Patent ID: 6521837
Filing Date: 2003-02-18
Classification: H01R,H02G

Abstract:
A coupling system for connecting two sections of electrical busway housing together comprising:a) a top plate; b) a bottom plate; and c) a means for drawing said top plate and said bottom plate together; wherein said top plate and said bottom plate operate to clamp therebetween at least a portion of a pair of busway housing sections to be connected by said coupling system; wherein a surface selected from a surface of said top plate contacting said busway housing sections, a surface of said bottom plate contacting said busway housing sections, and combinations thereof is roughened in order to provide increased gripping force between said coupling system and said busway housing sections when said top plate and said bottom plate are drawn together; wherein the means of drawing together said top plate and said bottom plate comprises one or more fasteners selected from the group consisting of a bolt/nut assembly, a rivet, a screw that threadably engages threads provided in a throughhole of said bottom plate, and a bolt that threadably engages threads provided in a throughhole of said bottom plate wherein said fastener is inserted through a throughhole in said top plate and an aligned throughhole in said bottom plate and operates to draw said top plate and said bottom plate together; wherein said busway housing sections are each manufactured of aluminum and have a pair of vertical sidewalls with free edges on both the top and bottom of said housing section and having inwardly-turned flanges along said free edges at the top and bottom wherein at least a portion of said flanges are clamped between said top plate and said bottom plate when said busway housing sections are connected with said coupling system; wherein said busway housing sections are connected by a pair of coupling systems consisting of a first coupling system and a second coupling system, each coupling system having a top plate and a bottom plate respectively, and wherein said first coupling system has no roughened surface in contact with said busway housing sections, and wherein said second coupling system has one or more roughened surfaces in contact with said busway housing sections; wherein at least a portion of said surface of said bottom plate of said second coupling system that comes into contact with said busway housing section is roughened; and wherein said bottom plate is manufactured of a selected material that is harder than the busway housing sections to be connected and the roughened surface is serrated, such that the roughened surface of said bottom plate deforms said busway housing sections when said bottom plate and said top plate are drawn tightly together about said busway housing section.