GB1581446A - Securing arrangement for use in inter alia an electricity distribution system - Google Patents

Description

(54) SECURING ARRANGEMENT FOR USE IN, INTER ALIA, AN ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM (71) We, SEMENS AKTIENGESELL SCHAFT, a German company of Berlin and Munich, Federal Republic of Germany, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to securing arrangements.

According to the present invention, there is provided a securing arrangement comprising first, second and third members arranged to be clamped together by means of nuts and bolts with the third member between the first and second members, each member being provided with a respective aperture, which apertures are in register when the three members are clamped together, the third member being provided on opposite faces with respective seals for sealing around the apertures in the first and second members when the three members are clamped together, and the third member being provided with a plurality of bores each for the passage therethrough of a respective one of the bolts, which bores are so positioned that the bolts when positioned therein are arranged to co-operate with the edges of the apertures in the first and second members to locate the third member in position with respect to the first and second members.

The invention is particularly but not exclusively applicable.to an arrangement wherein the first and second members are boxes for electrical devices and the third member is a frame member, the apertures being for the passage therethrough of an electric cable, and the arrangement being for use with an electricity distribution system.

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front elevation of the inside of a box wall; and Figure 2 is a section on the line II-II of Figure 1.

The drawing shows a securing arrangement which comprises first and second members in the form of boxes 1 and 2, and a third member in the form of a frame member 5. The arrangement is for use in an electricity distribution system, the boxes 1 and 2 being for containing electrical devices.

Each of the boxes 1 and 2 and the frame member 5 is provided with a respective aperture 10 for the passage therethrough of an electric cable, the boxes 1 and 2 and frame member 5 being arranged to be clamped together with the apertures 10 in register, by means of three bolts 3 provided with respective nuts 4. The apertures 10 are substantially circular. The frame member 5 is provided with three substantially equally spaced bores 9, each for the passage therethrough of a respective one of the bolts 3. The bores 9 are so positioned that the bolts 3 when positioned therein are arranged to co-operate with the edges of the apertures 10 provided in the walls la and 2a of the boxes 1 and 2, to locate the frame member in position with respect to the boxes 1 and 2.

In addition to the bolts 3 bearing against the edges of the apertures 10 in the walls la and 2a, there are also provided, as an optional feature, projections 7 on the frame 5 which positively engage the edges of the apertures 10 in the walls la and 2a, to further assist the assembly of the arrangement and centering of the frame member 5. It will be appreciated that the projections 7 are tangent to the bores 9 for the bolts 3.

The frame member 5 is provided on opposite faces thereof with respective seals 6 for sealing around the apertures 10 in the box walls la and 2a. The seals 6 are positioned in recesses provided there for in the frame member, but may alternatively be positioned simply between the frame member 5 and the walls la and 2a.

As a further optional feature, the frame member 5 is provided with an arm 8 which bears against an edge of the box 1, to prevent rotation of the frame member 5 with respect to the boxes 1 and 2. The arm 8 may alternatively bear against a bearing surface for the boxes 1 and 2.

It will be appreciated that the illustrated embodiment has the advantage that the box walls la and 2a do not need to be provided with bores such as 9 for the passage of the securing bolts 3. Thus, there can be used for the boxes 1 and 2 standard boxes provided with apertures for the passage of electric cables, the boxes requiring no modification to enable them to be secured together in the manner illustrated. In this respect, therefore, the illustrated arrangement is generally improved over previously proposed arrangements, such as are disclosed, for example, in German Offenlegungsschriften 16 65 239 and 20 16 009, German Patent Specification 683 635, and German Utility Model Nos. 18 52 460 and 76 37 798.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A securing arrangement comprising first, second and third members arranged to be clamped together by means of nuts and bolts with the third member between the first and second members, each member being provided with a respective aperture, which apertures are in register when the three members are clamped together, the third member being provided on opposite faces with respective seals for sealing around the apertures in the first and second members when the three members are clamped together, and the third member being provided with a plurality of bores each for the passage therethrough of a respective one of the bolts, which bores are so positioned that the bolts when positioned therein are arranged to cooperate with the edges of the apertures in the first and second members to locate the third member in position with respect to the first and second members.

2. An arrangement according to Claim 1, wherein the third member is provided with projections which are arranged to co-operate with the edges of the apertures in the first and second members to assist location of the third member with respect to the first and second members.

3. An arrangement according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the third member has three said bores.

4. An arrangement according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said apertures are substantially circular and said bores are substantially equally spaced.

5. An arrangement according to Claim 1, 2 3 or 4, wherein the third member is provided with an arm which is arranged to co-operate with the first or second member to prevent rotation of the third member with respect to the first and second members.

6. An arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein the seals are positioned in recesses provided therefore in the third member.

7. An arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein the first and second members are boxes for electrical devices and the third member is a frame member.

8. An arrangement according to Claim 7, including said devices.

9. An arrangement according to any preceding claim, including said nuts and bolts.

10. A securing arrangement substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

11. An electricity distribution system incorporating a securing arrangement according to any preceding claim.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (11)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. walls la and 2a do not need to be provided with bores such as 9 for the passage of the securing bolts 3. Thus, there can be used for the boxes 1 and 2 standard boxes provided with apertures for the passage of electric cables, the boxes requiring no modification to enable them to be secured together in the manner illustrated. In this respect, therefore, the illustrated arrangement is generally improved over previously proposed arrangements, such as are disclosed, for example, in German Offenlegungsschriften 16 65 239 and 20 16 009, German Patent Specification 683 635, and German Utility Model Nos. 18 52 460 and 76 37 798. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A securing arrangement comprising first, second and third members arranged to be clamped together by means of nuts and bolts with the third member between the first and second members, each member being provided with a respective aperture, which apertures are in register when the three members are clamped together, the third member being provided on opposite faces with respective seals for sealing around the apertures in the first and second members when the three members are clamped together, and the third member being provided with a plurality of bores each for the passage therethrough of a respective one of the bolts, which bores are so positioned that the bolts when positioned therein are arranged to cooperate with the edges of the apertures in the first and second members to locate the third member in position with respect to the first and second members.

2. An arrangement according to Claim 1, wherein the third member is provided with projections which are arranged to co-operate with the edges of the apertures in the first and second members to assist location of the third member with respect to the first and second members.

3. An arrangement according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the third member has three said bores.

4. An arrangement according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said apertures are substantially circular and said bores are substantially equally spaced.

5. An arrangement according to Claim 1, 2 3 or 4, wherein the third member is provided with an arm which is arranged to co-operate with the first or second member to prevent rotation of the third member with respect to the first and second members.

6. An arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein the seals are positioned in recesses provided therefore in the third member.

7. An arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein the first and second members are boxes for electrical devices and the third member is a frame member.

8. An arrangement according to Claim 7, including said devices.

9. An arrangement according to any preceding claim, including said nuts and bolts.

10. A securing arrangement substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

11. An electricity distribution system incorporating a securing arrangement according to any preceding claim.