Split wedge connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10700449-B2
Application number	US-201916585945-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2019
Priority date	Sep 28, 2018
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

An apparatus and method relating to a split wedge connector that electrically couples a tap line to an overhead power line. The split wedge connector includes a clamp assembly and a wedge body. The tap line can be secured in a passageway of the wedge body while a worker is at ground level. The split wedge connector can then be lifted via a hot stick such that a portion of an overhead power line is received in the opened clamp assembly. The clamp assembly is then closed by adjusting the relative vertical position(s) of upper and/or lower clamp portions via manipulation of a clamp driver using the hot stick. The hot stick can then engage a wedge driver and be manipulated to facilitate horizontal displacement of the wedge body relative to the clamp assembly, thereby compressing the power line in the split wedge connector.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A split wedge connector comprising:
a wedge body having an upper wall, a lower wall, and a passageway, the upper wall extending along an incline between a first sidewall and a second sidewall of the wedge body, the passageway comprising a through-hole that extends through the wedge body;
a clamp assembly comprising an upper clamp portion, a lower clamp portion, and a clamp driver, the clamp driver configured to vertically displace the clamp assembly between an open position and a closed position, the upper clamp portion having an inner surface that defines an upper orifice, at least a portion of the inner surface defining the upper orifice comprising an inclined wall, the clamp driver having an eyebolt; and
a wedge driver coupled to the wedge body and the lower clamp portion, the wedge driver configured to horizontally displace at least one of the wedge body and the clamp assembly relative to the other of the wedge body and the clamp assembly, the wedge driver having an eyebolt,
wherein at least a portion of the lower wall of the wedge body slidingly abuts an abutment surface of the lower clamp portion while at least a portion of the upper wall faces the inclined wall.

2. The split wedge connector of claim 1 , wherein the inclined wall has a curved profile.

3. The split wedge connector of claim 1 , wherein the wedge body further comprises a front wall, the front wall having a threaded opening that is non-parallel to, and in fluid communication with, the passageway.

4. The split wedge connector of claim 1 , wherein the upper wall of the wedge body has a curved profile.

5. The split wedge connector of claim 1 , wherein the passageway is sized to receive a tap line and the upper orifice is sized to receive a power line.

6. The split wedge connector of claim 1 , wherein the incline along which the upper wall extends is generally the same as the incline of the inclined wall of the inner surface of the upper clamp portion.

7. The split wedge connector of claim 1 , wherein the wedge driver comprises a shear bolt.

8. The split wedge connector of claim 1 , wherein the clamp driver is threadingly engaged with at least one of the upper clamp portion and the lower clamp portion.

9. The split wedge connector of claim 8 , wherein the clamp driver is threadingly engaged with an internal thread in an upper hub of the upper clamp portion and/or an internal thread of a lower hub of the lower clamp portion.

10. The split wedge connector of claim 1 , wherein the lower clamp portion includes a first wedge orifice and the wedge body includes a second wedge orifice, the first wedge orifice being generally aligned with the second wedge orifice, the first and second wedge orifices configured to each receive at least a portion of the wedge driver.

11. The split wedge connector of claim 10 , wherein the wedge driver threadingly engages an internal thread of at least one of first wedge orifice and the second wedge orifice.

12. The split wedge connector of any one of claim 10 , wherein the wedge body further includes a leg that extends from at least one of the lower wall and a sidewall of the wedge body, and wherein the second wedge orifice extends through the leg.

13. A method comprising:
inserting a tap line through a passageway of a wedge body of a split wedge connector, the split wedge connector further including a clamp assembly;
lifting, using a hot stick and with the clamp assembly in an open position, the split wedge connector;
receiving, while the split wedge connector is lifted, a portion of an overhead power line in an orifice of the clamp assembly;
closing, with the overhead power line in the orifice of the clamp assembly of the lifted split wedge connector, the clamp assembly;
displacing, through manipulation of a wedge driver via the hot stick, the wedge body relative to the clamp assembly from an initial position to a final position; and
compressing, by displacing the wedge body relative to the clamp assembly to the final position, at least a portion of the overhead power line located in the orifice of the clamp assembly.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising shearing, when the wedge body reaches the final position, a portion of the wedge driver via manipulation of the hot stick.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein closing the clamp assembly comprises rotating, via operation of the hot stick, a clamp driver to facilitate displacement of at least one of an upper clamp portion and a lower clamp portion of the clamp assembly toward the other of the upper clamp portion and the lower clamp portion.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein displacing the wedge body through manipulation of the wedge driver via the hot stick includes rotating the wedge driver via use of the hot stick.

17. The method of claim 13 , further including securing the tap line in the passageway.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein securing the tap line comprises inserting a fastener into the passageway, the fastener pressing a portion of the tap line against an inner wall of that defines at least a portion of the passageway.

Assignees

• Abb Schweiz Ag

Inventors

• Serre Jacob
• Vigo Jorge
• Cawood Michael

Classifications

• H01R4/5091 Primary

  combined with a screw · CPC title