Cable connector

A rotary joint cable connector for a spot welding gun automatically positioned relative to a workpiece by a robot, said connector comprising:

• first and second electrically conductive inner slip ring members insulated from each other and having generally conical projections on opposite end contact faces, said slip rings being adapted to rotate together about a major axis;
• third and fourth outer electrically conductive slip ring members, each having conical depressions on inner contact faces thereof for receiving the conical projections of said first and second slip rings, respectively;
• means for electrically connecting a welding cable to the outer periphery of said first and second slip ring members;
• means for electrically connecting said third and fourth slip ring members to the spot welding gun;
• means for normally holding the contact surfaces of the slip rings in wiping arrangement with each other;
• and
• actuator means for selectively compressing said slip ring members into mutually locked engagement when current is supplied to the spot welding gun by the cable.

A rotary joint cable connector comprising:

• a shaft;
• a first inner electrically conductive slip ring member having a conically projecting contact surface;
• a second inner electrically conductive slip ring member insulated from said first slip ring member, said second slip ring member having a conically projecting contact surface;
• a third outer electrically conductive slip ring member having a contact surface with a conical depression into which said conically projecting contact surface of said first slip ring member nests;
• a fourth outer electrically conductive slip ring member having a contact surface with a conical depression into which the conically projecting contact surface of said second slip ring member nests;
• said first, second, third, and fourth slip ring members being mounted for rotational movement about said shaft;
• said first and second slip ring members including lugs onto which a welding cable may be mounted such that the major longitudinal axis of an end portion of the cable is generally parallel with the shaft;
• said third and fourth slip ring members including lugs for connecting to an external device to be powered by current supplied by the cable;
• a concentrically mounted actuator mechanism on the shaft, said actuator mechanism including a cylinder with a reciprocating piston mounted within a bore therein, said piston having an end face for pressing against one of said outer slip ring members;
• spring means for urging said piston against said slip ring members to bring the contact surfaces thereof into wiping engagement;
• and
• means for connecting said cylinder bore to a pressure source for selectively activating said piston to further compress said slip ring members together and hold them in a locked relationship.