Allen-bradley Company, LLC

Other

Robert E Borchardt

Albert A Zaffrann, Jr

Grant W Nelson

Eberhardt H Schreiber

Frank A Grabarczyk

The present invention is an electric switch for switching individual phases of multi-phase AC electric power. The switch has at least one pair of fixed terminals with each terminal of the pair having an ear extending upward in a vertical plane. The switch also has a conducting device with contacts that extend downward in the vertical plane corresponding to the fixed terminals. Moving contacts are mounted to an axially translatable contact carrier and engage contemporaneously in the vertical plane with the contacts from the conducting device and the fixed terminals when the contact carrier slides into an 'on' position. Electrical power is then able to flow from the line-side fixed terminal, through the conducting device, to the load-side terminal. The contact carrier is translated axially by the drive mechanism. The drive mechanism employs over-center shifting and lost-motion switching technology to prevent the switch from being in a partially 'on' position. An auxiliary switch can be mounted to the switch and switched 'on' and 'off' contemporaneously with the electric switch.

Electric switch

An electric switch operating mechanism has a base fastened over an aperture in the cabinet enclosing the switch. A driving member extends into a cup-like member and the ends of both members extend through the base and the cabinet aperture. The ends of the driving member and retainer cup have apertures therein which receive an end of the control shaft for the switch. The cup-like member is rotatable with respect to the driving member to captivate a retaining pin on the end of the control shaft. A handle with a locking plate is connected to the driving member and abuts the base. The handle can be rotated to rotate the control shaft. The locking plate can engage the base and the retainer cup to lock the operating mechanism in different positions. The mechanism in addition to operating the switch also provides an interlock function preventing the cabinet from being opened.

Operating handle for an enclosed electric switch

A manually operable, three-pole disconnect switch has a contact structure for each pole that comprises a line-side contact module and a load-side contact module that carry the stationary contacts for that pole, these contacts being vertically spaced and positioned for engagement by one of three movable contact assemblies carried on a horizontally disposed, pivotable crossbar. Each line-side contact module extends upwardly from the crossbar and each load-side contact module extends downwardly from the crossbar and its corresponding line-side contact module. The line-side contact module has two integrally formed housing parts and a bar-shaped conductor that is sandwiched therebetween and positioned in a substantially vertical plane. The housing forms both an insulating base and an insulating portion of an arc chute which partially encloses the conductor that forms a stationary contact within a housing cavity. The line-side module is supported upon a pedestal of its corresponding load-side module, this pedestal having a slot which receives the stationary contact portion of the conductor to provide a tongue-in-groove coupling between the two modules.

Disconnect switch with line-side contact module

A disconnect switch includes a crossbar assembly having an arm at each of its ends which rotatably fastens the assembly to a frame for swinging motion around a pivot axis. Three movable contact assemblies are carried by the crossbar between a closed position in which their line side ends engage stationary contacts and an opened position in which their line side ends are disengaged. Stationary connectors aligned along the pivot axis engage the load side ends of the movable contact assemblies at all positions of the crossbar.

Disconnect switch

A trip mechanism mounts to either side of a disconnect switch to couple the rotatable crossbar thereon to a manually operable handle. The trip mechanism is symmetrical about a vertical plane with the result that it may be mounted to the disconnect switch for either left hand or right hand operation with little modification. A unique coupling arrangement between the trip mechanism and the manually operable handle facilitates installation and connection of the disconnect switch in enclosures of various types and sizes.

Growing community of inventors

Brown Deer, WI, United States of America

Robert E Borchardt