De script ion

Cable Clamp With Compression Limit Stop

Technical Field

This invention relates to a cable clamp of the type employed for clamping battery cables or the like on a vehicle.

Background Art

Battery cables employed on a construction vehicle or the like require longitudinal adjustment prior to final securance thereof in place. Various clamps have been proposed to secure the cables in place but oftentimes shred the electrical insulation of the cables to give rise to potential electrical shorts in the vehicle's electrical system. One attempted solution to the potential electrical shorting problem has been the use of plastic-coated metal clips for securing the cables in place and to provide an electrical non-conductive material engaging the cables directly. However, a plastic coating on the clips may strip-off to thus expose the metallic clip proper to the cable which could result in a shorting should the cable insulation also be shredded or otherwise removed to expose the wires of the cable.

Disclosure of Invention The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.

In one aspect of this invention a clamp comprises a support having an article retaining means compressed thereon by clamping means. A stop means is provided for limiting the degree of compression imparted to the article retaining means by the clamping means.

O PI / . WIPO <

In another aspect of this invention, the article retaining means comprises an elastomeric pad having a pair of flexible lips de ining an elongated recess through the pad. 5 The clamp of this invention is thus made releasable to -permit selective longitudinal adjustment of an. article, such as a cable, therein and also applies a predetermined clamping force to the article to prevent damage thereto.

10 Brief Description of Drawing

Other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cable clamp 15 embodiment of the present invention shown with a pair of battery cables clamped thereby;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view through the clamp, taken in the direction of arrows II-II in FIG.

1 20 FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the clamp, taken in the direction of arrows III-III in FIG. 2; and FIG. 4 is an isometric view, partially illustrating an elastomeric pad employed in the clamp and .shown in its pre-installed condition.

25 Best. Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

FIG. 1 illustrates a clamp 10 for securing one or more articles in place, such as the illustrated battery cables 11. Each cable comprises a bundle of- ' „- electrical wires 12 and an outer coating or sheath 13 for

30 electrically insulating the cable. As discussed above, cables of this type require longitudinal adjustment when mounted on a construction vehicle or the like and further require that sheath 13 not be shredded or otherwise damaged to expose wires 12 which could give rise to

35 potential elec±rical short-circuiting.

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Re erring to FIGS. 2 and 3, clamp 10 comprises a support 14 which may constitute a bracket secured on the frame of a vehicle or the like. An article retaining means 15 , shown in the form of an elastomeric pad, is mounted on support 14 and defines a pair of parallel and elongated recesses 16 therethrough adapted to receive cables 11. Each recess 16 is defined by a pair of elongated upper and lower flexible lips 17 and 18, respectively, which terminate in spaced-apart relationship on a respective side of article retaining means 15 to define an elongated slot 19.

As will be described more fully hereinafter, elastomeric pad 15 may be composed of any suitable elastomeric material, such as plastic or rubber, which will flex sufficiently to permit lips 17 and 18 to part, upon release of clamp 10, to permit sideways insertion of cable 11 in recess 16 via slot 19. Alternatively, the cable may be threaded longitudinally through recess 16. Pad 15 will further exhibit a sufficiently high durometer hardness and related physical characteristics to rigidly clamp cable 11 in place to prevent movement thereof relative to clamp 10.

Elastomeric. pad 15 is compressed against support member 14 by a clamping means 20. Clamping means 20 may comprise an annular washer or clamping member 21 mounted on an end of pad 15 and a bolt 22 which extends through member 21 and pad 15 and is threadably engaged in a threaded hole 23 in support 14. Thus, it can be seen that selective axial adjustment of bolt 22 will impart the desired compressive force to pad 15 to secure cables 11 therein.

OMPI /., IPO .

A stop means 24 functions to limit the degree of compression imparted to pad 15 by clamping means 20. As .shown in FIG. 2 stop means 24 may comprise a cylindrical tube 25 mounted on the shank of bolt 22 and disposed axially between support 14 and clamping member 21. As shown in FIG. 4, when block 15 is fully expanded prior to its installation and inal compressed condition between support 14 and clamping member 21, it.assumes a thickness "t" which is preferably slightly greater (e.g., 0.08 ins.) than the axial length of tube 25. It should be further noted in FIG. 4 that the various surfaces of pad 15, excluding generally cylindrical recesses 16, are flat when the pad assumes its expanded state and distort somewhat upon compression thereof in clamp 10, as illustrated in FIG. 2.

Industrial Applicability

Clamp 10 is particularly useful on a construction vehicle, such as a tandem powered wheel tractor-scraper^ for securing battery cables 11 in place thereon. However, it will be understood to those skilled in the clamping arts that clamp 10 may find numerous other uses wherein it is desired to clamp one or more articles in place.

When a workman desires to mount cables 11 on clamp 10 he would initially release bolt 22 from support 14 to relieve the compressive force normally applied to elastomeric pad 15. The expanded pad will then permit the insertion of cables 11 into recesses lβ, either longitudinally or sideways due to the flexibility of lips 17 and 18 which will permit slot 19 to open sufficiently for this purpose. Upon proper longitudinal adjustment of cables 11, the workman would then tighten-down bolt 22 to compression clamping member 21 against the upper side of block 15 whereby cables 11 will be clamped in place between lips 17 and 18 of block 15.

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Downward movement of compression member 21 is limited by stop means 24 to thus limit the degree of . compression imparted to pad 15. Thus, cables 11 are securely held in place under a predetermined compressive force, but are not subjected to unduly high forces to cause damage to- sheaths 13 thereof. Furthermore, since pad 15 is composed of a non-electrically conductive material, any direct exposure of cable wires 12 thereto (assuming shredding of sheath 13) will not cause a short circuit thereat.

Other aspects, objects, and advantages of this invention can be obtained from a study of the drawing, the disclosure, and the appended claims.