Protector for electric circuits

Claim 1

A support that can hold a plurality of ''''in-the-line'''' fuse holders, each of which has a male body portion and a female body portion to enclose an electric fuse and each of which has a stop on said male body portion thereof and a stop on said female body portion thereof, in spaced-apart relation and that comprises a first supporting element which has a plurality of spaced openings therein to accommodate and support said male body portions of said plurality of ''''in-the-line'''' fuse holders while permitting parts of said male body portions to pass completely through said first said supporting element, said plurality of spaced openings in said first said supporting element being dimensioned to prevent the passage therethrough of said stops on said male body portions whereby said stops on said male body portions will engage and be helD by one face of said first said supporting element, a second supporting element that has a plurality of spaced openings therein to accommodate and support said female body portions of said plurality of ''''in-the-line'''' fuse holders while permitting parts of said female body portions to pass completely through said second supporting element, said plurality of spaced openings in said second supporting element being dimensioned to prevent the passage therethrough of said stops on said female body portions whereby said stops on said female body portions will engage and be held by one face of said second supporting element, retaining members that continuously hold all of said male body portions within said plurality of spaced openings in said first said supporting element while said male body portions and said female body portions are moved into and out of assembled relation with each other, further retaining members that continuously hold all of said female body portions within said plurality of spaced openings in said second supporting element while said male body portions and said female body portions are moved into and out of assembled relation with each other, the first said retaining members being adjacent to and engageable with the opposite face of said first said supporting element, said further retaining members being adjacent to and engageable with the opposite face of said second supporting element, and securing means engageable with said first said and said second supporting elements and releasably spanning the distances between said stops on said male body portions and said stops on said female body portions to releasably secure all of said body portions of said ''''in-the-line'''' fuse holders in assembled relation with each other and to releasably hold said first said and said second supporting elements in predetermined spaced-apart relation, said securing means holding said one face of said first said supporting element in confronting relation with said one face of said second supporting element whenever said securing means is securing said first said and said second supporting elements in said predetermined spaced-apart relation, said first said retaining members engaging the exterior surfaces of said male body portions at points displaced from said stops on said male body portions to prevent accidental separation of said male body portions from said first said supporting element and said further retaining members engaging the exterior surfaces of said female body portions at points displaced from said stops on said female body portions to prevent accidental separation of said female body portions from said second supporting element, whereby said first said retaining members are readily applied to said male body portions and whereby said further retaining members are readily applied to said female body portions.