General Electric Company

Dennis J Doughty

Raymond K Seymour

Dave S Christensen

Randy Greenberg

Roger N Castonguay

Michael C Guerrette

David J Lesslie

Ronald D Ciarcia

Dean A Robarge

Randall Lee Greenberg

Marshall B Hart

Joseph M Palmieri

Richard E Bernier

Andrew Matthew Candelora

William H Calder

Gregory T DiVincenzo

William J Ashline

Julian Monzon

James L Rosen

Thomas F Papallo

Wade A Montague

Mark Fredrick Culler

David A Reid

Michael C Von Kannewurff

Stephen F Gillette

J Peter McCuin

Thomas M Palmer

Michael H Thomas

Harold F Larkin

Stefan Kranz

Gary D Magnon

Geoffrey H McKay

Hassan Girish

Victor G Fraulo

Robert W Lauben

Gregory T Di Vincenzo

Ranganna C Dasari

Raymound K Seymour

Randy Greenburg

Aymon A Maulandi

A mechanism for operating a plurality of circuit interruption mechanisms of a circuit breaker, the mechanism applies a uniform force to the circuit interruption mechanisms. The mechanism applies a force to an elongated member for manipulating the circuit interruption mechanisms. The mechanism applies a force to the elongated member at a first position and a second position, the first position and the second position being intermediate to a center of the elongated member and the plurality of circuit interruption mechanisms.

Circuit breaker mechanism

A mechanism for operating a plurality of circuit interruption mechanisms of a circuit breaker, the mechanism applies a uniform force to the circuit interruption mechanisms. The mechanism applying a force to an elongated member for manipulating the circuit interruption mechanisms. The mechanism applying the force to the elongated member at a first position and a second position, the first position and the second position being intermediate to a center of the elongated member and the plurality of circuit interruption mechanisms.

A cassette assembly for rotary contact circuit breakers utilizing a first electrically insulative cassette half piece and a second electrically insulative cassette half piece which are arranged to mate with each other to form an enclosure. The electrically insulative cassette half pieces include improper installation rejection features for both the rotor and arc chute assemblies. The inner surface of a electrically insulative cassette half piece including a groove and recesses formed therein. A rotor is properly positioned within the electrically insulative cassette half piece by inserting a pin on the face of the rotor into the groove. An arc chute assembly is properly positioned within the electrically insulative cassette half piece by inserting a tab located on a side member of the arc chute assembly into a corresponding recess located in the electrically insulative cassette half piece.

Cassette assembly with rejection features

An arc runner is fixedly retained on a load (or line) strap without hardware and without employing a mechanical operation. Either the arc runner or the strap has features, such as legs or holes, which engage notches or pins on either the strap or the arc runner and cause the arc runner to be retained on the strap.

Arc runner retaining feature

A vent screen for a use in a circuit breaker cassette having structural characteristics that allows it to be assembled correctly within the circuit breaker cassette and where the vent screen allows for the flow of arc gases from the arc chambers.

Vent screen with rejection features

A rotor spring insulator assembly comprises a base member having a D-shaped opening therein and a connecting rod of a D-shaped cross section dimensioned to be received in the D-shaped opening of the base member. The flat edge of the D-shaped connecting rod faces a spring of a rotor thereby maximizing the distance and the amount of insulative material between the connecting rod and the spring to minimize the chance that arcing will occur between the connecting rod and the spring.

Circuit breaker rotor assembly having arc prevention structure

Molded case circuit breaker

An improved exhaust baffle for a circuit protective device such as a circuit breaker utilizes material having elastomeric characteristics to provide for variable apertures where the cross-sectional opening of the apertures is dependent on the pressure gradient across the exhaust baffle, thereby effectively controlling arc pressure and arc effluent during short circuit interruption. Fabrication of the exhaust baffle with geometric symmetry about one or more axes or planes also facilitates assembly during product construction.

Circuit breaker arc exhaust baffle with variable aperture

An electrically conducting strap for use in a rotary circuit breaker cassette provides dual connectors to accommodate either an electronic or mechanical trip unit within the circuit breaker and electrical distribution system. The continuous, integral strap includes a first section including a fixed contact mounted thereon, a U-shaped second section, a third section having two apertures for connection to associated electrical equipment, and a fourth section having two apertures for connection to a line of a distribution system providing electrical power to a load. Thus, the circuit breaker has the advantage of reduced cost and increased ease of manufacturability since a common cassette is used.

Dual connector strap for a rotary contact circuit breaker

A rotary contact circuit breaker having a venting arrangement to vent gasses operated by a short circuit interruption to a location substantially above the load strap of the breaker whereby electrical components are not damaged by the gasses and ionized gasses from different phases are conveyed in discrete channels for a period exceeding the period during which ionization is present.

Rotary contact circuit breaker venting arrangement including current

A saddle assembly (10) for a circuit breaker comprising a saddle base (22), at least one stab terminal (14) and two resilient tabs (50, 52) in facing alignment for releasably securing the at least one stab terminal (14) to the saddle base (22), wherein the engagement of the two resilient tabs (50, 52) with the stab terminal (14) releasably secures the at least one stab terminal (14) to the saddle base (22).

Saddle assembly for a circuit breaker

The circuit breaker interlock arrangement of the invention utilizes a pair of detector assemblies, one mounted on the rear surface of each one of a pair of first and second adjoining circuit breakers and interconnected by means of an elongated rod. The operating mechanism tripping plunger rod in the first circuit breaker trips the associated first circuit breaker operating mechanism to open the first circuit breaker contacts when an attempt is made to close the first circuit breaker contacts when the second circuit breaker contacts in the second circuit breaker are already closed, and vice versa.

Interlock arrangement for stationary mounted circuit breakers

Circuit breaker arc exhaust apertures in the line end of the circuit breaker case transfer arc gases from the circuit breaker interior during overcurrent circuit interruption. A flexible shield protects the circuit breaker terminal lug from arc gas contamination.

Circuit breaker having variable arc gas venting

Growing community of inventors

Plainville, CT, United States of America

Dennis J Doughty