The United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of

Michael L Fenger

Charles D Bice

John H Cooper

An improved electrical cable coupler incorporates rotatable protective covers on its plug and socket members to automatically protect the plug and socket contacts against contamination when the plug and socket members are disconnected and to allow the contacts to be electrically engaged when the plug and socket members are connected together. Each protective cover includes one or more openings which correspond in number and location to the electrical contacts on the plug and socket members. Each cover is rotatable between a protective position in which its openings are out of alignment with the respective contacts to provide protection against contamination and an operative position in which the openings are aligned with the respective contacts to expose the contacts for electrical engagement. The protective covers are adapted to interlock when moved into face-to-face engagement so that, by twisting the plug and socket members in opposite directions, the cover openings are moved into registration with the contact elements to allow electrical engagement therebetween. At least one of the protective covers is slidably mounted to permit relative axial movement of the plug and socket members to bring the contacts into electrical engagement.

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Westmoreland City, PA, United States of America

Michael L Fenger