General Electric Company

Andre J M'Sadoques

Robert J Sabatella

John A Morby

Dean A Robarge

Robert G Markowski

Roger N Castonguay

James L Rosen

Joseph G Nagy

Erich J Pannenborg

Robert Casagrande

William H Calder

Gary Paul Michaelis

Joseph F Rich

Christine T Lamberti

Edgar Yee

Yatin Vilas Newase

David A Reid

Dennis C Zuffelato

Steven English Richard

Gary Douville

David Edward Thorn

Lloyd Eugene Wentler

Jeffrey Lynn Cox

George L Shuttleworth

Adil Ibrahim

A multi-pole mounting base for interfacing a circuit breaker and/or circuit interrupter with an electrical panel is disclosed. The electrical panel has an interior configured to receive remote operated circuit breakers (ROCBs) in signal communication with a communication board internal to the electrical panel, non-ROCBs, and ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCls). The mounting base includes a unitary support platform assemblable to the interior of the electrical panel and having first mounting regions with common structure configured to receive any one of the ROCBs, the non-ROCBs, and the GFCls. The support platform also has second mounting regions configured to receive the communication board. The support platform is configured to assemble adjacent to another support platform in the electrical panel.

Apparatus for interfacing remote operated and non-remote operated circuit breakers with an electrical panel

A circuit breaker programmer enclosure in the form of a plastic housing having an external access door houses the electronic trip unit and accessories that control the circuit breaker operation. The door assumes two positions when arranged on the housing for both excluding and allowing access to the circuit breaker rating plug and trip unit adjustment knobs. In one position, access is made to both the rating plug and trip unit adjustment knobs while in another position access to the rating plug and trip unit is denied.

Circuit breaker compartment door

A circuit breaker fitted with an exhaust arc gas manifold arranged over ventilation slots of the circuit breaker and disposed at a line end thereof to redirect the arc exhaust gases exiting the ventilation slots. The exhaust arc gas manifold is fixedly attached to the circuit breaker and includes: an electrically-insulated body having an upper wall and a lower wall joined by a back wall extending generally perpendicular to the upper and lower walls; a pair of electrically-insulated walls extending generally perpendicular from the back wall between the upper and lower walls defining a first section, a second section, and a third section; the first section is closed at a bottom, back and both sides thereof; the second section is closed at a top, bottom and both sides thereof; the third section closed at a bottom, back and both sides thereof; and the upper wall configured to attach the electrically-insulated body to one end of the circuit breaker, wherein exhaust arc gas is emitted from a top of the first and third sections and from a back of said second section.

Exhaust arc gas manifold

A water-resistant busway with a water drainage duct of the present invention (,) comprises a joint assembly (,) arranged between the ends of first and second busway housings (,). Joint assembly (,) includes a water-resistant cover (,) releasably attached to first and second housings (,) by cover fastening devices (,). Water-resistant cover (,) includes an access hole (,) disposed therein, with access hole (,) receiving a complementary access hole plug (,). Housing spacers (,) each include a water drainage duct (,) disposed therein to drain water from above the water barrier (,) and web (,) of upper piece (,) of housing (,) to below the water barrier and web (,) of the lower piece (,) of housing (,).

Water-resistant busway with water drainage duct

Electrical power distribution busway joints include opposing plates of conductive and non-conductive materials for connecting between adjoining busway sections. The non-conductive plates comprise glass-filled epoxy laminate sheets having high thermal conductivity, high electrical resistance and good mechanical strength in the presence of excess moisture.

Water resistant outdoor busway system

Multi-pole circuit breakers are joined together to form a common assembly. The individual poles are in the form of compact circuit breakers having a pair of separable contacts controlled by a single externally-accessible operating handle. The individual circuit breakers are riveted together and are keyed such that the contacts open and close in unison. The individual handles are interlocked together by means of a unitary plastic handle tie.

Circuit breaker handle interlock

An air circuit breaker ratcheting mechanism includes a ratchet and pawl whereby the closing springs charging gear is prevented from reverse rotation during the closing springs charging operation. Upon completion of the charging operation, the ratchet and pawl become disengaged from the charging gear to allow the closing springs to respond to a manual closing button depression. A holding prop within the ratcheting mechanism interacts with a roller bearing on the charging shaft to prevent reverse rotation of the charging shaft under the bias provided by the charged closing springs.

Closing springs release mechanism for industrial-rated circuit breaker

A circuit breaker ON/OFF contact position indicator employs a bell crank assembly interconnecting between the target indicator at the front of the circuit breaker enclosure and the circuit breaker contact closing shaft at the rear thereof to provide accurate real time indication of the ON/OFF condition of the circuit breaker contacts.

Contact position indicator for an industrial-rated circuit breaker

A circuit breaker interlock mechanism interacts between the circuit breaker operating handle and circuit breaker closing button to prevent the closing button from operating to close the circuit breaker contacts when the circuit breaker is padlocked in the OFF condition. A slide plate mounted on the interior of the circuit breaker cover engages a blocking plate attached to the circuit breaker closing rod. The interlock serves further to prevent the circuit breaker from being padlocked on the ON condition in the event the contacts become welded together in the closed position.

Push-button interlock mechanism for an industrial-rated circuit breaker

An air circuit breaker ratcheting mechanism includes a ratchet and pawl whereby the closing springs charging gear is prevented from reverse rotation during the closing springs charging operation. Upon completion of the charging operation, the ratchet and pawl become disengaged from the charging gear to allow the closing springs to respond to a manual closing, command. An operating handle pivot assembly allows a molded plastic handle operator to be employed and the ratcheting mechanism is arranged for modular assembly during the circuit breaker manufacturing process as well as motor to manual charge conversion one site.

Ratcheting mechanism for industrial-rated circuit breaker

A residential circuit breaker electromagnetic trip unit facilitates the assembly of the trip unit components by use of a pair of braid connectors for connection between the trip unit magnet and the circuit breaker contact arm. The trip unit bimetal is directly welded to the trip unit magnet and the braid connectors for reduction in material and labor costs. The contact arm and the magnet are shaped to present a parallel path connection between the contact arm and the magnet for close fit tolerance. The front surface of the magnet is configured to prevent magnetic adhesion between the magnet and the trip unit armature under intense short circuit overcurrent conditions.

Residential circuit breaker having an enhanced thermal-magnetic trip unit

Industrial rated circuit breaker

A modular plastic trip bar assembly joins separate single pole molded case circuit breakers into a single multipole circuit breaker. The addition of the trip cam to the trip bar assembly allows four and five pole combinations to operate in unison.

Modular trip bar assembly for multipole circuit breaker

A combination panelboard-switchboard housing accepts plug-on connection with a plurality of modular electric switch-circuit breaker enclosures. The modular enclosure accepts circuit breakers or electric switches which can be field-installed with minor alteration to the enclosure. The modular switch enclosure further accepts a wide range of ampere ratings within a standard enclosure size. A mechanical latch arrangement on the bottom of the modular enclosure prevents the modular enclosure from being removed from the panelboard-switchboard housing. Controlled temperatures are achieved within the housing by optimized circulating air flow.

Electric power distribution panelboard-switchboard assembly

A combination panelboard-switchboard housing accepts plug-on connection with a plurality of modular electric switch-circuit breaker enclosures. The modular enclosure accepts circuit breakers or electric switches which can be field-installed with minor alteration to the enclosure. The modular switch enclosure further accepts a wide range of ampere ratings within a standard enclosure size. A mechanical latch arrangement on the bottom of the modular enclosure prevents the modular enclosure from being removed from the panel-board-switchboard housing. Controlled temperatures are achieved within the housing by optimized circulating air flow.

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Southington, CT, United States of America

Andre J M'Sadoques