BUSWAY CONNECTOR

1418064 Connecting pieces LA TELEMECANIQUE ELECTRIQUE 8 Feb 1973 [22 Feb 1972] 6322/73 Heading H2E A connecting device for connecting sets of bus-bars end to end comprises a common clamping component (Fig. 3) which consists of a rod 20 having end clamping plates 26, 27, which sandwich a series of contact plates 11, 12, between insulating plates 16, 17 against the action of springs 21 within flexible interlocking members 22, 23, when a lever 10 is rotated so that clamping plate 27 moving against ramps 29 thus increasing pressure on the contact plates and forcing them against the bus-bars 7, 8 for which they act as electrical bridging contacts between sets. A maximum clamping force may not be exceeded, as, beyond a force set by the tension in springs 21, upper ramps 31, Fig. 6, overshoot depressions 30 in lower ramps 29, and the excess rotation necessarily imparted, disengages the ramps at edge 33. Insulating plates 16, 17, are centred on compression rod 20 by means of co-axial barrels 18, 19, and adjacent member sets 16, 17, and 161, 171 are interlocked by nipples 24 engaging in recesses 25 in members 161, 17 respectively. The connecting device is inserted through an aperture (4, Fig. 2, not shown) in sheathing 1 and a cover 2 over the aperture may not be fitted until lever 10 has been rotated to correctly engage its respective ramps. In a further embodiment (Fig. 4, not shown), the ramps are provided by the threading between compression rod (40) and a hexagonal retaining member 43, which, when excessive turning force is exerted thereon, acts against linear spring members (46) which on deformation, allow rotation of the retaining member and nullification of the turning force as the engaing apex (48) thereof is forced round past the spring member.