US 4,728,752 AGranted

Joint assembly for connecting bus ducts having unequal numbers of runs

AssigneeEaton Corporation

InventorsLoy A. Hicks, Jr., Edward P. Sherwood

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Abstract

A reducing joint assembly which, when attached at one end thereof to a bus duct having a predetermined number of runs and at the other end thereof to a bus duct having a different number of runs, allows interconnection of these non-matching ducts without undue wasted length or materials. The reducing joint assembly includes one conventional single bolt coupler at each end thereof for each run to be connected at that respective end of the assembly. Connected between the respective single bolt couplers is a single reducer plate for each phase of the bus duct system. Each such reducer plate has tabs at each end, one for each single bolt coupler, so that the reducer plates in effect interconnect with the single bolt coupler in generally the same manner as do the bus plates of each bus duct. The apparatus also includes specialized joint covers for covering the joint thus created to prevent the entry of foreign objects.

Claims12

Dependent claims

In combination, a first bus duct including a plurality of phases each being carried by a plurality of bus bars located in a plurality of runs, a second bus duct having fewer runs than said first bus duct and the same number of phases as said first bus duct, and a joint assembly connected between said bus ducts and electrically connecting said phases of said first bus duct to corresponding phases of said second bus duct, said joint assembly comprising:

a plurality of bolt assemblies, one for each run of each of said bus ducts, attached at the end of one of said bus ducts and facing the other of said bus ducts, and a plurality of reducer plates, one for each phase, each of said reducer plates having a plurality of tabs thereon, the number of tabs corresponding to the number of bolt assemblies;
each of said bolt assemblies comprising:
a plurality of adjacent pairs of generally flat, elongated splice plates having a central opening and arranged in stacked relationship, the end portion of the individual corresponding bus bar of the respective duct and a tab of one of said reducing plates being positioned between respective pairs of said splice plates;
a plurality of generally flat, elongated insulator plates also having a central opening and arranged in stacked relationship with individual insulator plates being positioned adjacent the opposite outer sides of each pair of said splice plates;
threaded fastener means extending through said central openings, said threaded fastener means when tightened urging said pair of splice plates into contact pressure with the corresponding bus bars and reducing plate tabs to establish electrical connection from the phases of said first bus duct, through said reducer plates to the phases of said second bus duct;
and
insulator sleeve means closely fitting inside said central openings and located between said threaded fastener means and said splice plates.

4 more elements

a plurality of bolt assemblies, one for each run of each of said bus ducts, attached at the end of one of said bus ducts and facing the other of said bus ducts, and a plurality of reducer plates, one for each phase, each of said reducer plates having a plurality of tabs thereon, the number of tabs corresponding to the number of bolt assemblies;
each of said bolt assemblies comprising:
a plurality of splice means, each having a central opening and arranged in stacked relationship, the end portion of the individual corresponding bus bar of the respective duct and a tab of one of said reducing plates being secured in conducting contact with a respective one of said splice means;
a plurality of generally flat, elongated insulator plates also having a central opening and arranged in stacked relationship with individual insulator plates being positioned between adjacent phases within said bolt assembly;
threaded fastener means extending through said central openings, said threaded fastener means when tightened urging said splice means into contact pressure with the corresponding bus bars and reducing plate tabs to establish electrical connection from the phases of said first bus duct, through said reducer plates to the phases of said second bus duct;
and
insulator sleeve means closely fitting inside said central openings and located between said threaded fastener means and said splice means.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.