Spring loaded paralell pad clamp connectors connectable using lineman hot sticks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10490913-B2
Application number	US-201916435518-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2019
Priority date	Mar 30, 2015
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

A spring-loaded parallel pad clamp connector is provided. The clamp includes a top jaw; a bottom jaw having an eye depending therefrom; one or more springs biasing the top and bottom jaws to a closed position; and a surface positioned a predetermined distance from the eye so that the surface acts as a fulcrum and force translation surface for a lineman hot stick.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of connecting a spring-loaded parallel pad clamp connector to a conductor, comprising:
moving a hook of a lineman hot stick to an open position;
connecting the hook and an eye of the spring-loaded parallel pad clamp connector while the lineman hot stick is in the open position; and
moving the lineman hot stick to a closed position such that the hook draws at least a portion of the eye into the hot stick, wherein, as the at least the portion of the hook and the eye are drawn into the lineman hot stick, a portion of the spring-loaded parallel clamp connector abuts the lineman hot stick to act as a fulcrum on which the portion of the spring-loaded parallel clamp connector pivots to allow the movement of the lineman hot stick from the open position to the closed position and such that the hook moves the spring-loaded parallel pad clamp connector to a fully open position.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising moving the spring-loaded parallel pad clamp connector, while the spring-loaded parallel pad clamp connector is in the fully open position, onto the conductor using the lineman hot stick.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising returning the lineman hot stick to the open position such that the spring-loaded parallel pad clamp connector returns to a normally closed position on the conductor.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising disconnecting the hook and the eye.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising tightening one or more bolts of the spring-loaded parallel pad clamp connector to secure the spring-loaded parallel pad clamp connector on the conductor.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising tightening one or more bolts of the spring-loaded parallel pad clamp connector to secure the spring-loaded parallel pad clamp connector on the conductor.

7. A method of connecting a spring-loaded parallel pad clamp connector to a conductor, comprising:
moving a hook of a lineman hot stick to an open position;
connecting the hook and an eye of the spring-loaded parallel pad clamp connector while the lineman hot stick is in the open position; and
moving the lineman hot stick to a closed position such that the lineman hot stick acts on a portion of the spring-loaded parallel pad clamp connector as a fulcrum and force translation surface to move the spring-loaded parallel pad clamp connector to a fully open position as the lineman hot stick is moved to the closed position.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising moving the spring-loaded parallel pad clamp connector, while the spring-loaded parallel pad clamp connector is in the fully open position, onto the conductor using the lineman hot stick.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising returning the lineman hot stick to the open position such that the spring-loaded parallel pad clamp connector returns to a normally closed position on the conductor.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising tightening one or more bolts of the spring-loaded parallel pad clamp connector to secure the spring-loaded parallel pad clamp connector on the conductor.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising disconnecting the hook and the eye.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising tightening one or more bolts of the spring-loaded parallel pad clamp connector to secure the spring-loaded parallel pad clamp connector on the conductor.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the portion comprises the one or more bolts of the spring-loaded parallel pad clamp connector.

14. The method of claim 7 , wherein the portion comprises one or more bolts of the spring-loaded parallel pad clamp connector.

15. The method of claim 7 , wherein the portion is positioned a predetermined distance from a centerline of the eye.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the predetermined distance is equal to a radius of the hook.

Assignees

• Hubbell Inc

Inventors

• De France Robert Victor
• Dobrinski Daniel David
• Hall Jefferson Robert

Classifications

• H01R4/44

  Clamping areas on both sides of screw · CPC title

• H01R4/42 Primary

  Clamping area to one side of screw only · CPC title

• H01R11/15

  Hook in the form of a screw clamp · CPC title

• H02G1/00

  Methods or apparatus specially adapted for installing, maintaining, repairing or dismantling electric cables or lines · CPC title

• H02G1/02

  for overhead lines or cables · CPC title