending part for covering and concealing said slidable clamping means, and having a centrally disposed area for engaging said means to force the same into gripping engagement with said conductor and outgoing cables, and means located between said centrally disposed area and the clamping means for locking the closure member in gripping position.

GODFREY GORT.

CPI

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