Ideal Industries, Inc.

William E Blaha

Sushil N Keswani

Mark B Higgins

Kenneth W Stanevich

Richard R Hyde

A device for holding an electric fuse assembly having a fuse carried by a first end fuse holder and a second end fuse holder. The assembly includes a first housing section having a cavity formed therein for receiving the first end fuse holder and a second housing section having a cavity formed therein for receiving the second end fuse holder. An end of the second housing section is adapted to be separably coupled with an end of the first housing section by placing an interior surface at the end of the first housing section into overlapping engagement with an exterior surface of the second end fuse holder and an interior surface of the second end fuse holder into overlapping engagement with an exterior surface at the end of the first housing section. Such a coupling functions to provide a moisture resistant seal. Respective surfaces of the first end fuse holder and the second end fuse holder may also be placed into overlapping engagement with each other when the first housing section and the second housing section are placed into engagement. At least one of the first and second housing sections may also be adapted to latch to the first and second fuse holders, respectively.

Breakaway fuse holder

A connector for connecting electrical conductors includes a housing, a generally rectangular electrically conductive busbar and a pressure spring. The housing defines an enclosure and a plurality of front ports which provide access to the enclosure. Receptacles formed in the housing are spaced from and aligned with the front ports to receive the ends of conductors inserted into the connector. The busbar and pressure spring are disposed in the housing intermediate the front ports and receptacles. When electrical conductors are inserted into the housing, the pressure spring engages with the conductors to retain the conductors in the housing and bias the conductors into electrical engagement with the busbar.

Push-in wire connector

A wire connector has a housing with a conductive clip therein. First and second retaining fingers are formed in the clip. Each finger engages a wire inserted into the housing to hold the wire in the housing. The fingers can be arranged for either a push-in or insulation displacement type connection. A conductive extension is electrically connected to the clip and extends out of the housing for connection to the terminus of an external electrical apparatus.

Wire connector with extension

A twist-on wire connector has a shell of relatively rigid plastic material with at least a portion of the shell exterior covered by a cushioned grip of relatively softer material. The cushioned grip has a higher coefficient of friction than the shell material to provide both a softer feel and, an improved gripping ability.

Cushioned grip twist-on wire connector

An insulation displacement connector has a plastic housing including a cover hinged to a case with a conductive clip mounted to the interior surface of the cover. Mechanical latches on the cover and case provide a pre-latch feature during installation of wires and prevent the easy opening of the housing after it has been closed. The housing has funnel-shaped wire entry openings with pre-closure retention members for holding wires inserted into a still open connector. The conductive clip has a base and tines extending from the base. The tines are arranged to impinge on the conductors in a plane normal to the axis of the conductors. The tines are coined to act as a knife edge to reduce the cutting force. The conductive clip's base is mounted such that the closing forces are distributed and the clip will break loose from the cover if an attempt is made to reopen the connector.

Insulation displacement connector

An electrician's fish tape and reel therefore has an annular outer race and an annular hub rotatably mounted within the inside diameter of the race, Together the race and hub define a fish tape receiving chamber. A fish tape in the chamber is coiled on the hub with its inner end anchored to the hub. Springs bias the fish tape away from the race to prevent it from uncoiling against the race, The outer end of the tape extends out of the reel through a fixed opening in the outer race. A handle fixed to the race and a knob pivotably mounted on the hub permit a user to rotate the hub and thereby wind the fish tape into or out of the reel.

Fish tape reel

This is concerned with a fish tape puller and is in the nature of a gripping mechanism that can be used and operated by hand to enable an electrician or the like to get a better grip on fish tape. The device also has the advantage that it is structured to be stored in the opening of a conventional fish tape reel. The device is also in the nature of a puller which may be used to grasp and pull fish tape that is round in cross section or flat or ribbon-like. As well the device may be used to grasp and pull the wires themselves. The invention is also a combination of fish tape reel which has an opening in the center thereof and a puller which may be inserted in the center and removably held therein for transport and handling.

Combination puller and fish tape reel

Screw on electrical connector

Wire nut

A push-in wire connector for providing electrical connection between two or more conductors includes a housing defining an enclosure with a one-piece, conductive clip disposed in the housing. There are apertures in the housing to permit entry of the wires which are to be connected. The clip has first and second portions. The first portion is held fixed in the housing and the second portion is folded back on the first to define a cantilever spring. The spring is normally disposed opposite the apertures. When conductors are inserted into the housing they deflect the spring. The spring is then engaged with the wires to impart a clamping force which retains the wires in the housing. The clip is made of a bimetallic strip of material which, when heated by electrical current, expands in such a manner that the clamping force on the wires is increased. The exterior of the housing has a dovetail pin and socket arrangement which permits stacking of multiple, like connectors.

This is concerned with a so-called screw-on electrical connector and a method or procedure of making it whereby the manufacturing procedure or process is greatly simplified and the resultant connector is of a quality and efficiency generally at least equal to conventional screw-on connectors.

Method for making a screw-on electrical connector

Screw-on electrical connector and method of making it

A screw-on electrical connector for connecting the stripped ends of electrical wires has a shell made of stiffly flexible plastic material. A generally central bore extends from an open end of the shell to a closed end which is closed by an integral end wall. A generally tapered wire coil lies in the bore and engages an outer area on the inner surface of the bore, adjacent its open end. A radial undercut is formed on the inner surface of the bore near the end wall. The undercut projects into the bore to support the coil and to strengthen the shell.

Growing community of inventors

St. Charles, IL, United States of America

William E Blaha