US1872723A - Metering panel - Google Patents

Description

Allg- 23, 1932- I H. J. L.. FRANK` Y. 1,872,723

METERING PANEL Filed March 1 3. `1929 3 Sheets-Sheet `1 @Il l Mw |l l ISV# Aug- 23, 1932 Y H. L.. VFRANK 1,872,723

IhHEITERINGrV PANEL Filed March 13, 192e s sheets-sneet 2 65 7/ 64 an? 5f f J2 /J "70 f @j INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY.

Aug. 23,119232.V H. J. L. FRANKr 1,872,723 lMETERIrm.Pimm V' Filed Maron 1,3. 1929` s sheets-smet f s U1/.- 6 INVENTOR. BY jf@ A ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 23,v 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE i xrmanrsoira.` I.. raam; or paran-n', moment. lassielronro nULLnoo mnc'rnro g rnonucrs conm, or nn'raorr, anoniem, a coaronarron or wnsr melma e rmx. 4 f i Application illed larok 18, 1929. Serial KoMBJGS?.

The present' invention relates to electrical devices and especially to `metering panels.

-Among the obcts of theV invention is a metering or switc 'ng panel built up of small identical re laceable units in which the live, parts are by unqualified persons, yet a owing the fuses to be accessible for easy replacement.

`Another object is a panel in which rearrangement ofthe circuits may be accomplished with a minimum of time and effort and a maximum of safety.

Another object of the invention is a design of a metering panel unit that may be assembled with like units or switching sections, these units being designed to be co-ordinated with other similar umts containing switches and fuses, fuses only,"and main fuses, for the urpose of combining any quantity and number of these units in combmation, to meet any desired condition required of a metering and switching panel. y l

Still other objects will readily appear to those skilled in the art u on reference to the following description an the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of one of the units; Fig. 2 is a partl sectional side elevation on the line 2-2 of ig. 1 Fig. 2a is a view of the underside of two of the units showing one method of use; Fig. 3 is a partly sectional longitudinal view 'of a modified form; FiV 4 is a partial cross section showing the us bars and one of the connectin clips; Fig. 5 is a plan showingthe guar s used in the form of device of Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is an elevation of a metering panel indicating one use of the switchin units. l

As indicated eac unit of the panel comprises an insulating block 10, having fuse sockets 11 at each end thereof, and having the latter somewhat higher than the midportionso that the latter may be covered if desired with a suitable sealing means leaving the former accessible, it being understood thatthe fuse sockets may be ofany type such as cartridge or plug fuse. This mid portion is provided with two sets of narrow and comparatively deep cross grooves 1 5 one set on each side of the center line of the block, while across the center is a raised portion 16 provided with cylindrical cups or depressions 17 having bolt holes therein extending through the` block to grooves 18 on the underside. Y These grooves 18 are'longitudinal of the block and each extends from beneath a cup 17 to beneath a fuse socket. 11. The blocks are also provided withV suitable holes for the passage of fastening screws 2O by means of which they may be secured to a suitable support 21 which may be and usually isA the back wall of a metal cabinet. The grooves and 18 are each intended for the reception of bus bars as shown.

In the grooves 15 bus bars 30 lie on edge and are of such width that they lie below the surface ofthe block and may extend across several blocks 10 placed in alignment and panels of any desired number of blocks somade up. At the ends .of such a panel or sin le block 10, is placed a member 19 pref-` era 1y a rectangular block of insulating material whose upper surface is in ali ent with the bottoms of the rooves 15. T e bars are secured in place t ereon by strips 31 of insulating material notched or grooved as indicated and fastened over the bars upon members 19 by,I screws 32. Bars 30 are shown as having their ends 33 twisted a quarter turn to facilitate their electrical connection. The grooves 18 are designed to receive `short bus bars 35 each secured at one end to and is screwed into a cap 38 having perfo- 'bar 40 which is of suiiicient length to -span r either groupof bus bars 30.4 The bar '40 is preferably circular in section and carries a slidable contact member 41'and also an insulatingshield 42. This contact member`- consists of a short sleeve'45 slotted to receive the bar and provided .with .a set screw 46 having preferably an insulatin head thereon, whereby the sleeve may be ed in es tion .longitudinally of the bar 40, sleeve also carries spring fingers 47 adapted to enter one of the grooves 15 and contact with the bus bar 30 therein. Slots\15a being provided for this purpose. The shield 4 2 consists of two side strips 50 of insulating .material secured to twoen d abl mounted on' the bar 40.

lzhis arrangement of .bar 40 and its contact member 41 and shield-42permits its use upon any bus bar 30 of either group. In Fi 2a the underside of two. of the units 10 1s shown indicating how several ofthe meter circuits may be connected together and to one of the bars 30 as by securing al connecting bar 356 to the undersides-of the fuse sockets or the screws 36.

In the form of device shown in Fig. 3, the

base portionv 10 with the bus bars 30 and 35 and fusesockets similarly mounted therein except that instead of screws 37 passing u into caps 38, screws pass through the en u of bars 35 and into threaded sleeves 61 fitthef block 10a on its central line. l These sleeves 61 at their upper ends have soldered or otherwise securedto them, insulated cables 63 with the insulation extending into passa es 62.

- ach cablef63 is long enough to reach to the outermost bar30 and terminates in a plug 64 of insulating material having spring contact fingers 65 passing therethrough and connected to the conductor in the cable.

These fingers 65, like fingers 47, are adaptedto enter grooves 15 to contact with the bars30.

In this form ofthedevice the free ends of plugs 64 on the cables are held in place by means of the wire' guards shown at' 70 in Figs. 3 and 5. These guards 70 consist as shownof loops of wire hinged at one end, as at 71, to the fuse socket containing portion of the block and secured at the other end by releasable means 72 such as a screw or rotatable catch bolt. The loops are of suiiicient width to pass the cable 63 but not the plug e 64 so that, when the plug is in contact po- 00 sition, the loops lock it in place. Likewise,

when it is not desired to make a contact, the

plug may be laid on its side as shown at 64a,

Fig. 3, and the loop retains it in this position. Y 65 It is proposed to use in this formof the base portion 10a vmay be the'same as theV ting into the passages 62 passing up through` device, differenti colored cables 63 with cor- Aondingly co ored'markers on the fuse soc ets so that the articular socket to which a cable is attache may readily be deter- Ymined.` Likewise in the form shown in Fig.

1, similarl colored markersmay be placed on the soc ets and on the hinged members. Thev preferred method of using the metermg panels made up of the unitsl described conslsts in mounting several ,of the units with 75 common bus bars 30 as above described. The bus bars 30 are then connectedn to meters in the usual manner and the leads from the' .fuse shells vto the loads in suitable fashion.

Each fuse' then represents a single loadline 90 4 ating therewith are shown at 30 and the Ypower lines are shown as leading in the upp'erpart and protected by the fusing device which are preferably of the form de- Y95 scribed and claimed in the -revfious application Ser. No. 175,173, iled arch 14, 1927.

v The return connectionis shown at 101 and is preferably located in the central portion place, and protected against accidental touching by means of a cover piece 102. The

exposed ends ofthe power lines may likej wise be protected as by cover 103 hinged at the top of the cabinet as at 103a. The ends 105 of bars 30 may likewisebe protected by a suitable cover 104.

By this means, any load line may he easil and quickly transferred to any meter or alii or any oup be put on any meter without any rewiring whatever, all that is necessary is to move a plug 64 or a contact member 41 tomake contact withthe bar 30 connected to the particularmeter.

While only one group of the blocks 10 with 11E six meter bus bars has been shown it is of course obvious that two or more groups mayA be used and any number of bars provided for. It is also obvious that a less number of bars than six may be used in a single group and these varrangements are in contemplation.V i

VPanels may also be made up using the,l present type of device and adapted for double fusing, all of which will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

Now, having described the invention and the preferred forms of embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that the said invention vis to `be limited not to the specific details own guard, so that it may not be disconnected l from the second named conductors without herein set forth, but only by the scope of the claim which follows.

A metering panel section including a base having on its under surface parallel conductors extending transversely of the base and having on its upper surface a plurality of conductors extending longitudinally of the base, a plurality of posts extending upwardly from and individually connected to said first named conductors in a ertures passing Y throu h said base, a (plurallty of transversely exten ing closely a acent movable connectors constructed to be of variable extent transversely of the base and including contact means adapted to be contactingly engaged with any one of the second named conductors, as desired, and a plurality of closely adjacent individual ard members for and interlocked with indlvidual ones of the connectors, all of the members being disposed above and movabl mounted on the base so as to be movable in ependently of one another and of the connectors associated therewith, each connector being interlocked with its previousl moving away the guard member associate therewith, the. guard members, when in position to prevent disconnection of their connectors, serving to guard the contact means of the latter from parts moving above the base.

HARRISON J L. FRANK.

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