Cable end seal, support and grounding assembly

Claim 2

That improvement in terminating and hermetically sealing the end of a multi-conductor cable at a terminal facility which comprises removing a length of the cable sheath to expose the ends of the cable conductors, slitting the sheath sufficiently to insert an inner clamping shoe and a bolt extending outwardly through a hole therefor in the sheath which hole has a continuous perimeter and through a hole in an outer clamping shoe anchoring a grounding conductor strap of rectangular cross-section to the outer end of said bolt by the aid of a nut assembled to the bolt effective as it is tightened to clamp the cable sheath tightly between said inner and outer shoes and said grounding conductor strap, and embedding and sealing the portion of the cable end in the vicinity of said clamping bolt in potting compound with the individual conductors and the free end of said grounding conductor strap projecting outwardly beyond said sealing compound.

Claim 3

That improvement defined in claim 1 characterized in providing said grounding conductor strap with solderless terminal means at the outer free end thereof and securing the same rigidly and in good electrical contact to grounded conductive means.

Claim 4

That improvement defined in claim 2 characterized in utilizing grounding conductor strap which is free of openings from end to end thereof.

Claim 5

That improvement defined in claim 3 characterized in utilizing solderless terminal means comprising a U-shaped terminal clip having a wide opening in the bight portion thereof sized to receive the end of said conductor strap, said terminal clip having a plurality of heat-hardened sharp-crested projections formed on the inner surface thereof effective to bite into said conductor strap assembled through said bight opening as the legs of said clip are compressed against the juxtaposed surfaces of said conductor strap, the free ends of tHe clip legs having aligned openings through which said clamping bolt extends, and applying nut means to the outer end of said bolt for compressing said clip legs together to anchor said conductor strap immovably assembled between the legs of said clip.

Claim 6

That improvement defined in claim 4 characterized in that said sharp-crested projections on said clip are arranged in rows extending lengthwise of said clip legs.

Claim 7

That improvement defined in claim 4 characterized in that said sharp-crested projections project toward one another from the inner face of each leg of said clip.

Claim 8

That improvement defined in claim 3 characterized in the provision of solderless terminal means assembled over the opposite ends of said conductor strap and comprising a U-shaped heat-hardened clip having inwardly projecting sharp-crested projections effective to bite into said conductor strap after an end thereof has been inserted through an opening in the bight portion of said U-shaped clip and as the clip legs are compressed against the opposed faces of the respective ends of said conductor strap, one of said clips having aligned openings in its leg ends mountable over the end of a clamping bolt and the other of said clips having aligned openings in its leg ends to receive a bolt clampable to a grounded conductive support pedestal for the cable end.

Claim 9

That improvement defined in claim 1 characterized in the provision of a tubular sleeve surrounding and enclosing said potting compound.

Claim 10

That improvement defined in claim 8 characterized in that said sleeve is formed of semi-rigid material and split lengthwise thereof to permit expansion of its sidewalls sufficiently for assembly of the sleeve about the cable from the side thereof, and semi-rigid strip means having oppositely facing grooves therealong sized to have a snug fit over a respective adjacent edge of said split in said sleeve, said potting compound being bondable to the interior surfaces of said sleeve and to said strip means as the same takes a set.

Claim 11

That improvement defined in claim 9 characterized in that one end of said tubular sleeve is frusto-conical with the smaller end thereof sized to closely embrace a cable sheath, and gasket means at the smaller end of said sleeve cooperating with the cable sheath to hold the potting compound captive while setting.

Claim 12

That improvement defined in claim 7 characterized in that said cable end projects upwardly and terminates at a level spaced below an anchor point on said support pedestal, and said conductor strap projecting upwardly from said cable end being securely clamped to said anchor point and serving as a combined grounding conductor for the cable shield and a high strength suspension support between said pedestal and said cable end.

Claim 13

That improvement in electrically and mechanically anchoring a multi-conductor shielded cable encased in a tough sheath to a terminal board pedestal which comprises: a first solderless terminal assembly having inner and outer wide area metallic shoes held clamped respectively against the inner surface of said shield and the outer surface of said sheath by a clamping bolt, a pair of U-shaped one-piece solderless terminal clips formed from wide strip stock of uniform rectangular cross section and having an opening in their bight portions telescoped over the opposite ends of a heavy gauge ductile grounding strap of rectangular shape in cross section with the free ends of the clip legs projecting beyond a respective end of said strap, the inner surfaces of said clip legs having hardened sharp-crested projections biting into the juxtaposed strap surfaces as the clip legs are compressed toward one another and against the juxtaposed surfaces of said strap thereby to anchor said clips immovably to the strap ends, the lower one of said clips being clamped to the outer end of the clamping bolt of said first solderless terminal assembly by the tightening of the latter, and the upper one of said clips being rigidly clamped to said terminal board pedestal, and sleeve means embracing the cable end and the lower end of said strap and charged with potting compound hermetically sealing together the components in contact therewith.

Claim 14

That improvement in electrically and mechanically anchoring a multi-conductor shielded cable encased in a tough sheath to a terminal board pedestal which comprises: a first solderless terminal assembly having inner and outer wide area metallic shoes held clamped respectively against the inner surface of said shield and the outer surface of said sheath by a clamping bolt, a pair of U-shaped one-piece solderless terminal clips formed from wide strip stock of uniform rectangular cross section and having an opening in their bight portions telescoped over the opposite ends of a heavy gauge ductile grounding strap of rectangular shape in cross section with the free ends of the clip legs projecting beyond a respective end of said strap, the inner surfaces of said clip legs having hardened sharp-crested projections biting into the juxtaposed strap surfaces as the clip legs are compressed toward one another and against the juxtaposed surfaces of said strap thereby to anchor said clips immovably to the strap ends, the lower one of said clips being clamped to the outer end of the clamping bolt of said first solderless terminal assembly by the tightening of the latter, and the upper one of said clips being rigidly clamped to said terminal board pedestal, and sleeve means embracing the cable end and the lower end of said strap and charged with potting compound hermetically sealing together the components in contact therewith.

Claim 15

That improvement defined in claim 12 characterized in that said strap is imperforate and arranged vertically between said terminal board pedestal and said first solderless terminal assembly.

Claim 16

That improvement defined in claim 12 characterized in that said ductile strap is cut to size at the time of assembly to a given cable end and so that said strap is loaded in tension upon the anchorage of its upper end to said pedestal.