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The United States
Defense Logistics Agency specifies several types of electrical clips in Commercial Item Description (CID) A-A-59466. In this CID document, crocodile clips are designated type CC, alligator clips are designated types TCx, and other types of electrical clips have various other, unique
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The first models produced by Muller and
Dusinberre's partnership, R.S. Mueller & Company, were steel coated with zinc. This combination of metals was easily soiled, so zinc was swapped out for nickel plating. The success of the crocodile clips is largely credited to Charles Kettering's invention
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Dusinberre's redesign was significantly cheaper than
Williams' initial design. While Mueller approved of the design, Williams was strongly opposed to any changes to the original design. While Dusinberre offered to write Mueller as the co-inventor for his improved design while filing the patent,
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of circuits with very low resistances. When manufactured for electronics testing and evaluation, one jaw of the clip is typically permanently crimped or soldered to a wire, or is bent to form the inner tubular contact of a ~4 mm (0.16 in) female
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Several metal clip designs working on the same principle were patented in the early 20th century. A type of a crocodile clip cutting through the wire insulation was patented by Harry
Frankel from New York in 1903, and another design was developed by
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in the middle, with a clip on either end of the wire. It was intended for use by electricians, and would allow them to easily tap into a live wire to power a portable light. The clip was mostly covered by rubber tubing as
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Camping: crocodile clips may be designed to attach a rope to a tarp or other sheet of material. (While this serves the same purpose as a grommet, it may lead to premature wear at the point of attachment.)
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The alligator clip was first introduced to the founder of the
Mueller Electric Company, the primary producer of crocodile clips, by John H. Williams in 1906. It was introduced as a wire with a
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Education: like their laboratory use, crocodile clips are sometimes used with batteries, small lightbulbs and other small electrical devices in schools to teach students about electricity.
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engineer George Brown
Dusinberre, who patented it in 1909, and later was hired by Ralph S. Mueller & Co. to refine the design, with a later version patented in 1921.
257:(a.k.a. 'jump leads') are capable of delivering hundreds of Amperes of current needed to directly power an automobile starter motor, or to transfer energy from a charged
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Laboratory: crocodile clips are frequently used to quickly and cheaply assemble or modify experimental circuits. They are useful for connecting components to wires.
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is a special form of crocodile clip whose jaws are insulated from each other, allowing two isolated wires to connect to a single test point. This enables
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Dusinberre eventually lost interest in the company and allowed
Mueller to buy out his shares for $ 52,300. The company was renamed Mueller Electric.
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A crocodile clip manufactured by
Mueller Electric. This device is a variation of Dusinberre's original crocodile clip design
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180:. This simple mechanical device gets its name from the resemblance of its serrated jaws to the toothed jaws of a
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221:, enabling quick non-permanent connection between a circuit under test and laboratory equipment or to another
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Film/animation: useful for airborne scenes in possible stop-motion or holding models of any sort in mid air.
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251:, and are used with thick insulated copper cables to make connections between automobile batteries. These
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Three crocodile clips: a bare standard-sized clip; a miniature clip in a yellow plastic boot; a large red
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Small versions, ranging in size from 15–40 mm (0.59–1.57 in) in length, are used in electrical
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225:. The clip is typically covered by a plastic shroud or "boot" to prevent accidental short-circuits.
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for motor vehicles. As automobile manufacturers began using this technology initially intended for
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or some other electrical component. The clip's tapered, serrated jaws are forced together by a
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Hobby: crocodile clips can be used as miniature clamps to hold items together for
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Erotic use: as a clamp upon one's nipples for sexual gratification. See
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Dentistry: crocodile clips are often used on the ends of a cord in
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offices to attach a protective bib over the patient's clothing.
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United States
General Services Administration (2011-09-22).
759:
Kelvin clamp for electrically coupling to a battery contact
141:
Crocodile clips, also called automotive clips, on a set of
616:"Dental Bib Clips Retain Oral Bacteria After Disinfection"
16:
Device used for creating a temporary electrical connection
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Mueller declined as he believed it was not his idea.
461:"Mueller Electric - Inventors of the Crocodile Clip"
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
498:"Obituary for George Brown DUSINBERRE, 1864-1943"
306:, of the crocodile clips referred to commonly as
687:- 1939 Allied Radio catalog, page 38 / 137 / 138
465:Process Engineering Control & Manufacturing
592:"CLIPS, ELECTRICAL, GENERAL SPECIFICATION FOR"
8:
695:- 1940 Allied Radio catalog, page 181 / 182
188:. It is used to clamp and grab onto a bare
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
416:
406:while soldering heat-sensitive devices.
795:- filed in 1955 by Mueller Electric -
784:- filed in 1925 by Mueller Electric -
679:- 1932 Lafayette catalog, page 76 / 81
348:Fencing: crocodile clips are used in
235:Large versions of these clips, called
641:"A Beginner's Guide To Nipple Clamps"
7:
671:- 1929 Allied Radio catalog, page 46
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47:adding citations to reliable sources
710:- 1940 Radio Shack catalog, page 85
639:Mandriota, Morgan (18 March 2021).
431:. February 19, 2018. Archived from
396:for more information on this usage.
762:- filed in 2002 by Midtronics Inc.
676:Alligator / Battery / Spring Clips
668:Battery / Radio / Connecting Clips
14:
567:"Invention of the Alligator Clip"
356:vests to touch-detection systems.
284:Westinghouse Electric Corporation
684:Alligator / Battery / Test Clips
23:
753:- filed in 1934 by R.S. Mueller
744:- filed in 1925 by R.S. Mueller
735:- filed in 1921 by R.S. Mueller
726:- filed in 1919 by R.S. Mueller
34:needs additional citations for
614:Siddique, Ashik (2013-04-02).
1:
459:Bullock, Jamie (2022-05-12).
692:Alligator / Crocodile Clips
352:to connect to participants'
812:Products introduced in 1903
700:Alligator / Crocodile Clips
833:
741:Electrical Connection Clip
310:and a smaller version for
402:Electronics: useful as a
389:to avoid burning fingers.
504:. 1943-07-28. p. 6
757:U.S. Patent 6623314B1
157:
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817:Electrical connectors
767:Historical trademarks
748:U.S. Patent 1999613A
296:electric self-starter
261:to a discharged one.
249:electrical resistance
204:to grip an object. A
178:electrical connection
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739:U.S. Patent 1779442
730:U.S. Patent 1521903
549:U.S. patent 1521903A
536:U.S. patent 1356491A
502:Mansfield Advertiser
435:on February 15, 2022
385:for holding burning
243:, are made of solid
43:improve this article
661:Historical catalogs
523:U.S. patent 963425A
485:U.S. patent 775284A
156:multi-function clip
797:(current products)
786:(current products)
780:2022-02-15 at the
721:U.S. Patent 55524
715:Historical patents
706:2013-11-07 at the
223:electrical circuit
214:4-wire measurement
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425:"Guide to Clips"
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58:"Crocodile clip"
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732:Connection Clip
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241:battery clamps
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162:crocodile clip
125:Alligator clip
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439:February 19,
437:. Retrieved
433:the original
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41:Please help
36:verification
33:
312:motorcycles
304:automobiles
219:banana jack
210:Kelvin clip
806:Categories
792:MINI-GATOR
625:2022-05-22
600:2017-04-28
576:2024-07-05
508:2023-12-20
470:2024-07-05
411:References
383:roach clip
373:Clothespin
330:Other uses
276:insulation
230:laboratory
206:Clothespin
69:newspapers
723:Test Clip
404:heat sink
365:soldering
300:Cadillacs
271:lightbulb
186:alligator
182:crocodile
778:Archived
704:Archived
387:cannabis
371:tool or
247:for low
154:Square D
99:May 2013
774:Pee-Wee
367:(e.g.,
350:fencing
294:of the
265:History
198:battery
83:scholar
645:Bustle
361:gluing
337:dental
245:copper
232:work.
202:spring
174:spring
172:-like
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595:(PDF)
196:on a
192:to a
170:plier
168:is a
90:JSTOR
76:books
441:2018
354:lamé
194:lead
62:news
363:or
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239:or
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184:or
164:or
45:by
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160:A
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