Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Electrically charged fences are designed to impart an
~lectrical shock to an animal by establishing an electrical circuit
~etween ground and a source of electrical potential through an
~nimal. These systems commonly utilize a single wire, a double wiré
5 ~r two separate wires.
The single wire system includes an uninsulated wire
~onnected to a fence charger wherein an animal upon touching the
hire causes the current to flow from the wire through the animal
~o the ground. If the ground or soil condition is frozen or dry
10 ~here is a sharp increase in the electrical resistance of the
urrent path through ground so as to reduce the current flow and
hock sometimes to such a low value that the electrically charged
ence becomes ineffective.
The double wire system has longitudinallyspaced contact
lates with alternate plates connected to one wire and the other
plates connected to the other wire. The one wire is connected to
¦the fence charger and the other wire is connected to ground.
During normal, dry or cold weather conditions when adjacent con~ f
Itacts are bridged by an animal, the current shocks the animal.
20 ~ ~owever, during some particular weather conditions there is a
leakage of the shocking current on the insulated sections between
~djacent contacts, thus making the cable ineffective for livestock
¦jcontrol.
~¦ The two wire system overcomes the problem of dry or
~rozen conditions by utilizing a ground wire above or below the
charged wire; however, this system is not always effective where
controlled feeding of cattle is desired.
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i SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The electrified cable assembly of this invention relates
,to an improvement of the invention disclosed in my patent
p~, 1 7, 197~
No. 3,504,892,~a double wire system, and over the single and two
l'wire systems. The cable comprises a pair of conductors encased in
5 'la weatherproof insulated sheathing. A plurality of contacts are
longitudinally spaced along the cable and alternate contacts are
electrically connected to one of the conductors while the remaining
contacts are connected to the remaining conductor.
~l It is an object of this invention to provide an electri~i
10 ~ified cable assembly which is effective under all weather conditionS
and which permits the shocking current to flow between adjacent
¦contacts or between one of the alternate contacts and ground,
depending on the weather conditions.
Another object of this invention is to provide a dual
conductor insulated cable having contacts operatively connected
thereto for transmitting a shock when a pair of adjacent contacts
¦touch the skin of an animal.
Yet another object is the provision of an electrified
cable assembly which is extremely functional, simple in construc-
20 ¦tion and economical to manufacture.
I Yet still another object of this invention is the pro-
!li vision of an electrified cable assembly having electrical contact I
~,units that will not snag hay or the like, thereby avoiding sagging¦
'of the cable or short circuiting the cable circuit.
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In accordance with a broad aspect, the invention
relates to an improvement in an electrified cable assembly for
use with electrically charged fences having a fence charger for
providing an electric charge, the improvement comprising: a
first conductor electrically connected to the fence charger;
a second conductor electrically connected to ground; unitary
insulating means disposed about said first and second conductors
such that said conductors are electrically insulated from each
other and the environment; a first electrically conductive
contact unit disposed proximate said insulating means and in
electrical contact with said first conductor; and a second
electrically conductive contact unit disposed proximate said
insulating means distant said first conductor and in electrical
contact with said second conductor.
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il BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
I~ I
These objects and other features and advantages of this
invention will become more readily apparent when taken upon refer-
ence to the following detailed description, and especially when
Itaken in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein:
5 ', Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the electrified cable
assembly of this invention;
Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the lines 2-2;
ig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines 3-3;
¦~and
10 ~, Fig. 4 is a schematic wiring diagram of the electrified
!Icable assembly.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to f
~Fig. 1, the electrified cable assembly is indicated generally
l¦by the numeral 10. More particularly, the assembly includes a
~¦cable 11, and a plurality of contact units 12. The cable 11 is
5 ~¦formed by a pair of wire conductors 13, hereinafter called the
charged wire 14 and the ground wire 16. A weatherproof insulated
~¦sheathing17 is disposed about both conductors 13 to protect and
~¦insulate the conductors 13 from each other and from the environ-
~'ment.
10 ~1 A plurality of contact units 12 are longitudinally
spaced along the cable 11 with alternate contacts 18 being electri~
~cally connected to the charged wire 14 and the other contacts 19 li
being electrically connected to the ground wire 16.
¦ The contact units 12 (Figs. 2 and 3) are identical, andl
¦therefore only one will be described, with like numbers represent-¦
¦ing like parts. As each contact unit 12 is actually formed
¦ during assembly, the assembly operation will be described to
identify each unit.
In assembly of the cable 11 and contact units 18, an
elongated piece of wire 21 (Fig. 2) is pushed through the sheathing
17, such that the center portion 22 of the wire 21 is tangent to
~the charged wire 14 on the side thereof which is proximate the
llground wire 16. The end portions 23 of the wire 21 are then bent
~'lin a clockwise direction about the exterior of the sheating 17
~such that an S-shaped member is resultant. It will thus be noted
Ithat the wire 21 substantially girds the cable 11 and the body
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thereof forms an exposed contact unit 18 which is electrically
connected to the charged wire 14.
~, The remaining contact 19 (Fig. 3) is formed in substan-
I~tially the same manner as described above, with the exception that
5 1l the center portion 22 of the wire 21 tangentially touches the oute~
,¦surface of the ground wire 16. Also, the wire 21 is bent counter
clockwise about the cable 11, in contrast to the above.
l~ Fig. 4 depicts a schematic wiring diagram of the cir-
,~cuitry wherein the charged wire 14 is electrically connected to a ¦
10 ¦Ifence charger 24 (not shown) which provides an electric charge.
The charger 24 is usually electrically connected to a ground 26
l,such as the earth. The ground wire 16 is also electrically connec
¦ited to ground 26.
i In operation, with the fence charger 24 providing an
15 ! electrical charge, any animal touching any two oppositely biased
¦ contacts 18 and 19 will receive a repelling charge because an
electrical circuit has been completed. It will further be noted ~'
that if only one of the contacts 18 connected to the charged wire
~ 14 is touched and the animal is properly grounded, a repelling
charge will be received. It should also be noted that by having
the wire 21 bent as described, the contact units 12 have no exposed
~rotrusions capable of snagging hay or the like, thereby avoiding
oth weight accumulation upon the cable and the risk of damp hay
~hort-circuiting the cable assembly.
jl It is to be remembered that only a preferred embodiment
,has been disclosed above, and that many variations will occur to
jthose skilled in the art. Such variations are not to be consideredi
~as without the scope of the appended Claims.
