Wire connector fastening tool

Abstract

A wire connector fastening tool comprises an elongate body having a first end, a second end, an outer hand-engaging surface and an interior surface. The outer hand-engaging surface has a generally uniform outside diameter from its first end to its second end. The interior surface defines an internal axial bore extending through the body from the first end to the second end. The axial bore has a first section with a first inside diameter and a second section with a second inside diameter. The second inside diameter is larger than the first inside diameter. The first section of the bore extends from the first end of the body to a point between the first and second ends of the body. The second section of the bore extends from the first section of the bore to the second end of the body. The first end of the body is adapted to engage with at least a portion of the first wire connector in a manner so that rotation of the body causes rotation of the first wire connector. The second end of the body is adapted to engage with at least a portion of a larger second wire connector in a manner so that rotation of the body causes rotation of the second wire connector. The internal axial bore is adapted to receive a pigtail or extension wire that extends beyond other electrical wires received in the wire connector. The pigtails and extension wires may be used for device terminations, and may be used as extensions for connecting the circuit to other circuits or electrical devices.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A wire connector fastening tool comprising an elongate body having a first end and a second end, the body having an outer hand-engaging surface with a generally uniform outside diameter from its first end to its second end, the body comprising first and second sections, the first section of the body having a first axial bore with a first inside diameter extending from the first end of the body to a point between the first and second ends of the body, the second section of the body having a second axial bore with a second inside diameter larger than the first inside diameter, the second axial bore extending from the first axial bore to the second end of the body, whereby the first and second axial bores are in communication with one another to define an internal passage that extends through the body from the first end to the second end, the first end of the body being adapted to receive a portion of a wire connector with an outside diameter less than or equal to the first inside diameter, and the second end of the body being adapted to receive a portion of a wire connector with an outside diameter less than or equal to the second inside diameter.  
     
     
         2 . The wire connector fastening tool of  claim 1  wherein the first end of the body has at least two notches extending radially outwardly from the first axial bore toward the outer surface of the body and opening axially outwardly from the first end of the body, and wherein the second end of the body has at least two notches extending radially outwardly from the second axial bore toward the outer surface of the body and opening axially outwardly from the second end of the body.  
     
     
         3 . The wire connector fastening tool of  claim 2  wherein said notches are adapted to receive wings of a wire connector in a manner so that rotation of the tool causes rotation of a wire connector received in one of the first and second ends.  
     
     
         4 . The wire connector fastening tool of  claim 1  wherein the first and second axial bores are both sized to receive a wire extension that extends beyond the other electrical wires received in wire connectors engaged by the body.  
     
     
         5 . The wire connector fastening tool of  claim 1  wherein the outer hand-engaging surface is fluted to enhance a user's grip of the tool and thereby facilitate manual operation of the tool.  
     
     
         6 . The wire connector fastening tool of  claim 1  wherein the flutes extend from the first and to the second end of the body.  
     
     
         7 . The wire connector fastening tool of  claim 1  wherein the body is of a polymeric material.  
     
     
         8 . The wire connector fastening tool of  claim 7  wherein the entire wire connector fastening tool is of a single monolithic piece of polymeric material.  
     
     
         9 . The wire connector fastening tool of  claim 1  wherein the body is of a material that sufficiently transparent to permit a visual inspection of the interiors of the first and second axial bores during use of the tool.  
     
     
         10 . A wire connector fastening tool comprising an elongate body having a first end and a second end, the body having an outer hand-engaging surface with a generally uniform outside diameter from its first end to its second end, the body having an interior surface defining an internal axial bore extending through the body from the first end to the second end, the axial bore having a first section with a first inside diameter and a second section with a second inside diameter larger than the first diameter, the first section of the bore extending from the first end of the body to a point between the first and second ends of the body, the second section of the bore extending from the first section of the bore to the second end of the body, the first end of the body being adapted to engage with at least a portion of a first wire connector in a manner so that rotation of the body causes rotation of the first wire connector, and the second end of the body being adapted to engage with at least a portion of a larger second wire connector in a manner so that rotation of the body causes rotation of the second wire connector.  
     
     
         11 . The wire connector fastening tool of  claim 10  wherein the first end is adapted to engage the first wire connector with at least a portion of the first wire connector being received in the first section of the internal axial bore and being engaged by the internal surface of the body in a manner so that rotation of the body causes rotation of the first wire connector, and wherein the second end is adapted to engage the second wire connector with at least a portion of the second wire connector being received in the second section of the internal axial bore and being engaged by the internal surface of the body in a manner so that rotation of the body causes rotation of the second wire connector.  
     
     
         12 . The wire connector fastening tool of  claim 10  wherein the first end includes notches extending radially outwardly from the first section of the internal axial bore toward the outer surface of the body and opening axially outwardly from the first end, said notches being adapted to receive wings of the first wire connector when the first wire connector is engaged by the first end of the body in a manner so that rotation of the body causes rotation of the first wire connector.  
     
     
         13 . The wire connector fastening tool of  claim 10  wherein the outer hand-engaging surface includes a plurality of circumferentialy spaced recesses extending along the length of the body to enhance a user's grip of the tool and thereby facilitate manual operation of the tool.  
     
     
         14 . The wire connector fastening tool of  claim 10  wherein the entire wire connector fastening tool is of a single monolithic piece of polymeric material.  
     
     
         15 . The wire connector fastening tool of  claim 10  wherein the body is of a material that sufficiently transparent to permit a visual inspection of the interior of the internal axial bore during use of the tool.  
     
     
         16 . The wire connector fastening tool of  claim 10  wherein the internal axial bore is sized to receive a wire extension that extends beyond the other electrical wires received in the first or second wire connector being engaged by the body.  
     
     
         17 . A method of making a wire connector fastening tool comprising the steps of: 
 providing an elongate monolithic body having a first end, a second end, and an outer surface between the first and second ends, the outer surface having an outside diameter that is generally uniform between the first and second ends of the body;    forming a first internal axial bore with a first inside diameter that extends from the first end of the body to a point between the first and second ends of the body;    forming a second internal axial bore with a second inside diameter that extends from the second end of the body to the first axial bore so that the first and second axial bores define an internal passage that extends axially through the body, the second inside diameter being larger than the first diameter;    forming at least two notches in the first end of the body that extend radially outwardly from the first axial bore toward the outer surface of the body and open axially outwardly from the first end of the body; and    forming at least two notches in the second end of the body that extend radially outwardly from the second axial bore toward the outer surface of the body and open axially outwardly from the second end of the body.    
     
     
         18 . A method of using a wire connector fastening tool to connect a plurality of wires to one another, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a wire connector fastening tool having an elongate body with a first end, a second end, an outer hand-engaging surface between the first and second ends, and an internal axial bore extending completely through the elongate body from the first end to the second end;    providing a wire connector having a conductive wire-connecting socket covered by an insulated sleeve, the wire connector having an open lower end adapted to receive a plurality of electrical wires to be electrically connected to one another in the wire-connecting socket and an upper end that is generally closed except for an aperture that is sized and adapted to receive a wire extension that extends beyond the plurality of electrical wires in the wire-connecting socket, the aperture being adapted to permit the wire extension to pass through the upper end of the wire connector;    inserting the wire connector into one of the first and second ends of the body in a manner so that at least the upper portion of the wire connector is received within the internal axial bore;    inserting conductive ends of the electrical wires to be connected into the wire-connecting socket of the wire connector;    passing the wire extension through the aperture in the upper end of the wire connector;    inserting the wire extension into the axial bore of the elongate body; and    turning the elongate body of the tool to secure the wire connector to the conductive ends of the electrical wires inserted therein, thereby electrically connecting the electrical wires to one another.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the step of inserting the wire extension into the axial bore of the elongate body includes passing the wire extension through the axial bore substantially the entire length of the elongate body.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the step of providing a wire connector fastening tool includes the step of providing such a tool wherein the outer hand-engaging surface has an outside diameter that is generally uniform from the first end of the body to the second end of the body.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the step of providing a wire connector fastening tool includes the step of providing such a tool wherein the internal axial bore comprises a first section with a first inside diameter and a second section with a second inside diameter larger than the first inside diameter, the first section of the bore extending from the first end of the body to a point between the first and second ends of the body, and the second section of the bore extending from the first section of the bore to the second end of the body.