Spring-loaded hotstick for manipulating electric cable connectors

Claim 2

A hotstick for manipulating electric power cable connector modules to connect the modules to relatively immovable electric terminals, said hotstick comprising an elongated body member, holding means movably mounted adjacent one end of said body member for releasably holding a connector module, spacing means on said one end of the body member for positioning the holding means at least a predetermined distance from said one end, manually operable means for controlling holding and releasing functions of said holding means, a resilient member coupled in driving relation to said holding means, a manually operable loading mechanism coupled to said resilient member and effective to resiliently load said resilient member by moving it a predetermined distance away from said one end and releasably latching it in such a displaced position, trigger means for releasing the latching of the holding means against the biasing force exerted on it by the resilient loading of said resilient member when said resilient member is moved away from said one end, said trigger means being operable to suddenly unlatch said holding means thereby causing said holding means to be moved toward said one end with a snap action responsive to the driving force exerted on it by said resilient member.

Claim 3

A hotstick as in claim 1 wherein said holding means comprises a pair of jaws pivotally mounted on a housing member, and said spacing means comprises an elongated hollow portion of said hotstick arranged to partially surround said housing member on at least two sides thereof.

Claim 4

A hotstick as in claim 2 wherein said manually operable means for controlling functions of the holding means comprises a handle rotatably mounted adjacent the end of said hotstick remote from said one end, and a link connected between said handle and said pair of pivotally mounted jaws, said link being operably connected to said jaws to move them toward one another to afford a connector module holding function when the handle is rotated in one direction and being further effective to move said jaws apart to afford a module releasing function when the handle is rotated in an opposite direction.

Claim 5

A hotstick as in claim 2 wherein said resilient member comprises a coiled spring mounted between said housing member and the end of said hollow portion of the hotstick remote from said one enD.

Claim 6

A hotstick as in claim 4 wherein said manually operable loading mechanism comprises a multitoothed ratch, a pall adapted to be held in position by one or more teeth of the ratch, mechanical coupling means between said pall and said housing member that are operable to compress said spring when the pall is manually moved away from said spring, and means for manually moving said pall into latching engagement with said one or more teeth of the ratch.

Claim 7

A hotstick as in claim 5 wherein said trigger means comprises a lever pivotally mounted on the hotstick and manually pivotable into engagement with said loading mechanism to cause said pall to be unlatched from the teeth of said ratch, whereby the coil spring drives the housing member toward said one end of the hotstick with a snap action.

Claim 8

A hotstick for manipulating electric power cable connector modules to connect and disconnect the modules to and from relatively immovable electric terminals, said hotstick comprising an elongated body member, holding means movable mounted adjacent one end of said body member for releasably holding a connector module, spacing means on said one end of the body member for positioning the holding means at least a predetermined distance from said one end, manually operable means for controlling holding and releasing functions of said holding means, a resilient member coupled in driving relation to said holding means and operable when resiliently loaded to drive the holding means toward said one end, a manually operable loading mechanism coupled to said resilient member and effective to resiliently load said resilient member by moving it a predetermined distance relative to said one end and releasably latching it in such a displaced position, trigger means for releasing the latching of the holding means against the biasing force exerted on it by the resilient loading of said resilient member when said resilient member is moved relative to said one end, said trigger means being operable to suddenly unlatch said holding means thereby causing said holding means to be moved with a snap action responsive to the driving force exerted on it by said resilient member.

Claim 9

A hotstick for manipulating electric power cable connector modules to connect and disconnect the modules to and from relatively immovable electric terminals, said hotstick comprising an elongated body member, holding means movable mounted adjacent one end of said body member for releasably holding a connector module, spacing means on said one end of the body member for positioning the holding means at least a predetermined distance from said one end, manually operable means for controlling holding and releasing functions of said holding means, a resilient member coupled in driving relation to said holding means and operable when resiliently loaded to drive the holding means toward said one end, a manually operable loading mechanism coupled to said resilient member and effective to resiliently load said resilient member by moving it a predetermined distance relative to said one end and releasably latching it in such a displaced position, trigger means for releasing the latching of the holding means against the biasing force exerted on it by the resilient loading of said resilient member when said resilient member is moved relative to said one end, said trigger means being operable to suddenly unlatch said holding means thereby causing said holding means to be moved with a snap action responsive to the driving force exerted on it by said resilient member.

Claim 10

A hotstick as in claim 7 including an extension element that is adapted for mounting on said one end of the body member in fixed relation thereto and which extends an additional predetermined distance beyond said one end, said extension element being effective when mounted on said one end of the body member to space the holding means from a relatively fixed terminal by at least said additional predetermined distance.

Claim 11

A hotstick as in claim 8 wherein said loading mechanism includes a two-way ratch having two sets of teeth and a pall adapted to be held in position by one or more teeth of the ratch, mechanical coupling means between said pall and said housing member that are operable to resiliently load said resilient member when the pall is moved relative to said resilient member and means for manually moving said pall into latching engagement with said one or more teeth of the ratch.

Claim 12

A hotstick as in claim 9 wherein said means for manually moving said pall is operable to move the pall toward said extension element approximately said additional predetermined distance, whereby said holding means is positioned adjacent said one end of the hotstick when the pall is moved said additional predetermined distance and latched in that position by one of the teeth of said ratch, said holding means being moved away from said one end with a snap action when the trigger means is operated.