Combination cable anchorage and grounding accessory

Claim 2

A combination anchorage and grounding accessory for shielded subscriber service and the like cables comprising a U-shaped spring clip having the major length of the legs thereof arched crosswise thereof and in oppostie directions to form an elongated channel shaped to snugly embrace an exposed length of a cable shielding jacket extending therealong through an opening in the bight portion of said clip, said channel opening outwardly through the lateral edges of said legs in an area remote from said bight portion thereby forming an exit passage for the free ends of the cable conductors, and means for clamping the free ends of the clip legs toward one another to form a strong electrical and mechanical connection between said clip and the shield jacket of a cable positioned there-between.

Claim 3

An accessory as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said clamping means includes means for clamping said clip to a grounded conductive member.

Claim 4

An accessory as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said elongated channel is generally T-shaped with its long T-stem portion opening at one end through the bight portion of said clip and the ends of its T-head portion opening outwardly from the opposite sides of the clip legs.

Claim 5

An accessory as defined in claim 3 characterized in that the T-head portion of said channel is substantially larger in cross section than the cable conductors to avoid risk of damage thereto in the assembled clamped condition of the clip legs.

Claim 6

An accessory as dEfined in claim 2 characterized in that said means for clamping said clip to a grounded conductive member includes a bolt passing through the outer ends of the clip legs and having a passageway through the head thereof accommodating a clamping band securable about said grounded member and effective as said band is tightened to clamp said bolt head in pressurized electrical contact with the surface of said grounded member.

Claim 7

An accessory as defined in claim 5 characterized in that said clip is clamped to said grounded member with the clip legs lying lengthwise of and closely beside said grounded member.

Claim 8

An accessory as defined in claim 5 characterized in that said bolt and said band are firmly clampable to said grounded member before assembly of said clip over the outer end of said bolt, and said bolt having nut means for holding said clip legs tightened snugly against a cable shield jacket located therebetween.

Claim 9

An accessory as defined in claim 1 characterized that said channel is sized to provide a strong mechanical and electrical anchorage to the exposed shield jacket of a particular size shielded cable as the free ends of said clip legs are compressed into firm contact with one another by the tightening of a clamping bolt passing therethrough.

Claim 10

A cable terminal anchorage comprising a U-shaped clip formed from a long strip of metal, said strip having an opening centrally of the bight portion thereof, each leg of said clip having a T-shaped channel formed therein with the end of its T-stem terminating at said opening and the ends of its T-head opening laterally through the opposite edges of the clip legs, and means at the free ends of said legs for clamping said legs toward one another.

Claim 11

A cable terminal anchorage comprising a U-shaped clip formed from a long strip of metal, said strip having an opening centrally of the bight portion thereof, each leg of said clip having a T-shaped channel formed therein with the end of its T-stem terminating at said opening and the ends of its T-head opening laterally through the opposite edges of the clip legs, and means at the free ends of said legs for clamping said legs toward one another.

Claim 12

A cable anchorage as defined in claim 9 characterized in that the T-head portion of said channel is located inwardly from the free ends of said legs, and aligned openings through the free ends of said legs to accommodate clamping bolt means for said legs.

Claim 13

A cable anchorage as defined in claim 10 characterized in that the T-stem portion of said channel is sized to firmly grip a cable extending through said opening and along said T-stem as the free ends of said legs are clamped together, and said T-head portion of the channel accommodating the terminal ends of the cable conductors.

Claim 14

A cable anchorage as defined in claim 10 characterized in that the head of said clamping bolt means is formed with sharp edged ribs facing away from the bolt shank.

Claim 15

A cable anchorage as defined in claim 12 characterized in that said bolt head has a wide shallow passageway therethrough to accommodate a clamping band.

Claim 16

A combination anchorage and grounding accessory for use with smaller sizes of shielded cables enclosing a plurality of insulated conductors and designed to provide a highly effective mechanical and solderless electrical connection to the cable shield without risk of damage to the conductors or the shield, said accessory comprising a tempered U-shaped clip having a bight and parallel leg portions and formed of strip material, said parallel leg portions having their free end portions offset toward one another to bottom out flush against one another to avoid risk of damage to the insulated conductors of a shielded cable and lying in a plane parallel to the planar lateral edge portions of the clip legs, the bight portion of said clip having a central portion opening freely accommodating the exposed shield of a cable sized to be clamped between said legs, each said leg portion being shaped to include a long round-bottomed shallow substantially smooth channel, said channels faced toward one another lengthwise of said legs and having one end of each in communication with said opening, the bottoms of said channel snugly embracing a cable shield inserted thereinto through said opening, and means for clamping the free ends of said legs firmly against one another.

Claim 17

A combination anchorage and grounding accessory for use with smaller sizes of shielded cables enclosing a plurality of insulated conductors and designed to provide a highly effective mechanical and solderless electrical connection to the cable shield without risk of damage to the conductors or the shield, said accessory comprising a tempered U-shaped clip having a bight and parallel leg portions and formed of strip material, said parallel leg portions having their free end portions offset toward one another to bottom out flush against one another to avoid risk of damage to the insulated conductors of a shielded cable and lying in a plane parallel to the planar lateral edge portions of the clip legs, the bight portion of said clip having a central portion opening freely accommodating the exposed shield of a cable sized to be clamped between said legs, each said leg portion being shaped to include a long round-bottomed shallow substantially smooth channel, said channels faced toward one another lengthwise of said legs and having one end of each in communication with said opening, the bottoms of said channel snugly embracing a cable shield inserted thereinto through said opening, and means for clamping the free ends of said legs firmly against one another.

Claim 18

An accessory as defined in claim 14 characterized in that the ends of saId channels remote from the bight portion of said clip open laterally through at least one edge of said clip legs to provide a passage accommodating branchout conductors from a cable clamped between the legs of said clip.

Claim 19

An accessory as defined in claim 15 characterized in that said remote channel ends open laterally from both sides of said clip in an area adjacent said clamping means.

Claim 20

An accessory as defined in claim 14 characterized in that the free ends of said clip have aligned slots extending through a lateral edge portion thereof and adapted to seat a clamping bolt at the inner ends of said slots.

Claim 21

An accessory as defined in claim 17 characterized in that the outer end portion of said slots are inclined to the longitudinal axis of said clip legs and toward the bight portion of said clip.

Claim 22

An accessory as defined in claim 14 characterized in that the bottoms of said channels are deformed in opposite directions crosswise thereof to provide indentations projecting toward one another and cooperating with the soft material of a cable shield jacket to resist axial and rotary movement of a shielded cable clamped between the clip legs.

Claim 23

An accessory as defined in claim 14 characterized in the provision of a resilient non-conductive strain-relief sleeve having one end sized to snugly embrace the sheath of a shielded cable to be anchored by said accessory and its other end sized to have a snug telescopic fit over the bight end of said U-shaped clip and along a major portion of its legs, said sleeve cooperating with the bight end of said clip in restraining flexing of a shielded cable clamped between said clip legs thereby minimizing the risk of damage to the cable shield and the conductors embraced thereby.

Claim 24

An accessory as defined in claim 20 characterized in that the portion of said sleeve immediately rearward of the bight portion of said clip is provided with inwardly projecting lugs shaped to seat against said bight portion and against the adjacent sides of a cable thereby to reinforce and resist flexing of the cable at its point of entry between the clip legs.

Claim 25

An accessory as defined in claim 20 characterized in that the wall of said sleeve is provided with a pair of lugs projecting toward one another from the interior thereof in an area between the opposite ends of said sleeve, said lugs having a pair of radially aligned surfaces positioned to abut the bight portion of said clip when said sleeve is fully assembled thereon and being effective to resist flexing of a cable at its point of entry between the clip legs.