General Electric Company

Joseph C Sofianek

Donald R Kurtz

Donald W Crouch

Richard J Bonnett

Ugo R Tognella

Joseph A Rich

Joseph L Talento

Carl C Popadick

A vacuum interrupter whose envelope comprises a cylindrical insulated casing and top and bottom metal end bells that support movable and fixed contact rods. The cylindrical wall portion of the end shields are secured to the cylindrical wall portion of the end bells and are positioned by snap arrangement of mating deformations, preferably protruberations and mating voids.

Method of assembling a shield assembly of a vacuum interrupter

Shield assembly of a vacuum interrupter

A vacuum interrupter comprises an end plate having a central opening through which a movable contact rod extends. A tubular metallic bellows surrounds the contact rod and includes a plurality of annular convolutions at its inner diameter. Guide structure fixed to the end plate lines its central opening and is located outside said convolutions. A sleeve of self-lubricating plastic material surrounds the contact rod and is fixed thereto. This sleeve is disposed within the guide structure and within the tubular bellows and fits closely within said convolutions so that the convolutions are capable of bearing against the sleeve to assist in guiding the rod.

Guide means for the movable contact rod of a vacuum interrupter

A vacuum interrupter having a current interrupting rating exceeding 20,000 amperes r.m.s. comprises an evacuated envelope and first and second disc-shaped contacts within the envelope. The envelope comprises a metal housing having a generally cylindrical portion surrounding said contacts and electrically connected to said first contact. The space between said cylindrical portion and said second contact is so small that during the interruption of currents above 20,000 amperes r.m.s., 25% or more of the arcing current frequently will flow between said housing and said second contact and bypass said first contact. Arc-revolving means associated with the second contact causes any arc between the outer periphery of the second contact and the cylindrical housing portion to revolve about the second contact. An electric bus located near the envelope is normally electrically connected to said first contact to carry current that flows between the contacts. Means located outside the evacuated envelope provides an electrical connection between the bus and the metal housing that is capable during interruption of carrying without damage the full rated interrupting current of the interrupter. The first contact is a movable contact mounted on a contact rod that is sealed to the housing by a flexible metal bellows located within the housing.

Compact high-current vacuum circuit interrupter comprising a metal

A vacuum-type circuit interrupter comprises two pluralities of rod electrodes positioned to form a ring of electrodes in which the electrodes of the first plurality interleave with those of the second plurality and are spaced circumferentially of the ring from the immediately adjacent electrodes of the second plurality. The rod electrodes of said first plurality are mounted on and electrically connected to a first conductive end cap of the interrupter. The rod electrodes of the second plurality are mounted on and electrically connected to a second conductive end cap of the interrupter. First conductive support structure extends transversely of the rod electrodes and is attached to the distal ends of predetermined rod electrodes of said second plurality. A first generally stationary contact is supported on said first support structure in a position intermediate the locations at which the first support structure is attached to said predetermined rod electrodes of said second plurality. Second conductive support structure extends transversely of the rod electrodes and is attached to the distal ends of predetermined rod electrodes of said first plurality. A second generally stationary contact is supported on said second support structure in a position intermediate the locations at which the second support structure is attached to said predetermined rod electrodes of said second plurality. First and second movable contacts are provided for respectively engaging the first and second generally stationary contacts. A first movable contact rod on which the first contact is mounted extends in sealed relationship through said first metal end cap. A second movable contact rod on which said second contact is mounted extends in sealed relationship through said second metal end cap. The two pairs of engageable contacts are electrically connected in parallel with each other while the interrupter is closed.

Vacuum-type circuit interrupter with two sets of contacts electrically

A vacuum-type circuit interrupter rated to interrupt currents of 30,000 amperes r.m.s. and highercomprises a pair of separable contacts having arcing portions between which arcs are formed upon disengagement of said contacts. These arcing portions are of a material consisting essentially of beryllium formed from a vacuum-cast ingot that has been subjected to hot working by extrusion to produce a microstructure characterized by grains much smaller on the average than the grains of the as-cast ingot.

High current vacuum circuit interrupter with beryllium contact

A vacuum-type circuit interrupter comprises two pluralities of rod electrodes positioned to form a ring of electrodes in which the electrodes of the first plurality interleave with those of the second plurality and are spaced circumferentially of the ring from the immediately adjacent electrodes of the second plurality. A first conductive tube mounts the electrodes of the first plurality on a first conductive end cap of the interrupter, and a second conductive tube mounts the electrodes of the second plurality on a second conductive end cap of the interrupter. First and second stationary contacts are respectively mounted on the distal ends of a rod electrode in said second plurality and a rod electrode in said first plurality. A first movable contact rod extends through said first end cap and through said first tube and carries a movable contact for engaging said first stationary contact. A second movable contact rod extends through said second end cap and through said second tube and carries a movable contact for engaging said second stationary contact. The two pairs of engageable contacts are electrically connected in parallel with each other when the interrupter is closed.

This vacuum-type circuit interrupter comprises a plurality of pairs of separable contacts located within an evacuated envelope and electrically connected in parallel. The movable contact of each pair is mounted on a long, slender contact rod through which current is conducted to and from the associated contact pair. The contact rods, which are also electrically in parallel, are located in side-by-side physical relationship, and each is surrounded by a tube of highly conductive metal such as copper. The tubes are fixed to the interrupter envelope and are located in adjacent side-by-side relationship, thus defining flux-controlling shields around the contact rods in which eddy currents are induced to reduce the magnetic flux penetrating into the interior of each tube from any adjacent contact rod. Means is provided for producing substantially simultaneous contact-separating motion of the contact rods.

Growing community of inventors

Broomall, PA, United States of America

Joseph C Sofianek