claimed is: 1. A connertor for a co,axial cable, which ineludes a contr.al conductor, ia conduciive sheatb, an in-.icr layer of insulation interposed between said condurtor and sheath, and an outer layer of insulation covering said sheath, s,aid connector comprising a hollow body open at both ends and having anabutment formed therein, a czfble splicin.disc within said body comprising an -annular flange portion and a f@rusto-conical center portion having a center hole sized to accom@inodate ;Said inner layer of insulelion but not said sheath, said flange po@rtion sized !to engage said,,abutinent, said ftusto-conical center portion tapering in,wardly away from said abutment, a cable clamping disc within said body, said cable claniping digc having opposite end, faces with one end face dis-posed adj,,ic--nt to said splic-ing disc, said one end face comprising an,outerannula@r surface and an inner frusto-.cor-lica-I surface defiriing a funnelshaped deprmion to accommodate -the frustoconical center portion of said spliring disc, said annular surface disposed stibstantially patallel to, said annLIar flange portion, said frusto-conical center portion and said frusto@conical surface sized so as to be spaced frorp- ione another when said annular flange portion,and said outer annular surface engage each other, said cable clan-iping disc having @a central bore sized -to accommodate s,aid sheath but not said loute@r layer of insulation, a resilient ,a,nnular gasket within said bbdy adjacent the opp,osite end face of said clam-ping disc, said gasket having a center hole sized to accommodate said outer layer @of insulation, and means cooperating with said!abutment for compressing together said gasket and discs, whereby -a cable inserted within said ,body may hafve the end of its sheath secured tightly between said annulqr flan,-e portion and s,aid outer!annular surf-ace while the portion of said sheath between said frusto-conical ce-@iter portion and said frustoconioal surface is substantially free,of any clamping force. 2. A coaxial connector for a sel6cted coaxial cable h@aving a conductive sheath sutroundin.- an insulat@ed conductor, said connertor coinprising a hollow body, a clamp disc within said body, said clamp disc having an end face comprising- a first outer annular surface and an immediately adjace-nt inner frusto-coiiica@l female mating surface, said clamp disc also having a central hole sized to acco,m@m,odat-- theconductive sheath of said selected!cable, a splicer disc within said body, said splirer disc having a peri@pheral flange with a second @outer annular surface and an inner frusto-conical male mating section, said first and second annular surfac-es disposed at substantially right angles to the axis of said body, said male, section having a cen@ter hole sized to -receive the insulate-d conductor of said same c(yaxial cable, said female -sutface and male seotion sized so as to be spaced from one another when said annular surfaces engage each other, where)by when the cable sheath of said same cable is clamped between said annular surfaces, the portion of said sheath between said female surf-ace and male section willbe substantiafly free of any clamping for,@e, and means for forcing said discs toward each other and to hold them stationary within said hollow body whereby to clamp -them to an interp@osed cable sheath. 3. A connector for coaxial transmission lines of the type comprisin.- a central conductor,,a conductive sheath, an insulating sleeve intermeceate said condurtor and s@heath, and an outer covering of insulating material, said connector comprising,a hollow connector body havin- an internal sl,.otilder and means defining a coa,-,ial bore 10 t-hrough said shoulder, a splicer dis-, abutting said shoulder, said splicer disc comprising an outer right-angle annular flange se@tion iand a salid fr-usto-iconical inner section having a coaxial conter hole slightly lar,-er than the intermediate insulating sleeve of a given coaxial line 15 but smaller than the sheath of said same line, said inner section tapering away fr@om said shoulder, a clamp, disc adjacent to said splicer dis-@, said clamp disc havin- a center hole just large enough to;accommodate the sheath <)f said same coaxial line, said clamp disc having an end 20 face comprising an outer righ-t-angle annular surface and an inner frusto-conical - surface which defines a counter@sink for its center hole, said frusto-conical section and said frusto-conical surface sized to be spaced fro@m one another when said annular flange se--tion is en-aged by 25 said annular surface, whereby when ithe sheath of said given line is clamped bet@veen said annular flange sectio.1 and said annular surface, that portion of the sheath which extends between s,aid frusto@conical section and said fmsto-conical surface will be relatively free of any clamp30 ing force while fully filling the space between saidfrustoconical sectio-.q and said frusto-conical surface, and releasablo means cooperating with said shoulder to - force said splicer and clanip discs toward each other. 4. A co,axial:connector fora selected coaxial cable haj35 ing a @conductive shDath surrounding an insulated conductor, said :connee-tor comprising a clamp disc and a splicer disc, said clamp disc having an end face comprising a first outer annular surface and @an inner frusto-conicalfemale ma@ting surface, saidclamp disc -also having a 40 cen-tral hole sizedto accommdd-ate the condu!ctive -sheath of said selected cable, said splicer disc having a peripheral flange with a second outer @annular surface and an inner frlisto-conical male mating sertion, said male section having a center hole sized to receive the insulated con45 ductor of said satne cable, said female surface and male section sized so as to be spaced from ona another when said first,and secondannular surfaces engage each other, whereby when the end of the sheath -of said cable is clamped between said annular surfaces, the portion of 50 said gheath between said female surface and said male section wffl be substantially free of any clamping force, and means for forcing said discs together and to hold them fixed relative to each other whereby to clamp @them to an interposed cable sheath. 55 References Cited in the Me of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,425,834 Salisbury -------------- Aug. 19, 1947 60 2 490,596 Morris ------------ ----- Dec. 6, 1949 2:78 5,385 Figueira ------------ --- Mar. 12, 1957 Z,804,601 Harthman et al - -------- Aug. 27, 1957 2,870,420 Malek ---------------- Jan. ZO, 195-q 3,040,288 Edlen et al - ------------ June 19, 1962 65

United States Patent Office 3910,49145 3,104,145 COAXIAL CONNECTORS SI.ierman J. Soricyset, Melrose, Mass., assi-nor to Gremir M@inufq,cturin- Co., Inc., Wakefield, Mass., a corperation of Massachusetts Filed Jan. 23, 1961, Ser. No. 84,346 4 Claims. (Cf. 339-103) T,his invention Tolates to cable connectors and more par,tioularly to miniat@ure radio freqliency coaxial cable connectors. Coaxial cable of the typo with which the present i@nvention @is concemed gen-.rally co-inprises a solid or sti-anded inner conduotor, a flexible @dielectric material stirro,tinding the inner conductor, a woven or braided flexible sheath of one or more layers of metallic material &urrounding the ;dielectric material, and an outer insulatin,,- cover or casin,-. The latter m-,iy conipr,.;se a single layer of plastic, rubber, impregnated fabric or other material, dependin,.- upon the environment in w@hichthe cable is intended to be used. Heretofore, many idifferent forms of minia@.ure coaxial cable coninectors have been devised. Ho,@vever, most of these have not been fully satisfactory. Some hav-- been too cumbersome to assemble and disassemble Dr have been unduly complicated mechanically. Ot'he'r types have been incapable of splicing t-he cable, to tlie, connector with stifficie-@it stren.atil or have clamped i@t in a manP.er,wliich ca@uses rapid frayin@g and ultime,.e rup'@ure of t-he sheath. Other disadvantages have been failure to provide effective se-,iling of the interior of the cable from the a@tn-iosphere. Protection f@rom thpatmosphere ds necessary in order to prevent electrical break @down and also to prevent corrosio-ii and rottinl-. Perhapstlic most common difficulty with coiiventional coaxial con-@iectors has been the inability to @obtain low voltage standin,,- wav., ,ratios as a standard result. Excessive reilected signal has been a common defect, due in part to the m,,iniier of splici-@ig the cable to the conneclor and in part to the disposition of t-he elements of the connector which coc)perate to secure it to the cable. According@ly, it is a niajor object of the present invention to pr(>vide an improved and novel coaxial connector whicli is mechanically simple a@nd efficient, is easy to attach to a coaxial transmission line, provides a good hermetic seal for the portion of the cable contained therein, and is of excellert electrical efficiency. A further obj--ct of tlie present invention is to provide a coaxial connectgr having a novel constrtiction for providing flri-@l and secure mechanical coniection plus excol lent electrical coupling between the connector and a coaxial cable. A further object of the present invention is ta provide a coaxial connector havin@,g an improved cable splicer w,hich not oily junctions as a splicing element for the -metallic shea'Lliing of the cable, but also is useful to flair the brald away irom t@ic cable, whereby to position the Raire-d portion of the braid for best possible clainpiiig to the conn-.ctor. The cable splicing element - takes the pla(,D of the, braid against the dielectric material and is desi,gned to eliminata air lor fgas pock@,ts Nvit-hin the connector in the area surroiliidin.- the cabl--,dieleotric, whereby to eliminate electrical reflections and obtain a satisfaclory volta,-e standin@ wave ratio. A further object of the inventio'n is to provide a nove, L coaxial line connector capable of easy and speedy assembly aiid @which is electrically efficient at ultra-high freqiuencies. iother objects and many of the attendant advantages the present invention wil.1 become readily apparent from a review iof the following idetailed specification when conPatented Sept. 17, 1963 2 sidered toaether with the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. I is a perspective view of a coaxial cable connector embodyiti.- the present invention; 5 FIG. 2 is a to-iiaitudinal sectional view af the same cable connector as attachod to a coaxial cable; FIG. 3 is an explorded perspective view of the assembly of FIG, 2, but vvith the cable omitted; and FIG. 4 is an elevational view @of a portion of the as10 sembly of @FIG. 2, wilhthe cable splicing!@- ents an a portion of the cable shown in section to illustrate a novel feat-ure of the invention. 'nie illustratgd connector coil-iprises an elongated cylindrical body 2 ixrhich is provided with an inte-rior thread 15 4 at one end and wicn a reduced section 6 at the oither end. The reduced:section @6 is provided with a peripheral groove 9 in,@vhich is moulited a resilient split lockinig rin,,- 10. Sur.--,unding the reduced section 6 is a coupling nut 12 Nvhich is provided at one lend with interior threads 14 20 and at tha ot'iier end with an interior @,rroove 16. TI,-e threads 14 permi-t the nut to be screi@i@.d onto a mating connector. T,rie interior groove 16 is ;designed to receive the split lockiig ring 10. '@ike periphetal groove, 8, it is of reltanaular cross-seelion. In this connection it is to 25 be obsp-rved that the idepth of groove 8 is suffici-,nt to fully receive locl@i.-@ig ring 10 whentlip- later is compressed, t,'.iareby permitting coupling nL@t IZ to be slipped lonto the reduced socition 6. The ring will remain compressed by -@iut 12 while the r@ut is being slipped over the body 2. 30 However, ring 10 will automatically snap into the groove 16 when the latter is in radialrog-istration with gr-oove 8. Opce rin,,- 10 has snapped into groove 16, it will act to rotatablyhol,d together the nut and connector body 2. In the re.-ion;of redlced s@-etion 6, the body has an in35 terior ablitment lor flange 18 which defines a central bore 20 and prgvides two -opposite shoulders 22 and 24. Shoulders 22 and 24 are provided with like diaineter cciinterbores 28 and 30. Adhesively secilred m7,ithin bore 20 is a plastic insulator 32 having an axial bore 34 which 40 is adapted to receive a contacit element 36. Fitting around insil-,Iator 32 is a contact element 38 'havin.- a plurality of resilient fingers 40 wli-loh terminate short of @the on@d face 42 oLf coupling nut 12. The contact element 38 is provided with an enlar,-ed flange 44 which fits within 45 c-ounterbore 28. Contact eleme@nt 33 is mairi-tained in place by stakin.- shoulder 22 at -@ plurality !of points so as to pro-- vide a frictional igrip betwaen flange IS and the contact clement. Soft solder 46 is also added so as lo impro-,,e the electrical contact betiveen flange 18 and con50t ent E,,Ct e cr@l A rubber scalin,@ -gasket 48 is positioned around contact clernent 33. T-iiis Pubber gasket is cetr@ented -to shoulder 22. Preferably also it may be cemented to contact elemetit 38. AIso abutting insulator element 32 is a con55 ductive metal bushin,- 50. This bushing is press fitted intg counterbore 30. V-/it'i the exception of the contact element 26, the foregoing el,-m@-nts constitut-, a unitary sub-assembly. This sub-assembly is adapted to @receive the aforesaid contact 60 26, a coaxial cable, splicing and sealing elements, and a cable clampirig nut. Bushing 50 cooperates ,vith shoulder 24 to provide a stipporting surface for a cable splicer element generally idejitified at 54. As illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, cable 65 splicer 54 comprises an annular flange portion 56, a frustoconical section 58, and a central opening 60. The radial d,mension of the flange 56 is greater than the corresponding dimension of th-. frusto-conical surface 59. Cooperating with spl-@cer 54 is a braid or sheath 70 clamp element g,-nerally identified at 62. This clamp element 62 is an annular element whose outer diameter

is the saiiie as that of lies adjacent to the s,-)Iic,--.r -where it is reduced, to fbrm a cylindrical surface 64. The 'lace -inhich lies adjacent to SDIieer 54 comlrises an annul,,tr suface 66 and a frusto-conical or tipered suriace 63 which reduces ;n @5 diameter to a ceitral opeiiing 70. The opposite i'ace 72. of C'Izlnip element 62 has a counterbore 74 a-.id compr"ses an annl,,Iar ridgd 76 of t,-iangular cross-,,ection. TI-@e annular rid.-e 76 is desi,-Rned to ft within a @,,- shaped groove 73 fornied in one face of a cbri-ipressible gasl@et 1( 30 inade of rubber or sonie o" r suitable gasket material. The oopos-'@te face of the gaslcet 5,) is engaged by a metal washer 84. The latt.-r is engaged by a cable clamping nut 36 wh;Ch is thread-.d to mate with internil threads 4. Nut 36 ac@'Ls on the washer 34 to coll@llless t@le -aslct 1,5 80 into 'Light se-,ling relati0ii w-ith clarnp elei'Den@L 62, tile Iitter in t,.irn bein.- forc@d toward si)licer 54,. T'he foregoing assembly is adap@ed to receive a c@oaxi,-,l cable gen,-rall.y identified at 90. This coaxial cab',c @'s of conveiitional construction and comprises a cent@-al con- 20 d,,,.cto.- 92, a pla@@tic (e.g. polvetliylene) dielectric 94 surroiinding the conductor, a metallic braid-,d sheath 96 su@'- rouiidiqg the dielectric, a,@id a plastic -@'r@sulating coiler, 98 surroundir@g the metal sheatb. Nut lo'6, Nyasher 84 and r@-silient gasket 80 certral 25 op-.I.iin.-s 100, 102, and 104 respectiiely, wh-ich arp- identical it- diameter to counterbore 74 of climp 62, @b,--'.ng sized so as to jtist accbmmodate the insulat-ing cover 98 of the cable@ The ceiitral opelling 70 in clami,) 62, is smaller than t",,e diamet-,r of the cable cover 9,0, b-at j-uist 30 larg-. en6ugh to acconimoda@,e she,,ith 95 o-f 'Lhe sa-.ne cable.. The ceiitr-i opering 60 iii splic--r elenient 54 is sized just larg6 er.6u,,zh to receive the dielecLr-@'C 94 but not I?,rge enough to receine the metallic sheath 96, The central oDeiiiD@ tL-e metal btish-i-@ng 50 is consider@,bly 35 iirger than the dial-Peter ol4 the dielectr;c la3ler 94,, ivhereby to accommodate ai irsulator bush-.rig 110 which fits over the dielectric r@iatprial 9el. Th-- shape and loca'Lion of the tapered surf,-,ces 59 aild 68 of splicer 54 and clamp 62, respect;vejv, are siar-h thn't e,. 0 these Si-irfaces ar-, parallel aiid, wlien the an-,lular suriace 66 is separated fro-iii the flange portion 56 by a d-'@stance equal to tic tiiick7less of the cable braid, tho r)erperdicti1,-tr distance betnxieen the surfaces 58 and 63 is slightly greater than the thicimess of the cable sheath 96. Tkus, 45 v@,hen a sheath is sandw;ciied bet-%veen spli -cer 5 4 and ciamp 62, oily the portion of ti2c sheath betvieen the transversely extendin@ flan.ac 56 and annular surface 66 will be gripped tightly; the portion of tha sh-,-ath betweeil the frusto-conical portion 58 and matin.- surface 63 wiil 50 not be pinched. This condition is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4 by 6xaggerat;ng th@- spaciiig between the sh--at!i and fr-Listo-conical portion 58. I@i practice, LoNvever, the difference in spa---'@n.- is barely discerliible to the iiaked eye. The process of assembling the connector o.,ito a cabl.- is 55 very siinple and reciuires i,ittle ti-riie@ rirst of al@l, the outer insulation 93 is cut back to ext)ose t@'-.e braidcd sheath 96. Thereafter, the claepping rut 86, the clainpin.a washer 34, and the seali-tig gasket 8,3 are slid onto the cable over the insulating cov@-r 9S. Next, clamp ele- C-0 ment 62 is slid onto the cable i-ii such a way that the end of the insulati-@ig cover 98 ilts itito th-, counterbore 74. Then the bmided sheath 96 is cut off io a length beyond the end of the ir@sulating cover 93 eqtiil to approximately the axial length of bore 70, a-@id the linear 65 lejigth of frusto-conical sv@rface 68 and the radius of annular surface 66. The splicer 54 is then slid onto the cable over the d,.electric 94, si:ich that t@.e tapered s-Iction 53 is inserted between the sheath 96, and the dielectric 94@ The tapered section 53 will automaacally :nare the 70 sheath away from the dielectric into 'Lhe space-betwe-.n splicer 54 and clamp 62, with the res,,iltant sheath configtiratibn being qs showti in FIGS. 2 anci 4. The length of th.- e-Pos-.d pol-tion of the she-,tth is rot critical. If it -is etit sligiatly longet,than the ar,,@ount pr-.- 75 54 cxcci)t at the face i,,,hich Niously presc-ribed, its ciid may be bent back a-,,i-nst cylindricil surface 6,1. Thereaft2r, the dielecti-ic layer 94 is cut back a predeterm-@'iied distance 1,0 expose some of the ir.-i--r cone@.i:ictoi 92, as showi in FIG. 4. 'llais inr@er conductor 92 is then tinped preparatory to roceiving the contact element 36, Immediately aft@-r tinthe insulating b,.ishing 110 is slipped over the dielectric 94. Then the contact elem, ent 36 is sli,,)ped or@',o the iirier coiiductor 9@2 and is secured thereto by solder. in th@is conr@ectio-,i it is to be obser-,ted that contact ele36 has ai axial bore at its inner end to receive theco@id,-,ctor (as sho,@vn iii brokeii lines in FIG. 2) and also has a lateral op-,ning 114 in which solder is deoosit.-d to secr-re .t to the coiidi-icL-or. There?.fter, the eDd of the cable bearin.- coiitact 36 is inserted i@-ito connectbr body 2. The cable is turri--d sligh'.Iy so -,3 to assure proper seating of gasket 30 cii claiiit) 62. Thei-eafter, rut 36 is screwed into the body ai-id ti.-htened with a ivrench. the nut,, actir..- throligh the washer 84 and tli@- gasket 80, presses th,-- clamb 6.'@, to@Nard the splicer 54, causin- the braided sheath to b@@ comoressed between the annular surfaces 56 and 66. The sheath will be c6nstrair@ed to I;e betw-,en t@,.e 'Lvio taliered surfaces 58 and 63. However, as,,-,xplained previoasly, because of the spacin- between the t@vo tapered mp-ng action isaccomsurfaces S@',and 68, ,ill of the cla pl-'.shed between the tra-isversely-extend'ng sii--faces *6 and 66. Th- ta cred s cti6ns serve simply to li' ffic p c Lt bra,'@ded sheath away from the dielectric 94 in a gradual, a-.id casy@-m,,ir@i-ior, thereby prevonting the sheatli from froyin-1. At the same time, their cl6se but nonclampiiig -.pac-' ng stibstcintially eliminates air or gas pockets between th, splicer and clamp elements, thereby avoiding aiiy significant electrical reilections and resulting in voltige st@nd'ng aave ratios of most satisfactory values e.g., 1.2 or less up t6 frequencies as hi@h ns 10,OG-0 mo@ cycl@es. a in this connection it is to be bbserved also that rela'cively large contact a@eas betwee-n c'.anp 62, sDIieer 54, flan,-,- IS and bushing 50 assure full ar@d dep-- ndable eleetr;cal connectio-@i between braided sheath 96 and coptact eleinent 33. Jn addition to providin.- improved electrical p-,rforim:@ance th-, aforesaid construction has the adv,antaac ef providing an excellent hermetic seal for the exposed portio@is of the;coaxial cable. Rubber gask@t 80 snugly surrounds the co r 98 of th ve o cable 'and thereby provides an hernietic seal for the interiOT of the, connector. Another notewortliy @adva@-ita o of the foregoin- coiig struction is the strength of the c6nnection bet@veen the connector and the ca!ble, due to a major ex@tent to the fict that the braided sheath 96,is clamped between two trap@s@,jerse@ly-extending mated surfaces instead of betiveen ti@/,o oblique or two coaxi@l surfaces., Not @bnly does this strong connection prevent-the cable -and conne!ctor froii being Pulled apart in use, but it also reduces electi7ical noise due to the inability of the braided sheath ',o relaltiv-. to the splicer and clamp elements. A further iiiiportant advaiita.-e of the foregoing con-struction is that the lentire assembly can be rap@idly sp,-viccd in the field without special tools. The c@cble can be pulled @free of the connector body simply by unscrewing cl@ampin- nut 86. Replacoment of contact ele.,nent 36 is a simple soldering job. it i to ba noted that the invention is applicable to var@ious types of coaxial connectors. lit is not necessary for 'ehe coaxial connector to -have contact elements like those shown at 36 and 38, or even.a coupling nut as co,@lpling nut 12. The connecto@r n,@ay be of @other c-onstruictions, including cable CT panel j-acks, straight or ri-,II'L -ab angle @@, le plugs, panel TeCeptacles land right ar@gle or T ad@pters. The invention may be, embodied in -thes-other tyoes @of connector-s wiLhoWL departiii from t'@ic prin9 ciples hereinabove desgribed. It is a-Iso to be under.-tood 'Lhat the, invention is not limited lo mini-@tiire-size coniiectors but is appl"@cable as well to larger size conriectors.

3,104,145 5 Ob,viously, many modifications and variations of the invention are possible in view of the above teachings. Tb,-refore, it is to be understood ,that the inventio.-i is not linuted in its application to the details of construfgtion and a,rrangement of parts specifically described or il@lustrated, an,d that within the scope 4of the appended claims, it may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described or illustrated. What is