Patent ID: 7695324

Claim:
Connector apparatus for connecting together the contacts of a plurality of stacked terminal blocks, comprising: (a) a stack of parallel terminal blocks ( 2 a - 2 d )each including: (1) a terminal block body ( 41 ) formed of electrically insulating synthetic plastic material; (2) a plurality of electrical contacts ( 3 a , 3 b - 6 a , 6 b ) arranged in chambers contained in said body and adapted for connection with conductors (C 1 -C 8 ) introduced into said body via access openings contained in said body, respectively; and (3) a plurality of bus bar means ( 3 c - 6 c ) connecting together various ones of said electrical contacts, respectively, each of said bus bar means including a plurality of parallel horizontal vertically-spaced bus bars ( 3 c - 6 c ) connected with said electrical contacts, respectively; (b) first conductor means ( 18 ) connecting together selected bus bars of a given terminal block; (c) second conductor means ( 17 ) connecting together selected bus bars of different terminal blocks of said terminal block stack; (d) a horizontal mounting rail ( 7 ), said terminal blocks being vertically oriented and orthogonally arranged above said mounting rail, and (e) foot means ( 8 ) connecting said terminal blocks with said mounting rail; (f) said first conductor means including: (1) a plurality of vertical bus bar branch lines ( 23 - 26 ) having first ends connected with intermediate portions of said bus bars, respectively, said bus bar branch lines having second ends at the upper portion of the associated terminal block remote from said support rail; (2) a plurality of intermediate branch lines ( 19 ) connected with the upper ends of said vertical branch lines, respectively, said intermediate branch lines each including first ( 9 , 11 , 13 , 15 ) and second ( 10 , 12 , 14 , 16 ) horizontal contact portions; and (3) a horizontal longitudinal conductive bridge member ( 18 ) arranged above and parallel with one of said terminal blocks, said longitudinal bridge member having horizontal body portion ( 18 a ), and a plurality of downwardly extending first finger portions ( 18 b ) electrically connected with said first contact portions of the intermediate connector branch lines of the associated terminal block, respectively.