Compression connector with removable tabs for a range of conductor sizes

Claim 1

IN A COMPRESSION TYPE ELECTRICAL FITTING FOR USE WITH A RANGE OF DIFFERENT SIZES OF ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS, TO CONNECT TWO OF SUCH CONDUCTORS TOGETHER BY COMPRESSING THE FITTING TO THE SAME CROSS-SECTIONAL SHAPE AND DIMENSIONS IRRESPECTIVE OF THE SIZE OF THE CONNECTED CONDUCTORS WITHIN SAID RANGE, SAID FITTING HAVING A BODY OF DUCTILE METAL, A SOCKET HAVING AN OPEN MOUTH AT ONE SIDE OF SAID BODY, SAID SOCKET BEING SHAPED TO FORM A SEAT ADJACENT THE BOTTOM THEREOF TO CONTACT ALONG ONE SIDE OF A CONDUCTOR, AND SAID SOCKET HAVING SPACED SIDE WALLS EXTENDING FROM SAID SEAT TO SAID MOUTH, SAID SIDE WALLS BEING SPACED APART A DISTANCE AT LEAST AS GREAT AS THE DIAMETER OF THE LARGEST CONDUCTOR WITHIN SAID RANGE, AND SAID MOUTH BEING SPACED FROM SAID SEAT A DISTANCE SUBSUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THE SPACING BETWEEN SAID SIDE WALLS, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING, (A) A PLURALITY OF TABS OF DUCTILE METAL PROJECTING FROM THE BODY OF SAID FITTING ADJACENT THE MOUTH OF SAID SOCKET AND EXTENDING THEREALONG, SAID TABS TOGETHER CONTAINING A SUFFICIENT CROSS-SECTION OF METAL TO SUBSTANTIALLY FILL SAID SOCKET AROUND A SMALL SIZE CONDUCTOR WITHIN SAID RANGE WHEN SAID TABS ARE FOLDED INWARDLY OF SAID SOCKET AND SAID FITTING IS THEREAFTER COMPRESSED TO SAID PREDETERMINED CROSS-SECTIONAL SHAPE AND DIMENSION, AND ONE OF SAID TABS CONTAINING A SUFFICIENT CROSS-SECTION OF METAL TO SUBSTANTIALLY FILL AND SOCKET AROUND A CONDUCTOR OF LARGER SIZE (WITHIN SAID RANGE) THAN SAID FIRST MENTIONED SMALL SIZE CONDUCTOR WHEN FOLDED INWARDLY OF SAID SOCKET AND SAID FITTING IS SUBSEQUENTLY COMPRESSED TO SAID PREDETERMINED CROSS-SECTIONAL SHAPE AND DIMENSION.