Ground rod connector

A ground rod connector includes first and second connector portions that are pivotably mounted together to move between an open position and a closed position. The connector portions include tail portions that are positioned adjacent one another in side-by-side orientation when the connector portions are in the closed position, and a threaded fastener is coupled between the tail portions to hold the connector portions in the closed position. The connector portions cooperate to form a ground rod receiving passage and at least one ground wire receiving passage. These passages are formed in part by the first connector portion and in part by the second connector portion and are oriented such that movement of the connector portions to the closed position clamps a ground rod and a ground wire in the respective passages.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a ground rod connector of the type comprising 
first and second connector portions for interconnecting a ground rod and a 
ground wire. 
Ground rod connectors are used to connect a ground wire to a ground rod. 
The ground rod is typically a rigid metal bar or tube that is electrically 
grounded, as for example by being in electrical contact with the earth. 
One type of prior art ground rod connector uses a set screw in a frame to 
establish electrical contact with the ground rod. Such connectors may have 
difficulties adapting to thermal expansion and contraction of the ground 
rod. In some cases, such thermal expansion can cause a loosening of a set 
screw type ground rod connector. Of course, if the connector loosens an 
inadequate grounding connection is often the result. 
The present invention is directed to an improved ground rod connector that 
accommodates thermal expansion and contraction, and that provides a 
reliable grounding connection. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
According to this invention, a ground rod connector is provided comprising 
first and second connector portions pivotably mounted together to move 
between an open position and a closed position. Each of the connector 
portions comprises a ground rod clamping portion and a tail portion. The 
tail portions are positioned adjacent to one another in side-by-side 
orientation when the connector portions are in the closed position. A 
fastener is coupled between the tail portions to hold the connector 
portions in the closed position. The connector portions cooperate to form 
a ground rod receiving passage and at least one ground wire receiving 
passage. These passages are formed in part by the first connector portion 
and in part by the second connector portion and are oriented such that 
movement of the connector portions to the closed position clamps a ground 
rod in the ground rod receiving passage and a ground wire in the ground 
wire receiving passage

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Turning now to the drawings, FIGS. 1 through 4 show various views of 
connector 10 which incorporates a first preferred embodiment of this 
invention The connector 10 is adapted for use with a ground rod R and one 
or more ground wires W. The connector 10 includes a first portion 12 which 
defines a pivot bearing 14 and a ground rod clamping portion 16 
immediately adjacent to the pivot bearing 14. The first portion 12 also 
defines a tail portion 18 which generally extends in a plane parallel to a 
pivot axis A defined by the pivot bearing 14. The tail portion 18 defines 
one or more ground wire clamping portions 20, each formed as a groove on a 
surface of the tail portion 18. 
The connector 10 also includes a second portion 22 which defines a pivot 
shaft 24 pivotably received in the pivot bearing 14 such that the entire 
second portion 22 is pivotable about the axis A between an open position 
(not shown) and a closed position, as shown in FIGS. 1-4. The second 
portion 22 includes a ground rod clamping portion 26 adjacent to the pivot 
shaft 24 and a tail portion 28. The tail portion 28 defines a matching 
array of ground wire clamping portions 30, each formed as a respective 
groove in the appropriate surface of the tail portion 28. 
The first and second portions 12, 22 are held in the closed position by a 
fastener, such as a bolt 32 and a washer 34. The bolt 32 extends through 
an unthreaded opening in the tail portion 28, and threadedly engages a 
threaded opening in the tail portion 18, as best shown in FIG. 2. 
The ground rod clamping portions 16, 26 cooperate to form a ground rod 
receiving passage 36, in which diametrically opposed portions of the 
passage 36 are formed by the clamping portions 16, 26. The ground rod 
clamping portions 16, 26 are configured such that when the connector 10 is 
moved to the closed position shown in FIG. 1, the ground rod R is securely 
held in the ground rod receiving passage 36 by the diametrically opposed 
clamping portions 16, 26. 
The ground wire clamping portions 20, 30 cooperate to form at least one 
ground wire receiving passage 38, which is sized to clamp the respective 
ground wire W securely in place when the bolt 32 holds the first and 
second portions 12, 22 in the closed position of FIG. 1. The ground wire 
clamping portions 20, 30 form diametrically opposed portions of the ground 
wire receiving passage 38. 
As best shown in FIG. 4, the ground wire receiving passage 38 is preferably 
undulating and serrated to insure excellent electrical contact between the 
connector 10 and the ground wire W. FIG. 4 shows the manner in which the 
ground wire receiving passage 38 is disposed on both sides of a plane of 
contact 40 between the tail portions 18, 28. If desired, the ground wire 
receiving passage 38 can be unserrated as shown at 42 in FIG. 5, and it 
does not have to be undulating in all cases. 
In use, the bolt 32 is initially removed from the first and second portions 
12, 22. Then the first and second portions 12, 22 are pivoted about the 
axis A to the open position (not shown), and are moved into alignment with 
the ground rod R. At this point, the bolt 32 is installed in the first and 
second portions 12, 22 and tightened partially. The ground wire W is then 
positioned in the ground wire receiving passage 38, and the bolt 32 is 
tightened until both the ground rod R and the ground wire W are securely 
held in place in the connector 10. 
The first and second portions 12, 22 can be formed of a conductive metal 
alloy, and this metal alloy provides a rigidity and a resilience that 
insure long-term electrical contact with the ground rod R and the wire W, 
in spite of dimensional changes associated with thermal cycling. The 
connector 10 can be installed on the ground rod R from the side of the 
ground rod R, and therefore it is not necessary to have access to an 
undistorted end of the ground rod R in order to use the connector 10. The 
ground wire receiving passages 38 can be formed in various sizes to accept 
ground wires W in a wide range of sizes, or to accept multiple ground 
wires W. 
FIGS. 6 through 8 relate to a connector 110 which incorporates a second 
preferred embodiment of this invention. The connector 110 includes a first 
portion 112 which defines pivot bearing 114. The pivot bearing 114 defines 
a ground rod clamping portion 116, which in this embodiment comprises two 
diametrically opposed portions of the pivot bearing 114. 
The first portion 112 also includes a tail portion 118, which is threaded 
to receive a bolt as described below. The pivot bearing 114 also forms a 
ground wire clamping portion 120, which is again formed of two 
diametrically opposed portions of the pivot bearing 114. 
The connector 110 also includes a second portion 122 which includes a pivot 
shaft 124 and a tail portion 128. The pivot shaft 124 defines a ground rod 
clamping portion 126 and a ground wire clamping portion 130. The clamping 
portions 126, 130 are formed as passages extending diametrically through 
the pivot shaft 124 and intersecting the pivot axis A. 
The first and second portions 112, 122 are pivotable about the axis A 
between an open position (not shown) and a closed position, as shown in 
FIGS. 6 and 8. The portions 112, 122 are held in the closed position by a 
fastener such as a bolt 132 and a washer 134. The bolt 132 extends through 
an unthreaded opening in the tail portion 128 and is threadably received 
in a threaded opening in the tail portion 118, as shown in FIG. 8. 
The ground rod clamping portions 116, 126 cooperate to form a ground rod 
receiving passage 136 which extends through the pivot bearing 114 and the 
pivot shaft 124 substantially perpendicularly to the axis A. In FIG. 8 the 
symbols 136a and 136b are used for first and second portions of the ground 
rod receiving passage 136, and the symbol 136c is used for the central 
portion of the ground rod receiving passage, formed by the pivot shaft 
124. 
As shown in FIG. 7, one or more portions of the ground rod receiving 
passage 136 can be serrated to improve electrical contact between the 
ground rod R and the first and second portions 112, 122 Similarly, one or 
more ground wire receiving passages 138 are formed by the ground wire 
clamping portions 120, 130. As before, the ground wire clamping portion 
120 defines outer portions 138a, 138b of the ground wire receiving passage 
138, and the ground wire clamping portion 130 forms the central portion 
138c of the ground wire receiving passage 138. 
When the connector 110 is opened, the second portion 122 is pivoted 
counterclockwise from the position shown in FIG. 8 until the central 
portion 136c is aligned with the outer portions 136a and 136b of the 
ground wire rod receiving passage 136. In this orientation of the second 
portion 122 the three portions 138a, b, c of the ground wire receiving 
passage 138 are also aligned. This allows the ground rod R and the ground 
wire W to be inserted in the connector 110. Then the bolt 132 is used to 
rotate the second portion 122 with respect to the first portion 112 to 
misalign the central portions 136b, 138b with respect to the outer 
portions 136a, c, 138a, c of the passages 136, 138. This continues until 
the tail portions 118, 128 contact one another at the plane of contact 
140. In this way, both the ground rod R and the ground wire W are securely 
clamped in place between the first and second portions 112, 122, thereby 
establishing excellent electrical contact therebetween. 
As shown in FIG. 8, relieved areas 146 are provided between the pivot shaft 
124 and the pivot bearing 114 to reduce shearing forces on the ground rod 
R and the ground wire W, and to insure that these elements are bent rather 
than sheared when the connector 110 is closed. 
FIG. 9 shows an exploded perspective view of a modified form of the 
connector 110 in which the ground rod receiving passage 136 is open at one 
side 144. This allows the connector of FIG. 9 to be installed on a ground 
rod R by moving the connector along the axis A until the ground rod R is 
positioned in the ground rod receiving passage 136. In this way, there is 
no need for access to the end of the ground rod R, and there is no 
requirement that the end of the ground rod R be of the same diameter as 
the body of the ground rod R. 
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 through 9, the ground rod R and the 
ground wire W extend generally perpendicularly to the tail portions 118, 
128, and generally perpendicularly to the axis A. Alternately, the ground 
rod receiving passage 136 and the ground wire receiving passage 138 may be 
oriented obliquely with respect to the tail portions 118, 128, as shown in 
FIG. 10. This orientation places the tail portions 118, 128 more nearly 
in-line with the ground rod R. Installers of ground rods may sometimes 
force the ground rod R into the ground after the connector 110 has been 
attached to the rod R. This is possible where the ground is soft enough or 
where a hole has been previously formed in the ground. The connector 
orientation shown in FIG. 10 facilitates this approach by reducing the 
extent to which the tail portions extend radially away from the ground 
rod. 
Of course, it should be understood that a wide range of changes and 
modifications can be made to the preferred embodiments described above. 
The connectors 10, 110 can be sized as appropriate for the ground rod R 
and ground wire W of the intended application. Proportions and details of 
construction can be modified extensively. The bolt 32, 132 can be 
lengthened and made to cooperate with an external nut (not shown). The 
connector 110 can be modified such that the second portion 122 is 
reversibly mounted in the first portion 112 to accommodate two sizes of 
rods and wires, as described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,479,694. It is 
therefore intended that the foregoing detailed description be taken as an 
illustration and not a definition of the present invention. It is the 
following claims, including all equivalents, which are intended to define 
the scope of this invention.