Reliable Electric Company

Reliance Comm/tec Corporation

Alexander G Gilberts

Richard T Kaczmarek

Wayne Rust

Thomas G Volk

Edward S Paluch

An assembly for defining a sealed back-up air gap, for use with a line protector comprising an over-voltage arrester housed within a canister and defining a back-up air gap therebetween, comprises an electrical contact and a sealing member. A mounting arrangement is disposed on the electrical contact for positively positioning and retaining the sealing member on the electrical contact. The sealing member is engagable with the canister to form a seal for the back-up air gap, and with the contact while also mounting the contact for electrically conductive engagement with one electrode of the arrester. In one embodiment, the sealing member is an elastomeric O-ring. In another embodiment, the O-ring mount is formed by deformation of the electrical contact. In yet another embodiment, the O-ring is replaced by a flat, annular washer-shaped insulator, which is positively retained on the electrical contact.

Arrester assembly with sealed back-up air gap

A reusable cap for providing mechanical, electrical and environmental isolation of an electrical terminal. The cap includes a tubular body which has in it an opening for receiving the wire(s) connected to the terminal binding post. The tubular body has a neck. Seated in the neck is the mechanism for engaging the threads of the binding post. The mechanism, which is made of conductive material, is seated in the neck so as to be rotatable without causing rotation of the housing. The cap also includes a removable cover which can be placed over the mechanism. Removing the cover allows the binding post to be accessible through the mechanism for the purposes of testing.

Reusable terminal locking cap

A line protector for a communications circuit provides at least overvoltage protection. The overvoltage protection is effected through a solid state arrester such as a diode. As the solid state arrester is not as long as the carbon electrode type or gas tube arrester which it replaces, the line protector includes a conductive pedestal. The end of the pedestal adjacent to the solid state arrester is shaped to receive one electrode of the arrester, while the other end of the pedestal is shaped to provide a good contact to the grounding circuit of the protector.

Line protector for a communications circuit

A line protector module device for a communications circuit having a line protector circuit assembly including a base, a frame having a retaining portion, a spring mounted to the base, an arrester and a solder pellet compressibly held between the spring and the retaining portion of the frame. The spring is constructed of a strip of material which is formed in an S-shape. The spring has tabs formed in the material so that when the spring is subjected to a predetermined amount of compressive force, the tabs prevent nonrecoverable compression.

Line protector with spring

A line protector for a communications circuit. The line protector has an overvoltage arrestor such as a three electrode gas tube, two of whose electrodes are connected to the line input terminals of the protector by associated conductive elements projecting from the protector base. The third electrode is connected to the ground terminal. The line protector also has two positive temperature coefficient resistors (PTCRs) which protect against marginal overcurrents. Conductive elements connected to the line protector's equipment terminals also project from the base in the same direction as the line input terminal conductive elements project. Each PTCR is in contact with an associated one of the two line input terminal conductive elements and an associated one of the two equipment terminal conductive elements.

A surge voltage arrester assembly comprises a primary gas tube surge arrester and an air gap secondary arrester that provides surge protection should the gas tube become vented to atmosphere. The secondary arrester has the air gap defined by a rim of one of the gas tube electrodes and an opposed roughened surface of a metallic cup into which the gas tube is positioned. The roughened cup surface has a coating of graphite applied thereto. The electrode rim may or may not be roughened and/or coated. In a three element version of the invention wherein the gas tube has two line electrodes and a ground electrode, metallic cups are provided at opposite ends of the gas tube to cooperate with the ground electrode for forming secondary air gaps for each line electrode. The cup surfaces at the secondary air gaps are roughened and graphite coated. An O-ring seals each secondary air gap against the entrance of contaminants.

Surge voltage arrester with ventsafe feature

A surge voltage arrester assembly comprises a primary gas tube surge arrester and an air gap secondary arrester that provides surge protection should the gas tube become vented to atmosphere. The secondary arrester has the air gap defined by a rim of one of the gas tube electrodes and a metallic cup into which the gas tube is positioned. In a three element version of the invention wherein the gas tube has two line electrodes and a ground electrode, metallic cups are provided at opposite ends of the gas tube to cooperate with the ground electrode for forming secondary air gaps for each line electrodes. An O-ring and a sealing compound seals each secondary air gap against the entrance of contaminants.

A line protector for protecting telephone lines and the like from over-voltage or over-voltage current conditions includes a primary arrester of the gas tube type and a secondary or back-up arrester of the air gap type. The gas tube is housed within a cup, and a flange on one of the electrodes of the gas tube cooperates with an end portion of the cup to define an annular configuration for the air gap. An insulator is adjacent to the electrode flange and serves as an abutment for the end portion of the cup to assist in maintaining the air gap. The insulator also maintains the gas tube within the cup.

Line protector

A line protector for protecting telephone lines and the like from over-voltage or over-current conditions includes a primary arrester element and a secondary arrester element that provides back-up protection upon a fail open of the primary arrester element. The primary arrester comprises a gas tube having spaced electrodes to form an arc gap therebetween. The secondary arrester includes a pair of electrodes axially aligned with the gas tube and separated by an insulating spacer to provide an air gap therebetween. The air gap of the secondary arrester is maintained at a predetermined spacing such that the breakdown voltage thereof is greater than the rated breakdown voltage across the arc gap of the gas tube but less than the breakdown voltage across said arc gap should the gas tube fail open as by being vented to atmosphere.

A surge arrester for providing overvoltage protection for communications lines and the like comprises a pair of electrodes having opposed faces to define the arc gap therebetween. The opposed faces include a pair of facing annular, concentric ridges, a valley opening radially inside of the annular ridges and an annular space or opening radially outside of the annular ridges. The valley opening and annular opening extend axially of the ridges to provide a maximum of relief or cavity space for particles that erupt from the electrodes during discharge regardless of the polarity of the electrodes. The cavity space is used for venting erupted particles away from the arc gap.

Surge arrester

A surge arrester for protecting telephone lines and the like from overvoltage has opposed carbon electrodes separated by an insulating spacer that houses one of the electrodes and provides a means for spacing the electrodes to define the arc gap therebetween. The other electrode has one round plateau with a flat end surface that defines one side of the gap. The plateau is surrounded by a valley structure which provides a maximum of relief or cavity space for carbon particles that erupt from the electrodes during discharge. The cavity space is used for venting erupted particles across the end of the spacer and thereby provides an increase in the surge life of the arrester.

Growing community of inventors

Algonquin, IL, United States of America

Alexander G Gilberts