Linearly extending electrical distribution system having extruded shape conductor rails

Claim 2

An electrical distribution assembly comprising a conductor rail means including a plurality of longitudinally aligned and spaced apart extruded hollow rail elements having a front contact face adapted for sliding contact engagement with a movable current collecting system and a pair of opposite side faces, a plurality of stationary support members spaced apart along said conductor rail and having each a bearing portion in clamping relation with said side faces to permit longitudinal expansion and contraction movements of said rail elements with respect to said support members, said hollow rail elements defining an inner cavity extending along the entire length thereof, an extruded connector bar extending at the meeting end portions of each pair of successive rail elements telescopically a distance into the inner cavity of said end portions to permit expansion and contraction movements of said rail elements one with respect to the other, the end portions of said rail elements and of the connector bars having complementary shaped front contact faces to provide a continuous front contact surface along the entire length of said conductor rail for slidable contact with said current collecting system, said assembly further comprising between each pair of successive rail elements an extruded support element having a recess to accomodate the corresponding connector bar engaging said pair of rail elements telescopically, and means to support each support element fixedly from corresponding ones of said stationary support members.

Claim 3

An electrical distribution assembly, according to claim 1 wherein the front contact face of each end portion of each rail element has a longitudinally cut out portion communicating with said cavity, each connector bar having a complementary shaped end portion slidably fitting into said cavity and into said cut out portion.

Claim 4

An electrical distribution assembly, according to claim 2, whereinsaid support element and the cut out end portion of each rail element have cross sections which are substantially identically shaped.

Claim 5

A linearly extending electrical distribution assembly comprising: three parallel non-coplanar substantially equidistant conductor rails, each conductor rail having a front contact face adapted for sliding contact engagement with a movable current collecting system, a back face, and a pair of opposite side faces, a plurality of generally C-shaped support brackets of molded insulating material extending transversely of said conductor rails and spaced apart along the length thereof, each support bracket having a base portion securable to a foundation and an aRm projecting from said base portion and having the free end portion thereof overhanging said base portion, three bearing portions integrally formed on each support bracket: a first one adjacent said base portion, a second one at the free end of said arm, and the third one intermediate said first and second ones at the central portion of said arm, each bearing portion being shaped to contact and support one of said side faces and said back face of a corresponding one of said conductor rails for the acurate positioning thereof, and a removable clamp member for each bearing portion secured thereto and engaging the other side face of the corresponding conductor rail to clamp the latter against the bearing portion, in such a manner as to permit longitudinal motion of said conductor rails relative to said support brackets while clamped, said support brackets embracing said conductor rails in a manner providing a passageway for a current collecting support means between the conductor rails supported by said first and second bearing portions of said support brackets.

Claim 6

A linearly extending electrical distribution assembly comprising: three parallel non-coplanar substantially equidistant conductor rails, each conductor rail having a front contact face adapted for sliding contact engagement with a movable current collecting system, a back face, and a pair of opposite side faces, a plurality of generally C-shaped support brackets of molded insulating material extending transversely of said conductor rails and spaced apart along the length thereof, each support bracket having a base portion securable to a foundation and an aRm projecting from said base portion and having the free end portion thereof overhanging said base portion, three bearing portions integrally formed on each support bracket: a first one adjacent said base portion, a second one at the free end of said arm, and the third one intermediate said first and second ones at the central portion of said arm, each bearing portion being shaped to contact and support one of said side faces and said back face of a corresponding one of said conductor rails for the acurate positioning thereof, and a removable clamp member for each bearing portion secured thereto and engaging the other side face of the corresponding conductor rail to clamp the latter against the bearing portion, in such a manner as to permit longitudinal motion of said conductor rails relative to said support brackets while clamped, said support brackets embracing said conductor rails in a manner providing a passageway for a current collecting support means between the conductor rails supported by said first and second bearing portions of said support brackets.

Claim 7

A linearly extending electrical distribution assembly comprising three parallel non-coplanar substantially equidistant conductor rails, each conductor rail including longitudinally aligned metal rail elements having a front contact face adapted for sliding contact engagement with a movable current collecting system and a pair of opposite side faces, said assembly further comprising a plurality of insulating support brackets extending transversely of said conductor rails and spaced apart along the length thereof, each support bracket having for each conductor rail a bearing portion in clamping relation with said side faces to permit longitudinal movement of said rail elements relative to said support brackets, said support brackets having a base portion securable to a foundation and an upper arm overhanging said base portion and carrying at the free end thereof one of said bearing portions so that said brackets embrace said conductor rails incompletely to provide a passageway for a current collecting support means between a pair of conductor rails along the entire length thereof, wherein each support bracket comprises a unitary generally C-shaped molded member of insulating material having integrally formed thereon three bearing surfaces to accommodate corresponding portions of said conductor rails, respectively, and three clamp members adapted for clamping said portions to said surfaces, respectively, each clamp member being removably securable to said support bracket, and wherein each said clamp member comprises a lip member of resilient material shaped for engagement in longitudinal sliding relation with one of said side faces of said rail elements, and bolt means to secure said clamp member to said support bracket.

Claim 8

A linearly extending electrical distribution assembly comprising three parallel non-coplanar substantially equidistant conductor rails, each conductor rail including longitudinally aligned metal rail elements having a front contact face adapted for sliding contact engagement with a movable current collecting system and a pair of opposite side faces, said assembly further comprising a plurality of insulating support brackets extending transversely of said conductor rails and spaced apart along the length thereof, each support bracket having for each conductor rail a bearing portion in clamping relation with said side faces to permit longitudinal movement of said rail elements relative to said support brackets, said support brackets having a base portion securable to a foundation and an upper arm overhanging said base portion and carrying at the free end thereof one of said bearing portions so that said brackets embrace said conductor rails incompletely to provide a passageway for a current collecting support means between a pair of conductor rails along the entire length thereof, wherein each support bracket comprises a unitary generally C-shaped molded member of insulating material having integrally formed thereon three bearing surfaces to accommodate corresponding portions of said conductor rails, respectively, and three clamp members adapted for clamping said portions to said surfaces, respectively, each clamp member being removably securable to said support bracket, and wherein each said clamp member comprises a lip member of resilient material shaped for engagement in longitudinal sliding relation with one of said side faces of said rail elements, and bolt means to secure said clamp member to said support bracket.