A. B. Chance Company

Allen Houpt Knepper

Lloyd Ronald Beard

A lightweight, compact, conductor-mounted open link fault interrupter having mounting means permitting suspension thereof directly from an overhead power line without the need of cumbersome pole-mounting structure. Pinwheeling and flashover problems heretofore encountered during operation of conductor-mounted, closed link interrupters are precluded by virtue of the open link, fusible element employed since through use thereof no net rotational forces are imparted to the interrupter during its operation. The interrupter hereof provides especially advantageous protection when electrically connected in series with a unique high range current limiting fuse capable of safely interrupting high magnitude fault current to insignificant values substantially ahead of the first natural zero point. The resultant combination device is operable to limit the electrical energy dissipated in the conductor carrying the fault current to a desired level in a manner functionally independent of fault current magnitude, and thus provides an appropriate, relatively narrow I.sup.2 t band response over the entire fault range to effectively protect an electrical distribution circuit without impairing desirable coordination of the overall system.

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Centralia, MO, United States of America

Allen Houpt Knepper