Safety electrical plug release mechanism

Claim 2

A pair of telescopic electrical connector sockets having insulated housings comprising: A. a lever means pivoted to one housing and having trunnion means, B. a flat plate attached to one side of one of said sockets and extending in the telescoping direction beyond the end of said one socket, said plate having a pair of inner and a pair of outer parallel lugs extending from its opposite edges near its outer end, said lugs forming parallel slots between the inner and outer lug of each pair for engaging said trunnion means, whereby oscillatory and longitudinal movement of said lever means engages and disengages and separates said sockets, respectively, and C. means on said housings for insuring said engagement of said trunnion means in the slots formed by said parallel lugs.

Claim 3

A pair of connector sockets according to claim 1 wherein said lever means is a bail shaped lever means.

Claim 4

A pair of connector sockets according to claim 1 wherein said means for insuring said engagement of said trunnion means in said slots comprises the extension of the ends of said inner lugs beyond the ends of said outer lugs to act as stops for said trunnion means.

Claim 5

A pair of connector sockets according to claim 3 wherein said extension of the end of said inner lugs includes a hook means extending partly over the open ends of said slots.

Claim 6

A pair of connector sockets according to claim 1 wherein said means for insuring said engagement of the said trunnion means in said slots comprises an additional trunnion means on said lever for engaging the outer edge of the outer lugs.

Claim 7

A pair of connector sockets according to claim 1 wherein the inner pair of lugs is sufficiently wide so as to prevent said trunnion means from over-riding their outer ends.

Claim 8

A pair of connector sockets according to claim 1 wherein said insuring means comprise said pairs of lugs being offset with respect to each other, and said trunnion means projecting on both sides of said lever means with its projection on one side engaging one pair of said lugs and its projection on the other side engaging the other pair of said lugs.

Claim 9

A pair of connector sockets according to claim 1 including means fastened to said housings for preventing transverse movement of said housings when said housings are in their connected position.

Claim 10

A pair of connector sockets according to claim 8 wherein said means for preventing transverse movement comprises a hook means on one of said housings and lugs on said other housing engageable with said hook means.

Claim 11

A quick release safety cable connector comprising: A. a pair of interfitting electrical terminal sockets surrounded by nesting insulated housings, B. engaging means attached to one of said housings comprising a flat plate attached to one side of one of said sockets and extending in the telescoping direction beyond the end of said one socket, said plate having a pair of inner and a pair of outer parallel lugs extending from its opposite edges near its outer end, said lugs forming parallel slots between the inner and outer lug of each pair, and C. a pivoted lever means attached to the other of said housings, and having trunnion means engageable in said slots between said lugs for moving said sockets towards and away from their nesting engagement position as said lever means is oscillated from one of its limiting positions to the other, and for separating said sockets, and D. means to insure engagement of said trunnion means in said slots between said lugs wherein said inner pair of lugs are larger than said outer pair of lugs.

Claim 12

A quick release safety cable connector comprising: A. a pair of interfitting electrical terminal sockets surrounded by nesting insulated housings, B. engaging means attached to one of said housings comprising a flat plate attached to one side of one of said sockets and extending in the telescoping direction beyond the end of said one socket, said plate having a pair of inner and a pair of outer parallel lugs extending from its opposite edges near its outer end, said lugs forming parallel slots between the inner and outer lug of each pair, and C. a pivoted lever means attached to the other of said housings, and having trunnion means engageable in said slots between said lugs for moving said sockets towards and away from their nesting engagement position as said lever means is oscillated from one of its limiting positions to the other, and for separating said sockets, and D. means to insure engagement of said trunnion means in said slots between said lugs wherein said inner pair of lugs are larger than said outer pair of lugs.

Claim 13

A connector according to claim 10 wherein said insuring means comprises an extension on inner pair of lugs to act as a stop for said trunnion means.

Claim 14

A connector according to claim 10 wherein said insuring means comprises a hook means on inner pair of lugs.

Claim 15

A connector according to claim 10 wherein said insuring means comprises one of said pair of lugs being offset with respect to the other said pair of lugs, and trunnion means extending on both sides of said lever means with its extension on one side engaging said one pair of lugs as a stop and its extension on the other side engaging said other pair of lugs as a journalling means for moving said sockets toward and away from each other.

Claim 16

A connector according to claim 10 including means for preventing transverse movement between said housings when said housings are in their nested position.

Claim 17

A connector according to claim 14 wherein said preventing means comprises hook means attached to one of said housings and lug means attached to other said housings engageable with said hook means.

Claim 18

A pair of connector sockets according to claim 10 wherein said inner pair of parallel lugs is sufficiently wide so as to prevent said trunnion means from over-riding their outer ends.

Claim 19

An improved safety make-and-release means for connecting and disconnecting a pair of electrical connector sockets in insulated interfitting housings, comprising: A. guide means attached to one of said sockets having a pair of slotted flanges, one on each side of and in front of said one socket, one side of each of which slots is longer than the other side to act as a stop, and wherein the sides of said slots are offset with respect to each other, and B. a bail shaped lever means attached to the other socket of said pair and being pivoted on opposite sides of said other socket, and having trunnion means which fit in the slots of said slotted flanges of said guide means, said trunnion means extending on both sides of said lever means, with the extended trunnion means on one of said lever means engaging one side of said slots and with the extended trunnion means on the other side of said lever means engaging the other side of said slots, whereby movement of said sockets towards each other engages said trunnion means against said longer side of said slots, and then movement of said lever means moves said trunnion means into said slots and further moves said sockets towards each other into electrical contact, and opposite movement of said lever means disconnects said sockets and said contact.

Claim 20

An improved safety make-and-release means for connecting and disconnecting a pair of electrical connector sockets in insulated interfitting housings, comprising: A. guide means attached to one of said sockets having a pair of slotted flanges, one on each side of and in front of said one socket, one side of each of which slots is longer than the other side to act as a stop, and wherein the sides of said slots are offset with respect to each other, and B. a bail shaped lever means attached to the other socket of said pair and being pivoted on opposite sides of said other socket, and having trunnion means which fit in the slots of said slotted flanges of said guide means, said trunnion means extending on both sides of said lever means, with the extended trunnion means on one of said lever means engaging one side of said slots and with the extended trunnion means on the other side of said lever means engaging the other side of said slots, whereby movement of said sockets towards each other engages said trunnion means against said longer side of said slots, and then movement of said lever means moves said trunnion means into said slots and further moves said sockets towards each other into electrical contact, and opposite movement of said lever means disconnects said sockets and said contact.

Claim 21

A safety means according to claim 17 wherein said longer sides of said slots include hook means extending at least partly over the open end of said slots.

Claim 22

A safety means according to claim 17 wherein said means attached to said sockets include means for clamping electrical cables at the other end of said sockets from their interfitting ends.

Claim 23

A pair of connector sockets according to claim 17 including means fastened to said housings for preventing transverse movement of said housings when said housings are in their connected position.

Claim 24

An improved safety make-and-release means for connecting and disconnecting a pair of electrical connector sockets in insulated interfitting housings, comprising: A. guide means attached to one of said sockets having a pair of slotted flanges, one on each side of and in front of said one socket, one side of each of which slots is longer than the other side to act as a stop, and including a flange having a wedged shaped slOt, and another means attached to the other said socket including a lug for fitting into said wedge-shaped slot for preventing transverse movement of said sockets when said sockets are in their connecting position, and B. a bail shaped lever means attached to the other socket of said pair and being pivoted on opposite sides of said other socket, and having trunnion means which fit in the slots of said slotted flanges of said guide means, whereby movement of said sockets towards each other engages said trunnion means against said longer side of said slots, and then movement of said lever means moves said trunnion means into said slots and further moves said sockets towards each other into electrical contact, and opposite movement of said lever means disconnects said sockets and said contact.

Claim 25

An improved safety make-and-release means for connecting and disconnecting a pair of electrical connector sockets in insulated interfitting housings, comprising: A. guide means attached to one of said sockets having a pair of slotted flanges, one on each side of and in front of said one socket, one side of each of which slots is longer than the other side to act as a stop, and including a flange having a wedged shaped slOt, and another means attached to the other said socket including a lug for fitting into said wedge-shaped slot for preventing transverse movement of said sockets when said sockets are in their connecting position, and B. a bail shaped lever means attached to the other socket of said pair and being pivoted on opposite sides of said other socket, and having trunnion means which fit in the slots of said slotted flanges of said guide means, whereby movement of said sockets towards each other engages said trunnion means against said longer side of said slots, and then movement of said lever means moves said trunnion means into said slots and further moves said sockets towards each other into electrical contact, and opposite movement of said lever means disconnects said sockets and said contact.

Claim 26

An improved safety make-and-release means for connecting and disconnecting a pair of electrical connector sockets in insulated interfitting housings, comprising: A. guide means attached to one of said sockets having a pair of slotted flanges, one on each side of and in front of said one socket, one side of each of which slots is longer than the other side to act as a stop, and B. a bail shaped lever means attached to the other socket of said pair and being pivoted on opposite sides of said other socket, and having trunnion means which fit in the slots of said slotted flanges of said guide means, and wherein said lever means includes additional trunnion means for engagement with the outside of said slotted flanges to act as a stop means, whereby movement of said sockets towards each other engages said trunnion means against said longer side of said slots, and then movement of said lever means moves said trunnion means into said slots and further moves said sockets towards each other into electrical contact, and opposite movement of said lever means disconnects said sockets and said contact.

Claim 27

An improved safety make-and-release means for connecting and disconnecting a pair of electrical connector sockets in insulated interfitting housings, comprising: A. guide means attached to one of said sockets having a pair of slotted flanges, one on each side of and in front of said one socket, one side of each of which slots is longer than the other side to act as a stop, and B. a bail shaped lever means attached to the other socket of said pair and being pivoted on opposite sides of said other socket, and having trunnion means which fit in the slots of said slotted flanges of said guide means, and wherein said lever means includes additional trunnion means for engagement with the outside of said slotted flanges to act as a stop means, whereby movement of said sockets towards each other engages said trunnion means against said longer side of said slots, and then movement of said lever means moves said trunnion means into said slots and further moves said sockets towards each other into electrical contact, and opposite movement of said lever means disconnects said sockets and said contact.

Claim 28

In a pair of telescopic electrical connector sockets having insulated housings; including: A. a lever means pivoted to one housing and having trunnion means, and B. two pairs of parallel lugs fastened to the other housing forming slots between the lugs of each pair for engaging said trunnion means, each pair of said parallel lugs being aligned toward and away from connectors of said sockets, whereby oscillatory movement of said lever means engages and disengages said sockets, the improvement comprising: C. means on said housings for insuring said engagement of said trunnion means in the slots formed by said lugs, said insuring means comprising additional trunnion means on said lever for engaging the outer edges away from the lugs.

Claim 29

In a pair of telescopic electrical connector sockets having insulated housings; including: A. a lever means pivoted to one housing and having trunnion means, and B. two pairs of parallel lugs fastened to the other housing forming slots between the lugs of each pair for engaging said trunnion means, each pair of said parallel lugs being aligned toward and away from connectors of said sockets, whereby oscillatory movement of said lever means engages and disengages said sockets, the improvement comprising: C. means on said housings for insuring said engagement of said trunnion means in the slots formed by said lugs, said insuring means comprising additional trunnion means on said lever for engaging the outer edges away from the lugs.

Claim 30

In a pair of telescopic electrical connector sockets having insulated housings including: A. a lever means pivoted to one housing and having trunnion means, and B. a pair of parallel inner and outer lugs fastened to the other housing forming slots for engaging said trunnion means, whereby oscillatory and longitudinal movement of said lever means engages and disengages and separates said sockets, respectively, the improvement comprising: C. means on said housings for insuring the engagement of said trunnion means in the slots formed by said parallel lugs comprising an additional trunnion means on said lever for engaging the outer edge of the outer lugs.

Claim 31

In a pair of telescopic electrical connector sockets having insulated housings including: A. a lever means pivoted to one housing and having trunnion means, and B. a pair of parallel inner and outer lugs fastened to the other housing forming slots for engaging said trunnion means, whereby oscillatory and longitudinal movement of said lever means engages and disengages and separates said sockets, respectively, the improvement comprising: C. means on said housings for insuring the engagement of said trunnion means in the slots formed by said parallel lugs comprising an additional trunnion means on said lever for engaging the outer edge of the outer lugs.