Improvements in Connectors for Electrical Wires or Cables.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Dec., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 15th Sept., 1900-Accepted, 3rd Nov., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Connectors for Electrical Wires or Cables.
THOMAS RIDLEY SOWERBUTTS, 44, West Hill, Wandsworth, London, S.W.,
Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
For the connecting of electrical cables, and making joints therein, of the kind
and description known as T joints, I have invented a form or design, which
when cut or stamped out of sheet metal (as copper), and suitably bent, will form
a tube or socket in which to fix the branch wire or cable, and shall have two or
more pairs of clips, which are to be bent round the main cable, and the whole to
be soldered together; thereby forming a strong, rigid joint, having ample cross-
section of metal for carrying the current, and also a large surface of contact
between the connector and the cables.
Additional advantages of the invention are:-
(a) The cross-section of the parts connecting the branch with the main cable
is nearly the same as that of the tube or socket into which the branch wire is
sweated.
(b) The form of the stamping is such that the waste of metal in making them
from sheet is usually small, and in some cases negligible.
(c) By suitably choosing the dimensions, eight sizes of connectors suffice for
all usual cables, between and including s. and 37/128. without the necessity
of using ferrules or other forms of packing.
Dated this 18th day of December 1899.
Improvements in Connectors for Electrical Wires or Cables.
I, THOMAS RIDLEY SOWERBUTTS, of 44, West Hill, Wandsworth, London, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement:-
This invention is designed to provide an efficient connector for attaching or
jointing branches to a main electrical cable which can be manufactured at much
less cost than many of the existing conductors and by which a joint equally
secure both mechanically and electrically can be made.
It will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1. Side elevation of the connector in position on the cable.
Fig. 2. End elevation of same.
Fig. 3. Side elevation of the connector before application to and detached from

page_text: Fig. 4. Sectional plan on line x-x Fig. 3.
Fig. 5. End elevation of Fig. 3.
Fig. 6. Sectional plan on line y-y Fig. 5.
Fig. 7. Extended blank of connector before being shaped.
Fig. 8. Extended plan showing one method of stamping the connectors.
Fig. 9. Extended plan showing another method of stamping the connectors.
The connector is cut or stamped out of sheet copper or other metal and is
formed with a socket A into which the end of the branch cable E is securely
fixed and with two or more pairs of clips B CD which embrace the main cable E.
The connector is first stamped to the form shown in Fig. 7 and is then bent
into the shape shown in Figs. 3 and 5. The lower part 1 is bent into cylindrical
shape to form the socket or tube A to receive the branch cable. The parts 2 are
bent outwards and concave the part 3 are turned upwards to form the end
pairs of clips B and C and the parts 4 form the centre pair of clips D.
Referring to Figs. 8 and 9 it will be seen that little or no waste of metal
occurs. Where the connectors are for application to main and branch cables of
equal sizes they are stamped out as in Fig. 8 without waste. As the main
cable is generally larger than the branch cable E the connectors will be
generally stamped out as in Fig. 9 the shaded part 5 being the only waste.
This connector possesses the advantages over others that it forms a strong
rigid joint between the two cables the distance apart of the two pairs of clips B
and C being such that they cannot be easily displaced also that it presents ample
cross section of metal for carrying the current and a large surface contact be-
tween the connector and the cables.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A connector for attaching branches to main electric cables stamped from a
single piece of sheet metal constructed with a socket to receive the branch cable
and two or more oppositely projecting pairs of clips placed at some distance
apart to embrace the main cable substantially as described.
2. A connector for attaching branches to main electric cables constructed by
stamping from one piece of metal substantially as described and shown.
Dated this 11th day of September 1900.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Bank Street, Manchester, Patent Agents.