S&c Electric Company

Christopher D Roman

Leonard V Chabala

Raymond P O'Leary

Thomas J Tobin

John Haarsma

Dean M Czuma

A contact assembly is provided for a high-voltage switch. The contact assembly includes one or more contact members that cooperate with a contact element. The arrangement of the contact members is such that an interference fit results with the contact element and one or more of the contact members are displaced. To provide operation of the contact assembly in ice-forming environments, facilities are provided to prevent the ingress of moisture and the formation of ice in the space required for displacement of the appropriate one or more contact members. Of course, if ice were allowed to occupy the space required for displacement of the one or more contact members, due to the relatively incompressible nature of ice, appropriate contact engagement would be inhibited since displacement of the one or more contact members would be unable to occur when engaged by the contact element. In a specific arrangement, the contact assembly includes a contact support structure which carries the contact members. A filler element is provided between the contact support structure and the contact members that are required to be displaceable. The filler element is deformable and/or compressible in response to the displacement of the contact member. Additionally, the filler element is impervious to the ingress of moisture or the formation of ice crystals and retains its flexiblity under ice-forming conditions.

Contact assembly for high-voltage switch

An improved insulating material is provided. The insulating material is a mixture of an insulating fluid and solid insulative bodies. The insulating material exhibits desirable insulating, conformal coating, surface adhesion, and low-viscosity characteristics. For example, when the insulating material is used to fill the cavity of a hollow insulator, the insulating material prevents any moisture that enters the insulator from adhering to the walls that define the cavity; thus maintaining the insulating qualities of the insulator. In the event that some of the fluid is lost through leakage, the insulating material also aids in preserving the insulating qualities of the insulator.

Insulating material and use thereof in insulators

An insulating support column is provided for driving interrupting units and includes an insulator having a longitudinal bore extending therethrough, a translational operating member extending through and outside of both ends of the insulator, and sealing arrangements between the operating member and the insulator to retain insulating material within the insulator and to seal the bore from the external environment. The insulating support column is disposed substantially vertically during operation to drive the interrupting unit. The operating member includes a first portion of insulative material and metallic portions that are affixed at each end of the first portion. The lower metallic end portion of the operating member includes a connector that is driven by a power train and the upper metallic end portion includes a connector that is connected to drive an interrupting unit. An end fitting is affixed to each end of the insulator. Each of the end fittings includes a central bore and a sealing arrangement within the bore. The upper sealing arrangement operates with respect to the first, insulative portion of the operating member and the lower sealing arrangement operates with respect to the lower metallic portion. The lower sealing arrangement is arranged with respect to the mounting surface such that the lower metallic end portion of the operating member does not extend into the insulator beyond the end fitting. The dielectric withstand capability of the insulating support column is not reduced by the presence of the operating member for any position of the operating member along its translational path. Accordingly, if excessive voltage should cause an electrical discharge to occur between the end fittings of the insulator, the flashover will take place external to the insulator.

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Glenview, IL, United States of America

Christopher D Roman