GB957128A - Electrical distribution system - Google Patents

Abstract

957,128. Distribution systems. E.M.S. ELECTRICAL PRODUCTS Ltd. March 15, 1963 [March 15, 1962], No. 10956/62. Heading H2E. An electrical distribution system comprises an extruded aluminium duct 10 interiorly supporting parallel conductors 19, 20, 24, 25, 26 in insulating strips 18, 23 and having a narrow longitudinal slot in the lower side, and a flat tapping member 27 with laterally extending, spring-pressed contacts 28, 29 at one side for coaction with conductors 19, 20 and contacts 30, 31 and 32 at the opposite side for coaction with conductors 24, 25, 26. The slot in the duct permits the tapping member to be inserted edgewise and then turned through a right angle to bring its contacts into engagement with the conductors. To ensure correct engagement between each contact and its respective conductor the conductors are staggered at opposite sides of the duct with respect to each other and either the slot is not central of the lower side or as shown one lip of the slot is thickened 14a to coact with a surface of the tapping member to prevent the tapping member being turned through a full right angle in the wrong direction. The tapping member may have grub screws to bear on the wall portions 14 and 15 to prevent the tapping member from turning out of its operative position. Portions of the slot not occupied by tapping members are closed by rubber or metal inserts (Figs. 4 and 5, not shown). Separate lengths of duct can be joined end to end by engaging a dovetail slide over the respective dovetail ridges 11. In a further embodiment, Figs. 6A, 6B, the duct is formed from mating halves 44, 45 having a dovetail interconnection at 48, the mating halves being longitudinally staggered so that their respective extending ends serve for the dovetail connection to them of further aligned mating halves. At one end of each halve the insulating strip 18 is cut back to form recess 55 so that the conductors extend beyond insulating sleeves 19a, 20a and overlap corresponding conductors which extend beyond the plain end 54 of an adjacent complementary half through similar insulating sleeves 19a, 20a. The overlapping ends of the conductors have aligned holes 56 through which screws 57 are passed to engage in a connector 58 of insulating material which also has insulating plates 59 to shroud the conductors from their neighbours and the easing. Half the thickness of each overlapping conductor is cut away so that they are aligned and the screw 57 coacts with an internally screw-threaded ferrule in the connector (Fig. 9, not shown). Recess 55 is afterwards closed by a cover-plate 60. Each half may also have upright flanges 46, 47 which abut each other and jointly form a beading 67 to be clamped between jaws of a banger for the system (Fig. 10, not shown).