Improvements in Connecting Devices or Terminals for Use with Wires, String, and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 14th Nov., 1896
[Communicated from abroad by the Firm of TÖPFFER and SCHÄDEL, of Berlin, in the
Empire of Germany, Electrical Engineers.]
Improvements in Connecting Devices or Terminals for Use with
Wires, String, and the like.
I, JOSEPH KANDT, of 12, Shaftesbury Avenue, in the County of London,.
Manufacturer, 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 :-
This invention relates to improved connecting devices or terminals for use with.
wires, string, and the like.
Heretofore for connecting electric wires and the like terminals or connectors have.
been furnished with a screw plug adapted to clamp the wire firmly in an orifice.
therein, such clamping, however, possesses the disadvantage that time is required to
screw the plug home if metallic contact between the wire and the connector is
to be ensured, moreover the wire is very often broken by the plug being screwed.
up too hard which necessitates loss of time in reinserting the wire.
The chief feature of the present invention consists in providing that the wire or the
like shall be held securely in place in the connector by the pressure of a spring which
will ensure when necessary a good metallic contact between the parts.
In order that the invention may be clearly understood I will proceed to describe.
the same with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which,
Figure 1 is an elevation partly sectional of a wire connector constructed according.
to this invention.
The
Figure 2 is a similar view shewing the invention applied to a terminal and
Figure 3 illustrates a battery clamp constructed according to the invention.
Referring to Figure 1 the connector comprises a tubular portion A and two
plugs B, B sliding in the ends of said tubular portion. Said plugs are pressed apart
by the spring C but are prevented from passing entirely out of the tube A by means
of screws or stops B' passing through slots A' in the side of the tube A.
tube and plugs are provided with orifices A, B so arranged that when the said plugs
are pressed towards each other against the force of the spring C the orifices in the
tube and plugs will register with each other and a wire or the like can be inserted
through both portions of the connector. When the plugs are released the
end wise pressure of the spring causes the wire or the like to be firmly held in the
orifices.
In Figure 2 the device is provided with a screw D at the base adapted to screw
into a board or the like to form a terminal and in this case only one spring plug is.
provided the action being the same as above described.
In Figure 3 the device is slotted at its lower end and provided with a set screw E.
for clamping the terminal to a battery plate.
The improved connectors and terminals possess the advantage that the material
clamped is pressed upon by a definite and even pressure and is not therefore liable to.
be altered in form. Moreover, wires can be very readily and quickly connected
without the use of a screw driver or any other tool and equally readily disconnected.
The invention is not restricted to the special forms shewn in the drawing as these
may be varied to suit requirements. Furthermore, the improved devices though
particularly useful for connecting electrical wires may be employed for various other
purposes.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents I declare that what I claim is :-
A connector, terminal or clamp constructed substantially as described.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
822, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.