Square D Company

Douglas Paul Van Waart

Randall L Siebels

James V Fixemer

Teresa I Hood

Dale W Bennett

Joel L Miller

Charles E Netolicky

Donald Charles Francis, Jr

Tamara L Schultz

The present invention provides an electrical switch locking assembly for inhibiting movement of a switch handle. The switch handle is enclosed in a casing or housing and moves operatively along a path between first and second positions to open or close electrical contacts for opening or closing a circuit. First and second recesses are molded into the casing to receive a locking device across the path of the switch handle. The locking device has first and second legs pivotally connected like scissors. The first leg has an integral first foot projecting away from the second leg, and the second leg has an integral second foot projecting away from the first leg, like scissor-blade tips having opposing projections. The first and second legs each have an opening opposite the first and second foot, respectively, somewhat like scissor handles. The first foot is inserted into the first recess and the second foot is inserted into the second recess. A locking shaft, such as a padlock or screw, is secured in the opening to hold the feet in engagement with the recesses. The locking device is thus engaged across the path of movement of the switch handle so that the switch handle can be locked in a desired position. In this manner a circuit can be maintained in either a de-energized or energized state until a change is authorized.

Circuit breaker with handle locking device

An arc stack for receiving a circuit breaker blade moveable between a closed position and an open position, includes a plurality of arc plates positioned substantially parallel to one another and arranged in a plurality of adjacent groups. Each of the groups includes one or more arc plates having substantially similar respective arc throats formed therein. The respective arc throats progressively decrease in size from group to group along the length of the arc stack in a direction extending away from the closed position of the blade. A connecting support maintains the plurality of arc plates substantially parallel to one another.

Arc stack for a circuit breaker

An arc stack for receiving a circuit breaker blade moveable between a closed position and an open position, includes a plurality of generally rectangular are plates having substantially similar length and width dimensions and positioned substantially parallel to one another. The straight edges of the arc plates are in line with one another so that the are stack is generally rectangular in shape. The arc plates have respective arc throats formed therein having a plurality of sizes so as to form a longitudinal passageway extending through the arc throats following the arc generated by the blade moving between the closed and open positions. The arc plates include sets of arc plates with the arc plates in each set having identical arc throats. The sets of arc plates are arranged in order of decreasing arc throat size with the set having the largest arc throats being positioned adjacent the circuit breaker blade in the closed position. The arc stack is formed in two sections with each section including a selected number of arc plates. The arc plates in each section are interconnected by a pair of side fibers engaging associated edges of the arc plates. The two sections are connected to form the arc stack by engaging the inner edges of the pair of side fibers of one section with mating inner edges of the pair of side fibers of the other section.

Growing community of inventors

Anamosa, IA, United States of America

Douglas Paul Van Waart