Electric contact device with fluidized metal particle bed
AssigneeNational Research Development Corporation
InventorEvan J. Davies
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electric contact device for conveying electric current to an article such as a moving billet or wire comprising a current feeder member in a bed of electrically conductive de-oxidized metal particles and the article being placed in contact with the bed. The particles may be copper particles and the bed may be fluidized with a non-oxidizing gas and be maintained in a non-oxidizing atmosphere. Two contact devices may be provided at spaced positions to cause a current flow along the article. The contact device may operate as a switch by providing means to move the article into and out of the bed.
Claims8
An electric contact device, for conveying electric current to an article, comprising a container, a bed of uniformly distributed electrically conductive de-oxidised metal particles in said container, means to fluidize said particles with a non-oxidizing gas, means to provide a non-oxidising environment for said bed of particles, a current feeder member adapted to contact said bed, and means for maintaining a part of the article, spaced from the current for maintaining a part of the article, spaced from the current feeder member, in contact with said bed of particles when fluidized.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.