Contactor and dangler assembly for plating barrel

Abstract

A contactor and a dangler assembly for particular use in a plating barrel for electro-chemical plating operations. The dangler assembly is comprised of a sheathed electrical conductor having a connector disposed at one end and the contactor disposed at the other end. The contactor is comprised of a generally cylindrical housing and an elongated lag screw. An internal passageway defined by three coaxial bore sections extends between opposed casing outer and inner ends and is dimensioned to closely receive a portion of the length of the sheathed electrical conductor from the cable other end. The side wall of the second or central one of the bore sections is advantageously threaded substantially over the length thereof to enhance conductor retention thereby. Upon insertion of the lag screw into the passageway from the casing inner end, the lag screw shank axially penetrates the electrical conductor to cause radial expansion thereof into close retained engagement by the passageway side wall. The threads of the lag screw and passageway second bore section are of the opposite hand and the pitch of the lag screw threads is greater than the pitch of the second bore section threads. A protective sleeve is loosely received over at least a portion of the sheathed electrical conductor length adjacent the contactor. This sleeve protects the conductor from impingement by work pieces being processed in the plating barrel.