Electrical connector for tapping shielded high voltage cable

Claim 1

A connector for making an electrical connection to an insulated and shielded electrical cable, comprising: a metallic housing having first and second ends, said metallic housing being separable into first and second sections, first and second insulating means disposed in the first and second sections, respectively, of said metallic housing, with said first and second insulating means each defining a portion of a wall of an aperture which extends between the first and second ends of said housing, a first electrical conductor disposed in the first section of said housing, having a first end which extends into the aperture defined by said first and second insulating means, and a second end adapted for connection to an external electrical circuit, the first end of said electrical conductor being pointed, clamping means disposed to urge the first and second sections of said metallic housing into assembled relation when an electrical cable is disposed in the aperture, to pierce the electrical cable with the pointed end of said electrical conductor and contact the cable conductor, while bringing the first and second insulating means into air and moisture excluding contact with the cable, a fuse receptacle mounted On the first section of said metallic housing, said fuse receptacle having a first contact connected to the second end of said first electrical conductor, and a plurality of second contacts spaced from said first contact, said plurality of second contacts being adapted for connection to external electrical circuits, and a removable fuse assembly including a fuse member disposed to electrically connect the first contact of said fuse receptacle to the plurality of second contacts.