Railways: surface track – Electrical connections
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-19
2001-06-12
Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3617)
Railways: surface track
Electrical connections
C238S014200, C238S014140, C191S0290DM, C439S883000, C439S801000, C439S927000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06244517
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a system for fixing an electric connector terminal, especially to the core of a rail in a railway.
2. Background of the Invention
It is known to fix a cable on a rail of a railway, so as to ensure for example, a ground contact and/or reverse current contact, etc. It is known, for example, to make an aluminothermic weld at the end of the cable or to use a terminal fixed to the end.
To this end, in the last case, the terminal is fixed on the rail by screwing, for example, by utilizing of a threaded rod integral with or fixed thereto and a nut, provided with a clamping washer, and adapted to clamp the terminal on the rail or an electrically conductive piece fixed thereto.
The threaded rod can be fixed or attached by any means and can be especially constituted by the extension of an insert fixed into the rail, as described in French Patent No. 2 692 632, the same Applicant.
In this case, the insert has a flanged ring fixed in a hole provided in the rail, and on which the electric connector terminal is applied.
Such a system gives entire satisfaction in current use.
However, an ill-timed handling of the cable connected to the terminal, which cable is often quite rigid, risks causing a deterioration or a loosening of the terminal.
Indeed, a rotation of the cable, and therefore of the terminal, in the untightening direction causes a movement similar to the washer and the screw and thus an untightening thereof, which naturally deteriorates the passage of the current by increasing the electrical resistance resulting therefrom.
This ill-timed handling can be caused on a worksite during work or during a check.
Besides human handling, the cables can be hooked by tools or mechanized railway machinery, such as tamping machines, for example.
That is why one sought to further reinforce the self-locking ability of this type of fixing, even during handling of the cable.
One especially thought to affix the terminal and the ring in rotation by means of teeth, for example, but such a system has the risk of significant damage in case of substantial biases on the cable.
In this regard, document U.S. Pat. No. 4,174,148,-A, although adapted to the fixing of small conductors, seeks to increase the efficiency of tightening by decreasing the friction of the tightening mechanism so as to immobilize at best the conductor on its support. Assuming that such a system be adaptable to the elements to be fixed according to the invention, it would have the same drawback as the one previously mentioned.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
That is why the inventors sought a fixing allowing, on the contrary, the terminal to rotate in case of a substantial handling of the cable, while conserving its normal electric conduction. Obviously, however, the invention is not exclusively related to a connector on a rail of a railway, but of course to any element adapted to receive such a terminal.
To attain these seemingly contradictory objects, the invention proposes therefore a system for fixing an electric terminal connector on an element such as a rail of a railway, conventionally including a threaded rod integral with or fixed to the element and a nut, provided with a clamping washer, and adapted to clamp the terminal on said element or an electrically conductive piece fixed thereto, such as a flanged ring.
However, the system according to the invention is especially remarkable in that the surfaces across from the terminal and the clamping washer are made rotatable relative to each other by at least an antifriction treatment, without unscrewing the nut. Thus, the invention solves the problem quite surprisingly.
The nut is generally a set screw whereas the clamping washer can advantageously be either crimped on the nut so as to stay firmly fixed to the nut while remaining free in rotation, or yet be constituted by a base integral with the nut.
In this case, the antifriction treatment is obtained on the surface of the clamping washer turned towards the terminal.
However, it is not always possible or simple to obtain a coating on the clamping washer.
That is why the invention proposes an embodiment which is remarkable in that it includes an antifriction washer inserted between the terminal and the clamping washer, this washer having at least one of its surfaces antifriction treated so as to be capable of rotating by sliding on the clamping washer (
6
) and/or to allow the terminal (
6
) to rotate by sliding on the treated surface.
According to a particular embodiment, which avoids loss and improper mounting, the antifriction washer is integral with the clamping washer, its antifriction treated surface being the one opposite to the clamping washer.
Thus, it is understood that if it is the surface of the antifriction washer turned towards the terminal that is treated, the terminal can slide on the antifriction washer while the latter will be maintained integral in rotation with the clamping washer of the nut, by friction, and/or by fixing according to the last mentioned embodiment.
In the inverse case where it is the other surface that is treated, or yet if the antifriction washer is turned over, the latter will remain integral in rotation with the terminal but will slide on the clamping washer.
In all of the cases, the antifriction washer must not be inserted on the side opposite the clamping washer, which would make the system inefficient.
The antifriction treatment is, for example, obtained with a PTFE-base treatment, or even, if necessary, with a PTFE- and lead powder-base mixture, i.e., a mixture electrically made conductive. In the case especially of the additional antifriction washer, the alloy itself of the latter could be antifriction by nature.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3672053 (1972-06-01), Wiss
patent: 4174148 (1979-11-01), Obuch et al.
patent: 5082387 (1992-01-01), DeVries
patent: 5533852 (1996-07-01), Matthews
patent: 5707190 (1998-01-01), Hiraguri et al.
patent: 2580744 (1986-10-01), None
patent: 2580744 A1 (1986-10-01), None
patent: 2692632 A1 (1993-12-01), None
patent: 2692632 (1993-12-01), None
patent: WO93/09355 (1993-05-01), None
Courtois Alain
Huet Jean-Pierre
Dubuis, Societe Anonyme
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Jules Frantz F.
Morano S. Joseph
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