CONDUCTOR TRANSFER ASSEMBLY

• US 3,848,361 A
• Filed: 09/14/1973
• Issued: 11/19/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: George Z. Zawadzki, John R. Foster, Maksimiljan Godec
• Original Assignee: George Z. Zawadzki, John R. Foster, Maksimiljan Godec
• Inventors: Foster, John R., Zawadzki, George Z., Godec, Maksimiljan
• Primary Examiner(s): Clay, Darrell L.
• Application Number:
  US05/397,397
• Time in Patent Office: 431 Days
• Field of Search: 174/86,69,70 339/4,2R,1 292/262 70/264 16/50 191/12,12.1 49/167,70
• US Class Current: 49/167
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/0081 for transmitting energy, e.g. electrical cable routing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/148 Windows
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 3/01 for supporting or guiding the pipes, cables or protective tubing, between relatively movable points, e.g. movable channels
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 35/02 Flexible line connectors without frictional contact members
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/28 Extension link

Abstract

A transfer assembly providing protective housing for wires, flexible conduits or the like which must extend between the frame of a passage such as a doorway or a window and the hinged closure for the passage to inhibit tangling, kinking or crimping and breakage of such conductors as a result of frequent movement of the closure relative to the frame. In its preferred form, the assembly includes a chambered plate recessed into the frame, a second chambered plate recessed into the hinged edge of the closure, a tubular elbow having one end journalled in the first plate so that its other end is disposed in the chamber of the second plate when the closure is in passage-closing position, a second tubular elbow having one end journalled in the second plate at a point offset from the one end of the first elbow so that the other end of the second elbow is disposed in the chamber of the first plate when the closure is in passage-closing position, a first tubular head communicating with and pivotally movable with respect to the other end of the first elbow, a cylindrical tube supported from that head, a second tubular head communicating with and pivotally movable with respect to the other end of the second elbow, and a cylindrical tube supported from the second head, the two tubes being telescopically associated for relative rotation about their common axis and for relative longitudinal movement, and a plurality of flexible wires, conduits or the like slackly threaded through the elbows and tubes and extending outwardly from the one end of both elbows. It is desirable to protect the slack portions of the conductors against removal or, indeed, any significant bodily longitudinal movement relative to the enclosing elbows, heads and tubes; and several expedients to that end are disclosed.

Claims

1. The combination with a passage having a frame and a hinged closure, of a wire transfer assembly comprising a first chambered plate recessed into an element of said frame and elongated in a direction parallel with the hinge axis of said closure, a second chambered plate recessed into an edge of said closure adjacent said frame element and registering with said first chambered plate, a first tubular elbow having one end penetrating and journalled about its own axis in one of said plates and having its other end disposed at times in the chamber of the other of said plates, a second tubular elbow having one end penetrating and journalled about its own axis in the other of said plates, said last-named axis being offset from but parallel with the axis of said one end of said first elbow and having its other end disposed at times in the chamber of said one plate, a first tubular head mounted to rock about a transaxial axis relative to said other end of said first elbow, a first tube coaxially supported from said first head, a second tubular head mounted to rock about a transaxial axis relative to said other end of said second elbow, and a second tube coaxially supported from said second head, said tubes being telescopically associated with each other for relative coaxial rotation and longitudinal extension and contraction.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said transaxial axes are parallel when said closure is in frame-closing position.

3. The combination of claim 1 in which one of said chambereD plates is provided with a wire ingress port, the other of said chambered plates is provided with a wire egress port, and a removable cover plate for each chamber disposed between said tubes and the respective ports.

4. The combination of claim 3 in which each cover plate is formed at one end with a tang received in a slot formed in the associated chambered plate and is formed near its other end with a hole receiving a screw threaded into a threaded socket formed in its associated chambered plate.

5. A Z-shaped tubular fitting comprising two end parts and a telescopic body joining said end parts, the free ends of said end parts being journalled respectively in separate, relatively hinged elements for oscillation about separated, parallel axes and said body part being pivotally connected at its opposite ends to said end parts, respectively, said body part further comprising two cylindrical members telescopically assembled for relative axial movement and relative oscillation about their common longitudinal axis.

6. In combination, a frame for a passageway, a closure hingedly mounted in said frame, a chambered plate recessed into a part of said frame, a second chambered plate recessed into that edge of said closure which is hinged to said frame part to mate with said first-named chambered plate, and a fitting according to claim 5 having the free ends of said end parts journalled respectively in said plates.

7. A wire transfer assembly comprising a telescopic body provided by a pair of cylindrical tubular members telescopically assembled for relative axial movement and relative oscillation about their common longitudinal axis, said body having opposite ends, a connecting tube at each of said opposite ends communicating with said tubular members, and means for connecting each said opposite end to one end of the adjacent connecting tube for pivotal movement relative thereto.

8. The assembly of claim 7 including a pair of plates, one for mounting on a frame for a passageway and one for mounting on a closure hingedly mounted in said frame, said connecting tubes having their other ends journalled respectively in said plates.

9. The assembly of claim 8 in which the plane which is common to the axes of both ends of each connecting tube is perpendicular to the axis about which said telescopic body pivots relative to that tube.

10. The assembly of claim 7 in which each connecting means includes a tubular head rigidly fastened to the adjacent tubular member of said telescopic body, and a plurality of wires extending through said transfer assembly, said wires having end portions respectively outside said tubular heads and intermediate portions passing through said telescopic body, said intermediate portions coiling about the longitudinal axis of said telescopic body.

11. The assembly of claim 10 including means for gripping the wire portions disposed respectively in said tubular heads.

12. The assembly of claim 11 in which said pair of tubular members of said telescopic body includes an inner member and an outer member, said gripping means disposed in said tubular head which is connected to said outer member providing an axially extending guide for said wires, the distal end of said guide engaging the internal diameter of said inner member.

13. A transfer assembly comprising a first tubular elbow having a first end and a second end, a second tubular elbow having a first end and a second end, the first end of each elbow having a cylindrical exterior surface and the second end of each elbow having a concave interior surface, an intermediate body comprising an outer rectilinear tube and an inner rectilinear tube telescopically assembled for relative reciprocation and oscillation about their common axis, means pivotally connecting the outer end of said outer tube to the second end of said first elbow upon the center of the concave surface thereof, means pivotally connecting the outer end of said inner tube to the second end of said second elbow upon the ceNter of the concave surface thereof, and a plurality of conductors threaded through said elbows and body, extending outwardly beyond the first ends of both elbows for connection to other conductors and providing slack within said body for accommodating such relative reciprocation and oscillation.

14. The assembly of claim 13 including means anchoring said conductors at each end of said body against longitudinally outward movement relative to said body ends.

15. The assembly of claim 13 including means adjacent the outer end of said outer tube for restraining longitudinally outward movement of such slack and means adjacent the outer end of said inner tube for restraining longitudinally outward movement of such slack.

16. The assembly of claim 13 in which the slack in said conductors within said body is formed into a coaxial coil, a coaxially tubular head for the outer end of each tube, a sleeve received in each head, each sleeve having an enlargement at its inner end, and a coiled spring disposed between each such enlargement and the adjacent end of said coil, the respective end portions of said conductors being threaded through said sleeves.

17. The assembly of claim 16 including means anchoring the portions of said conductors which are threaded through said sleeves against longitudinal movement relative to said respective sleeves.

18. The assembly of claim 13 in which the conductors of said plurality are laterally connected to each other substantially from end to end.

19. The assembly of claim 18 in which the slack in said conductors within said body is formed into a coaxial coil, and means at opposite ends of said body disposed in blocking association with the respective ends of said coil to restrain longitudinal movement of said coil.

20. A transfer assembly comprising a first tubular member formed to provide a right-cylindrical exterior surface at one end, a first tubular element bifurcated at one end to receive the other end of said tubular member, pivot means located wholly outside the bores of said member and said element upon an axis substantially perpendicular to the plane common to the axes of said bores, a second tubular member formed to provide a right-cylindrical exterior surface at one end, a second tubular element bifurcated at one end to receive the other end of said second tubular member, pivot means located wholly outside the bores of said second member and said second element upon an axis substantially perpendicular to the plane common to the axes of said bores, a first tube connected to the other end of said first element, a second tube connected to the other end of said second element and telescopically associated with said first tube for coaxial reciprocation and oscillation relative thereto, a first sleeve received in the bore of said other end of said first element, a second sleeve received in the bore of said other end of said second element, a coiled spring disposed within said tubes and connected to said sleeves, and conductor means having its midportion formed into a coil disposed within said spring, one end region of such conductor means extending through said first sleeve, through said first element and through said first member and therebeyond and being fixed relative to said first sleeve, and the other end region of such conductor means extending through said second sleeve, through said second element and through said second member and therebeyond.

21. The device of claim 20 in which said other end region is fixed relative to said second sleeve.