Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Eaton Corporation

Paul T Bottegal

James Jeffery Benke

Steven Zhenghong Chen

Stanislaw A Milianowicz

Nagar J Patel

Alan Kent Edmunds

Henry J Remic

Daniel E Palmieri

A grounding switch device for a metal-clad switchgear is adapted to be inserted into a standard circuit breaker cell allows the bus and line conductors within the switchgear assembly to be grounded for maintenance. A plurality of fixed and selectable test ports are provided to facilitate various electrical tests. The ground switch device is disposed on a frame and contains a ground contact assembly for providing sliding contact between the ground switch device and the ground bus within the circuit breaker cell. The ground contact assembly is in electrical contact with a movable contact. The movable contact is adapted to engage a stationary contact mounted on a mounting plate, attached to the frame by way of an insulator. A selector switch assembly connects the stationary contact to either the upper bus terminals or line terminals in the metal-clad switchgear assembly. The contact portion of the movable contact is U-shaped having two spaced-apart blades. Each blade is adapted to be received in a jaw portion of the stationary contact assembly. The jaw portions of the stationary contact assembly are formed by a pair of U-shaped current loops having inwardly facing protrusions disposed intermediate the bight portion. These protuberances force the contact arm into the jaw when the switch is closed on a live circuit. A combination spring and damper is disposed adjacent the protrusion to provide contact pressure when the ground switch contacts are closed and also to prevent contact bounce which can cause arcing and welding of the assembly.

Contact structure for grounding switch

Growing community of inventors

Lower Burrell, PA, United States of America

Paul T Bottegal