US3761865A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Safety device for cables supporting electrical wires
Assignee: ARLO B VAN VELDHUIZEN US
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Filing: 1972-06-08
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Granted: 1973-09-25
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Expires: 1992-06-08
Abstract
Abstract A breakaway connector is attached to a pole to release a cable supporting electrical wires extending to a building, upon excessive pull on the cable, caused by high winds, ice accumulation, accident or the like. A disconnect is provided in each of the electrical wires adjacent the pole, so that the wires will be disconnected, when the cable is released, thereby preventing charged electrical wires from lying on the ground. The breakaway connector includes a pivotal detent bar which is longitudinally shiftable towards the cable against the bias of a relatively heavy compression spring. The cable is connected to the detent bar by a ring looped over an upright portion of the bar. Cable tension on the ring tends to both rotate and longitudinally shift the bar. Under normal cable load conditions, the bar engages stop means to prevent its rotation; however, excessive pull on the cable longitudinally shifts the bar away from the stop means to allow its rotation which, in turn, releases the ring and cable from the detent bar. Each disconnect for a wire includes a female clip having a socket and a male clip having a stub which is split longitudinally and is provided with pipe threads, on the inside, while an Allen screw for adjustment along the threads adjusts the friction fit between the stub and the socket. A plastic cover which extends beyond each clip and protects the connection from weather is attached to the female clip, so that it will remain with the female clip, when the clips separate. This prevents a short between the female clips of several disconnected wires, after separation.
Inventors
- 👤 G Bomgaars
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 10:21
CPC Classifications
H; H02; H02G; H02G7/00; H02G7/18; H01; H01R; H01R13/00; H01R13/58
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
199 words
A safety cable breakaway connector interposed in the span of a suspended cable extending between anchors and comprising: a. a body means connecting with the anchor at one side of the cable span; b. a loop means connecting with the remainder of the cable span; c. a pivot means carried upon the body means; d. a rotatable detent means mounted upon the pivot means including a seating arm and a trigger means; e. a holding means on the body means normally engaging the trigger means with the seating arm rotated to a lateral position with respect to the cable, and with the seating arm being embraced by the loop means and thereby interconnecting the body means with the remainder of the cable; and f. said body means including shifting means which is shiftable responsive to an excess pull on the cable span to shift said pivot means with respect to the holding means and thereby release said trigger means therefrom, thereby permitting said seating arm to rotate from the lateral holding position towards a longitudinal position, whereby said arm will swing out of the embrace of the loop means to separate the and-remainder of the cable from said anchor.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
199 words
A safety cable breakaway connector interposed in the span of a suspended cable extending between anchors and comprising: a. a body means connecting with the anchor at one side of the cable span; b. a loop means connecting with the remainder of the cable span; c. a pivot means carried upon the body means; d. a rotatable detent means mounted upon the pivot means including a seating arm and a trigger means; e. a holding means on the body means normally engaging the trigger means with the seating arm rotated to a lateral position with respect to the cable, and with the seating arm being embraced by the loop means and thereby interconnecting the body means with the remainder of the cable; and f. said body means including shifting means which is shiftable responsive to an excess pull on the cable span to shift said pivot means with respect to the holding means and thereby release said trigger means therefrom, thereby permitting said seating arm to rotate from the lateral holding position towards a longitudinal position, whereby said arm will swing out of the embrace of the loop means to separate the and-remainder of the cable from said anchor.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
In the connector defined in claim 1, wherein: said loop means forms a closed loop and both said detent and said trigger swing through said loop upon disengagement with said link.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
95 words
In the connector defined in claim 1, wherein: said body means includes opposed, interfitting U-shaped yoke members, with resilient means within said yoke members exerting a force against the respective inside ends thereof; said detent means is pivotal on mounting means extending toward the cable from one of said yoke members; said holding means is mounted on the outside of the base of the opposite yoke member; and said detent means is pivotal in one direction for release of said cable and, after release of said cable, pivotal in either direction to its initial position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
In the connector defined in claim 3, wherein: the sides of said one of said yoke members are provided with slots for clearance of the end of said detent member during its pivotal movement.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
119 words
In the connector defined in claim 3, wherein: said detent means is provided with a trigger abutment engageable with an edge of said holding means for release of said detent means when a pull on the cable produces a predetermined compression of said resilient means; said detent means is pivotal for release of said cable means and then further pivotal in the same direction for engagement with said holding means; and said detent means is provided with a cam surface for engaging the base of said opposite yoke member to compress said resilient means when pivoted in an opposite direction, after release of said cable, whereby said trigger abutment may snap past said holding means to said engaged position.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
In the connector defined in claim 3, wherein: said holding means comprises a block attached to the outside of said end of said opposite yoke member.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
63 words
In the connector defined in claim 1, wherein: said body means includes opposed, interfitting U-shaped yoke members, with a coil spring within said yoke members exerting a force against the respective inside base thereof; and a plate disposed against the inside of the respective base of said yoke members, each said plate having means for centering the corresponding end of said coil spring.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
In the connector defined in claim 7, wherein: said interfitting yoke members provide a rectangular box-like structure; said plates are correspondingly rectangular; and said spring engaging means comprise circular buttons mounted on the respective plates.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
68 words
In the connector defined in claim 1, wherein: said pivot means is mounted upon a rod extended into a tubular portion of said body means; and said shifting means includes: a resilient means holding said rod within said tubular portion whenever the cable is under normal tension, but permitting said rod to extend from the body a predetermined distance responsive to the said excess pull on the cable.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
In the connector defined in claim 9, wherein said resilient means comprises: a compression spring, said rod extending therethrough; an adjusting means adapted to tighten the compression spring to any selected degree of compression.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
64 words
In the connector defined in claim 9, wherein: said trigger means comprises a trigger pin directed towards said body means; and said holding means comprises: a sheath means normally receiving said trigger pin to secure the detent means in position, but said trigger pin being pullable from said sheath means whenever the aforesaid rod is extended from said body to the said predetermined distance.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
In the connector defined in claim 11, wherein: said trigger pin is mounted for adjustment to positions inwardly and outwardly within said sheath.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
171 words
In the connector defined in claim 1, wherein: said body means includes a tubular member; a rod extends longitudinally into said tubular member; said shifting means normally holds said rod within said tubular member, but permits said rod to extend therefrom in proportion to the pull on the cable; said detent means seating arm is pivotally connected to the outer end of said rod and is normally disposed at right angles thereto to be embraced by said loop means; said trigger means is a pin outstanding from the opposite end of said seating arm detent in a normal direction opposite said loop means; and said body means includes a sheath for receiving the end of said trigger pin, whereby said trigger pin is within said sheath, said trigger pin means being releasEd from said sheath whenever the rod is extended from said tubular member responsive to cable pull of a predetermined extent, to permit the seating arm to swing about its pivotal connection with said rod and disengage said loop means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
53 words
In the connector means defined in claim 13, wherein: said loop means is formed substantially as a rectangular loop with the length of the sides of the loop and the spacing between these sides being such as to permit the seating arm to freely swing within the loop between engaged and disengaging position.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
62 words
In the connector defined in claim 13, wherein: said tubular member is cylindrical and closed at the front end except for space for movement of said rod; and said sheath is hollow and cylindrical, disposed parallel to said tubular member and connected thereto by a bar attached along one edge of said sheath and along the opposite edge of said tubular member.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
246 words
A safety device for an electrical system including a cable for supporting a series of electrical wires extending from a pole to a building, comprising: a breakaway connector adjacent said pole and connected between siad pole and said cable, including: body means connecting with one side of the cable span, link means connecting with the other side of the cable span, and releasable holding means associated with the body means normally engaging the link to hold the span of the cable together, but releasable responsive to a predetermined pull on the cable to permit the link to be disengaged from the holding means and thereby separate the cable; disconnect means adjacent said pole in each said electrical wire for disconnecting said wires when said connector releases said cable, including: a male portion and a female portion, each connected to a wire end and constructed and arranged to interfit to provide an electrical connection therebetween, but to be pulled apart on the imposition of a pull on said cable sufficient to produce release of said cable connector and the resulting pull on said disconnect by said wire; said female portion being provided with a socket; said male portion being provided with a stub receivable in said socket, said stub being interiorly threaded with tapered threads and provided with longitudinal slots; and a threaded member engaging the interior threads of said stub for longitudinal adjustment, to adjust the friction fit between said male stub and said female socket.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
246 words
A safety device for an electrical system including a cable for supporting a series of electrical wires extending from a pole to a building, comprising: a breakaway connector adjacent said pole and connected between siad pole and said cable, including: body means connecting with one side of the cable span, link means connecting with the other side of the cable span, and releasable holding means associated with the body means normally engaging the link to hold the span of the cable together, but releasable responsive to a predetermined pull on the cable to permit the link to be disengaged from the holding means and thereby separate the cable; disconnect means adjacent said pole in each said electrical wire for disconnecting said wires when said connector releases said cable, including: a male portion and a female portion, each connected to a wire end and constructed and arranged to interfit to provide an electrical connection therebetween, but to be pulled apart on the imposition of a pull on said cable sufficient to produce release of said cable connector and the resulting pull on said disconnect by said wire; said female portion being provided with a socket; said male portion being provided with a stub receivable in said socket, said stub being interiorly threaded with tapered threads and provided with longitudinal slots; and a threaded member engaging the interior threads of said stub for longitudinal adjustment, to adjust the friction fit between said male stub and said female socket.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
53 words
In a safety device as defined in claim 16, wherein: a sheath having the waterproof properties of plastic surrounds said male and female portions and overhangs the ends thereof, said sheath being attached to said female portion, so as to remain attached to said female portion when said male portion is pulled therefrom.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
88 words
In a safety device as defined in claim 17, wherein: said female portion, at its outer end, is provided with a hole receiving a wire end, said female portion being formed of material permitting crimping onto said wire end; said male portion is provided, at its outer end, with a hole for receiving a wire end, said male portion being formed of a material permitting attachment to said wire end by crimping; and said female portion is provided with an exterior circumferential groove for attachment of said cover.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-09-24 | 1977-03-26 | 1977-09-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-09-24 | 1981-03-26 | 1981-09-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-09-24 | 1985-03-26 | 1985-09-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |