Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Louis N Ricci

Alfred E Maier

James O Rexroad

Albert R Cellerini

John A Wafer

David A Leone

James R Farley

John G Salvati

Charles E Haugh

Donald D Armstrong

A circuit breaker characterized by a ratchet mechanism for manual or electrical charging system and comprising a pair of separable contacts coupled with a rechargeable spring to close the contacts. The spring is indirectly connected to a drive shaft on which a ratchet wheel is fixedly mounted for rotation of the shaft in one direction. A drive wheel is rotatably mounted on the shaft for rotating the ratchet wheel and a brake wheel is mounted on the shaft for preventing rotation of the shaft in the other direction. Rotating means are provided for rotating the drive shaft.

Stored energy circuit breaker with ratchet mechanism for charging a

A plug-in type electric circuit breaker utilizing a detachably fastened stab assembly for interconnecting the circuit breaker to current carrying members such as bus bars. The stab assembly incorporates a plurality of opposed, independently movable spring-biased contact fingers having limited axial and arcuate motion allowing for good electrical and mechanical interconnection between misaligned circuit breakers and bus bars and reduction in the amount of force required for installation while preventing the engagement of the circuit breaker with oversized or undersized conductors.

Circuit breaker having improved stab assembly

A circuit breaker is provided which includes stationary and movable contacts and a mechanism for moving the movable contact. A rotatable cam is included which has a cam pin fixedly secured thereto. The cam pin extends outwardly from the cam, and is contacted by releasable latch member which prevents the breaker from closing until the latch member is released.

Stored energy circuit breaker with a cam latch

A circuit breaker characterized by a plurality of pole-units adapted for interrupting multi-phase circuits having an operating mechanism releasable to effect simultaneous opening of the multi-phase circuits, at least two latch levers biased against a latch member with each latch lever having a beveled surface to effect simultaneous release of both levers.

Beveled latch for circuit breaker cross-reference to related applications

A circuit interrupter characterized by a stationary contact and a movable contact which are operable along a predetermined path between open and closed positions to establish an arc, an arc chute for extinguishing the arc, a pair of spaced apart conductors extending from the movable contact to the arc chute which conductors provide parallel current paths for conducting an arc away from the contacts and into the arc chute.

Dual arcing contacts for circuit breaker

A circuit interrupter mechanism comprising an overcenter toggle linkage and a releasable toggle latch means for latching the linkage in a partially closed position.

Circuit breaker mechanism

A circuit breaker structure comprising a multipole circuit breaker having separable contacts for each pole, which circuit breaker is contained within an insulating housing; incoming and outgoing terminals extending from one wall of the housing which incoming terminals are aligned and reinforced against movement due to short circuits by a brace extending between and around the terminals on one side and a cap on the other side of the terminals for clampingly holding the aligned terminals in place.

Circuit breaker structure

A circuit breaker having stationary and movable contacts operable between open and closed positions with the movable contact being biased in an open position. The movable contact is mounted to a contact holder which engages a toggle system which toggle is part of an operating mechanism which effects movement of the movable contact between open and closed positions. An insulating barrier is disposed between the movable contact and the operating mechanism to electrically insulate the current carrying parts from the operating mechanism.

Circuit breaker having insulation barrier

A circuit breaker having stationary and movable contacts operable between open and closed positions with the movable contact being biased in an open position. An operating mechanism, for effecting movement of the contacts between the open and closed positions includes a toggle having first and second links and a toggle lever. Also included is a releasable toggle latch for holding the toggle in a toggle position. The toggle latch includes a rod having a flat surface which is adjacent to and contacts, the toggle lever. The rod is rotatable between first and second positions with the rod flat surface, when in the first position, preventing movement of the toggle lever and when in the second position permits movement of the toggle lever such that the toggle can be released from toggle position. A latch catch is fixedly secured to, and rotatable with, the rod, with movement of a latch catch causing movement of the rod. The latch catch is biased in the rod second position where the toggle lever can be released, and a releasable lever system holds for the latch catch in the rod first position.

Circuit breaker with high speed trip latch

A circuit breaker having stationary and movable contacts operable between open and closed positions with the movable contact being biased in an open position. The movable contact is mounted to a contact and spring holder which engages one link in a toggle means. The first link is connected to a second link which has a drive pin secured thereto, and the second link is pivotally connected to a toggle lever. A cam is secured to a rotatable drive shaft, and the cam engages a cam roller which is secured to a follower plate. The follower plate, which rotates about an axis different from the drive shaft axis, has a drive pawl attached thereto, with the drive pawl being disposed adjacent the drive pin. Spring means are pivotally connected to the follower plate and are capable of being in spring charged and discharged positions. The spring is charged by rotation of the drive shaft and cam causing the cam roller to move outwardly. The outward movement of the cam roller causes rotation of the follower plate, resulting in charging of the spring means. The degree of rotation of the cam during the charging rotation is more than twice the degree of rotation of the follower plate, thereby gaining a mechanical advantage. When the spring means discharges, it causes rotation of the follower plate such that the drive pawl is capable of engaging the drive pin to move the toggle means into toggle position. Upon moving into toggle position, the toggle means moves the contact holder and movable contact into closed position. Also included are releasable toggle and drive latch means for holding the toggle means in toggle position and the follower plate in the spring charged position, respectively.

Stored energy circuit breaker

A circuit interrupter with improved current withstand capability characterized by stationary and movable contact means, the stationary contact means comprising first and second conductors being substantially parallel and having an air gap therebetween, the first conductor being pivotally mounted on the second conductor and being in the zone of pivotal movement of the first conductor so that when a fault current of predetermined conditions occurs a magnetic flux between the first and second conductors urges the first conductor toward the movable contact means.

Circuit breaker contact structure

A circuit breaker including stationary contact means and a plurality of movable contacts operable between open and closed positions with respect to the stationary contact means. A plurality of contact springs engages the movable contacts, and the contact springs increase the engagement pressure between the stationary contact means and movable contacts when the movable contacts are in the closed position. A contact carrier engages the movable contacts, and holds them such that the movable contacts operate together between the open and closed positions. A crossbar and spring holder is secured to the contact carrier and has a plurality of openings therein for holding the contact springs and an aperture therethrough through which is disposed a cross arm. The cross arm extends outwardly from the crossbar and spring holder, and moves upon movement of the crossbar and spring holder, the contact carrier and the movable contacts. Also included are means engaging the cross arm for effecting relative movement of the cross arm to move the movable contacts between the open and closed positions.

Circuit breaker having improved movable crossbar and spring holder

A circuit breaker having a stationary contact and a movable contact operable between open and closed positions with respect to the stationary contact. The circuit breaker includes means for moving the movable contact between the open and closed positions. These movement effecting means include an opening spring capable of being in two positions; a first position whenever the movable contact is in the open position, and a second position whenever the movable contact is in the closed position. An indicator rod is coupled to the opening spring and indicates the position of the opening spring.

Circuit breaker having opening spring position indicator

An improved switch construction is provided having an overcenter-toggle mechanism for effecting the actuation of the one or more movable contacts of the switch. A pivotally-mounted operating lever carries one end of a toggle-tension spring, the other end of which is pivotally connected to the knee-joint pivot of a pair of pivotally-connected toggle links. The line of action of the force of the toggle-tension spring is such as to effect a straightening, or a collapsing of the pivotally-connected toggle-links, to thereby effect, respectively, a closure of the switch contacts, or an opening operation thereof. Preferably, a releasable rotatable support, or trigger is provided for the pivotal connection of one of the toggle links, so that a remote tripping operation is possible by an unlatching of the releasable support, which normally provides a stationary pivot for the toggle linkage of the mechanism. The construction is such that should welding occur at the contacts, the rotatable operating arm will indicate a correct position of the contacts, regardless of the effort manually made to provide a different indication of the handle.

Switch construction and operating mechanism therefor

Each section of a three-phase metal enclosed switchgear unit is provided with main through horizontal bus and vertical section bus. The front of each switchgear section is divided into vertically disposed enclosures for housing circuit breakers or circuit interrupting devices. The circuit breakers are mounted close to the vertical section bus with the front of the circuit breaker and the circuit breaker operating handle recessed from the front of the switchgear section. Pan or well-shaped front covers, having a bottom surface flushed with the circuit breaker fit over the front of the vertically disposed enclosures and are mounted to the front of the switchgear section. Different depth wells or pans are used for the front cover, with the depth being determined by the circuit breaker physical size, which is dependent on the breaker rating. The surface of the well flush with the circuit breaker device has a cutout through which the circuit breaker operating handle projects. The front cover wells provide a dead front construction with easy access to the circuit breaker operating handles. A portion of the cover well approximately flushed with the front of the circuit breaker can have additional cutouts for showing breaker rating and providing easy access to external magnetic breaker adjustments.

Growing community of inventors

Chippewa Township, Beaver County, PA, United States of America

Louis N Ricci