Improvements in Connections and Terminals for Electric and other Wires and Cables.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Connections and Terminals for Electric and other
Wires and Cables.
I, HERCULES SANCHE, of 1030 West Fort Street, Detroit, in the County of
Wayne and State of Michigan, United States of America, Physician, 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 following
statement :-
It is the purpose of my invention to provide a terminal for electrical wires, with
which the denuded portion of the wire may be readily and easily connected and in
which it may be held with the best possible contact and with complete protection
to the cut, or frayed end of the insulating covering. It is my purpose, also, to
avoid the waste of the wire, to prevent the unnecessary denudation thereof, to
provide a neat and elegant finish, to cover the contacting surfaces from dust and
moisture, and to provide a terminal and a post therefor upon which a plurality of
such terminals may be associated.
It is my object, finally to provide a permanent wire terminal, having a novel and
simple form of attachment by which the exposed end of the wire is wholly enclosed
and its electrical contact secured.
The invention consists, to these ends, in the novel features of construction and
new combinations of parts hereinafter fully set forth and then definitely pointed
out in the claims which follow this Specification.
To enable others skilled in the art to understand and practice my said invention,
I will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being had for such purpose
to the accompanying drawings, in which-
Fig. 1 is a vertical, central section of a binding post and its contact cap.
Fig. 2 is a side-elevation of the post shown in Fig. 1, with the contact-cap and
wire removed.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1, with the wire attached, the
contact-cap being removed.
Fig. 4 is a vertical central section of a binding post and a series of terminals.
Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 4.
Fig. 6 is a plan view of one of the terminals shown in Fig. 5, the wire being
removed.
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the cap shown in Fig. 6.
Fig. 8 is a central vertical section of a post with a permanent terminal.
Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the permanent terminal shown in Fig. 8 removed from
the post.
Fig. 10 is a central, longitudinal section of a duplex permanent terminal for the
meeting ends of wire, said figure showing two forms of contact fastening, or
contact-plug.
Fig. 11 is a central section of a permanent terminal for medicinal and other
purposes, showing a modified form of contact-plug.
Fig. 12 is a side elevation partly in section of an improved construction of
terminal.
Fig. 13 is a plan of Fig. 12.
Figs. 14 and 15 are views of the terminal portions of wires, showing different
methods of securing the cut, or frayed end of the insulating covering; Fig 15 also
llustrating means for positively attaching the denuded end of the wire, or wires,
o the post.
Fig. 16 is a perspective view showing a lateral clamp-connection which forms
part of a permanent terminal.

page_text: In the said drawings the reference numeral 1 indicates the binding post, having
a shank 2, which I prefer to thread, externally, from its upper end to or nearly to
its base, which is provided with a pendant 3, adapted to occupy an opening in the
table, or other support 4 on which the post is mounted and to which it is rigidly
attached by means of a nut 5, turned upon the threaded end of the pendant.
When a single wire only is to be connected to the post, I drill in the threaded
shank 2 an opening 6, the drill entering upon one side, between the ends of the
shank, and usually near its top. The opening 6 is straight and is substantially in
the axial plane of the shank, its lower end opening at the base of the latter, as
seen in Figs. 1 and 2. In the upper end of the shank is formed an axial opening 7,
which passes down far enough to intersect with the opening 6. The wire 8 is
introduced through the axial opening 7, its end passing naturally and easily into
the lower part of the intersecting opening 6, from which it emerges at the base
of the shank, around which the denuded, terminal portion is coiled in such manner
as to lie upon the flat surface of the post 1 surrounding the base of the shank.
contact-cap, or nut 9, is then screwed down upon the shank, pinching the denuded
portion of the wire between the lower end of the nut and the end of the post. The
contact-cap, or nut 9 is provided with a hanging flange 10, which surrounds the
top of the post from which the shank 2 rises, thereby enclosing the contacting
surfaces and excluding dust and moisture. The flange is usually made of such
width as to permit the adjustment of the contact-cap to any ordinary size of wire,
without lifting the edge of the flange above the top of the post.
A
6
By this method of drilling the threaded shank, the wire is caused to emerge at
its base, which is not bored, or slotted, as it necessarily would be, if the opening
was not cut entirely through the shank 2. This construction provides a neat finish,
protects the insulating covering, which enters the opening 7 in the shank and is
thereby enclosed and secured against the wear and tear of constant contact upon its
cut and frayed edge, and the ease and readiness with which the wire is inserted and
removed, and the extended area of close contact renders this form of terminal a
desirable one in all cases where a single wire is to be attached.
To provide for the attachment of a single wire, or of a plurality of wires to the
same terminal, I use the construction shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, wherein the post is
substantially similar in construction to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, save that the
shank 2 is not drilled and is usually somewhat longer. Upon the shank I place
one, two, or more contact-collars 12, of conducting metal, each having a central
opening 13 through which the shank 2 passes. I form these openings, preferably,
of such size as to have a loose engagement with the shank, no female thread
being provided, but they may be threaded, if desired without departing from
my invention.
Each collar 12 is provided with a flange 14, hanging from its periphery, and
adapted to surround the collar next below on the same shank. Through the outer
vertical face or periphery of the flange, is formed an opening 15, which passes
upward in a plane parallel with a plane lying in the diametrical line of the collar
and coinciding with its axis, the upper end of said opening emerging in the flat
upper face of the collar, between its periphery and a guard flange 15ª which
surrounds the central opening 13, and preferably close to the said flange. The
wire is inserted at the lower end of this opening, its denuded portion emerging
from the upper end at such an angle with the flat surface of the collar due to the
inclined position of the opening that it may be coiled around the shank without
producing an abrupt bend in the wire. A cap-uut 16, having a flange similar to
that upon each collar, is turned upon the shank above the last collar placed upon
the latter, and by its adjustment equal pressure is imparted to the denuded
contact portions of wire lying between the several collars. An opening 15 may
be, and usually is, formed in the post 2, in the manner described in connection with
+the collars.
The openings for the wire being perfectly straight, are formed with ease and
require but little skill.

page_text: For permanent terminals I use the constructions shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 11. In
this form the post 2, is provided with a threaded socket in its upper extremity
which receives the terminal 17, which is usually in the form of a threaded plug
having a milled head 18. The wire 8 enters through a central opening passing
axially through the head 18 into the plug and entering the upper end of a con-
centric chamber 19, of somewhat larger diameter and provided with a female thread.
A contact plug 20 is screwed into this chamber from its lower end until its flat
extremity abuts against the knotted, bunched or coiled end of the wire or wires,
as seen in Fig. 8.
The terminal shown in Fig. 11 is adapted to give surface contact and is used,
in medical apparatus, though the manner of attaching the wire may be used in
other forms. It resembles that shown in Fig. 8, save that I substitute a contact-
plug 21, for the screw-plug 20. This plug 21 may consist of a buck shot, small
shot or bullet 22 slightly flattened by a tap from a hammer and placed in the
recess 23, opening centrally in the lower face of the terminal until one of its flat
faces abuts against the knotted, bunched, or coiled end of the wire, which is
introduced through a smaller opening through the centre of the terminal. The
plug is then driven with a punch, or ether instrument until it is spread, laterally,
sufficiently to fill the recess 22 and be wedged therein.
The
For connecting the ends of wires and similar purposes I employ the duplex form
of permanent terminal shown in Fig. 10, in which the numeral 24 denotes either
terminal provided with an internally threaded recess, or socket, 25, which receives
the contact-plug 26, having an axial opening passing entirely through it
wire is introduced through this opening and its denuded end is knotted, or coiled,
beyond the extremity of the plug, which punches the knot, or coil, between
its end and the bottom of the recess 25. A. threaded nipple 27 on one terminal
entering a socket in the other, provides means for connecting the two terminals
in one.
In attaching the denuded end of the wire it is desirable to provide some simple
means for preventing the ravelling and excessive fraying of the insulating covering,
and where a group of small wires are used, as in flexible wire cables, it is also a
matter of convenience and economy to provide means for binding the denuded
portions together and for positively attaching them to the portion of the terminal
around which they are coiled. For these purposes I may simply knot the denuded
wire around the insulation close to the denuded portion, as in Fig. 14. Or, I may
wrap the same with a fine, flexible wire 28, which is also wound around the denuded
portions of the fine wires, its end being prolonged beyond the latter, as shown in
Fig. 15, to provide means for positively securing the wires to the shank 2 of the
binding post by winding the wire around the same over the small wires. This wire
forms a binder for the fine conducting wires, prevents their entanglement and
effects an economy in use as well as a great convenience, as it provides for the
positive attachment of the denuded wires to the terminal, permits their ready
detachment, prevents the wire from becoming broken and secures the insulation
from rapid wear. It obviates the necessity for a frequent removal and renewal of
some part, or the whole, of the denuded ends, and the further removal of the
insulation, by which the wire is wasted, and sometimes rapidly shortened. It
provides, also, a much more sightly and finished appearance by giving a binding
to the raw edge of the insulating covering, which would otherwise fray out very
rapidly.
Figs. 12 and 13 show another form of my invention in which the cable enters
the connection through the opening 15 which is the same as that shown in Fig. 7
the improvement in this case being that a groove 33 is formed in the face of one
half 34 of the connection, around the screw thread on which groove the cable can
rest, a slight groove 35 being also formed in the other half 36 of the connection.
These grooves will enable a close joint to be effected when the two parts of the
connection are screwed together with the cable end interposed.
I have shown in Fig. 16 a further form of permanent terminal which is adapted

page_text: to form part of a lateral connection to a conducting wire. It consists of the
terminal 17, through which the wire 8 enters and in which it is fastened in sub-
stantially the manner shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The terminal 17 engages with a
socket in a block 29, which forms part of a pair of spring clamping jaws 30, one of
which has a latch-flange 31, while the other is provided with a set-screw 32, passing
through it and tapped into the other jaw, to permit the jaws to be clamped on the
wire, or upon its insulation, by screw-pressure.
It should be understood that the openings, or channels, 6 and 7 may consist of
slots, instead of passages of the form shown. For example, I might slot the shank 2
diametrically, from the end down to the upper end of the opening 6, said slot being
continued upon one side of the diameter, down to the base. Or, I may use the
opening 6 and slot upon one side of the shank's diameter, only.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A terminal fastening for electric and other wires, consisting of a post having
a threaded shank projecting from a flat contact-face on said post and a collar
having a non central opening entering its periphery of one side of a diametrical
line and emerging on its flat upper face, between the periphery and the central
opening receiving the threaded shank, substantially as described.
2. A terminal fastening for electric and other wires, consisting of a post
having a threaded shank projecting from a flat contact face on said post, a
collar having a straight non-central opening, entering its periphery and emerging
in its flat upper face, between the periphery and a non-central opening receiving
the threaded shank, and a contact nut screwed on said shank, said nut and collar
being each provided with a hanging flange surrounding the contact surface beneath
and enclosing the peripheries of the posts on which said surfaces are formed,
substantially as described.
3. A terminal attachment for electric and other wires, the same consisting of
a post having a threaded shank projecting from a flat contact surface on said
post, a series of collars each having a flange dropped from its periphery and
adapted to enclose the periphery of the adjacent collar below, and each provided
with a non-central straight opening for the wire, passing through said flange and
emerging on the flat upper face of the collar between the periphery and a flange
surrounding a central opening which receives the threaded shank, and a contact
nut having a hanging flange enclosing the upper collar, substantially as
described.
4. The combination with a terminal cousisting of a post having a threaded
shank, of a connector having the raw edge of its insulating covering bound by a
wire, the denuded portion of said conductor being brought upon a contact surface,
coiled around the shank, and fastened by the prolonged end of the binding wire,
and a contact-cap, or nut, having a flange surrounding and dropping below the
contact surface, substantially as described.
5. An electric conductor having a wire bound around the raw edge of its
insulating covering and prolonged beyond the extremity of the denuded portion of
the conductor, substantially as described.
6. A permanent terminal for electric and other wires, having a central opening
for the entrance of the wire, a concentric recess of larger diameter in which the
denuded port.on of the wire is bunched, or knotted, and a positively engaged
contact-plug, entering said chamber and compressing the bunched or knotted
portion of the wire, substantially as described.
7. A terminal for electric and other wires consisting of a threaded shank pro-
jecting from a contact surface, and provided with a straight opening cut diagonally
through said shank at an inclination with the axis of the shank, one end of said
opening being adjacent to the other end on the opposite side of said shank lying
at some distance above said contact surface, and a straight opening from the end of

page_text: said shank in the line of its axis to the point of intersection with the first opening
substantially as described.
8. A terminal for electric and other wires, consisting of a threaded shank pro
jecting from a contact surface, and having two rectilinear openings, one in the
axial plane of the shank and inclined to the axis, its lower end lying adjacent to,
or near, the contact surface, and the other opening lying in the axial line of said
shank, from its upper end to the point of intersection with the first opening,
whereby a nearly straight channel for the introduction of the wire is provided,
substantially as described.
9. A terminal for electric and other wires, consisting of a screw shank pro-
jecting from a contact surface and having two rectilinear openings, both in the
axial line of said shank, one inclined to the axis and cut entirely through said
shank, its lower end opening to, or near, the contact surface, and the other opening
being coincident with the axial line from the extremity of said shank to the point
of intersection with the other opening, in combination with a contact nut turned
upon said shank, to confine the denuded end of the wire coiled around the shank,
on said contact surface, substantially as described.
10. A terminal for electric and other wires, consisting of two connecting parts,
one or both being provided with a circular groove on its meeting face for containing
the end of the wire the said wire entering the groove or grooves through a suitable
aperture in the terminal, substantially as described.
Dated this 21st Jan of M 1900
F. W. BARKER,
Applicant's Agent.