Composite conductor bar and method of manufacture

Claim 2

A composite electric conductor adapted to be slidably engaged by a current collector, said conductor comprising: an elongate bar member made of good electrically conductive material such as aluminum a thin walled cap member for said bar member made of electrically conductive material which is more wear resistant than said bar member; one of said members including a pair of side legs for engaging side faces of the other member; and tab lock means formed integral with the side legs of the said one member including a portion cut away from each side leg and punched into the said other member for positively securing the cap member to the bar member, the tab lock means being the sole material embedded in the said other member for securing the cap member to the bar member.

Claim 3

The conductor bar of claim 1 wherein said one member is the cap member and said other member is the bar member and wherein said tab lock means are at spaced intervals along the cap member and the bar member and each tab lock means includes a plurality of tabs symmetrically arranged in close proximity to each other, each having an edge joined to the cap member and a portion cut away from the main body of the cap member and punched into the bar member.

Claim 4

The conductor bar of claim 2 wherein the cut away portions of the tabs extend away from each other.

Claim 5

The conductor bar of claim 2 wherein the cut away portion of the tabs extend toward each other.

Claim 6

The conductor bar of claim 1 wherein the tab lock means on one leg of said one member is transversely aligned with the tab lock means on the other leg.

Claim 7

The conductor bar of claim 1 wherein said tab lock means includes three tabs each having a generally triangular shape with one side of each of the triangular tabs being joined to the main body of said one member and the corner opposite said one side being the point of the cut away portion which is forced into said other member.

Claim 8

A composite electric conductor adapted to be slidably engaged by a current collector, said conductor comprising: an elongate bar made of aluminum alloy having a front face and opposite side faces; a stainless steel cap having side legs snugly engaging the side faces of the bar adjacent the front face, and having an intermediate contact face tightly engaging the front face of the bar; and tab lock means formed integral with the legs of the cap at spaced intervals along the cap, the tab lock means in one leg being transversely aligned with the tab lock means on the other leg, each tab lock means including a plurality of tabs symmetrically arranged in close proximity to each other, with each tab having an edge joined to the cap and a tip portion cut away from the main body of the cap and punched into the bar a distance about equal to the thickness of the cap for positively locking the cap to the bar in good electrical and mechanical contact with the bar.

Claim 9

A composite electric conductor adapted to be slidably engaged by a current collector, said conductor comprising: an elongate bar made of aluminum alloy having a front face and opposite side faces; a stainless steel cap having side legs snugly engaging the side faces of the bar adjacent the front face, and having an intermediate contact face tightly engaging the front face of the bar; and tab lock means formed integral with the legs of the cap at spaced intervals along the cap, the tab lock means in one leg being transversely aligned with the tab lock means on the other leg, each tab lock means including a plurality of tabs symmetrically arranged in close proximity to each other, with each tab having an edge joined to the cap and a tip portion cut away from the main body of the cap and punched into the bar a distance about equal to the thickness of the cap for positively locking the cap to the bar in good electrical and mechanical contact with the bar.

Claim 12

The method of claim 8 including the step of compressing the intermediate wall of the cap against the front face of the cap to the bar while the punching operation is occurring.

Claim 13

The method of claim 9 including the steps of: positioning the bar on its side on a spring loaded plate having one of the sharpened punches fixed to a base member beneath the plate with the sharpened tip of the punch extending upwardly through an opening in the plate aligned with the lower leg of the cap; driving the other sharpened tip of the punch against the upper leg of the cap to drive the bar downwardly against the lower punch and simultaneously drive the punches into the opposite legs of the cap and sides of the bar; and retracting the upper tool so as to permit the bar to be raised away from the lower punch by the spring loaded plate.

Claim 14

The method of claim 8 including the step of restraining the bar along its rear edge, which is remote from the cap so as to prevent the bar from curling as a result of the elongation to the bar occurring during the punching operations.

Claim 15

The method of claim 11 wherein the means for restraining the bar is positioned to engage the rear edge of the bar after it has passed through the punching station.

Claim 16

The method of claim 8 wherein the punching step is formed by punches, each of which is balanced around its longitudinal axis such that the forces received by the punches during the punching operation are balanced in a direction radial to the punch axis.