Mechanical grounding clamp connecting grounding wire to grounding member using set screw

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10811792-B2
Application number	US-201816180225-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2018
Priority date	Nov 10, 2017
Publication date	Oct 20, 2020
Grant date	Oct 20, 2020

Abstract

A mechanical grounding clamp includes a body, having an upper plate defining a threaded hole therethrough and having an outer surface, a lower plate spaced apart from the upper plate and having an inner surface, and a connecting plate connecting the upper plate to the lower plate; a set screw mateable with the threaded hole in the upper plate and having a proximate end and a distal end, the distal end extendable through the threaded hole of the upper plate and toward the inner surface of the lower plate. Optionally there is a cap defining a set screw hole therethrough and having an inner surface, the cap affixable to the outer surface of the upper plate with the set screw passing through the set screw hole, and a nut securing the cap to the upper plate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mechanical grounding clamp, comprising:
a body, having an upper plate and a lower plate, the upper plate defining a threaded hole therethrough and having an outer surface, and the lower plate being spaced apart from the upper plate and having an inner surface, and the body further having a connecting plate connecting the upper plate to the lower plate;
a set screw mateable with the threaded hole in the upper plate and having a proximate end and a distal end, the distal end extendable through the threaded hole of the upper plate and toward the inner surface of the lower plate and being configured to secure the body to a grounded member positionable between the distal end of the set screw and the inner surface of the lower plate;
a cap defining a set screw hole therethrough, the set screw hole being sized to permit the set screw to pass freely therethrough, the cap having an inner surface, the cap being affixable to the outer surface of the upper plate and configured to secure a grounding wire between the inner surface of the cap and the outer surface of the upper plate with the set screw extending through the set screw hole; and
a threaded nut mateable with the set screw and configured to secure the cap to the upper plate.

2. The mechanical grounding clamp of claim 1 , wherein the proximate end of the set screw includes a hex pocket.

3. The mechanical grounding clamp of claim 1 , wherein the proximate end of the set screw includes a hex head and wherein the threaded nut is sized so that when threaded on the set screw it can be driven by a socket driver without interference from the hex head.

4. The mechanical grounding clamp of claim 1 , wherein the distal end of the set screw is tapered.

5. The mechanical grounding clamp of claim 1 , wherein a cross-section of the body is generally C-shaped.

6. The mechanical grounding clamp of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the set screw hole is greater than a diameter of the set screw.

7. The mechanical grounding clamp of claim 1 , wherein the upper plate has an edge defined between the outer surface of the upper plate and an inner surface of the upper plate, wherein the inner surface of the cap has at least one curved end configured to engage against the edge of the upper plate and restrict rotation of the cap.

8. The mechanical grounding clamp of claim 1 , wherein the inner surface of the cap includes at least one recessed section to receive the grounding wire.

9. The mechanical grounding clamp of claim 1 , wherein each of the upper plate and the lower plate have a length extending in a first direction and a width extending in a second direction, wherein the length of the lower plate is greater than the length of the upper plate.

10. The mechanical grounding clamp of claim 9 , wherein the cap has a width greater than the width of the upper plate.

11. A mechanical grounding clamp, comprising:
a body, having an upper plate and a lower plate, the upper plate defining at least one threaded hole therethrough and having an outer surface, the lower plate being spaced apart from the upper plate and having an inner surface, and the body further having a connecting plate connecting the upper plate to the lower plate;
at least one set screw mateable with a threaded hole in the upper plate and having a proximate end and a distal end, the distal end extendable through the threaded hole of the upper plate and toward the inner surface of the lower plate and configured to secure the body to a grounding member positionable between the distal end of the set screw and the inner surface of the lower plate; and
a cap defining a set screw hole therethrough, the set screw hole being sized to permit the set screw to pass freely therethrough, the cap having an inner surface, the cap being affixable to the outer surface of the upper plate and configured to secure a grounding wire between the inner surface of the cap and the outer surface of the upper plate with the set screw extending through the set screw hole.

12. The mechanical grounding clamp of claim 11 , wherein the proximate end of the set screw includes a hex pocket.

13. The mechanical grounding clamp of claim 11 , wherein the distal end of the set screw is tapered.

14. The mechanical grounding clamp of claim 11 , wherein a cross-section of the body is generally C-shaped.

15. The mechanical grounding clamp of claim 11 , further comprising a lug on the end of the grounding wire, wherein the lug has a mounting hole of a diameter greater than a diameter of the set screw.

16. The mechanical grounding clamp of claim 11 , wherein the upper plate has an edge defined between the outer surface of the upper plate and an inner surface of the upper plate, wherein the inner surface of the cap has at least one curved end configured to engage against the edge of the upper plate and restrict rotation of the cap.

17. The mechanical grounding clamp of claim 16 , wherein the inner surface of the cap includes at least one recessed section to receive the grounding wire.

18. The mechanical grounding clamp of claim 17 , wherein the at least one recessed section is defined between the at least one curved end and a projection on the inner surface of the cap.

19. The mechanical grounding clamp of claim 11 , wherein each of the upper plate and the lower plate have a rectangular shape with a length extending in a first direction and a width extending in a second direction, wherein the length of the lower plate is greater than the length of the upper plate.

20. A method for grounding a structure to be grounded, comprising:
attaching a grounding conductor to the structure;
providing a grounding clamp comprising a body having an upper plate and a lower plate, the upper plate defining at least one threaded hole therethrough and having an outer surface, the lower plate being spaced apart from the upper plate and having an inner surface, and the body further having a connecting plate connecting the upper plate to the lower plate, and a set screw mateable with the threaded hole in the upper plate and having a proximate end and a distal end, the distal end extendable through the threaded hole of the upper plate and toward the inner surface of the lower plate;
providing a cap defining a set screw hole therethrough, the set screw hole being sized to permit the set screw to pass freely therethrough, the cap having an inner surface, the cap being affixable to the outer surface of the upper plate and configured to secure the grounding conductor between the inner surface of the cap and the outer surface of the upper plate with the set screw extending through the set screw hole;
positioning a grounded member between the upper plate and the lower plate;
positioning the grounding conductor between the inner surface of the cap and the outer surface of the upper plate; and
driving the set screw through the set screw hole and the threaded hole toward the grounded member to secure the body to the grounded member and to secure the grounding conductor between the inner surface of the cap and the outer surface of the upper plate.

Assignees

• Hubbell Inc

Inventors

• Martin Evan
• Trombley Logan Michael
• Carbonneau Sam
• Ruland Reid

Classifications

• H01R4/28

  Clamped connections, spring connections (made by means of terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits H01R12/00) · CPC title

• F16B2/06

  external, i.e. with contracting action (F16B2/14 - F16B2/18 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16B2/02

  Clamps, i.e. with gripping action effected by positive means other than the inherent resistance to deformation of the material of the fastening · CPC title

• F16B2/065

  using screw-thread elements (F16B2/08 - F16B2/12 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01R4/38

  utilising a clamping member acted on by screw or nut (H01R4/50 takes precedence) · CPC title