Utility Solutions, Inc.

General Electric Company

Michael G Nolte

Eugene H Wood

Ronny D Jergenson

Timothy G Tillery

David A Franklin

Kevin F Bulson

Gary D Davis

Charles E Rand

Robert W Scheu

John R Castonguay

A portable circuit interrupting apparatus for use on a circuit isolating device and associated methods of formation and use are provided. The portable circuit interrupting apparatus includes a main housing body and a sleeve coaxially mounted therein. The sleeve is slidable between an extended and retracted position. A shunt circuit segment is connected between ring and hook engaging terminals which engage and form an electrical connection between ring-like and hook-like conducting parts of the circuit isolating device. A shunt circuit segment interrupts the electrical connection in response to movement of the sleeve from the retracted position to the extended position. At least portions of a reset plunger extend inwardly through an opening in a medial portion of the sleeve when in the extended position. An operation counter is connected to and responds to the inward extension of the reset plunger to count a number of circuit interrupting operations.

Interrupting apparatus having operations counter and methods of forming and using same

A portable utility power line pole and associated methods of assembly and use are provided. The portable utility power line pole includes a pole body adapted to be held in the hand of a user. The portable utility power line pole also can include a tool connector adapted to mount a utility power line tool for use in association with electrical power distribution lines. An alignment indicator in the form of a visible line is positioned on an outer surface of the pole body in alignment with the tool connector to provide the user visualization of a user selected orientation of the utility power line tool when mounted on the tool connector and when the user manipulates the portable utility power line pole at a proximal end of the pole body to select the orientation of the utility power line tool.

Utility line pole having alignment indicator and associated methods

A load-breaking and load-returning apparatus and method of breaking and returning a load are provided for quickly breaking and returning a load to portions of a power line. The apparatus preferably includes at least one power line jumper cable including first and second cable ends and a first connector connected to the first cable end of the at least one power line jumper cable for connecting the at least one power line jumper cable to a portion of a power line. A load-breaking and load-returning device is preferably connected to the second cable end of the at least one power line jumper cable for quickly breaking and returning a load to portions of a power line responsive to a user thereof. The load-breaking and load-returning device preferably includes a second connector for connecting the load-breaking and load-returning device to a portion of a power line.

Portable load-breaking and load returning apparatus

A portable circuit interrupting apparatus for use in association with a circuit isolating device such as a fuse cutout, disconnecting switch, or power fuse. The apparatus comprises a tubular housing, with a sleeve coaxially and slidably mounted within the housing. A ring engaging terminal is mounted to the housing and is adapted to engage a ring-like conducting part of the isolating device, and a hook engaging terminal is mounted to the sleeve and is adapted to engage a hook-like conducting part of the isolating device. The ring engaging terminal is mounted to the housing by means of a tubular cylinder fixed to the housing, and a shuttle slidably mounted in the tubular cylinder and so as to be lockable in each of at least two axially spaced apart positions, and the ring engaging terminal is fixed to the shuttle. A shunting circuit is connected between the ring engaging and the hook engaging terminal and includes a circuit segment positioned within the housing which is automatically interrupted upon the sleeve being moved to a withdrawn position.

Circuit interrupting apparatus and method for high current power lines

A portable circuit interrupting apparatus for use in association with a circuit isolating device such as a fuse cutout, disconnecting switch, or power fuse. The apparatus has a tubular housing, with a sleeve coaxially and slidably mounted within the housing. A ring engaging terminal is mounted to the housing and engages a ring-like conducting part of the isolating device, and a hook engaging terminal is mounted to the sleeve and engages a hook-like conducting part of the isolating device. The ring engaging terminal is mounted to the housing by a tubular cylinder fixed to the housing, and a shuttle slidably mounted in the tubular cylinder and so as to be lockable in each of at least two axially spaced apart positions, and the ring engaging terminal is fixed to the shuttle. A shunting circuit is connected between the ring engaging and the hook engaging terminal and includes a circuit segment positioned within the housing which is automatically interrupted upon the sleeve being moved to a withdrawn position.

Insulator for an electrical cutout

Fuse tube assembly for an electrical cutout

A terminal bushing which has (a) an elongated central conductor made by a powder metallurgy process from metal particles sintered together at elevated temperatures after being compacted under pressure and (b) a tubular shell of polymeric insulating material molded under high within a mold pressure about the central conductor and forming a joint with the central conductor that has a high resistance to leakage along the conductor. The central conductor includes at opposite ends of the molded tubular insulating shell mold-interface regions that are formed by the powder metallurgy process and are located to interface with and to fit tightly within the mold that is used for molding the insulating shell, thereby limiting to low values the quantity of pressurized polymer ejected about the mold-interface regions during the molding.

Terminal bushing for electrical apparatus comprising a polymeric shell

An electrical cutout with a modular product design is provided with a constructional configuration for the insulator wherein the insulator is light in weight, has sufficient mechanical strength, can be readily injection molded, and wherein the creep distance is statistically maximized. The electrical cutout has an insulator, an upper and lower line terminal assembly, and a fuse assembly. The insulator has an elongated central stem portion defining a longitudinal direction, and a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart skirts mounted to the stem portion and so as to lie in respective transverse planes which are perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The elongated central stem portion of the insulator has a non-solid cross-sectional configuration.

Electrical cutout for high voltage power lines

This support is for mounting on structure of electrical apparatus a fuse or other device that comprises a cylindrical tube. The support comprises a base adapted to be secured to said structure, the base having a length and a width dimension. Two legs project laterally from the base at its longitudinally-opposite ends, each leg comprising a body portion that has a proximate end and a distal end. The base and the legs are of rigid polymeric insulating material, and the body portion of each leg is integrally joined to the base at the proximate end of the body portion. At its distal end the body portion of each leg carries a flange that projects from the body portion longitudinally with respect to the base. Each flange has a concave arcuate surface facing away from the base that is adapted to receive a portion of the above cylindrical tube. The arcuate surface includes a first curved portion for receiving a relatively large diameter tube and another curved portion for receiving a relatively small diameter tube.

Growing community of inventors

Hickory, NC, United States of America

Michael G Nolte