Cordless electric cross-connect panel with improved movable contact brush assembly

Claim 2

A cross-connect panel comprising a bus bar supply section having a plurality of thin bus bars and insulating strips, each bus bar and strip having a width many times its thickness, said bus bars and strips being in side-by-side interleaved relation with said strips electrically isolating said buses, and a support frame having two supports along said side-by-side interleaved bus bars and strips on opposite sides thereof and means for rigidly fastening and pressing said interleaved bus bars and strips together; and a cross-connect load section mounted on said support frame and having a plurality of cross-connect modules, each module having two end members attached respectively to said supports, partition means forming channel means, rail means in said channel means and extending transversely across said bus bars, and brush assembly means in said channel means for connecting said rail means to any one of said bus bars.

Claim 3

A cross-connect panel as set forth in claim 1 wherein said fastening means are spacing members at opposite ends of said bus bar supply section and said supports are secured thereto in pressing relation with said interleaved bus bars and strips.

Claim 4

A cross-connect panel as set forth in claim 2 wherein said supports are each a plurality of supporting blocks in aligned side-by-side relation and rodlike means extending through said supporting blocks of each support and said spacing members for fastening said spacing members and said blocks together.

Claim 5

A cross-connect panel as set forth in claim 3 wherein said support blocks and said modules are the same width.

Claim 6

A cross-connect panel as set forth in claim 4 wherein said two end members of each module are mounted on and attached to respective blocks on opposite sides of said bus bar supply section.

Claim 7

A cross-connect panel as set forth in claim 3 wherein said spacing members have grooves extending lengthwise of said spacing members and said bus bar supply section fits at opposite ends into said grooves, respectively.

Claim 8

A cross-connect panel as set forth in claim 1 wherein said insulating strips extend beyond said bus bars on said cross-connect load section to form grooves for receiving said brush assembly means to engage respective bus bars.

Claim 9

A cross-connect panel as set forth in claim 1 wherein said support frame has straps extending laterally across said frame on the side opposite to said cross-connect load section and fastened to said supports.

Claim 10

A cross-connect panel as set forth in claim 1 wherein said partition means comprises two partition walls.

Claim 11

A cross-connect panel as set forth in claim 9 wherein said each of said modules has one of said partition walls extending between midportions of said module end members and in alignment with said respective module end members, said modules each having a top member extending between said two respective aligned module members and perpendicular to said one partition wall along the opposite edge from said bus bar supply section to form two channel means, and said other partition wall is positioned on the sides of said aligned end members to separate said channel means of adjacent modules.

Claim 12

A cross-connect panel as set forth in claim 1 wherein said supports each is a single piece of extruded aluminum having means for fastening said end members of said modules.

Claim 13

A cross-connect panel as set forth in claim 11 wherein said supports are U-shaped.

Claim 14

A cross-connect panel as set forth in claim 12 wherein said U-shaped support each has two side portions parallel to said bus bar supply section and an end portion connecting said side portions, said side portions having edges engaging said bus bar supply section for pressing said bars and strips in interleaved relation.

Claim 15

A cross-connect panel as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said supports has a main portion perpendicular to said bars and strips and inner flange perpendicular to said main portion with said inner flange bearing against said bus bar supply section.

Claim 16

A cross-connect panel as set forth in claim 14 wherein said fastening means are rods extending through said bus bars and strips and said inner flanges of said supports on opposite sides of said bus bar supply section and means on said rods for securing said supports and said bus bar supply section together.

Claim 17

A cross-connect panel as set forth in claim 15 wherein said main portions have inner and outer portions, respectively, and said end members are attached to respective outer portions.

Claim 18

A cross-connect panel as set forth in claim 16 wherein said inner and outer portions of respective supports are at different levels and said inner portions have deformable flanges extending towards said respective outer portions to form narrow slots therewith for attaching said end members.

Claim 19

A cross-connect panel as set forth in claim 17 wherein said deformable flanges have beads extending longitudinally therealong for engagement by a tool pressing said deformable flanges toward said respective outer portions.

Claim 20

A cross-connect panel as set forth in claim 17 wherein said end members have mounting clips fitting into said slots between said respective deformable flanges and respective outer portions for attaching said end members to said respective supports.

Claim 21

A cross-connect panel comprising a bus bar supply section having a plurality of thin bus bars and insulating strips, each bus bar and strip having a width many times its thickness, said bus bars and strips being in side-by-side interleaved relation with said strips electrically isolating said buses, and a support frame having two supports along said side-by-side interleaved bus bars and strips on opposite sides thereof and means for rigidly fastening and pressing said interleaved bus bars and strips together and a cross-connect load section mounted on said support frame and having a plurality of cross-connect modules each having two rails and two brush assemblies engaging a respective rail and movable for contacting any one of said bus bars and two circuit breakers at a respective end of each module connected to a respective rail for connecting two loads and for mounting said each module on said supports.

Claim 22

A cross-connect panel comprising a bus bar supply section having a plurality of thin bus bars and insulating strips, each bus bar and strip having a width many times its thickness, said bus bars and strips being in side-by-side interleaved relation with said strips electrically isolating said buses, and a support frame having two supports along said side-by-side interleaved bus bars and strips on opposite sides thereof and means for rigidly fastening and pressing said interleaved bus bars and strips together and a cross-connect load section mounted on said support frame and having a plurality of cross-connect modules each having two rails and two brush assemblies engaging a respective rail and movable for contacting any one of said bus bars and two circuit breakers at a respective end of each module connected to a respective rail for connecting two loads and for mounting said each module on said supports.

Claim 23

A cross-connect module comprising a T-shaped insulating means having a longitudinally extending insulating partition and a longitudinal crossmember on and perpendicular to said partition to form two longitudinal channels, mounting means at each end of said T-shaped insulating means and having parallel sidewalls spaced from said partition, inner walls and outer walls extending between said sidewalls of a respective mounting means, said T-shaped insulating means fitting in said mounting means and engaging said outer walls for imparting a given longitudinal length to the module, two load rails extending longitudinally along said crossmember on opposite sides of said partition, rail spacers positioned in said mounting means for supporting said load rails on said inner walls of said mounting means, brush assemblies in said respective channels and engaging said respective load rails to connect said load rails to power buses extending laterally to said T-shaped insulating means.

Claim 24

A cross-connect module comprising a T-shaped insulating means having a longitudinally extending insulating partition and a longitudinal crossmember on and perpendicular to said partition to form two longitudinal channels, mounting means at each end of said T-shaped insulating means and having parallel sidewalls spaced from said partition, inner walls and outer walls extending between said sidewalls of a respective mounting means, said T-shaped insulating means fitting in said mounting means and engaging said outer walls for imparting a given longitudinal length to the module, two load rails extending longitudinally along said crossmember on opposite sides of said partition, rail spacers positioned in said mounting means for supporting said load rails on said inner walls of said mounting means, brush assemblies in said respective channels and engaging said respective load rails to connect said load rails to power buses extending laterally to said T-shaped insulating means.

Claim 25

A brush assembly positioned between a plurality of parallel extending buses and a load rail extending crosswise thereto and spaced therefrom comprising a housing positioned between said load rail and said buses, an actuating lever having a contact member mounted thereon for engaging a given bus, said actuating lever and said housing having means for pivotally attaching said lever to said housing including means permitting relative linear movement of said actuating lever to said housing for moving said actuating lever between a contacting position and a raised position, a contact button for engaging said load rail and having electrically conductive means connected to said contact member for passing current between a respective brush and said load rail, a resilient means connected to said contact member and said contact button for applying contact pressure to said buses and load rail and engaging said housing for providing pressure between said actuating lever and said housing in the direction of the relative linear movement, and catch means on said actuating lever and said housing for holding said actuating lever and contact member in a raised position and disengaging on application of pressure lateral to said linear movement for moving said contact member into the bus-engaging position.

Claim 26

A brush assembly positioned between a plurality of parallel extending buses and a load rail extending crosswise thereto and spaced therefrom comprising a housing positioned between said load rail and said buses, an actuating lever having a contact member mounted thereon for engaging a given bus, said actuating lever and said housing having means for pivotally attaching said lever to said housing including means permitting relative linear movement of said actuating lever to said housing for moving said actuating lever between a contacting position and a raised position, a contact button for engaging said load rail and having electrically conductive means connected to said contact member for passing current between a respective brush and said load rail, a resilient means connected to said contact member and said contact button for applying contact pressure to said buses and load rail and engaging said housing for providing pressure between said actuating lever and said housing in the direction of the relative linear movement, and catch means on said actuating lever and said housing for holding said actuating lever and contact member in a raised position and disengaging on application of pressure lateral to said linear movement for moving said contact member into the bus-engaging position.

Claim 27

A brush assembly comprising a housing, an actuating lever, a contact member, a contact button, a generally U-shaped electrically conductive springlike resilient means having a bend and two spaced ends attached respectively to said contact member and button, said actuating lever having means holding said contact member and said respective end of said springlike resilient means having means for pivotally attaching said actuating lever to said housing at a distance from said contact member in the same direction as said bend of said U-shaped means from said spaced ends, said housing having means with said pivotal attaching means fitting thereon to permit limited movement of said pivotal attaching means longitudinal to said U-shaped Means, said actuating lever having a finger, said housing having a catch and having support means spaced from said catch with said U-shaped means between said catch and support means for engaging said support means to press said finger into engagement with said catch for holding said actuating lever and contact member in a raised position and finger disengaging from said catch under pressure transverse to said limited movement to rotate said contact member into engaging position.

Claim 28

A brush assembly comprising a housing, an actuating lever, a contact member, a contact button, a generally U-shaped electrically conductive springlike resilient means having a bend and two spaced ends attached respectively to said contact member and button, said actuating lever having means holding said contact member and said respective end of said springlike resilient means having means for pivotally attaching said actuating lever to said housing at a distance from said contact member in the same direction as said bend of said U-shaped means from said spaced ends, said housing having means with said pivotal attaching means fitting thereon to permit limited movement of said pivotal attaching means longitudinal to said U-shaped Means, said actuating lever having a finger, said housing having a catch and having support means spaced from said catch with said U-shaped means between said catch and support means for engaging said support means to press said finger into engagement with said catch for holding said actuating lever and contact member in a raised position and finger disengaging from said catch under pressure transverse to said limited movement to rotate said contact member into engaging position.

Claim 29

A cross-connect panel comprising: a bus bar supply section having a plurality of thin bus bars and insulating strips, each bus bar and strip having a width many times its thickness, said bus bars and strips being in side-by-side relation with said strips electrically isolating said bus bars; a support frame having two supports along said side-by-side interleaved bus bars and strips on opposite sides thereof and means for rigidly fastening and pressing said interleaved bus bars and strips together; and a cross-connect load section mounted on said support frame and having a plurality of spaced partition means transverse to said bus bars and forming a plurality of side-by-side channels, transversely extending rail means in said respective channels and transversely movable brush assembly means for connecting said respective rail means to any one of said bus bars.

Claim 30

A cross-connect panel comprising: a bus bar supply section having a plurality of thin bus bars and insulating strips, each bus bar and strip having a width many times its thickness, said bus bars and strips being in side-by-side relation with said strips electrically isolating said bus bars; a support frame having two supports along said side-by-side interleaved bus bars and strips on opposite sides thereof and means for rigidly fastening and pressing said interleaved bus bars and strips together; and a cross-connect load section mounted on said support frame and having a plurality of spaced partition means transverse to said bus bars and forming a plurality of side-by-side channels, transversely extending rail means in said respective channels and transversely movable brush assembly means for connecting said respective rail means to any one of said bus bars.

Claim 31

A cross-connect panel comprising: a bus bar supply section having a plurality of bus bars spaced in side-by-side relation and insulating means therebetween to electrically isolate said bus bars; frame means for supporting said bus bars and insulating means; and a cross-connect load section mounted on said support frame means and having a plurality of cross-connect modules, each module having end members attached to said frame means, partition means forming channels, rail means in said channels and extending transversely across said bus bars and movable brush assemblies in said respective channels for connecting said rail means to any one of said bus bars.

Claim 32

A cross-connect panel comprising: a bus bar supply section having a plurality of bus bars spaced in side-by-side relation and insulating means therebetween to electrically isolate said bus bars; frame means for supporting said bus bars and insulating means; and a cross-connect load section mounted on said support frame means and having a plurality of cross-connect modules, each module having end members attached to said frame means, partition means forming channels, rail means in said channels and extending transversely across said bus bars and movable brush assemblies in said respective channels for connecting said rail means to any one of said bus bars.