Stamped hotline clamp

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9812794-B2
Application number	US-201615177946-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2016
Priority date	Jun 10, 2015
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

A stamped hotline clamp having two parallel top side walls, two parallel bottom side walls, a hinge pin, a conductor plate, a saddle and an elongated metal shaft. The hinge pin pivotably connects the top side walls to the bottom side walls on one end. At the other end, a standoff separates and connects the top side walls and a contact plate connects the bottom side walls. The bottom side walls pivotably contact the saddle. The conductor plate extends between the top side walls and pivotably contacts the contact plate when the clamp is closed. The top end of the shaft is inserted through an opening in the saddle and threaded into an aperture in the conductor plate. Rotating the shaft in a clockwise direction closes the clamp and rotating the bottom end of the shaft in a counter-clockwise direction opens the clamp.

First claim

We claim:

1. A stamped hotline clamp comprising:
two parallel, opposing top side walls, each top side wall comprising first and second ends, top and bottom edges and an intermediate section between the first and second ends;
two parallel, opposing bottom side walls, each bottom side wall comprising first and second ends, and top and bottom edges, wherein the first and second ends correspond to the first and second ends of the top side walls, and wherein a base plate connects the second ends of the two bottom side walls;
a contact plate on the top edges of the bottom side walls;
a conductor plate disposed between and extending parallel to the top side walls, the conductor plate comprising an intermediate section with a threaded aperture;
a hinge pivotably connecting the first ends of the top side walls and the bottom side walls;

and
an elongated shaft comprising a threaded first end, a second end and a flanged collar radially extending from the shaft at a point between the first and second ends;
wherein the first end of the shaft is inserted between the bottom side walls and threaded into the threaded aperture in the conductor plate, wherein rotating the shaft in a clockwise direction closes the clamp and rotating the shaft in a counter-clockwise direction opens the clamp.

2. The stamped hotline clamp according to claim 1 , wherein each bottom side wall further comprises upper and lower sections separated by a slot.

3. The stamped hotline clamp according to claim 2 further comprising a saddle comprising a rectangular flat base having an opening, first and second ends, first and second sides and top and bottom surfaces, wherein the second end of the saddle is inserted between the bottom side walls and the first and second sides of the base slide into the slots in the two bottom side wall, and wherein the threaded first end of the elongated shaft passes through the opening in the saddle and the bottom surface of the saddle contacts the flanged collar before the threaded first end is threaded into the threaded aperture in the conductor plate.

4. The stamped hotline clamp according to claim 3 , wherein the saddle further comprises first and second guide wings that extend upwardly and inwardly from the first and second ends, respectively.

5. The stamped hotline clamp according to claim 3 , wherein the saddle further comprises first and second legs extending downwardly from the first and second sides, respectively.

6. The stamped hotline clamp according to claim 5 , wherein, when the second end of the saddle slides into the slots in the two bottom side walls, the base extends through the slots and the two legs of the saddle extend downwardly on the outside of the bottom side walls.

7. The stamped hotline clamp according to claim 1 , wherein the conductor plate further comprises a longitudinal axis extending between a cylindrical first end and a downwardly concave second end connected by the intermediate section.

8. The stamped hotline clamp according to claim 7 , wherein each of the two parallel, opposing top side walls further comprising a plurality of apertures, a retainer extending towards the opposing top side wall, a length extending between the first and second ends, and a width extending between the top and bottom edges.

9. The stamped hotline clamp according to claim 8 , wherein the width of the first end is greater than the width of the second end, and wherein the bottom edge of the intermediate section is concave and has a recessed portion.

10. The stamped hotline clamp according to claim 8 , wherein the cylindrical first end of the conductor plate is transverse to the longitudinal axis and has first and second ends that press-fit into apertures in the top side walls.

11. The stamped hotline clamp according to claim 8 , wherein the cylindrical first end of the conductor plate has an aperture between the first and second ends.

12. The stamped hotline clamp according to claim 8 , wherein the downwardly concave second end of the conductor plate forms a cable seat that extends parallel to the cylindrical first end to first and second distal ends that are received by the recessed portion of each of the top side walls.

13. The stamped hotline clamp according to claim 8 , wherein the intermediate section of the conductor plate is supported by the retainers on the top side walls.

14. The stamped hotline clamp according to claim 1 , wherein the two parallel top side walls and the two parallel bottom side walls are substantially flat.

15. The stamped hotline clamp according to claim 1 , wherein each of the two parallel, opposing bottom side walls further comprising an aperture.

16. The stamped hotline clamp according to claim 1 , wherein the contact plate extends from the base plate to an intermediate point on the top edges of the bottom side walls.

17. The stamped hotline clamp according to claim 1 , wherein the hinge extends through apertures in the top and bottom side walls.

18. The stamped hotline clamp according to claim 1 , wherein one or more standoffs separate and connect the parallel top side walls at the second ends.

19. The stamped hotline clamp according to claim 1 , wherein the second end of the elongated shaft has a ring.

20. The stamped hotline clamp according to claim 2 , wherein each slot extends from the first end of the bottom side wall towards the second end and has top and bottom sides that correspond with the top and bottom edges of the bottom side walls, and wherein the slot is perpendicular to the base plate between the second end of the bottom side walls to an intermediate point and then curves upwardly between the intermediate point and the first end.

21. The stamped hotline clamp according to claim 20 , wherein, when the clamp opens and closes, the top sides of the slots in the bottom side walls pivot to move the contact plate towards the conductor plate.

22. A stamped hotline clamp comprising:
two parallel, opposing top side walls, each top side wall comprising first and second ends, top and bottom edges, an intermediate section between the first and second ends, a plurality of apertures and a retainer extending towards the opposing top side wall, wherein the bottom edge of the intermediate section has a notch;
two parallel, opposing bottom side walls, each bottom side wall comprising first and second ends, top and bottom edges and upper and lower sections separated by a curved slot, wherein the first and second ends correspond to the first and second ends of the top side walls, and wherein a base plate connects the second ends of the two bottom side walls;
a contact plate on the top edges of the bottom side walls, wherein the contact plate extends from the base plate to an intermediate point on the top edges of the bottom side walls;
a conductor plate disposed between and extending parallel to the top side walls, the conductor plate comprising a longitudinal axis extending between a cylindrical first end and a downwardly concave second end and an intermediate section with a threaded aperture therebetween;
a saddle comprising a rectangular flat base having an opening, first and second ends, first and second sides, top and bottom surfaces, first and second guide wings extending upwardly from the first and second ends and first and second legs extending downwardly from the first and second sides, wherein the second end of the saddle is inserted between the bottom side walls and the first and second sides of the base slide into the slots in the two bot

Assignees

• Thomas & Betts Int Llc

Inventors

• Cawood Matthew D
• Zahnen James L
• Vallette Ronald
• Serre Jacob

Classifications

• H01R4/40 Primary

  Pivotable clamping member · CPC title

• H01R43/16

  for manufacturing contact members, e.g. by punching and by bending · CPC title

• H02G7/00

  Overhead installations of electric lines or cables (installations of bus-bars H02G5/00) · CPC title

• H02G1/02

  for overhead lines or cables · CPC title

• H01R4/42 Primary

  Clamping area to one side of screw only · CPC title