Switching assembly and interconnect assembly therefor

An interconnect assembly for a switching assembly, the switching assembly comprising a bus bar and an electromagnetic switching device having a contactor bus, the interconnect assembly being structured to mechanically couple and electrically connect the contactor bus to the bus bar, the interconnect assembly comprising:

• a socket member structured to engage the bus bar, wherein the socket member comprises a first portion structured to engage the bus bar and a second portion opposite the first portion;
• a post assembly comprising a post member structured to extend through the contactor bus, at least a portion of the post member extending into the socket member, wherein the post member comprises a head portion and an end portion disposed opposite said head portion;
• a locking member disposed on the post member;
• and
• a number of compression springs disposed between the end portion of the post member and the second portion of the socket member, wherein said locking member extends through said number of compression springs, and
• wherein the locking member is structured to extend through and removably engage the socket member in order to mechanically couple and electrically connect the contactor bus to the bus bar.

A switching assembly comprising:

• a number of bus bars, wherein the corresponding one of the bus bars has a surface, a circular aperture extending through the corresponding one of the bus bars, and an annular groove being concentric with the circular aperture and extending from the surface partially into the corresponding one of the bus bars;
• an electromagnetic switching device comprising a number of contactor buses;
• at least one interconnect assembly for mechanically coupling and electrically connecting a corresponding one of the bus bars to a corresponding one of the contactor buses, the at least one interconnect assembly comprising:
• a socket member engaging the corresponding one of the bus bars;
• a post assembly comprising a post member extending through the corresponding one of the contactor buses, at least a portion of the post member extending into the socket member, wherein the socket member comprises an annular projection being concentric with the annular groove and welded to the corresponding one of the bus bars proximate the annular groove;
• and
• a locking member disposed on the post member,
• wherein the locking member extends through and removably engages the socket member in order to mechanically couple and electrically connect the corresponding one of the contactor buses to the corresponding one of the bus bars.