Screw-on wire connector and method of making it

Abstract

A method of joining the stripped ends of electrical wires and screw-on connectors for performing the method. The method includes bunching the stripped ends of wire, inserting the bunched wires into a distortable relatively nonexpandable wire retainer having an inwardly tapered thread, rotating the wires and wire retainer relative to one another to feed the bunched wires into the wire retainer, applying torque to the bunched wires and the wire retainer to cause the wire retainer to compress the wires into contact with one another and form a thread thereon, supporting the wire retainer during application of the torque in a manner which permits the wire retainer to freely distort without substantial expansion to thereby accommodate the wires as the wires are forced into the small end of the tapered thread, and covering the wire retainer and retained wire with an insulator. A screw-on wire connector which includes an insulating cap with a bore open at one end for the reception of the stripped ends of the wires. A distortable relatively non-expandable wire retainer which receives the wires is located in the cap. The wire retainer is of various forms each of which has a tapered thread which engages the inserted wires. The wire retainer is spaced circumferentially from the inside of the wall between its ends to provide for circumferential distortion of the retainer by the wires without placing an outward load on the cap due to substantial contact between the retainer and the cap.