General Electric Company

General Electric Corporation Gmbh

Henry J Tucholski

Roger J Morgan

Robert Allan Morris

Thomas Frederick Papallo, Jr

Irenaeus S Panus

Ronald G Pekrul

Hamon L Craft

Roger N Castonguay

David Arnold

Frederic W Glabau

Thomas T Reyes

A molded case circuit breaker controlled by an electronic trip unit is cost-competitive with electromagnetic circuit interruption devices. A novel contact arm assembly and shield arrangement in combination with a contact arm spacer and operating cradle interface reduces the assembly time and the number of operating components to effect significant cost savings.

Cost-efficient industrial-rated molded case breaker

A compact molded case circuit breaker with increased ampere rating employs a latch assembly for maintaining the circuit breaker operating mechanism in a closed condition against a pair of powerful operating springs. To increase the mechanical advantage required to move the operating handle against the springs, a retractable handle extender is attached to the handle. For higher-rated circuit applications, a lug cover extension is added to the line end of the breaker to assist in extinguishing the intense arc that occurs during circuit interruption and to protect the line lugs from inter-phasal circuit faults. A visual access slot is arranged next to the circuit breaker handle to ascertain and verify the condition of the circuit breaker contacts. The line and load terminal straps are slotted to receive protrusions on the bottom of the line and load terminal lugs and provide anti-turn facility to the line and load terminal lugs under short circuit overcurrent conditions.

Compact molded case circuit breaker having anti-turn terminal connectors

A compact molded case circuit breaker with increased ampere rating employs a latch assembly for maintaining the circuit breaker operating mechanism in a closed condition against a pair of powerful operating springs. To increase the mechanical advantage required to move the operating handle against the springs, a retractable handle extender is attached to the handle. For higher-rated circuit applications, a lug cover extension is added to the line end of the breaker to assist in extinguishing the intense arc that occurs during circuit interruption and to protect the line lugs from inter-phasal circuit faults. A visual access slot is arranged next to the circuit breaker handle to ascertain and verify the condition of the circuit breaker contacts. A rebound cushion is inserted on the interior surface of the circuit breaker cover to deter the return of the movable contact arm during contact separation under extreme overcurrent conditions.

Compact molded case circuit breaker with movable contact arm rebound

A compact molded case circuit breaker with increased ampere rating employs a latch assembly for maintaining the circuit breaker operating mechanism in a closed condition against a pair of powerful operating springs. To increase the mechanical advantage required to move the operating handle against the springs, a retractable handle extender is attached to the handle. For higher-rated circuit applications, a lug cover extension is added to the line end of the breaker to assist in extinguishing the intense arc that occurs during circuit interruption and to protect the line lugs from inter-phasal circuit faults. A visual access slot is arranged next to the circuit breaker handle to ascertain and verify the condition of the circuit breaker contacts.

Compact molded case circuit breaker with increased ampere rating

Compact molded case circuit breaker having external contact condition

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Terryville, CT, United States of America

Henry J Tucholski