US2239655A

US2239655A - Connector unit for wiring system

Info

Publication number: US2239655A
Application number: US309939A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph F O'brien
Original assignee: John B Pierce Foundation
Current assignee: John B Pierce Foundation
Priority date: 1939-12-19
Filing date: 1939-12-19
Publication date: 1941-04-22
Anticipated expiration: 1958-04-22

Description

P 1941- J. F. O'BRIEN 2,239,655

bb'mmc'ron UNIT FOR wtlkmu's'lsrau Filed Due. 19, 1939 '2 sho'ets sl meet 1 lNVENTpR.

Joseph F. Q brnefl I yak? -c1uz HIS TTORNEY April 22, 1941,

JQF. O'BREEN CONKECTQR UNIT F0 WIRING SYSTEM Filo d Dec 19, (1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I'TIII INVENTIOR Joseph F. O Brien .0km HIS ORN Y Patented Apr. 22, 1941 CONNECTOR UNIT FOR WIRING SYSTEM Joseph F. OBrien, Jersey City, N. 1., assignor to John B. Pierce Foundation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 19, 1939, Serial No. 309,939

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in wiring systems.

In particular, the invention relates to improved power source connection means for electric wiring systems embodying conductor carrying units arranged in seriatim mechanical and electrical connection, of the general type illustrated and described in U. S. Patent-No. 2,175,144, granted October 3, 1939, to Robert L. Davison.

It is an object of the invention to provide power source connection means for such seriatim-connected conductor carrying units, said connection means incorporating fuse means or the like.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a fused power source connection means of which the fuses thereof may be inserted or replaced with absolute safety to the operator.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a walled compartment embodying connection means, aforesaid, in which the electric ourrent source is shielded from casual contact, such shield means permitting interconnection of the power source and the conductors of such seriatim interconnected, units only through the agency of a specialized conductor organization secured to removable cover plate means of such walled compartment.

In the present invention, the power source connection means comprises a housing or compartment-provided structure within which are disposed bus-bar means aifording connection with the power source, and additional bus-bar means spaced therefrom and electrically insulated with respect thereto, arranged for connection to the conductor means of the seriatim-interconnected conductor units.

Desirably, such bus-bar means are provided with spring clip contacts, or equivalent. For the interconnection of such spaced bus-bar means, the cover plate of such compartment-provided structure has secured thereto conductor means embodying knife-blade contacts or equivalent, arranged for operative association with the stated spring clip contacts of such busbar means. Such cover plate conductor means advantageously incorporate provision for the installation of fuses or the like, whereby overload protection of the circuit may be afforded.

To guard against accidental or casual contact with the live bus-bar means, i. e., those busbars permanently electrically connected to the source of electric current, I provide a housing,

desirably wholly of electrical insulation material, arranged to be placed, and secured, over the stated live bus-bar means and their associated spring contact means. Suitable apertures in such insulated housing permit the entry of the knife-blade contacts of the cover plate connection means and the electrical connection of such contacts with the live bus-bar means.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of -a portion of a wall surface of a room, illustrating 'a run of combined molding and wiring means and a manner of connecting such molding and wiring means to a source of electric current, pursuant to the present invention. A portion of the connection means and the molding and wiring means are shown in section to illustrate a method of electrical and mechanical interconnection thereof;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the casing section of connection means embodying the present inven tion;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the cover means showing an arrangement of the electricity conductor means thereof; v

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the guard means employed with the structure of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an elevation, in section, of the assembled connection means;

Fig. 6 is an elevation, in section, of a portion of %he gonnection means taken on lines 6-6 of Fig. '7 is a horizontal section taken through 1-1 of Fig. 2'; and

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section taken through 8-8 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings for a more complete description of r the invention, the wiring system illustrated in Fig. 1 includes run units l0, l0, pref erably having a configuration simulating base molding and, as shown, adapted to be run along the floor of a room at the intersection of the wall therewith. The run units embody any desired plurality of electricity conductors ll', maintained in insulated spaced relationship. Desirably the conductors II are tubes of copper or equivalent material; the bodies of such run units l0 may be wholly of electrical insulation material.

For the connection of the run units with asource of electric current, such current source being designated I2, and represented in Figure 5 as a conventional BX cable run within a wall, pursuant to common practice, the present invention comprehends a connector unit ll, of which desirably a lower portion, such'as the portion l 6, cmbodies electrical conductor means l8, [8, in suitable spaced insulated relationship, and adaptable for registry with, and electrical connection to, the conductors I I of the run units l0. Electrical connection may be made by conductive pins 20, or by other suitable means.

Extensions

22, 22 of such base It may have a configuration conforming to the surface contour of the run units l0, it; an cave-like portion 24 of each extension 22 receives the terminal end of an adjacent run unit It, thus ailording a shield of insulation material which precludes accidental access to the conductors at the juncture of an extension 22 and its therewith connected run unit II. If desired, additional insulation means, such as the sleeves 26, may encircle the conductors ll of run units I and conductors ll of base portion I6.

Referring now to Figure 5, the connector means I desirably comprises a walled casing section II; at an upper portion of which there is provided an aperture having a boss 32 into which any conventional screw threaded armored cable connector 34 may be screwed. Suitably disposed with respect to the aperture 32, are provided a pair of bus bars 36, 3B, desirably L- shaped and terminating in spring-clip contact means It. The conductors of BX cable I! may be soldered to

bus bars

36, 36, or secured thereto by suitable screws, as shown. Spaced from such contacts 38, ll, there is provided a second pair of electrical conductor bus bars, designated I, ll, likewise provided with spring contact means 42, 4!. As shown in Figs. 2 and 5, eachbus bar llmay incorporate a suitable tongue portion which may be looped about a conductor II in the base portion I! of the connector unit,

and suitably secured to efl'ect electrical connec-.

tlon therewith.

Advantageously, the height of the walled casing section II is suitable to position the boss 32 thereof at from three to four inches above the floor line, to insure that the Ex cable or equivalent may be brought horizontally into connector unit I, without interference from sills, beams, or other transversely extending structural members of the building in which the wiring system may be installed.

Desirably, to simplify construction and assembly, the casing section 30 of the connector unit II is formed of electrical insulation material.

For operative association with section II, I

provide cover vplate means 44, having suitable side-wall formations for engagement with the top, side and bottom wall structures of section II. Cover plate 44 is also desirably of electrical insulation material, and the inner face of the front wall thereof mounts pairs of electricity conductor elements ll, 41. A terminal end of each of the said conductor elements 48, 41 is provided with a blade contact, respectively designated 4|, ll. As indicated in Figure 5, such blade contacts ll, ll are arranged to make electrical connection withthe spring contacts ll, 42, respectively, of the upper and lower bus bar means.

In such cover plate means 44, the upper and lower conductor elements of each pair of conductor elements may be permanently electrically interconnected as by a jumper or the like, but most preferably, cartridge fuses 50 or like safety devices are removably held in fuse mounts as shown. Each of the conductors composing the electric circuit in the installation shown in Figure 1 may thus be individually and independently fused. By removing the cover plate 44, the electrical circuit, forthwith, becomes dead. The fuses may be inspected in complete safety, and blown or defective fuses replaced with convenienceand at a minimum of hazard. Return of the cover plate 44 to its operative position completes the electrical circuit.

Cover means 44 may be secured to rear portion 3| by machine screws or the like, but as shown electrical insulation material, which are efiective to completely shield such conductors 36. Such guard means is provided with access slots SI, I, through which contacts 48 of the connectors ll penetrate to make contact with the spring clip means ll. Guard It may, if desired, be removably secured to the casing It by screws or like means, but it is found satisfactory to have such guard means provided with resilient tongues I, for cooperation with slots H, see Fig. 7, to frictionally hold the guard means in position.

Tongues I should aflord a strong frictional grip with the sides of slots II, to make definite physical effort necessary to pull the guard I out of engagement with casing section 30, and to pre-' clude accidental displacement of such guardmeans during the stage of removal of the cover 44.

It is of course desirable that guard means ll be in close engagement with the surface of casing section II, and advantageously, the slots in cover plate means 44 and the casing section II is desirably less than the maximum width of the base portion l8. Accordingly, the fuses II and the mountings thereof are arranged so as to occupy a space between the respective upper and lower contacts ll, 42. Inasmuch as it is necessary only to shield the live contacts II, II from accidental contact, the insulating guard ll may conform closely to the 'area occupied by the bus bars 36 and the contact means 3!, and is desirably of such configuration as will position its lowermost wall in adjacency to the upper portion or the fuse ll, thus achieving the desideratum of of compactness.

By such construction, danger resulting from arcing is reduced to a minimum, and the "live" contacts, 1. e., the spring contacts 38, II, are protected from dust or dirt.

Whereas I have described my invention by reference to specific forms thereof, it will be understood that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. Fuse means for an electric wiring system em- .adapted for interconnection therewith; said base portion having a vertically extending rear wall' structure disposed intermediate the termini thereof, electric contact means on said rear wall structure in electrical connection with the conductor means in the base portion thereof; electric contact means on said wall structure arranged for electrical connection with a source of electric power, the respective electric contact means being in mutually spaced relationship; a removable cover plate operatively associated with said base portion and defining therewith a hollow housing having a maximum depth less than the maximum depth of the base portion; electric fuse means disposed on the inner surface of said cover plate and arranged to be positioned in the space between the respective spaced electric contact means when such removable cover plate is in operative positionon said'back portion; guard means adapted for interconnection with the conductor means in said units; said base portion having a rear wall structure intermediate the ends of said base portion andextending upwardly'to a point above any floor sill structure of the buildtric contact means on said wall structure ar-.

ranged for electrical connection with a source of electric power brought through the wall of said building above the sill structure thereof, the respective electric contact means being in vertically spaced relationship; removable cover plate means for operative association with said base portion and the upstanding rear wall portion thereof and defining therewith a hollow housing having a maximum depth less than the maximum depth of the base portion; electric fuse means disposed on the inner'surface of said cover plate and arranged to fit between the respective spaced electric contact means when such removable cover plate is in operative position on said back portion; and guard means of electric insulation material disposed over the power source connected contact means and having an insulating wall intermediatesaid contact means and said fuse means and over said contact means; and contact means adapted to pass through a wall ofsaid guard means to connect a terminal of said fuse means with said power source-connected contact means.

JOSEPH F. O'BRIEN.