Current take-off unit

Claim 2

A current take-off unit adapted to be removably connected to an external current carrying element, said unit comprising a housing having an opening formed in a wall thereof and being positionable adjacent to the external current-carrying element; conductor means within said housing and having an end portion thereof disposed adjacent said opening and terminating short of the adjacent region outwardly of said opening; and a connector assembly adjustably mounted on the conductor means end portion for movement between extended and retracted positions relative to said housing opening, said assembly including a pair of conductive jaw members adapted to assume a gripping engagement with the external current-carrying element when said connector assembly is in said extended position whereby said jaw members span the distance between the external current-carrying element and the end portion of said conductor means, an elongated member extending transversely through apertures formed in said jaw member and through the end portion of said conductor means and being in non-conductive relation therewith and retaining same in assembled relation, and manually adjustable to means carried by said elongated member and adapted, when adjusted in one direction, to effect relative movement to said jaw members towards one another into gripping relation with the currentcarrying element when said connector assembly is in said extended position.

Claim 3

The current take-off unit of claim 1 wherein said jaw members are sandwiched between insulating means.

Claim 4

The current take-off unit of claim 2 wherein the jaw members are elongated planar pieces of conductive material and are provided with aligned apertures through which the elongated member transversely extends, and said insulating means includes planar sections of insulating material disposed in face-to-face relation with the outer surfaces of said planar pieces, said planar sections being provided with apertures aligned with the apertures of said pieces and through which the elongated member transversely extends.

Claim 5

The current take-off unit of claim 3 wherein the end portion of the conductor means adjacent the wall opening is provided with an elongated slot disposed substantially transversely of said housing wall; said elongated member extending through said slot and being movable longitudinally thereof when said manually adjustable means carried by said elongated member is adjusted in a second direction.

Claim 6

The current take-off unit of claim 3 wherein at least one planar section is provided with a protuberance which is adapted to extend transversely of a planar piece and abuttingly engage the other planar section when said planar pieces are in gripping engagement with the external current-carrying element.

Claim 7

The current take-off unit of claim 3 wherein the aperture formed in each planar piece is sized to accommodate a protruding collar formed on the adjacent planar section, said collar delimiting the aligned aperture formed in said adjacent planar section.

Claim 8

The current take-off unit of claim 1 wherein said conductor means comprises a plurality of elongated bus bars arranged in spaced substantially parallel relation and extending substantially transversely of said housing wall opening, corresponding ends of said bus bars being adjacent said wall opening and each of said ends being provided with an elongated longitudinally extending slot; said connector assembly including a pair of conductive jaw members for each bus bar, each pair of jaw members being separated from an adjacent pair of jaw members by insulating means.

Claim 9

The current take-off unit of claim 7 wherein the insulating means includes a planar section of insulating material disposed intermediate adjacent pairs of jaw members, said planar section being provided with an aperture through which transversely extends the elongated member; said planar section aperture being delimited by a protruding collar which extends into the aligned aperture formed in the adjacent jaw member.

Claim 10

A current take-off unit adapted to be removably connected to an external current-carrying element and movable transversely of said external current-carrying element into and out of position for aligned connection therewith, said unit comprising bus bar means, said bus bar means including free end means for end-to-end alignment with corresponding free ends means of said external current-carrying element, said respective free end means terminating short of each other when in said end-to-end alignment, a connector assembly adjustably mounted on said bus bar means for longitudinal movement between extended and retracted positions relative to said free end means of said bus bar means, said connector assembly including conductive means adapted for electrically conductive engagement with said external current-carrying element when said connector assembly is in said extended position whereby said conductive means spans the distance between the said free end means of said external current-carrying element and the said free end means of said bus bar means, an elongated member extending transversely through apertures formed in said conductive means and through said bus bar means in the region of said free end means thereof and being in non-conductive relation therewith and retaining same in assembled relation, and manually adjustable means carried by said elongated member and adapted, wHen adjusted in one direction, to effect a gripping relation of said conductive means with said current carrying element when said connector assembly is in said extended position.

Claim 11

A current take-off unit adapted to be removably connected to an external current-carrying element and movable transversely of said external current-carrying element into and out of position for aligned connection therewith, said unit comprising bus bar means, said bus bar means including free end means for end-to-end alignment with corresponding free ends means of said external current-carrying element, said respective free end means terminating short of each other when in said end-to-end alignment, a connector assembly adjustably mounted on said bus bar means for longitudinal movement between extended and retracted positions relative to said free end means of said bus bar means, said connector assembly including conductive means adapted for electrically conductive engagement with said external current-carrying element when said connector assembly is in said extended position whereby said conductive means spans the distance between the said free end means of said external current-carrying element and the said free end means of said bus bar means, an elongated member extending transversely through apertures formed in said conductive means and through said bus bar means in the region of said free end means thereof and being in non-conductive relation therewith and retaining same in assembled relation, and manually adjustable means carried by said elongated member and adapted, wHen adjusted in one direction, to effect a gripping relation of said conductive means with said current carrying element when said connector assembly is in said extended position.

Claim 12

A current take-off unit adapted to be removably connected to a current-carrying installation at an intermediate location between a source side current-carrying element and a load side current-carrying element, said unit being movable transversely of said source side and load side current-carrying elements into and out of position for aligned connection therewith, said unit comprising bus bar means, said bus bar means including first and second free end means at opposite ends thereof for end-to-end alignment with corresponding free end means of said source side current-carrying element and of said load side current carrying element respectively, said respective free end means terminating short of each other when in said end-to-end alignment, a connector assembly adjustably mounted on said bus bar means in the region of said first free end means for longitudinal movement between extended and retracted positions in relation to said first free end means, said connector assembly including conductive means adapted for electrically conductive engagement with said free end means of one of said source-side and said load side current-carrying elements when said connector assembly is in said extended position whereby said conductive means spans the distance between the said free end means of said current-carrying element and the first free end means of said bus bar means, an elongated member extending transversely through apertures formed in said conductive means and through said bus bar means in the region of said first free end means thereof and being in non-conductive relation therewith retaining same in assembled relation, and manually adjustable means carried by said elongated member and adapted, when adjusted in one direction, to effect a gripping relation of said conductive means with said current-carrying element when said connector assembly is in said extended position.

Claim 13

A current take-off unit adapted to be removably connected to a current-carrying installation at an intermediate location between a source side current-carrying element and a load side current-carrying element, said unit being movable transversely of said source side and load side current-carrying elements into and out of position for aligned connection therewith, said unit comprising bus bar means, said bus bar means including first and second free end means at opposite ends thereof for end-to-end alignment with corresponding free end means of said source side current-carrying element and of said load side current carrying element respectively, said respective free end means terminating short of each other when in said end-to-end alignment, a connector assembly adjustably mounted on said bus bar means in the region of said first free end means for longitudinal movement between extended and retracted positions in relation to said first free end means, said connector assembly including conductive means adapted for electrically conductive engagement with said free end means of one of said source-side and said load side current-carrying elements when said connector assembly is in said extended position whereby said conductive means spans the distance between the said free end means of said current-carrying element and the first free end means of said bus bar means, an elongated member extending transversely through apertures formed in said conductive means and through said bus bar means in the region of said first free end means thereof and being in non-conductive relation therewith retaining same in assembled relation, and manually adjustable means carried by said elongated member and adapted, when adjusted in one direction, to effect a gripping relation of said conductive means with said current-carrying element when said connector assembly is in said extended position.

Claim 14

A current take-off unit as set forth in claim 10, including a second of said connector assemblies adjustably mounted for connecting association between, and on one of, said second free end means of said bus bar means and the free end means of the other of said source-side and load-side current carrying elements.

Claim 15

A current take-off unit as set forth in claim 9, wherein said conductive means include a pair of conductive jaw members, said jaw members being sandwiched between insulating means.

Claim 16

A current take-off unit as set forth in claim 12, wherein said jaw members are elongated planar pieces of conductive material and are provided with aligned apertures through which the elongated member transversely extends, and said insulating means includes planar sections of insulating material disposed in face-to-face relation with the outer surfaces of said planar pieces, said planar sections being provided with apertures aligned with the apertures of said pieces and through which the elongated member transversely extends.

Claim 17

A current take-off unit as set forth in claim 13, wherein said free end means of said bus bar means is provided with an elongated slot, said elongated member extending through said slot and being movable longitudinally thereof when said manually adjustable means carried by said elongated member is adjusted in a second direction.

Claim 18

A current take-off unit as set forth in claim 13, wherein at least one planar section is provided with a protuberance which is adapted to extend transversely of a planar piece and abuttingly engage the other planar section when said planar pieces are in gripping engagement with the external current-carrying element.

Claim 19

A current take-off unit as set forth in claim 13, wherein said aperture formed in each planar piece is sized to accommodate a protruding collar formed on the adjacent planar section, said collar delimiting the aligned aperture formed in said aDjacent planar section.

Claim 20

A current take-off unit as forth in claim 9, wherein said bus bar means includes a plurality of elongated bus bars arranged in spaced substantially parallel relation, elongated lontigudinally extending slots in the free ends of each of said bus bars, said connector assembly including a pair of conductive jaw members for each bus bar, each pair of jaw members being separated from an adjacent pair of jaw members by insulating means.

Claim 21

A current take-off unit as set forth in claim 17, wherein said insulating means includes a planar section of insulating material disposed intermediate adjacent pairs of jaw members, said planar section being provided with an aperture through which transversely extends the elongated member, said planar section aperture being delimited by a protruding collar which extends into the aligned aperture formed in the adjacent jaw member.