US2356014A - Coupling for splicing cables - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 15, 1944. R. s. WADE -r AL 2,356,014

COUPLING FOR SPLICING CABLES Filed Jan.,15, 1943 13 4 I9 19 L. l3

3 /6 ,5 6 /0 l' 4 7 1a 4 /0 C C I C Q I Raymund 5'. Wade INVENTOM.

and .HOh/flfd J Jone HT-ro RNEy.

Patented Aug. 15, 1944 COUPLING FOR SPLICING (mamas ItaymondStephen Wade, Inglewood, and Howard Jarvis Jones, West Los Angeles, Calif.

Application January 15, 1943, Serial No. 472,536

' 2 Claims. (01.287-76) This invention relates to :couplingsforsplicing cables and more particularly to. certain improve- .ments therein, and is. an improved .coupling for stated purpose. 1-

In practical applications ithas been found that inserting of a loose end of a cable, especially when the latter is composed .of many. separate, threads,

into a coupling with :a sleeve or .a plurality of sleeves therewithin is often dilficult and obstructed when said sleeves are located beyond immaining visible from outside when the coupling is engaged by a cable-end being inserted thereinto.

Many accidents were caused by a blind contention that cable-ends are properly inserted into a coupling. A common inspection hole in a coupling wall is often misleading due to a dark background formed by the opposite inner wall thereof whereby locating a cable-end is handicapped or delayed. Inspectors often may assume they saw the cable-end through a common inspection hole while what they actually may have seen was merely a shadow of the cable-edge against a natural screen formed by the opposite solid inner wall.

Thus another object of this invention is to provide means to test degree of cable insertion into a clamp independently from vision, said means comprising a through opening in the middle section of side walls of the clamp which opening is adapted to allow a wire rod, stick or like to be inserted therethough prior to inserting a cable end into the clamp, and thereafter tried to be pulled out when the cable end inserted into the clamp will come in pressing and frictional contact with prior insertion. A relative difiiculty in pulling the latter out from the through opening would indicate the proper degree of cable en d insertion into the clamp.

In a coupling it is a common practice to pro- "vide a removable sleeve at each end thereof. In

they are regularly mounted in a coupling. Im-

'portance of such locking is fully emphasized by suchhigh authority as United States Army (Turn buckle assembly, U. S. Army Standards AN 130, AN-135, AN140,'AN150 as vfarback as 3-22-26 and 5-6-35); These wires were already used in an effort to lock said removable sleeves after they have been screwed in in a regular manner over a coupling. I It has ,been observed that a main defect of heretofore known locking means for said sleeves was inability to eliminate a certain margin cfplay either one way or another which eventually provided an opportunity to develop a loosening of the grip against the cable-ends.

,The third object of this invention is to provide improved and original means of locking the coupling sleeves in place, and more specifically, a playless self-equalizing and self-locking lock comprising a plurality of locks of relatively equal strength applied in relatively opposite directions, for instance, awire held at series of relatively dependent points in an X-like relationship in such a manner (shown and described below) that a tendency of either sleeve to loosen up either way will naturally tighten the wire hold thereagainst and such Wire tightening will simultaneously tighten the opposite pull of the other wire section in the X-like relationship.

While present war efforts have convincingly demonstrated that responsibility of a coupling in industrial applications in many instances is very great a practical observation of heretofore used couplings reveals that some lack in simplicity of construction, or in efficiency of operation, or in durability, or are not quite economical formanufacture, therefore the general' object of this invention is to incorporate the others in a structure that is simple, efficient, durable and susceptible of economical manufacture as illustrated in the accompanying. drawing and following reigerences thereto. r Reference now will be had to the accompanying drawing in which- I Fig. l is a central section transversely asto what is shown in Fig. 2.

v ,Fig. 2 is a plan view of what is shown in-Fig. 1.

- ;Fig. 3 is a'section on line 3-.3 of Fig. 2.

- Fig. 4'is asection on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

i Fig. 5 isa section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

v Fig. 6 shows perspective views of the semi-circular tapered clamping wedges of the coupling.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the unitary central body of the coupling. i I Fig. 8 indicates a modified form of an inspection aperture in the body piece of Fig. 7, wherein one aperture for-inspection is used as compared with two apertures for inspection which are shown in'Figs. 1 and 2. l 7

, i In the drawing 'our coupling is shown as being 3 on eaclrend of which there are threaded nipple ends 4. 'Central tubular holes 5 extend through spection holes I.

ends of the said sleeves.

is provided with inspection holes I extending en-i tirely through that portion of the block 2. These holes 1 are located to pass through the holes 5 at or near the ends 6 of the holes 5. These inspection holes I permit an inspector to observe that the ends I4 of the cables which are being A spliced are extended into full depth'in theholes" 5 of the nipples 4. 7 In the block 2, at the hexagonical portion 3,

there are provided holes orapertures whichextend through the corners 9 and these are-located on opposite sides of each other and at ninety degrees, or other desirable angle, from the in- The holes 8 are a partfof a locking means to prevent the parts of the coupling becoming loose in service.

On the ends of the threaded nipples 4 there are internally threaded sleeves I0 screwed thereon. In the outer ends of the sleeves I0 beyond the internal threads of the sleeves and the ends of the nipples 4, there are tapered interior chambers I I, the small ends of which are at their outer ends. Y

Located in these chambers II in the said sleeves I 0 there are semi-circular tapered wedges I2 having their small ends I3 located at the outer Their wedges I2 are curved on their inside to fit the contour of the cable C which is being spliced.

In making a splice with our coupling the ends of the cable are shoved into the ends of the coupling when the sleeves II] and wedges I2 are sufficiently released to permit easy entrance of the cable ends. The ends are shoved clear into the coupling and through the holes 5 in the threaded nipples 4 to abut against the ends of the holes 5 as is shown at 6 in Fig. 1.

As shown in Figure l, the distance between inner ends of wedges I2, and the edge of nipple end 4 is relatively small (in this instance,-and taking in consideration the relatively diagonal slices, the total moving margin within the clamp is approximately thus, when cable end is being inserted into the coupling, wedges I2 may move but relatively very small distance; asillustrated, to allow outer edges I3 thereof to remain vsible from outside while-the coupling-is being engaged. I r

The cable ends then are by any suitable'means heldclosely in those positions while-the sleeves III are screwed on the nipples 4 toward the center of the coupling, which results in causingthe tapered semi-circular wedges I2 to clamp tightly on the cable body at theinterior of .thertapered chambers II in the sleeves). The wedges l2 then clamp the cable endstight- 1y substantially to thelimit of the strength of the cable itself by frictional resistance under th pressure ofrthe wedges I 2. J It. will be noticed that the ends of the cable extend into the holes 5 of thenipples 4:-a distance beyond the wedges I2;approximating the length of the wedges I 2. Thus these portions I4 of the cable ends are not compressed in diameter by the wedges I2 and on that accountjhey have a holding resista ce a a n t withd awa r the coupling. p o imatin tea m c ste n a? i h t n ed e i u se man.-

.ends of the sleeves I0.

longitudinal opening.

nor to prevent withdrawal of the cable inside of the portion beyond the wedges I2.

The sleeves I0 at their inner ends are provided with hexagonical portions I 5 closely approximating the size and shape of the hexagonical portions 3 of the block 2. Through the corners of the hexagonical portions I5 of sleeves I0 there are '7 holes I6.

On the final adjustment of the application of the coupling in making a splice, the hexagonical surfaces of the block 2 and the sleeves II) are brought in parallel relations as much as may be 5 necessary for'proper adjustments for the clampingof the sleeves to the cable C. This parallelism is desirable for convenience in looking the parts together to prevent them from coming loose in service,as there is provided a wire means I9 which is'trained through the holes 8 in the block 2 and the holes I6 in the corners I5 of the sleeves III. This wire is threaded through those holes back and forth on each side of the coupling, as is best observed in Fig. 2. This wire terminates in a twisted connection indicated by I8 in Fig. 2.

This wire is criss crossed on itself as is indicated by Fig. 2 whereby there is prevented any twisting or. rotary movement of the sleeves III with the block 2.

We prefer to provide the two inspection holes I by means of which to observe that the cable ends are inserted to the full depths desired into the coupling. However, one larger hole, indicated by I7 in Fig. 8, may in some instances be used.

We have shown and described hexagonical shapes 3 for the central body 2 and the inner However, any suitable shapes may be used for these parts which are adaptable for the service. In cases where circular shapes are used in place of the hexagonical shapes, or other shapes having corners, then there will be provided in the sides of such circular shapes, the holes 8 for the locking wires I9 in substantially the same manner as herein described.

What we claim is:

1,. A coupling'for wires, rods or the like comprising a body block having a nipple at its end, said nipple having a tubular and longitudinal opening therewithin adapted toreceive a wire, rod or the like, a tubular sleeve longitudinally and movably mounted over ,the nipple, clamping means within said sleeve, a plurality of through and relatively-opposite openings in relatively opposite side walls of the coupling relatively far from its outer end and communicating with said 2.'A coupling for wires, rods or the like comprisin a body block having a nipple at its end, saidnipple having-a tubular and longitudinal opening therewithin adapted to. receive a wire, rod or the like, a tubular sleeve longitudinally and movably mounted over the nipple, said block and sleeve having. transverse openings 'therethrough clampswithin saidlsleeve, locking means adapted tohcld-th sleeve. in clamping position when. a wire, rod or the like is engagedin said coupling, said means comprising an" elongated member e te d ng" sequen ia l ro h t e. t er openings; of said block andsaid sleeve, portions of said member engaging one another in crossing relationship and the; end portions of said memberbeing interlockedto lock and hold the sleeve in stati'onary position relative to. the block.

- 5 @A M N $T HE WADE.

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