US2451393A - Bridge for junction boxes - Google Patents

Description

BRIDGE FOR JUNCTION BOXES Filed Nov. 4, 1947 F; EL 20 IO INVENTOR. HENRY KERSHAW ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 12, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in metallic bridges for junction boxes, shown in my Patent 2,427,285.

An important object of the invention is to pro vide means to eliminate the soldering of the wires to the bridge, while effecting a firm electrical contact or engagement between the wire and bridge.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clamping element or plate to be interlocked with the bridge.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above mentioned character which is simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, and easy to assemble.

In accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the assembled bridge device and insulating covering,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the assembled bridge device, the insulating covering being removed,

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the same,

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken on line 4-4, Figure 2, and,

Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the insulated bridge device.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral I0 designates a bridge, included in the bridge device, This bridge is preferably flat and is preferably formed of sheet copper having a suitably low resistance to properly carry the load without liability of overheating at the connections. The bridge is preferably polygonal, being formed from a square, with its corners cut off at I I. This bridge III has pairs of lugs or cars 12 stamped therefrom forming openings I3. These pairs of lugs are disposed upon the same face of the bridge I 0 and the pairs of lugs are equidistantly spaced radially from the center of the bridge Ill.

Adapted for coaction with the bridge I0 is a clamping element or plate I4, also preferably formed of copper having suitably low resistance to properly carry the load without liability of overheating at the connections. This plate I4 is preferably flat and is slightly elongated and is provided at its ends with depending arms I 5, bent downwardly at I6. At its ends adjacent to the arms I5, the flat plate has notches I! and the edges I 8 of these notches are spaced apart for a distance equal to the distance between the longitudinal edges IQ of the plate I4, The opposed pair of bent down lugs I2.

pairs of lugs I2 are spaced apart for a slightly greater distance than the opposed edges I8 and the opposed edges I9.

The numeral 20 designates pairs of wires hav ing the insulation stripped from their ends, and the ends of these wires are bent at right angles, as shown.

In use, the bent ends of the pairs of wires are arranged between the lugs I2 in adjacent pairs, Figure 2, and these lugs I2 are then bent down over the wires for clamping engagement there? with. Two pairs of wires are shown thus applied to the bridge III. The clamping element It is now arranged above the bridge Ill and its arms I5 passed through the openings 39 in the opposed pair of such openings. The arms I5 extend outwardly of and upon the sides of the adjacent bent down pairs of lugs I 2 and these bent down pairs of lugs pass into the notches I'.', and the edges I3 are arranged inwardly of these lugs. The edges I9 are arranged inwardly of the remaining Since the distance between the edges I8 is equal to the distance between the edges I9, the clamping element or plate I 4 may be applied to the bridge Io at right angles to its position shown in Figure 2, if desired. After the clamping element or plate I4 is thus applied to the bridge I0, Figure 3, the arms I5 are bent downwardly inwardly over the bridge [I], as shown. The clamping element or plate I4 and bridge II are subjected to a squeezing action by pliers or the like, so that these opposed elements will securely clamp the inner portion of the folded ends of the wires 20 between them. It is thus seen that the clamping element or plate serves to securely bind the wires to the bridge Ill and effects the firm electrical contact or engagement between the wires and the bridge, eliminating the use of soldering, and further stiifening and strengthening the bridge at its center. After the elements are thus assembled, insulating sheets 2| are applied to the opposite faces of the bridge I0 and project radially outwardly beyond the bridge. These insulating sheets may be formed of asbestos or the like and have their inner faces coated with an adhesive, so that they may be readily bonded to the bridge and clamping element I4 and to themselves at their outer marginal edges.

While I have shown the wires 20 arranged in pairs, with their ends bent at right angles, yet the invention is not restricted to this arrangement, as the same may be varied, as shown in my Patent 2,427,285.

The bridges I 0 and clamping elements I4 are assembled exteriorly of the junction box, and these assembled units are subsequently arranged in the junction box. The arrangement is like that shown in Patent 2,427,285, two or three units being employed, as desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A bridge for connecting a plurality of wires, said bridge being formed of conducting material and including a face and having pairs of lugs stamped therefrom forming openings adjacent to the lugs, the ends of the wires being adapted to be passed between the lugs in the pairs and the lugs bent over the wires, and a clamping element to engage the ends of the Wires inwardly of the lugs and formed of conducting material and having arms for insertion through certain of the openings in the bridge, said arms being adapted to be bent over the face of the bridge.

2. A bridge for connecting a plurality of wires, said bridge being formed of conducting material and including a face and having lugs stamped therefrom forming openings adjacent to the lugs, the ends of the wires being adapted to be arranged upon the face of the bridge and the lugs bent over the same, and a plate formed of conducting material to cover the ends of the wires and having arms to be extended through certain of the penings for interlocking engagement with the bridge.

3. A substantially flat bridge for connecting a plurality of wires, said bridge being formed of conducting material and having pairs of lugs stamped therefrom and arranged upon the same face of the bridge, said stamped lugs forming openings, the ends of the wires being adapted to be arranged between the lugs in the pairs and the lugs bent over such ends, and a substantially flat plate formed of conducting material to cover the 4 ends of the wires and having pairs of latterly extending arms for insertion within certain openings, the ends of the arms being adapted to be bent over the face of the plate remote from the lugs.

4. A bridge device for connecting wires, comprising a bridge formed of conducting material and including faces and having pairs of lugs stamped therefrom and arranged upon the same face of the bridge and forming openings, the pairs of lugs being substantially equidistantly spaced from the center of the bridge, and a coacting plate formed of conducting material and including faces, the plate being adapted to cover the ends of the wire and provided at its ends with pairs of laterally extending arms disposed upon the same face of the plate for insertion through certain of the openings of the bridge, the coacting plate having notches between the armsto receive inner portions of the pairs of lugs, the distance between the notches and the distance between the side edges of the coacting plate being less than the distance between the inner ends of opposed pairs of lugs.

HENRY KERSHAW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,055,305 Kneisel Mar. 4, 1913 1,225,366 Schoenman May i912 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 340,671 Great Britain Jan. 8, 1931

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