Midspan electrical conductor spacer

Claim 2

A midspan spacer for maintaining adjacent high voltage conductors in normal predetermined spaced relationship, said spacer comprising: a clamp for each conductor; yoke structure supporting each conductor clamp for pivoting movement thereof only about an axis extending transversely of a respective conductor; and an elongated insulator assembly rigidly affixed to and maintaining said yoke structures and the conductor clamps carried thereby in spaced relationship, said assembly being of a length to substantially span the normal distance between said conductors and thereby maintain the latter in said predetermined spaced relationship, said assembly including an elongated, relatively lightweight spacer unit of insulating material and having a high compressive strength in relationship to the weight thereof to prevent flow of current between the conductors held by said clamps and to prevent movement of said conductors toward and away from each other under widely varying loads and operating conditions, and at least one insulator having high flashover characteristics rigidly interposed between each extremity of the unit and a corresponding yoke structure.

Claim 3

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, including a bonding agent joining said insulators to respective yoke structures; and frustoconical bond-engaging means for loading said agent in compression when said conductors tend to move relative to one another.

Claim 4

Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, each of said yoke structures having an elongated opening therein, said bonding agent being disposed within said openings, said bond-engaging means comprising a tongue rigid with each of said insulators disposed within an adjacent opening.

Claim 5

Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein each of said insulators is configured to present a cap on one side thereof and a cavity on the other side thereof, one of said insulators being disposed with its cap extending toward said assembly, the other of said insulators being disposed with its cap extending away from said assembly, said bonding agent being disposed within the cavity of said one insulator and around the cap of said other insulator, said bond-engaging means including a leg depending from one of said yoke structures and disposed within the cavity of said one insulator and a skirt depending from the other of said yoke structures and disposed in circumscribing relationship to the cap of said one insulator and the bonding agent thereon.

Claim 6

Apparatus as set forth in claim 4, said assembly including a first connecting portion configurated to receive the cap of said one insulator and a second connecting portion configurated to be received within said cavity in the other insulator.

Claim 7

Apparatus as set forth in claim 5, including a bonding agent joining said portions to said insulators, each of said portions including frustoconical bond-engaging means for loading said agent in compression when said conductors tend to move relative to one another.

Claim 8

Apparatus as set forth in claim 6, said assembly including a pair of connecting ferrules each having opposed openings therein, one of said openings receiving one end of a respective connecting portion; and an elongated insulating rod having its end disposed in the other of said openings.

Claim 9

Apparatus as set forth in claim 7, and a jacket of insulating material surrounding said rod and in frictional engagement therewith, said jacket abutting the respective connecting ferrules.

Claim 10

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, said insulator comprising an annular porcelain body having an uninterrupted curvilinear first surface and a second surface comprising a plurality of interconnected annular ridges.

Claim 11

A midspan spacer for maintaining adjacent high voltage conductors in normal predetermined spaced relationship, said spacer comprising: a connecting clamp for each conductor, each of said clamps having a conductor receiving saddle and yoke structure pivotally supporting the saddle for pivoting movement thereof only above an axis extending transversely of a respective conductor, each of said yoke structure having a depending leg portion with an opening therein; an insulator for each clamp respectively and having relatively high flashover resistance characteristics, each of said insulators having a projecting end portion, said end portion of each insulator being received within a respective opening; first connecting means rigidly securing said end portion of each insulator to a corresponding yoke structure within a respective opening; an elongated, relatively lightweight unit of insulating material of a length to substantially span the distance between said conductors, said unit having a relatively high compressive strength in relationship to the weight thereof; and second connecting means rigidly joining the corresponding ends of said unit to respective insulators for maintaining said conductors in predetermined spaced relationship.

Claim 12

A midspan spacer for maintaining adjacent high voltage conductors in normal predetermined spaced relationship, said spacer comprising: a connecting clamp for each conductor, each of said clamps having a conductor receiving saddle and yoke structure pivotally supporting the saddle for pivoting movement thereof only above an axis extending transversely of a respective conductor, each of said yoke structure having a depending leg portion with an opening therein; an insulator for each clamp respectively and having relatively high flashover resistance characteristics, each of said insulators having a projecting end portion, said end portion of each insulator being received within a respective opening; first connecting means rigidly securing said end portion of each insulator to a corresponding yoke structure within a respective opening; an elongated, relatively lightweight unit of insulating material of a length to substantially span the distance between said conductors, said unit having a relatively high compressive strength in relationship to the weight thereof; and second connecting means rigidly joining the corresponding ends of said unit to respective insulators for maintaining said conductors in predetermined spaced relationship.

Claim 13

Apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein said first connecting means comprises a bonding agent within each of said openings and each of said end portions is of a frustoconical configuration to thereby load said bonding agent in compression when said conductors tend to move relative to one anotheR.

Claim 14

Apparatus as set forth in claim 10, each of said insulators having a second projecting end portion in opposed relationship to the first mentioned projecting end portion, said second connecting means comprising a pair of connecting ferrules each having opposed openings therein, one of said openings receiving said second projecting end portion of a respective insulator, the other of said openings receiving the respective ends of the insulating unit.

Claim 15

Apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein each of said insulators comprises an elongated rod of resinous insulating material with a resinous insulating skirt secured to said rod intermediate the ends thereof.

Claim 16

Apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein a plurality of insulator skirts are disposed in closely spaced relationship intermediate the ends of said rod.