Connector apparatus for electrically conductive guide rails
AssigneeWampfler GmbH
InventorAlfred Mutter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved mechanical-electrical connector apparatus (3) is disclosed which is particularly suited for joining electrical current carrying rail segments (1, 2) having an axially slotted (5, 6) tube configuration within which a sliding contact can ride. Each end of each rail segment is provided with a circumferentially extending notch (4, 6) opening into the slot (5, 6) on opposite sides. A short connector section of slotted tube (3) is provided with a resilient tongue (7, 8) extending radially within the tube section (3) at each end so that the tongues (7, 8) fit into the notches (4, 6) when the rail segments (1, 2) are inserted into the connector section (3). The rails may be used for guiding and supplying current to a trolley or the like.
Claims8
An improved electrical connector, comprising:
- a first segment of hollow electrically conductive tubing having a first axial slot extending through the wall thereof;
- at least one notch in said wall extending circumferentially at least partially around the exterior of said first segment;
- a second segment of hollow electrically conductive tubing having a second axial slot extending through the wall thereof, said second segment having an inner geometry sized to receive said first segment of hollow tubing;
- at least one first protrusion in said wall of said second segment extending radially into the interior thereof in position to fit into said at least one notch in said first segment when said first segment is inserted into said second magnet and rotated both to engage said at least one first protrusion with said at least one notch and to align said first and second axial slot;
- a third segment of hollow electrically conductive tubing of the same outer geometry as said first segment, said third segment having a third axial slot extending through the wall thereof;
- at least one notch in the wall of said third segment extending circumferentially at least partially around the exterior of said third segment;
- and
- at least one second protrusion in said wall of said second segment, at the opposite end thereof from said at least one first protrusion, said second protrusion extending radially into the interior of said second segment in position to fit into said notch in said third segment when said third segment is inserted into said second segment and rotated both to engage said at least one second protrusion with said at least one notch in the wall of said third segment and to align said first, second and third axial slots.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.