Improvements in or relating to Fuse-boards.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 25th May, 1898-Accepted, 23rd July, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Fuse-boards.
We, ALBERT VANDAM, and THOMAS HERBERT MARSII, both of 39; Victoria Street,
Westminster, in the County of London, Electrical Engineers, 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:―
Our invention relates to fuse-boards and has for its object to provide improved
means for preventing the liability of sparks occurring between the feeder ter-
minals.
According to our invention we provide between each fuse and the next adjacent
fuse a partition of porcelain, ebonite or other suitable insulating material which
projects from the fuse-board to a greater distance than the fuses and is of a length
somewhat greater than the distance between the extreme ends of the terminals
between which the fuses are connected. By this means the length of the path of
a spark from one feeder terminal to the next is lengthened inasmuch as the spark
is compelled to pass round the insulating partition instead of passing in a straight
line from one terminal to the other.
In order that our invention may be clearly understood we have illustrated in the
accompanying drawings one method of carrying the same into effect.
Figure 1 is a front view shewing two feeder terminals connected through fuses
to a common omnibus bar.
Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a side view of the insulating partition, and
Figure 4 is a similar view of a modified form of partition hereinafter described.
A, A are the separate fuse blocks of slate, marble, or other insulating and
incombustible material. 33 is the omnibus bar to which the terminals C C of
the fuses are connected. D, D' are the feeder terminals and E, E¹ the fuses which
are shewn enclosed in glass tubes in order to prevent any possibility of a short
circuit occurring. when the fuse breaks. Between the fuse blocks is supported
a partition F of porcelain, glass, ebonite or other suitable insulating material.
This is secured by its rear edges being tightly gripped between the fuse
blocks A A¹ and as will readily be seen from Figure 2 a spark from feeder ter-
minal D to D will necessarily follow the curved path as shewn by the dotted
line.
In order to permit of the omnibus bar being extended from end to end of the
fuse-board the partition F is provided with an orifice F¹ through which said bar
is passed and this affords an additional securing means for said partition. In
some cases the partition is slit or slotted from the end as shewn in Figure 4, so
that it can be readily slipped over the omnibus bar.
Where more than two fuses are attached to the fuse-board additional partitions
will be provided each fuse being mounted on its own fuse block and separated
from the next fuse and block by a partition.
It will be understood that our invention is applicable for use with fuses which
are placed upon separate circuits in which case the terminals may not be con-
nected to a common omnibus bar.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
The combination with a number of fuse blocks each supporting a fuse, of in-
sulating partition plates between adjacent fuses, said plates being secured by
being clamped between the fuse blocks and with or without slots through which
the omnibus bar is passed, substantially as described.
Dated the 25th day of May 1898.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents for the Applicants.