Adapter for current distributor rail

Claim 2

In an adapter for establishing electrical contact with a plurality of longitudinally extending conductors of a current distributor rail which has a hollow interior at which said conductors are accessible with at least two of said conductors respectively accessible from the interior of said rail at opposed sides thereof and with a third conductor which is accessible at the interior of said rail being a ground conductor, hollow housing means having a cross sectional size and configuration for entering into the interior of said rail, said housing means having a pair of opposed side walls respectively formed with a pair of elongated slots passing therethrough, said housing means carrying a pair of lug means respectively projecting from said side walls of said housing means to be received in grooves at opposed sides, respectively, of said rail and accessible in the interior thereof, said lug means when situated in said grooves locating said slots respectively in alignment with said two conductors extending substantially parallel thereto, a pair of contact members situated in the interior of said housing means and respectively having relatively thin, flat contact plate portions extending freely through said slots outwardly beyond said side walls of said housing means, respectively, where said contact plate portions respectively terminate in peripheral contact edges, said contact members being supported by said housing means for free unobstructed movement transversely of said side walls through said slots thereof, spring means situated in the interior of said housing means substantially in alignment with said contact plate portions and acting on said contact members for urging said contact plate portions thereof outwardly from the interior of said housing means into engagement at said contact edges with said two conductors when said pair of lug means are respectively situated in said grooves, respectively, and ground contact means carried by said housing means at the exterior thereof for engaging said third conductor prior to engagement of said contact plate portions with said two conductors, respectively, when said housing means is introduced into the interior of said rail, said housing means having a pair of opposed end walls which are perpendicular to said slots and a third pair of opposed walls which are parallel to said slots and extend between said side walls and end walls, said side walls each being formed with a pair of said slots which are parallel to and coextensive with each other with each of said slots in each side wall being situated between the other slot and one of said third walls, and four of said contact plate portions respectively extending freely through said slots for respectively engaging at their contact edges four conductors accessible at the interior of said rail when said lug means are respectively situated in said grooves, the pair of slots of each side wall being situated at the region of one of said end walls and each side wall being formed with an additional pair of slots respectively aligned with the first-mentioned pair of slots thereof and situated at the region of the other of said end walls, additional contact plate portions respectively extending through said additional slots, a pair of elongated electrically conductive connecting means sItuated in the interior of said housing means adjacent each of said side walls thereof with each of said electrically conductive connecting means being fixedly connected with a pair of contact plate portions respectively situated adjacent said end walls in alignment with each other, and said spring means having portions respectively situated adjacent said end walls of said housing means substantially in alignment with all of said contact plate portions for acting on all of the contact members to urge said plate portions thereof outwardly through said slots, said housing means including an interior wall situated substantially midway between and extending parallel to said side walls, and said spring means including a plurality of compression springs equal to the number of contact plate portions and respectively situated in alignment therewith between said interior wall and said sidewalls.

Claim 3

In an adapter for establishing electrical contact with a plurality of longitudinally extending conductors of a current distributor rail which has a hollow interior at which said conductors are accessible with at least two of said conductors respectively accessible from the interior of said rail at opposed sides thereof and with a third conductor which is accessible at the interior of said rail being a ground conductor, hollow housing means having a cross sectional size and configuration for entering into the interior of said rail, said housing means having a pair of opposed side walls respectively formed with a pair of elongated slots passing therethrough, said housing means carrying a pair of lug means respectively projecting from said side walls of said housing means to be received in grooves at opposed sides, respectively, of said rail and accessible in the interior thereof, said lug means when situated in said grooves locating said slots respectively in alignment with said two conductors extending substantially parallel thereto, a pair of contact members situated in the interior of said housing means and respectively having relatively thin, flat contact plate portions extending freely through said slots outwardly beyond said side walls of said housing means, respectively, where said contact plate portions respectively terminate in peripheral contact edges, said contact members being supported by said housing means for free unobstructed movement transversely of said sidewalls through said slots thereof, spring means situated in the interior of said housing means substantially in alignment with said contact plate portions and acting on said contact members for urging said contact plate portions thereof outwardly from the interior of said housing means into engagement at said contact edges with said two conductors when said pair of lug means are respectively situated is said grooves, respectively, and ground contact means carried by said housing means at the exterior thereof for engaging said third conductor prior to engagement of said contact plate portions with said two conductors, respectively, when said housing means is introduced into the interior of said rail, said housing means having a pair of opposed end walls which are perpendicular to said slots and a third pair of opposed walls which are parallel to said slots and extend between said side walls and end walls, said side walls each being formed with a pair of said slots which are parallel to and coextensive with each other with each of said slots in each side wall being situated between the other slot and one of said third walls, and four of said contact plate portions respectively extending freely through said slots for respectively engaging at their contact edges four conductors accessible at the interior of said rail when said lug means are respectively situated in said grooves, the pair of slots of each side wall being situated at the region of one of said end walls and each side wall being formed with an additional pair of slots respectively aligned with the first-mentioned pair of slots thereof and situated at the region of thE other of said end walls, additional contact plate portions respectively extending through said additional slots, a pair of elongated electrically conductive connecting means situated in the interior of said housing means adjacent each of said side walls thereof with each of said electrically conductive connecting means being fixedly connected with a pair of contact plate portions respectively situated adjacent said end walls in alignment with each other, and said spring means having portions respectively situated adjacent said end walls of said housing means substantially in alignment with all of said contact plate portions for acting on all of the contact members to urge said plate portions thereof outwardly through said slots, a pair of support means situated in the interior of said housing means respectively adjacent said side walls thereof with each support means supporting the four contact plate portions at each side wall, and said spring means including only a pair of compression springs extending freely between and pressing against said pair of support means at the region of each end wall for urging all of said contact plate portions outwardly.

Claim 4

In an adapter for establishing electrical contact with a plurality of longitudinally extending conductors of a current distributor rail which has a hollow interior at which said conductors are accessible with at least two of said conductors respectively accessible from the interior of said rail at opposed sides thereof and with a third conductor which is accessible at the interior of said rail being a ground conductor, hollow housing means having a cross sectional size and configuration for entering into the interior of said rail, said housing means having a pair of opposed side walls respectively formed with a pair of elongated slots passing therethrough, said housing means carrying a pair of lug means respectively projecting from said side walls of said housing means to be received in grooves at opposed sides, respectively, of said rail and accessible in the interior thereof, said lug means when situated in said grooves locating said slots respectively in alignment with said two conductors extending substantially parallel thereto, a pair of contact members situated in the interior of said housing means and respectively having relatively thin, flat contact plate portions extending freely through said slots outwardly beyond said side walls of said housing means, respectively, where said contact plate portions respectively terminate in peripheral contact edges, said contact members being supported by said housing means for free unobstructed movement transversely of said sidewalls through said slots thereof, spring means situated in the interior of said housing means substantially in alignment with said contact plate portions and acting on said contact members for urging said contact plate portions thereof outwardly from the interior of said housing means into engagement at said contact edges with said two conductors when said pair of lug means are respectively situated is said grooves, respectively, and ground contact means carried by said housing means at the exterior thereof for engaging said third conductor prior to engagement of said contact plate portions with said two conductors, respectively, when said housing means is introduced into the interior of said rail, said housing means having a pair of opposed end walls which are perpendicular to said slots and a third pair of opposed walls which are parallel to said slots and extend between said side walls and end walls, said side walls each being formed with a pair of said slots which are parallel to and coextensive with each other with each of said slots in each side wall being situated between the other slot and one of said third walls, and four of said contact plate portions respectively extending freely through said slots for respectively engaging at their contact edges four conductors accessible at the interior of said rail when said lug means are respectively situated in said grooves, the pair of slots of each side wall being situated at the region of one of said end walls and each side wall being formed with an additional pair of slots respectively aligned with the first-mentioned pair of slots thereof and situated at the region of thE other of said end walls, additional contact plate portions respectively extending through said additional slots, a pair of elongated electrically conductive connecting means situated in the interior of said housing means adjacent each of said side walls thereof with each of said electrically conductive connecting means being fixedly connected with a pair of contact plate portions respectively situated adjacent said end walls in alignment with each other, and said spring means having portions respectively situated adjacent said end walls of said housing means substantially in alignment with all of said contact plate portions for acting on all of the contact members to urge said plate portions thereof outwardly through said slots, a pair of support means situated in the interior of said housing means respectively adjacent said side walls thereof with each support means supporting the four contact plate portions at each side wall, and said spring means including only a pair of compression springs extending freely between and pressing against said pair of support means at the region of each end wall for urging all of said contact plate portions outwardly.

Claim 5

The combination of claim 2 and wherein said pair of lug means are respectively carried by said pair of support means for movement therewith in response to the action of said springs, and said pair of side walls of said housing means respectively being formed with slots through which said pair of lug means respectively extend.