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With regard to one gentlemans concern that Uncle Sugar was not properly
solicitous of the health of us citizen soldiers by providing us with
unsafe plugs on high voltage slave cables, I would like to point out
that the pictured conectors are really a variation of high quality
explosion proof connectors.
The external surface of the 'pins' in the recessed male conector on the
cable (where fingers could touch) are NOT live at any time. The internal
surface of the HOLLOW PINS contacts a PRONG which is recessed into the
holes in the female receptacle shown on the van body. As the male
connector slides into the female socket the solid pins in the female
make contact with the interior, current carrying, surface of the male
pins on the cord plug and energise the cord. Any spark which might be
created is contained within the two sliding cylinders and is unlikely to
cause an explosion in hazardous environments. The locking collar is then
screwed down tight.
In a true explosion proof fitting there may be any number of HOT AND
NEUTRAL wires but there would also be a GROUND WIRE whose CONNECTOR
PRONG is longer and ENGAGES FIRST, before any of the current carrying
PINS makes contact with its respective PRONG.
Of course, if you have a live cable in your hands and drop it in a
puddle of water deep enough to submerge the end you are in a FUBAR condition.
Now, See, Uncle Sugar does love us after all.
I will now go take a cold shower as all this slipping and sliding has
gotten me 'tingly'!
Electrically,
Mel Miller
M725 X 2
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Jun 01 2000 - 22:37:13 PDT