G & W Electric Company

Other

John S Schaffer

Naresh J Malaviya

Janak R Patel

Richard F Holzhausser

A puffer switch has a cylindrical shell filled with an electrically insulating gas, such as sulphur hexafluoride. A plurality of spaced parallel plates cooperating with the shell for defining a separate compression chamber or volume for each phase of an electrical power circuit that is to be switched. Located in each volume is at least one set of contacts which are subject to arcing as the contacts open or close. A movable contact in each of the sets of contacts has an associated impeller blade which is mounted to rotate with the movable contact and to sweep through the volume for compressing insulating gas in front of the impeller blade. A nozzle associated with the impeller blade directs the compressed insulating gas onto the set of contacts at a point where the arc is possible. The switch is assembled in a low cost manner by supporting spaced parallel plates defining the volumes between them as a slip-in unit which fits into a shell. A thermosetting plastic is used for parts which become hot. A lower cost thermoplastic is used for most parts which do not become as hot.

Method of assembling rotary puffer switch

A switch actuator includes an operator plate which provides a structure for mounting the actuator and for supporting the remaining parts. An operator shaft receives torque from an operating handle and via mechanical coupling, transmits torque to a torque plate subassembly. The torque plate compresses a torsion spring which provides temporary energy storage for the switch actuator. The torsion spring acts on a reaction plate subassembly which mechanically couples the torque generated by the spring to a rotor tube to operate the switch contacts. A spring guide subassembly maintains the spring in a predefined region to prevent the spring from deforming into a non-energy storing position during operation. The operator shaft, torque plate, reaction plate, spring guide, and spring are nested substantially concentrically about a predefined mounting axis. Left and right cam followers and a pivot lever combine to form a latch mechanism to prevent the switch actuator from changing position except when operated by a user.

Switch operating mechanism

Rotary puffer switch

An electric power distribution switch including an auxiliary biasing mechanism to assist the operator in closing the switch to overcome the resultant repulsive forces which oppose the closing forces provided by the operator.

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Tinley Park, IL, United States of America

John S Schaffer