Abstract:
A connector for locate wires employs a platform which has a plurality of angularly spaced wire apertures. A conductive wire stripper member has a plurality of slots corresponding to said apertures and is angularly positionable between closed and open positions. Locate wires may be connected by inserting the wires into the apertures when the wire member is in an open position and electrically connected by angularly pivoting the conductive member to the closed position. A ground connector provides a ground connection for the connector to ground the locate wires.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates generally to electrical connection devices and methods which are employed for connecting locate wires for underground optical cables and for bonding the locate wires and grounding same. 
         [0002]    When optical cables are installed underground, it is common to string locate wires with the cables to aid in locating the cables after installation. In applications, such as for residential applications, the locate wires are connected together at handholes and are also grounded at the handhole. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Briefly stated, a connector for locate wires in one embodiment comprises a platform which has a plurality of angularly spaced wire apertures. A conductive wire stripper plate is disposed for angular rotation relative to the platform. The conductive plate defines a plurality of generally arcuately shaped slots which correspond to the wire apertures. An arm extends from the conductive plate. The platform is adapted for mounting to a handhole or a buried vault via a pair of projecting wings which have openings. The slots are configured to have an enlarged circular portion at one end and a reduced portion at another end. In the open position, the circular portions of the slots align with the wire apertures. A plurality of wires to be connected are inserted into respective apertures and slots, and the arm is moveable to effect an electrical connection with the wires. The arm engages an interior wall in the closed position for maintaining the closed position. 
         [0004]    Upon angular movement, the conductive plate removes non-conductive matter from the inserted wires. A dielectric material may be injected onto the surface of the conductive plate. A bolt extends through the platform and the conductive plate and a ground connector is connected to the bolt. As the conductive plate moves from the open to the closed position, the stripper plate strips non-conductive material from the wires. In one embodiment, six angularly spaced apertures and slots are provided and the platform is formed from mating components with the stripper plate being intermediately received therein. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is a generally top perspective view of a connector for locate wires; 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the connector of  FIG. 1  mounted near the top of a handhole (partially illustrated); 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is an interior side view of the connector/handhole installation of  FIG. 2  and further illustrating a pair of locate wires and a grounding connection, including a representational ground wire; 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is a top plan view of an upper component of the connector of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0009]      FIG. 5  is a bottom plan view of the component of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0010]      FIG. 6  is a side view, partially in broken lines, of the component of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 7  is an enlarged fragmentary view of an underside portion of the view of  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 8  is a top plan view, partially in broken lines, of a bottom component of the connector of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 9  a bottom plan view, partially in broken lines, of the component of  FIG. 8 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 10  is a side view, partially in broken lines and partially in section, of the component of  FIG. 8 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 11  is a top plan view of a wire stripper plate employed in the connector of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 12  is an enlarged fragmentary view of the wire stripper plate of  FIG. 11 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0017]    With reference to the drawings wherein like numerals represent like parts throughout the several figures, a locate wire connector is generally designated by the numeral  10 . Locate wire connector  10  is adapted to provide a bonding and grounding connector for use in handholes representatively designated by the numeral  12  or buried ground vaults (not illustrated). The connector is adapted to connect locate wires  14  such as are employed for identifying the location of underground optical cables. The connector  10  electrically connects the locate wires and grounds the locate wires to ground via a ground wire  16 , a grounding halo  18  or other grounding means (not illustrated). 
         [0018]    The locate wire connector  10  is principally comprised of a molded base  20  which mates with a clamp cover  40  to form a platform. The clamp cover and base cooperate to receive a rotatable stripper wire plate  60  which is rotatably mounted and secured by a bolt  70  which receives a ground connector  80 . 
         [0019]    With reference to  FIGS. 8-10 , the base  20  is a molded scallop-shaped member which has a pair of oppositely projecting wings  21 ,  23  which each have an opening  22 ,  24 . The openings  22 ,  24  are dimensioned to receive a sheet metal screw  25  for securing the base (and the assembled locate wire connector) in a preferred installation to the interior of a handhole  12  near the top portion thereof, as illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
         [0020]    With reference to  FIG. 8 , the upper surface of the base  20  includes a central opening  26  surrounded by a circular recess  28  which laterally extends into a deeper recess  32  defined between walls  31  and  33 . Six equiangularly spaced bores  30  extend from the recess to the base. The base also includes a pair of diametrally spaced wells  36 . With reference to  FIG. 9 , the underside of the base includes a central recess  38  which receives a hexhead connector  80  for the bolt  70 . The underside of the base may also include conical lead indentations  39  surrounding the underside openings of the bores  30 . 
         [0021]    With reference to  FIGS. 4-7 , a quasi-scallop-shaped clamp cover  40  is dimensioned to mate with the base  20 . The upper surface of the clamp cover includes a central opening  42  for the bolt  70  and includes conical tapers  59  surrounding the upper openings of the bores. Six equiangularly spaced bores  50  which align with bores  30  extend through the cover. A pair of integral studs  44  project from the underside and are received in the wells  36  to facilitate the mating of the cover  40  and the base  20  which cooperates to form a platform. 
         [0022]    With reference to  FIGS. 5-7 , the underside of the cover includes a ramp  46  which tapers to a shallow wall  48 . 
         [0023]    With additional reference to  FIGS. 11 and 12 , a wire stripper plate  60  is formed from a conductor, such as brass, and has a flat lollipop-shape with a circular portion  61  which is dimensioned to be commensurate with the recess  28  in the base. An arm  62  extends radially from the circular portion, into the recess  32 , and protrudes through the recess. A plastic knob  63  may be mounted to the end of the arm  62 . The stripper plate includes a central opening  64  for receiving the bolt  70 . The arm  62  is engageable against the walls  31 ,  33  of the recess to limit angular rotation or pivoting of the stripper plate. 
         [0024]    Six congruent, generally arcuate, tapered slots  66  are formed in the stripper plate. Other numbers of slots are possible. The slots  66  are generally equiangularly spaced about the central opening  64 . The slots  66  each include an enlarged circular end  68  which is generally commensurate with the diameter of the bores  30  and  50 . The slots at the opposite end  69  arcuately converge to a reduced width. The angular distance subtended by the slots  66  is approximately the same as the arcuate travel of the arm  62  between the stops and defined by walls  31 ,  33 . 
         [0025]    When the stripper plate  60  is in an open position determined by engagement of the arm  62  against wall  33 , and the cover is mated and secured to the base via the bolt assembly, the sets of bores  50 ,  30  and slots  66  align to form locate wire apertures. A locate wire  14 , such as, for example, a wire carried by a detectable Multitape® tape  15  of NEPTCO Inc., of Pawtucket, R.I. for pulling underground cable through a conduit may be inserted through an aperture formed by a bore  50  at the top and a second locate wire inserted through a second aperture bore so that the terminal ends of each of the wires extend through aligned slot end  68  and bore  30  beyond the underside of the base. Upon angular pivoting of the arm  62  via knob  63 , the edges of the tapered slot strip non-conductive material away from the wires  14  and provide an electrical contact between the wires received in the slot  62  upon movement of the arm  62  to the closed position defined by wall  31 . 
         [0026]    A dielectric material such as a gel (not illustrated) may be preferably injected between the base  20 , cover  40  and the stripper plate  60  to impede water/moisture migration and enhance the integrity of the electrical connection and grounding. 
         [0027]    It should be appreciated that, for connector  10 , up to six locate wires  14  may be connected together by extending the wires through the aligned bores when the handle  62  (and stripper plate  60 ) is in the open position and closing the stripper plate. 
         [0028]    In a preferred embodiment, the indicia  92  indicating the open position and the indicia  94  indicating the closed position are preferably molded or affixed to the outside of the upper cover. When the handle arm  62  is moved to the closed position, it rides up the ramp  46  and engages a catch defined by the wall  48 . 
         [0029]    The bolt  70  is secured at the top by a nut  72 . At the underside, the bolt shaft integrally extends from a hex head ground connector  80  which can either receive a number six AWG ground wire  16  in an intermediate slot  82  or connect with a bond bar halo  18  for providing a grounding connection. Securement is secured by a set screw  84 . 
         [0030]    It will be appreciated that the locate wire connector  10  provides ready flexibility to accept additional locate wires as they require connection and grounding. The connector is rotatably opened to receive the additional wire and then moved to the stable closed position for providing the electrical connection via the stripper plate. 
         [0031]    While preferred embodiments of the invention have been set forth for the purposes of illustration, the forgoing description should not be deemed a limitation of the invention herein. Accordingly, various modifications, adaptations and alternatives may occur to one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims.