Like adaptor for current collectors for lights electric appliances or the

Claim 1

In a current-distributing system, an elongated current distributor rail of channel-shaped cross section having a hollow interior and a pair of opposed side walls, said rail carrying at its side walls a plurality of current-supplying conductors which are accessible from the interior of said rail and the latter also carrying an elongated ground conductor which is accessible at the interior of the rail, said side walls being formed at the interior of said rail with longitudinally extending locking grooves, and an adaptor insertable into and movable longitudinally along the interior of said current distributor rail, said adaptor having an elongated hollow housing adapted to be situated within and extend along the interior of said rail and having opposed side walls formed with openings passing therethrough and aligned respectively with said current-supplying conductors and with said locking grooves, said adaptor housing carrying at its exterior a springy ground connector which engages said ground conductor accessible at the interior of said rail when said adaptor housing is introduced into said rail, releasable lock means carried by said housing in the interior thereof for movement between an unlocking position situated entirely within said housing and a locking position extending through openings in said side wall of said housing into said locking grooves, a plurality of contact-carrying levers swingabLy mounted in the interior of said housing, said levers respectively carrying contacts which project from said levers in alignment with openings of said housing walls which are aligned with said current-supplying conductors when said adaptor is in said rail, cam means carrried by said adaptor housing and extending to the exterior thereof so as to be operable from the exterior of said adaptor housing, said cam means operatively engaging said contact-carrying levers as well as said lock means for displacing said lock means into said locking grooves for locking said housing in said rail and also for swinging said contact-carrying levers to displace said contacts through openings of said adaptor housing into engagement with said current-supplying conductors, said cam means having a configuration which releases said levers for free movement independently of said cam means in a direction displacing said contacts into said housing out of engagement with said current-supplying conductors when said cam means is operated to disconnect said contacts from said current-supplying conductors, and a plurality of spring means carried by said housing in the interior thereof and operatively engaging said contact-carrying levers for quickly swinging the latter in a direction displacing said contacts away from said currentsupplying conductors when said cam means is operated to release said levers for free swinging movement in the direction which displaces said contacts away from said current-supplying conductors, whereby arcing during the swinging of said contactcarrying levers away from said current-supplying conductors is avoided.