Safety disconnect switch for suspended cables

A safety disconnect switch for use with a suspended electrical cable extending between anchors and comprising:

• a. a base means serving as the anchor at one end of the cable span;
• b. bus bar means on the base means for connecting incoming power supply lead wires;
• c. movable terminal clamping means for joining the terminal ends of the wires of a suspended electrical cable to the bus bar means;
• d. detent switch means for holding the movable terminal clamping means in a first fixed position and for releasing the movable terminal clamping means into a second cable-released position;
• e. said detent switch means comprising a first resilient wire anchoring means for attachment to a given wire of the electrical cable at a point remote from the terminal end of that wire, a second bracing means connected between the resilient wire anchoring means and the movable terminal clamping means for governing the position of the movable terminal clamping means, and a third releasable locking means for holding the resilient wire anchoring means to the base means;
• and,
• f. trigger means for opening the releasable locking means of the detent switch means upon a predetermined tension force being applied to the said given wire of the cable.

A safety disconnect switch for use with a suspended electrical wire extending between anchors and comprising:

• a. a base means serving as the anchor at one end of the wire span;
• b. bus bar means on the base means for receiving an incoming power supply lead wire;
• c. movable terminal clamping means for joining the terminal end of the suspended wire to the bus bar means;
• d. detent switch means for holding the movable terminal clamping means in a first fixed position and for releasing the movable terminal clamping means into a second wire-released position;
• e. said detent switch means including a wire anchoring means for attachment to the suspended wire at a point remote from the terminal end of that wire;
• f. said detent switch means being triggered to release the movable terminal clamping means whenever a tension force above a predetermined amount is applied to the suspended wire.