Siemens-allis, Inc.

David P McClellan

Frank W Kussy

Gerald R Duble

William H Hofferberth

A so-called blow-off type current limiting circuit breaker includes a stationary contact strap that is divided into three elongated closely spaced coplanar parallel arms that are connected to each other at one end of the strap. The stationary contact is mounted to the interior one of the parallel arms at the end thereof remote from the one end of the strap. A terminal portion of the strap connects exterior ones of the parallel arms to one another at the ends thereof remote from the one end of the strap. A movable contact engageable with and disengageable from the stationary contact is mounted to one end of a movable contact arm that is pivoted at its opposite end in the region of the one end of the strap, extending parallel to the arms of the strap and being aligned with the interior arm. Current in the interior arm flows in a direction opposite to the direction of current flow in the exterior arms and the movable contact arm. With the contact engaged, the interior arm and the movable contact arm are very close to one another so that upon the occurrence of severe fault current conditions, repelling electrodynamic forces of sufficient magnitude are developed between the movable contact arm and the interior arm to separate the contacts very rapidly, thereby limiting the magnitude of the fault current to a value within the rating of the circuit breaker.

Stationary contact strap to achieve a current limiting blow-off effect

A so-called blow-off type current limiting circuit breaker is constructed with a contact pressure spring that also holds the contact arm in open contact position when the contacts are blown open by electrodynamic forces. A multi-section cam means transmits contact opening and closing forces produced by a spring powered overcenter toggle type operating mechanism to the movable contact arm. A follower on the latter is biased into engagement with the cam means by the contact pressure spring. The cam means is so constructed that during contact blow-off the movable contact arm requires relatively little motion to move overcenter in the opening direction. One section of the cam means is constructed so that when the contact arm moves overcenter in the opening direction during contact blowoff, speed of the contact arm is controlled to an extent that contact rebound does not become a problem. Another section of the cam means is constructed so that with the line of action of the contact pressure spring extending lengthwise of the contact arm, a strong component of force is developed transverse to the length of the contact arm to urge the contacts into butt-type engagement.

Contact assembly including spring loaded cam follower overcenter means

A so-called blow-off type current limiting circuit breaker is provided with an elongated movable contact arm that is pivotally mounted at one end thereof on a pin that projects from opposite sides of a support. The contact arm is constructed of parallel sections that are biased toward one another, by spring means disposed remote from the support, with the support being resiliently clamped between the sections to provide a good electrical connection between the support and contact arm. The pivot pin extends through aligned enlarged pivot apertures in the parallel sections to facilitate weld breaking. A wall of each pivot aperture is disposed to cooperate with the pivot pin to achieve a camming action that moves the contact arm slightly lengthwise after initial butting engagement of the circuit breaker main contacts to wipe the engaged contacts with respect to one another.

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Westminster, MD, United States of America

David P McClellan