Locking grounding clamp

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10283882-B2
Application number	US-201715584888-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 2, 2017
Priority date	May 2, 2016
Publication date	May 7, 2019
Grant date	May 7, 2019

Abstract

A grounding clamp includes a safety lock-out which locks the operation of the clamp in the absence of a hot-stick. A clamping member cooperates with a frame having an arm, and is selectively biasable by a user to translate the clamping member relative to the frame to clamp a conductor between the clamping member and arm. The lock-out cooperates with the clamping member to prevent the translation of the clamping member unless in the presence of an insulating tool such as a hot-stick.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A grounding clamp having a safety lock-out mechanism cooperating with a hot-stick, the clamp mountable onto the hot-stick and comprising:
a frame and a clamping member defining a capture cavity and an opening, said opening providing access into said cavity for a conductor to be captured in said cavity,
said clamping member cooperating with said frame and selectively biasable by a user between an unclamped position wherein said clamping member is retracted to open the cavity and the opening and a clamped position wherein the cavity and the opening are closed so that the conductor is clamped against said frame by said clamping member when the conductor is positioned in said cavity,
a lock-out mounted on said frame and cooperating with said clamping member, said lock-out adapted to lock movement of said clamping member in the absence of the hot-stick so as to prevent movement of said clamping member relative to said frame, and to unlock said clamping member to allow movement of said clamping member relative to said frame when in proximity to the hot-stick, wherein said lock-out has first and second positions and said lock-out is normally biased into said first position, and wherein, in said first position, said selective biasing of said clamping member between said unclamped position and said clamped position is prevented, and wherein, in said second position, said selective biasing of said clamping member between said unclamped position and said clamped position is enabled, and wherein a hot-stick head is adapted to couple onto said frame and to cooperate with said lock-out to bias said lock-out into said second position when said hot-stick head is coupled with said frame, wherein said hot-stick head is adapted to be mounted onto on an end of the hot-stick, and wherein said lock-out includes a lock-out ring resiliently biased into said first position and said hot-stick head includes an actuator cooperating with said ring to bias said ring and thereby said lock-out into said second position when said head is coupled with said frame, and
whereby, when said frame is mounted on the hot-stick, the clamping member is moveable to clamp the conductor positioned in the cavity.

2. The clamp of claim 1 wherein said clamping member has first and second opposite ends, and includes a threaded bore coupled to said second end, and wherein said frame includes a correspondingly threaded shaft, said threaded shaft rotatably journalled in said threaded bore.

3. The clamp of claim 2 , wherein a second end of said frame includes a first couple, and wherein said hot-stick head includes a second couple couplable with said first couple when said head is coupled onto said frame.

4. The clamp of claim 2 wherein said ring is said resiliently biased by a resilient biasing force into a locking position when said lock-out is in said first position to thereby prevent said rotation of said threaded shaft in said threaded bore, and wherein said actuator includes at least one magnet, wherein a magnetic attractive force of said at least one magnet is greater than said resilient biasing force whereby said lock-out is magnetically biased into said second position against a return biasing of said resilient biasing force.

5. The clamp of claim 4 wherein said resilient biasing force is provided by a spring, and wherein said frame includes a spring housing which contains said spring.

6. The clamp of claim 5 wherein said threaded shaft has opposite first and second ends, and wherein said second end extends from said frame so as to extend from said first couple, said second end of said threaded shaft adapted to engage said hot-stick head whereby a twisting movement of said hot-stick head caused by a corresponding twisting of the hot-stick about its length causes rotation of said threaded shaft in said bore to thereby translate said clamping member relative to said frame.

7. The clamp of claim 6 wherein said shaft includes an eye at said second end of said shaft, and said head is adapted to releasably couple to said eye.

8. The clamp of claim 7 wherein the frame includes a clamping arm in opposed facing relation to said clamping member, at opposite ends of said frame.

9. A grounding method using a grounding clamp having a safety lock-out mechanism cooperating with a hot-stick, the clamp mountable onto the hot-stick, the method comprising:
a) providing a frame and a clamping member defining a capture cavity and an opening, said opening providing access into said cavity for a conductor to be captured in said cavity, said clamping member cooperating with said frame and selectively biasable by a user between an unclamped position wherein said clamping member is retracted to open the cavity and opening and a clamped position wherein the cavity and opening are closed so that the conductor is clamped against said frame by said clamping member when the conductor is positioned in said cavity,
b) providing a lock-out mounted on said frame and cooperating with said clamping member, said lock-out adapted to lock said clamping member in the absence of the hot-stick to prevent movement of said clamping member relative to said frame, and to unlock said clamping member to allow movement of said clamping member in the presence of the hot-stick, wherein said lock-out has first and second positions and said lock-out is normally biased into said first position, and wherein, in said first position, said selective biasing of said clamping member between said unclamped position and said clamped position is prevented, and wherein, in said second position, said selective biasing of said clamping member between said unclamped position and said clamped position is enabled, and wherein a hot-stick head is adapted to couple onto said frame and to cooperate with said lock-out to bias said lock-out into said second position when said hot-stick head is coupled with said frame, wherein said hot-stick head is adapted to be, mounted onto on an end of the hot-stick, and wherein said lock-out includes a lock-out ring resiliently biased into said first position and said hot-stick head includes an actuator cooperating with said ring to bias said ring and thereby said lock-out into said second position when said head is coupled with said frame,
c) mounting the frame onto the hot-stick so as to couple the hot-stick head with the frame and to unlock the lock-out whereby the clamping member is movable to clamp the conductor positioned in the cavity,
d) positioning the conductor in the cavity; and,
e) rotating the hot-stick with a twisting motion about its length so as to translate the first clamping member into its clamped position thereby clamping the conductor.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said clamping member has first and second opposite ends, and includes a threaded bore coupled to said second end, and wherein said frame includes a correspondingly threaded shaft, said threaded shaft rotatably journalled in said threaded bore.

11. The clamp of claim 10 wherein a second end of said frame includes a first couple, and wherein said hot-stick head includes a second couple couplable with said first couple when said head is coupled onto said frame.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein said ring is said resiliently biased by a resilient biasing force into a locking position when said lock-out is in said first position to thereby prevent said rotation of said threaded shaft in said threaded bore, and wherein said actuator includes at least one magnet, wherein a magnetic attractive force of said at least one magnet is greater than said resilient biasing force whereby said lock-out is magnetically biased into said second position against a retu

Assignees

• Quanta Associates Lp

Inventors

• Quaedvlieg Phillip Howard
• Wabnegger David Karl
• Toth Janos Csaba
• O'Connell Daniel Neil

Classifications

• H02G1/02

  for overhead lines or cables · CPC title

• H01R43/00

  Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors (of trolley lines B60M1/28) · CPC title

• H01R11/14

  the hook being adapted for hanging on overhead or other suspended lines, e.g. hot line clamp · CPC title

• H01R11/15 Primary

  Hook in the form of a screw clamp · CPC title

• H01R43/002

  Maintenance of line connectors, e.g. cleaning · CPC title