CONNECTOR AND METHOD

• US 3,729,217 A
• Filed: 05/10/1971
• Issued: 04/24/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Irving R. Metcalf
• Original Assignee: Irving R. Metcalf
• Inventors: Metcalf, Irving R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Arola, Dave W.
• Application Number:
  US05/141,727
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 285/340,424,183,39,286,175,212,386,333,355,342 29/157R,157A,437,470.5,456,463 85/32LS,36 138/171
• US Class Current: 285/183
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 15/006 with straight threads
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 19/02 Pipe ends provided with collars or flanges, integral with the pipe or not, pressed together by a screwed member
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49845 by deforming interlock
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49881 of separate helix [e.g., screw thread]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49893 Peripheral joining of opposed mirror image parts to form a hollow body

Abstract

A tubular body section having threads attached at one end and a nut held captive on the other end with a tool engaging portion attached intermediate the threads and nut and a method of making the foregoing including the steps of forming the tubular body section from sheet metal, positioning the tool engaging portion on the tubular body section, providing a thread form on the tubular body section adjacent one end thereof, brazing the parts together, thereafter positioning the nut on the other end of the tubular body section and deforming said other end of said tubular body section to hold the nut captive.

Claims

1. A method of making an electrical connecter for use with flexible conduit or the like, including the steps of forming a tubular body section from sheet metal by pressing two portions of flat sheet into oppositely arranged halves, bringing the two halves together with their edges in abutting contact to form the tubular body section, coiling a predetermined length of wire into a generally cylindrical coil with the cross section of the wire being generally triangular so that one side of the triangle will be on the inside of the resulting coil to form a generally smooth cylindrical inner surface on the coil to contact the exterior of the body section, sliding the coil on the body section, providing a sufficient interference fit between the inside diameter of the coil and the outside diameter of the body section such that the coil will be expanded slightly on the body section to exert a certain degree of compression between the two halves of the body section, and brazing the two halves of the body section together along their abutting edges and, at the same time, brazing the coil on the body section with the two halves and coil being selfjiggered due to the interference fit.

2. The method of claim 1 further characterized by and including the step of tapering the portion of the exterior of the body section that the coil is to be mounted on to a minimum diameter at least no less than the inside diameter of the coil, and allowing all turns of the coil to expand as it is mounted so that the inside of the triangular cross section of the wire will be in compression contact with the outside of the body section.

3. The method of claim 1 characterized in that the connecter is an elbow and further including the step of forming their edges in a lap joint over a substantial portion of their length.

4. In a connecter for joining flexible conduit to a work object, a body section made of sheet metal formed into a generally tubular configuration, the body section being made of two sheet metal halves, a thread formation thereon including a wire coiled into a thread form brazed to the body section, the wire being triangular in cross section with the one side of the triangle being disposed on the inside of the coil so as to provide a smooth inner surface in engagement with the exterior surface on the body section, the wire coil, in its free state, having an inside diameter slightly less than the outside diameter of the body section such that when the coil is mounted thereon, it will be slightly expanded providing an interference fit.

5. The structure of claim 4 further characterized in that the wire coil is mounted on a tapered portion on the body section with the smallest diameter of the taper being slightly greater than the inside diameter of the coil.

6. A body member for use in joining a connector for flexible conduit to a terminus, including a tubular sheet metal sleeve with a thread formed on the exterior of one end for connection to a terminus, a polygon connected on the outside of the sleeve adjacent the thread form with a cylindrical interior therethrough, a nut on the other end of the sleeve for joining a flexible conduit connector, and overlapping flanges between the other end of the sleeve and the nut so that the nut will freely rotate on the body member, the flange on the sheet metal sleeve being in fixed spatial relationship to the polygon and thread form.

7. The structure of claim 6 further characterized in that the polygon is made out of sheet metal and its cylindrical interior is braized to the sleeve.

8. The structure of claim 6 further characterized in that the axis of the sleeve is straight.

9. The structure of claim 6 further characterized in that the axis of the sleeve turns through 90*.

10. A method of making a body member for joining a connector for flexible conduit to a terminus, including the steps of forming a tubular body section from sheet metal, positioning a sheet metal polygon annulus with a cylindrical interior therethrough on the outside of the body section between the ends thereof, providing a thread form on the exterior of the body section adjacent one end thereof, braizing the various parts together, thereafter positioning an internally-threaded nut on the other end of the body section, and deforming the said other end of the body section to retain the nut thereon.

11. The method of claim 10 further characterized in that the step of forming a tubular body section includes stamping a straight tubular piece from a flat sheet.

12. The method of claim 10 further characterized in that the step of forming a tubular body section includes positioning a sleeve on the said other end thereof, and the step of deforming the said other end of the body section includes deforming the sleeve so that it radially overlaps and retains the nut.