Identification device for electrical conductors

An identification device adapted for mounting on the free end of an insulated conductor, comprising:

• (a) a pair of generally-rectangular marking plates (2, 3;
• 2′, 3′), each of said marking plates having a generally trapezoidal longitudinal cross-sectional configuration including:
• (1) a pair of horizontal parallel spaced longitudinal walls (2a, 2g;
• 3a, 3g);
• and
• (2) chamfered walls (2b;
• 3b) at the ends of each plate, whereby one of said longitudinal walls (2g;
• 3g) is longer than the other longitudinal wall (2a;
• 3a);
• (3) said marking plates being relatively longitudinally rotated and initially arranged in a parallel closed condition with their shorter walls in contiguous engagement;
• and
• (b) tension means biasing said marking plates together toward said closed condition, thereby to define a marking plate assembly, said chamfered walls forming divergent slots (20) at the ends of the marking plate assembly, the apices of the obtuse angles between said chamfered walls and the associated shorter longitudinal walls defining transverse pivot axes (P1, P2;
• P1′, P2′) at the apices of said slots, respectively, said tension means including tension members (4, 5;
• 7, 8) arranged on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of said marking plate assembly adjacent the longitudinal side portions of said marking plates;
• (c) said plates being pivotally displaceable apart against the force of said tension means about the pivot axes at one end of said marking plate assembly from said closed condition toward an open condition in which said marking plates are arranged at an acute angle, whereby said marking plates are adapted to receive longitudinally therebetween the free end of a conductor (6), each of said chamfered surfaces containing a centrally-arranged longitudinal groove 2c, 3c;
• 2c′, 3c′) adapted to receive a circumferential portion of the conductor when said marking plates are in said open condition;
• (d) said marking plates being biased by said tension means such that upon release of the marking plates, said marking plates are displaced from said open condition toward a clamping condition in which said marking plates are adapted for parallel spaced longitudinal contiguous engagement with diametrically opposed circumferential surfaces of the conductor.