US1503340A - Panel board - Google Patents

Description

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July 29 1924.,

H. L. VAN VALKENBURG PANEL BOARD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 14 1922 EN I.,

@yawn/MM Patented July 29, 1924.

UNITED STATES HERMON L. VAN VALKENBURG, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

PANEL BGARD.

Application filed October 14, 1922. Serial No. 594,472.-

To all whom it may con/cem:

Be a known that I, HMM-0N L. VAN' ALKENBURG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the count of Milwaukee and State of `Wisconsin,y are invented a certain new and usefull Improvemen-t in Panel Boards, of which the following is a specilication.

My invention relates to panelboards for electric distribution and the general object of the invention is to provide a sectional construction in vwhich the units are simple and compact in form and can be readily assembled and erected. One of the contributory objects of the invention is to provide a unit having a base block and a cover block separated by a parting sheet of semi-flexible insulating material such as breboard, the base Ibars being located on one side of this sheet and .the screw sockets and their connecting strips chiefly on the opposite side. Another contributory object is to provide a physical interlock between the cross connector strips and the parting sheet whereby fastening devices may be dispensed with `and -the connector strips may be held in position'by merely inserting them in the parting sheet in the proper manner. Still another object is to lprovide a construction such that when the cross connector strips are secured to the 'base block they will hold the parting sheet in position on said base block. Still another object is to provide simple and eicient means for holding the cover block in place. Subsidiary objects will become apparent as the description proceeds.

I accomplish my objects by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawin whichigure 1 is a front elevation of a panelboard composed of two sectional units. In the up er unit the cover is in place while in the ower unit it is absent. I have also shown the `bus bars in place and lugs rby which the bars may be connected t0 a source of electric energy.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view ou` the line 4 4 Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the base block from the front thereof.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the-part.-

ing sheet and one of the connector strips whilph is interlocked or inter-engaged therewit Figure 7 is a perspective view of a companion connector strip. Figure 8 is a perspective view looking toward the inner side of the cover block.

Like numerals denote like parts throughout the several views.

adapted for a three-wire system, and in this case the base blocks will have three parallel channels, 5, 6, 7, which are usuall vertical when the apparatus is installed. ese are for the accommodation of the 'bus bars 10, which connect to the source of supply b means oflugs 12 or otherwise.

In front of the base block there is apartin sheet 15 which is continuous in the sense o being integral and being co-extensive with the greater portion of the area of the unit.` Bypreference it is semi-flexible and composed of ibreboard or similar material. It

as two sets of apertures 17 for receiving the prongs 18 of the connector strips 19. It also has apertures 20 for receiving the prongs 21 of the connector strips 22. The connector strips 19, 22 are arranged transversely and occur in pairs, along and a short, and for the sake of identification they may be referred to as the short and the long conductor strips. At the outer end each conductor strip has a terminal element 25 which seats in one of the pockets 26 formed at the lateral margins of the base block. Both the terminal elements and the block are apertured to receive bolts 27 Vwhich hold the parts assembled and serve as binding posts for making electric connection with the lu 28,

which connect with the consum tion circuit conductors 29. These latterle away from "the board in the usual manner. The prongs and prevent it from moving in any direction. Each of the connector strips 19, 22 is provided with a screw socket 32, which is of conductive material and adapted to receive the outer screw threaded contact element 33 of a fuse plug 34. Fuse plugs are well,- known devices and hence need not be described further than to say that they also have center contacts 36 for engaging the b'us bars in the manner best shownl in Figures 2 and 3.

The parting sheet has apertures 38, whlch are concentric'with the screw sockets and lie in front of the bus bars so that when a fuse plug is inserted the center contact may directly engage the basebarbehind it: According to the developed form of the invention the channels 5, 6, 7 are deeper than the thickness of the bus bars, the result being that when the bars 'are seated in the bottom .of the channels, as illustrated 1n Flgures 2, 3, there will be an appreciable space between the parting sheet and the bar. The result is that in order for the center contact 36 of the fuse plug to reach the bus bar, the part ing sheet must be distorted to a certain extent, as illustrated in Fi ure 3 and at the right end of Figure 2. ne of the advantages of this is that the pressure of the parting sheet upon the inner end of the fuse plug creates an appreciable amount of friction, which tends to prevent the fuse plug from rotating. This insures :against the` plug becoming accidentally unscrewed from the socket in case the panelboard is mounted in an industrial building or other place where there is a considerable amount of vibration.

The cover block 2 has apertures 40 for accommodating the screw sockets and it is desirable that the thickness of the cover block be such as to bring the insulating material further forward than the top of the screw sockets, thus guarding the operator from accidentally touching the sockets. In the design .illustrated the co-ver'block has inner channels 41 and 42 for accommodating the cross strips 19 and 22 respectively.

I have provided convenient and quick acting means for holding the cover in `place upon the base block. These consist of spring catches 45 which are secured to the base block and are adapted to fit over the beadings 46 formed at the lateral edges of the cover. The co-operative relation is bestshown in Fig. 4.

From the foregoing it will be evident that I have produced a most simple, compact and practical structure. The parting sheet 15 forms -an effective insulation between the bus bars and the screw sockets with their respective connector strips 19, 22. There is no danger of short circuiting and yet the partition sheet is of simple design and may be entirely formed by punching. When once inserted the fuse plugs will be securely retained and when the parts are all assembled the liveparts are all eectuallyv enclosed, thus protecting workmen and others agamst accidental shock by coming in contact with them.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 4 h

l. A panelboard having an insulating base block having channels running lengthwise for accommodating bus bars, a cover block of insulating material co-ext'ensive with the base block and adapted to form a unit with it, said cover block having transverse channels together with apertures adapted to overlie the channels in the base block and in line with the channels in the cover block, screw sockets in the apertures in the cover block, and terminal strips electrically connected to said screw sockets and Y extending to the sides of the unit along the channels in the cover block.

2. A panelboard for electric distribution having units consisting of two blocks of insulating material anda parting sheet lying between them, one of the blocks having channels for accommodating the bus bars, and screw sockets overlying the partin sheet and provided with conductors adapted to be connected to the consumption circuits, the second block having apertures for accommodating said screw sockets and for permitting screw plugs 'to penetrate the upper 100 block to reach the screw sockets, the parting sheet having apertures at the center of the screw socket through which the center contacts of the plugs may reach the bus bars.

3. In a panelboard for electric distribu- 105 tion, a unit having an insulating base block which is channeled for accommodating -the bus bars, a cover block of insulating material adapted to overlie the base block and having screw sockets, a parting sheet lying between 110 said blocks, binding posts' at the side of the base block, electrically connected to the respective sockets above the parting sheet, the cover block being apertured to accommodate the sockets and thev parting sheet hav- 115 ing apertures overlying the bus bars and concentric with the screw sockets for enabling the center contacts of the screw plugs to electrically engage the bus bars.

4. In a panelboard for electric distribu- 120' tion, a base and a cover block of insulating material, and a parting sheet of insulating material between them, the base block having channels for accommodating thel .bus bars, screw sockets, connector strips permanently connected to the screw sockets and havmg means at their outer ends for electric connection with the consumption conductors, saidvconnectors and socketsoverly- 111g the parting strip and having oiset no prongs for netrating the arting sheet and engaging t e back thereo for holding the strlps vand sockets in position upon the parting sheet.

5. In a panelboard for electric distribution, bus bars, a base block and a cover block of insulating material, the base block being channeled for accommodating the bus bars, a continuous parting sheet overlying the base block, screw sockets overlyin the arting sheet and being thereby insuxted rom the bus bars, said' screw sockets having means for electric connection to the consumption conductors at the lateral edges of `the panelboard, the cover block being apen' tured to accommodate the screw sockets land the parting sheet being apertured at the center of the screw sockets for accommodating the center contacts of the screw plugs, said parting sheet being spaced in front of the bus bars and being moderately resilient to thereby afford frictional e agement with the screw plugs to yieldingly oldthem against rotation.

6. A panelboard consisting of a base block of insulating material having longitudinal channels in the front for accommodating bus bars, a continuous sheet of semiexible insulating material adjacent to the front surface of the base block, transverse conductor stri s fastened to the block and extending in ront of the sheet for holdingy the latter upon the block, screw sockets secured to the respective cross strips in front yof the bus bar channels, and a cover block adapted to be secured to the front of the base block, said cover block having apertures for accommodating said screw sockets.

In Witness whereof,` I havehereunto subscribed my name.

HEnMoN L. VAN VALKENBURG.

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