Improvements relating to Switch-boards.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Switch-boards.
I, CHARLES HORACE Cox, of 4, Hargreaves Road, Liverpool, Commercial
Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Hitherto in the formation of a distributing switchboard, or association of a
number of electrical circuit switches or fuses, it has been the practice to supply
current to such circuit switches or fuses by separate leads which branch off an
omnibus bar, namely a copper bar of sufficient current capacity to supply all the
switches of the series and which is fed by the main lead. Such an arrangement
is open to objection inasmuch that the bar occupies space and the connections of
the switch-board are necessarily multiplied.
According to the present invention I dispense with the separate and distinct
omnibus bar above referred to, and I also so construct and connect the contacts
of a series of switches or fuses that such contact pieces and their connections
themselves form a substitute for or parts of or equivalent to an omnibus bar.
That is to say, an omnibus bar is divided into sections, and one section is placed
in each switch or fuse box, and is joined up with neighbouring sections by suitable
conductors.
In carrying out the present invention I prefer to make use of a switch-board
consisting of a fabric of metal tubes and metal boxes, said boxes being for the
purpose of containing the switches, fuses, and the other appliances which go to
make up a switch-board, whilst the said tubes serve as conduits for the electrical
conductors between said appliances.
A typical arrangement of circuit switches and articulated omnibus bar according
to the present invention will be as follows. A number of switch boxes will be
arranged side by side in one or more rows. In each box is disposed a portion of
my articulated omnibus bar, and such portion will probably be L-shaped. One
limb of this portion or articulation serves as a contact for the switch arm, whilst
the other limb provided with terminals or sockets for the reception of con-
ductors or a single conductor, which join or joins up this articulated portion of
an omnibus bar with similar articulations disposed in neighbouring switch-boxes.
A typical arrangement of circuit or main fuses and articulated omnibus bar
according to the present invention will be as follows. A number of fuse boxes
will be arranged side by side in one or more rows. A portion or articulation
of my novel form of omnibus bar will be disposed in each fuse box. Such arti-
culation will be provided with sockets or terminals for the reception of a con-
ductor or conductors by which it is electrically joined up with similar bars in
neighbouring boxes, and is also provided with a socket or contact for the recep-
tion of one end of a fuse.

page_text: I, CHARLES HORACE Cox, of 4, Hargreaves Road, Liverpool, Commercial
Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
Hitherto in the formation of a distributing switch-board, or association of a
number of electrical circuit switches or fuses, it has been the practice to supply
current to such circuit switches or fuses by separate leads which branch off an
"omnibus" bar, namely a copper bar of sufficient current capacity to supply all the
switches of the series and which is fed by the main lead. Such an arrangement
is open to objection inasmuch that the bar occupies space and the connections of
the switch-board are necessarily multiplied.
"
According to the present invention I dispense with the separate and distinct
omnibus bar above referred to and I also so construct and connect the contacts
of a series of switches or fuses that such contact pieces and their connections
themselves form a substitute for, or parts of, or are equivalent to, an omnibus"
bar. That is to say, an omnibus bar is divided into sections, and one section is
placed in each switch or fuse box, and is joined up with neighbouring sections
by suitable conductors.
In carrying out the present invention I prefer to make use of the novel form
of switch described in my Provisional and Complete Specifications No. 14514
of 1898, but the invention is also applicable upon other forms of switch-boards.
In the accompanying drawings are illustrated several methods of arranging a
distributing switch-board according to my invention.
Figures 1 and 2 are a front view and cross section, shewing my novel method of
constituting a switch contact, a part of my novel form of omnibus bar.
Figure 3 is a front view of a 6-way switch-board according to my invention,
shewing my novel method of arranging circuit switches and their sectional
omnibus bar.
Figure 4 is a front view of a switch-board according to my invention, shewing
my novel method of arranging circuit fuses upon a sectional omnibus bar.
The switch indicated in Figures 1 and 2 may be of ordinary type and does not
require description, it being understood that the switch-tongue S makes contact
when in the "on" position with the contact A. This contact, A, it will be seen,
forms a part of what I may here term a contact bar B. The bar 13 is disposed
across the lower end of the switch box and each of its ends is provided with a ter-
minal or provision for the reception of a cable, rod, or other conductor, by which
the bar is placed in electrical communication with similar contact bars in adjacent
switch boxes. Thus the contact bar B in each one of a group of switch boxes is
in series with the contact bars of the entire group, consequently when a con-
nection is made between such series of bars and a main conductor, the bars B
and their connecting cables or rods become equivalent to an omnibus bar. The
current capacity of each of the bars B and their connections must be equal to or
exceed the requirements of all the switches in the group.
The lugs B on the bar B form sockets for the conductor which couples the bar
to adjacent bars. Such conductor may be a continuous rod, B2, common to all
the bars, as shewn upon one side of Figures 1 and 2, or may be sectional rods or
cables, B³, as shewn upon the other side of the Figures I and 2.
The con-
ductors are secured to the bars B by the terminal screws B.
The conductors may be insulated from the tubes through which they pass by

page_text: clothing the conductor or by coating the inner wall of the tube by any suitable
material, or both these methods may be employed, or an air space between the
conductor and tube may perform this function.
Figure 3 illustrates a distributing switch board containing a group of six
circuit switches which are contained in boxes C and arranged in two rows, one
above the other. The main conductor H is led to an end box on the lower row
and is there joined up to the contact B of said box. Tubes which connect and
support the boxes C form conduits for cables, bars, or other conductors which
join up-in series-the bars B of all the switch-boxes C. Tubes b convey the
conductors from the switch boxes C to the positive fuses contained in a metallic
case D, from whence lead the various circuits. The negative fuses are contained
in the case D'. The positive and negative fuses may be of any suitable pattern.
H is the negative main lead.
On the switch-board illustrated in Figure 4 I arrange the circuit positive fuses
contained in the boxes D upon the sectional omnibus bar according to this inven-
tion, instead of arranging the circuit switches thereon. That is to say, instead
of forming a switch contact upon each section or length B of my novel omnibus
bar, I form a fuse contact. Tubes a which connect and support the boxes D
form conduits for cables, bars, or other conductors which join up-in series-the
bars B of all the fuse boxes D. Tubes 6 convey conductors from the fuse boxes D
to the circuit switch boxes C, from whence lead the various circuits. D' is a box
containing circuit negative fuses of any suitable pattern. The boxes G G¹ contain
double-pole main switches, and the boxes FF contain double pole main fuses.
K is a ammeter and L is a volt-meter, which may be omitted if not required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. For distributing current to a series of circuits, upon a switchboard, an
omnibus bar divided into a series of portions each of which forms a contact piece of
a distributing appliance on each circuit, each portion being electrically connected
with the other portions--in series-by conductors, substantially as described.
2. The herein described method of distributing current to a series of circuits
by means of an omnibus bar, which method consists in dividing such bar into
portions, in constituting each portion of said bar a contact piece of a distribut-
ing appliance on each circuit, and in joining up said portions-in series--by
conductors, substantially as described.
3. The combination in a switch-board of a series of metallic cases which con-
tain the appliances of the board, a bus-bar divided into sections each disposed
within the case of the appliance which it feeds, and having formed upon it a
contact piece for said appliance, such sections being electrically connected, and
tubes which contain the electrical conductors by which such appliances and
sectional bus-bar are electrically connected and which unite said cases one with
the other, substantially as described.
4. In combination, a series of metallic boxes containing the distributing appli-
ances of an electrical switch-board, a series of contact bars in said boxes, the bars
being electrically connected-in series with similar bars in adjacent boxes, by
conductors, and tubes a for connecting and supporting said boxes and for forming
conduits for said conductors, substantially as described.
Dated this 8th day of November 1899.
J. A. COUBROUGH
Chartered Patent Agent, 10, St. George's Crescent, Liverpool,
Agent for the Applicant.