Patent US3787795A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3787795A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Solderless terminal assembly
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1972-04-07
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Granted: 1974-01-22
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Expires: 1992-04-07
Abstract
Abstract A solderless terminal strip of U-shaped, tempered, resilient metal having an opening in its bight for receiving the end of a conductor and clamping the same between the legs thereof as the latter are clamped together. Sharp edged pimple-like protruberances bite into the conductor to assure electrical contact and a strong mechanical anchorage. The clip legs are formed with channels, lengthwise thereof, preferably non-linear and of a size firmly seating the similarly shaped end of a conductor. Smaller sized conductors are accommodated by selecting a split sleeve adapter of suitable size to telescope over the conductor and be clamped between the legs of the clip.
Inventors
- 👤 J Thompson
- 👤 G Gillemot
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 11:08
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R4/00; H01R4/58; H01R4/64; H01R4/643
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
289 words
A solderless terminal clip for use in forming a high strength mechanical and electrical connection between a single cylindrical conductor and a clamping bolt, said terminal clip being stamped from strip metal and bent crosswise of its midlength into a flaring U-shape with straight legs, said terminal clip having an opening centrally of its bight portion axially aligned with the adjacent ends of substantially smooth non-threaded adjacent faces of opposed long channels of semi-circular cross-section stamped into and extending lengthwise of the clip legs and freely receptive of the conductor to be clamped as the conductor is inserted axially through said opening and between the flaring legs of said clip, at least one pimple-like protuberance projecting inwardly from the bottom of at least one of said channels and positioned to bite into a conductor extending through said opening into juxtaposition with said protuberance lengthwise of and between the legs of said strip as said flaring legs are pressed into parallelism against the opposite sides of a conductor, aligned openings through said legs near the free ends thereof for the reception of clamping means for closing said legs against the opposite sides of a conductor, said U-shaped strip and said pimple-like protuberance being tempered to render said clip highly resilient and all portions thereof substantially harder than the hardness of the conductor to be clamped, and the free ends of said legs having a pair of aligned openings for fastener means to force said legs toward one another whereby the forced closing of said legs against a conductor forces said pimple-like protuberances to penetrate into the conductor and whereby said resilient legs relax the grip on a conductor as clamping pressure between the free ends of said legs is relaxed.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
289 words
A solderless terminal clip for use in forming a high strength mechanical and electrical connection between a single cylindrical conductor and a clamping bolt, said terminal clip being stamped from strip metal and bent crosswise of its midlength into a flaring U-shape with straight legs, said terminal clip having an opening centrally of its bight portion axially aligned with the adjacent ends of substantially smooth non-threaded adjacent faces of opposed long channels of semi-circular cross-section stamped into and extending lengthwise of the clip legs and freely receptive of the conductor to be clamped as the conductor is inserted axially through said opening and between the flaring legs of said clip, at least one pimple-like protuberance projecting inwardly from the bottom of at least one of said channels and positioned to bite into a conductor extending through said opening into juxtaposition with said protuberance lengthwise of and between the legs of said strip as said flaring legs are pressed into parallelism against the opposite sides of a conductor, aligned openings through said legs near the free ends thereof for the reception of clamping means for closing said legs against the opposite sides of a conductor, said U-shaped strip and said pimple-like protuberance being tempered to render said clip highly resilient and all portions thereof substantially harder than the hardness of the conductor to be clamped, and the free ends of said legs having a pair of aligned openings for fastener means to force said legs toward one another whereby the forced closing of said legs against a conductor forces said pimple-like protuberances to penetrate into the conductor and whereby said resilient legs relax the grip on a conductor as clamping pressure between the free ends of said legs is relaxed.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
A solderless terminal clip as defined in claim 1 characterized in the presence of a pimple-like protruberance on the inner face of each leg of said U-shaped strip.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
A solderless terminal clip as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said channels are shaped to conform with the juxtaposed surface of a conductor of the size for which said terminal strip is designed.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
A solderless terminal clip as defined in claim 1 characterized in that the axes of said channels are similar, non-linear and effective when clamped closed against the similarly shaped non-linear end of a conductor to prevent axial rotation of the conductor relative to said terminal strip.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
44 words
A solderless terminal clip as defined in claim 1 characterized in that at least one of said channels is formed to seat and clamp the bent free end of a conductor and cooperable therewith to prevent rotation of a conductor about the axis thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
A solderless terminal clip as defined in claim 1 characterized in that each of said channels includes a plurality of said protruberances projecting toward one another from the bottoms of the respective channels.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
A solderless terminal clip as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said strIp is formed initially to shape from ductile stock and then tempered to render the same hard and resilient.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
A solderless terminal clip as defined in claim 1 characterized in that the metal thereof is tempered to render the same hard and resilient, and said protruberance being sharp edged and sufficiently hard for repeated use without materially altering the sharp edge thereof.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
68 words
A solderless terminal clip as defined in claim 1 characterized in the provision of adapter means for converting said clip to grip a conductor of smaller diameter than can be clamped between said channels comprising a split sleeve metal having an O.D. corresponding generally with the shape of said channels and an I.D. having a loose telescopic fit with the particular size of conductor to be used therewith.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
42 words
A solderless terminal clip as defined in claim 9 characterized in that said split sleeve is formed with dimples positioned to internest with said pimple-like protruberances on said strip when properly assembled in said channels and between the legs of said strip.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
34 words
A solderless terminal clip as defined in claim 10 characterized in that said dimples are diametrically opposed to one another and spaced substantially equidistantly from the opposite sides of the split in said sleeve.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
82 words
A solderless terminal clip as defined in claim 1 characterized in the provision of a tubular adapter sleeve slit along one side thereof and having a length not in excess of the length of said channel, said adapter sleeve being sized to snugly grip a smaller diameter conductor that can be effectively clamped between the legs of said clip, and the exterior of said sleeve being generally complemental to the shape and size of the channels in the legs of said clip.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
49 words
A solderless terminal clip as defined in claim 12 characterized in that the interior side walls of said sleeve closely adjacent one side of said slit are formed with sharp pointed protruberances effective to penetrate a conductor assembled lengthwise therewithin as the clip legs are tightened toward one another.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
73 words
A solderless terminal clip as defined in claim 1 characterized in the provision of a plurality of adapter sleeves selectively usable to clamp conductors of different respective sizes between the channels extending lengthwise of the legs of said clip, said adapter sleeves having O.D. complemental to the juxtaposed surfaces of said channels and different I.D.''s corresponding to that of respective conductors all smaller than the diameter of said channels along said clip legs.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
34 words
A solderless terminal clip as defined in claim 14 characterized in that the length of said plurality of adapter sleeves is less than the length of said channels along the legs of said clip.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
A solderless terminal clip as defined in claim 14 characterized in that each of said plurality of adapter sleeves are slit lengthwise of only side thereof.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
46 words
A solderless terminal clip as defined in claim 14 characterized in that said adapter sleeves have a plurality of sharp pointed protruberances projecting inwardly from the interior surface thereof and adapted to penetrate a conductor as the legs of said clip are tightened toward one another.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
195 words
A solderless terminal clip of resilient tempered strip metal of divergent U-shape prior to clamping about the exposed end of a single solid conductor inserted between the legs of said clip through an opening in the bight portion thereof, said clip legs being straight and formed from uniform thickness strip stock and deformed lengthwise thereof to strengthen the same and to provide shallow juxtaposed planar channels having generally smooth semi-cylindrical surfaces and a combined depth less than the diameter of the conductor to be clamped therebetween, said channels being free of threads and having one end in communication with said opening in the bight portion of said clip and the other end terminating short of the free ends of said clip legs, the cross sectional shape and size of said smooth semi-cylindrical channels being effective to provide a powerful grip on the juxtaposed surface of a conductor positioned therebetween as the smooth non-threaded surfaces of the clip legs are pressed into parallelism with one another and against a conductor therebetween, and means extending between the free ends of said legs to force the same toward one another to clamp a conductor immovably in place therebetween.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
195 words
A solderless terminal clip of resilient tempered strip metal of divergent U-shape prior to clamping about the exposed end of a single solid conductor inserted between the legs of said clip through an opening in the bight portion thereof, said clip legs being straight and formed from uniform thickness strip stock and deformed lengthwise thereof to strengthen the same and to provide shallow juxtaposed planar channels having generally smooth semi-cylindrical surfaces and a combined depth less than the diameter of the conductor to be clamped therebetween, said channels being free of threads and having one end in communication with said opening in the bight portion of said clip and the other end terminating short of the free ends of said clip legs, the cross sectional shape and size of said smooth semi-cylindrical channels being effective to provide a powerful grip on the juxtaposed surface of a conductor positioned therebetween as the smooth non-threaded surfaces of the clip legs are pressed into parallelism with one another and against a conductor therebetween, and means extending between the free ends of said legs to force the same toward one another to clamp a conductor immovably in place therebetween.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
46 words
A terminal clip as defined in claim 18 characterized in that said channels are curved lengthwise thereof and adapted to seat the similarly curved end of a conductor and cooperating therewith to hold the conductor against rotation when said clip legs are tightened against a conductor.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
29 words
A terminal clip as defined in claim 18 characterized in that said channels are curved lengthwise thereof and in a plane parallel to the width of said clip legs.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
30 words
A terminal clip as defined in claim 18 characterized in that at least one of said channels includes a plurality of sharp pointed protruberances projecting inwardly from the bottoms thereof.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
57 words
A terminal clip as defined in claim 18 characterized in that the bight portion of said clip is highly resilient whereby said legs tend to resume the divergent position thereof automatically as said clamping means between the free ends thereof is loosened thereby releasing and freeing a conductor for withdrawal through the bight portion of said clip.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
185 words
A solderless terminal clip formed from a length of strip stock bent into a flaring U shape, said clip having an opening centrally of its bight portion in communication with the adjacent ends of shallow generally smooth non-threaded long channels pressed into the respective clip legs with their non-threaded open sides facing toward one another, the depth of said channels being less than one half the diameter of conductive means clampable between said legs, a plurality of sharp edged protuberances projecting inwardly from the bottom of said channels, said clip and said protuberances being tempered to harden the same, said opening in the bight portion of said clip being adapted to receive a single solid conductor to be clamped between said legs as the free ends thereof are clamped toward one another from the opposite sides of a conductor positioned therebetween, said clip having been tempered to a hardness substantially greater than the hardness of a conductor to be clamped therein, and means at the free ends of said legs for clamping said channels into parallelism to clamp a conductor powerfully and immovably assembled therebetween.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
185 words
A solderless terminal clip formed from a length of strip stock bent into a flaring U shape, said clip having an opening centrally of its bight portion in communication with the adjacent ends of shallow generally smooth non-threaded long channels pressed into the respective clip legs with their non-threaded open sides facing toward one another, the depth of said channels being less than one half the diameter of conductive means clampable between said legs, a plurality of sharp edged protuberances projecting inwardly from the bottom of said channels, said clip and said protuberances being tempered to harden the same, said opening in the bight portion of said clip being adapted to receive a single solid conductor to be clamped between said legs as the free ends thereof are clamped toward one another from the opposite sides of a conductor positioned therebetween, said clip having been tempered to a hardness substantially greater than the hardness of a conductor to be clamped therein, and means at the free ends of said legs for clamping said channels into parallelism to clamp a conductor powerfully and immovably assembled therebetween.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
29 words
A terminal clip as defined in claim 23 characterized in that said shallow channels terminate short of the free ends of said legs and short of said clamping means.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
27 words
A terminal clip as defined in claim 23 characterized in that the free ends of said legs have aligned openings therethrough to receive a threaded clamping member.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
43 words
A terminal clip as defined in claim 23 characterized in that said channels are of similar non-linear shape lengthwise thereof and adapted to seat the complementally shaped non-linear end of a conductor inserted through said opening in the bight portion of said clip.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
49 words
A terminal clip as defined in claim 23 characterized in that the bottom of at least one of said channels is formed with radially disposed tempered sharp crested protrusion means harder than a conductor and effective to penetrate into a conductor as said legs are clamped against a conductor.
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) | 1977-01-21 | 1977-07-23 | 1978-01-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-01-21 | 1981-07-23 | 1982-01-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-01-21 | 1985-07-23 | 1986-01-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |