Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Russell E Frink

Stanislaw A Milianowicz

A single barrel puffer circuit interrupter is taught. The single barrel accomplishes the multiple purposes of electrical insulation between terminals, basic support and puffer gas containment. The circuit interrupter has a movable nozzle-piston arrangement fixedly attached to a movable cylindrical hollow arcing contact. The nozzle slidably engages a second cylindrical, hollow arcing contact and is disposed in slidable but sealed relationship therewith at all times, thus providing a shield between the arcing contact and the barrel of the circuit interrupter. In addition, one of the arcing contacts overlaps the other in telescoping relationship when the contacts are closed. This provides a lost motion feature for the puffer. The lost motion feature allows the puffer gas to be compressed for a short period of time by the piston during a contact opening operation in a completely enclosed region before the gas is provided to the region of an electric arc between the opening contacts.

Single barrel puffer circuit interrupter

A quick-acting movable-column tripping device is provided as an optional feature of either circuit-interrupters, supported by upstanding insulating column structures, or, alternatively, in connection with circuit-interrupters having a serially-related disconnecting switchblade, providing a visible open-circuit gap, so that a minimum of time is utilized in a tripping operation of the circuit-interrupter. Otherwise, there would be a considerably-delayed action caused by the normal, or inherent lost-motion provided in the loose linkages, which normally are used to effect operative movement of the movable relatively massive supporting column structure. The quick-acting, accelerating tripping device of the present invention provides relative fast motion between the upstanding rotatable supporting column structure and a base-spindle device, the latter of which is operatively mechanically linked to the motor-operated mechanism, for example, of the switch structure, which may be relatively slow in operation.

Quick-acting movable operating-column tripping device

An improved operating mechanism of the energy-storage type is provided for circuit-interrupting structures, including an energy-storing means having the energy content therein increased by the movement of a movable member during the closing operation, and a collapsible toggle-linkage is provided between the energy-storing means and the separable arcing contact structure of the circuit-interrupter structure. Improved means are provided for a tripping operation, and thereby effecting the collapse of said toggle-linkage to effect the opening of said separable contact structure, and a second releasing means is preferably provided for discharging the stored-energy of the energy-storing means to effect thereby the straightening of said toggle-linkage and the consequent closing of the separable contacts within the circuit-interrupter during the closing operation. The aforesaid improved operating mechanism is additionally applicable to the situation in which a serially-related disconnecting-switch structure is used in electrical series with the circuit-interrupting structure, so that a visible open-circuit safe gap is provided in the fully-open-circuit position of the device for safety of maintenance personnel. The energy-storing means, preferably, is provided by suitable spring-means, such as, for example, compression-spring means, which has the energy content therein increased during the closing operation of the circuit interrupter by suitable crank-means, for example, which increases the energy content of the energy-storage means until a certain point in closing travel is reached, at which point releasing means effects an extension of said spring means to thereby effect straightening of the toggle-linkage associated with the contacts of the circuit-interrupter and consequent closing of the separable contacts thereof. An extension of the movable member, which provides an increase in the energy-storage content of the energy-storage means effects opening and closing movements of a conjointly-acting serially-related disconnecting switchblade.

Improved energy-storage operating mechanisms for circuit-interrupting

An improved operating mechanism of the energy-storage type is provided for circuit-interrupting structures, including an energy-storing means having the energy content therein increased by the movement of a movable member, during the closing operation and a collapsible toggle-linkage is provided between the energy-storing means and the separable arcing contact structure of the circuit-interrupter structure. Improved means are provided for tripping operation, and thereby effecting the collapse of said toggle-linkage to effect the opening of said separable contact structure, and a second releasing means is preferably provided for discharging the stored-energy of the energy-storing means to effect thereby the straightening of said toggle-linkage and the consequent closing of the separable contacts within the circuit-interrupter during the closing operation. The energy-storing means, preferably, is provided by suitable spring-means, such as, for example, compression-spring means, which has the energy content therein increased during the closing operation of the circuit interrupter by suitable crank-means, for example, which increases the energy content of the energy-storage means until a certain point in closing travel is reached, at which point releasing means effects an extenson of said spring means to thereby effect straightening of the toggle-linkage associated with the contacts of the circuit-interrupter and consequent closing of the separable contacts thereof.

Energy-storage operating mechanisms for circuit-interrupting structures

A quick-acting movable-column tripping device is provided as an optional feature of either circuit-interrupters, supported by upstanding insulating column structures, or, alternatively, in connection with circuit-interrupters having a serially-related disconnecting switchblade, providing a visible open-circuit gap, so that a minimum of time is utilized in a tripping operation of the circuit-interrupter. Otherwise, there would be a considerably-delayed action caused by the normal, or inherent lost-motion provided in the loose linkages, which normally are used to effect operative movement of the movable relatively massive supporting column structure. The quick-acting, accelerating tripping device of the present invention provides relative fast motion between the upstanding rotatable supporting column structure and a base-spindle device, the latter of which is operatively mechanically linked to the motor-operated mechanism, for example, of the switch structure, which may be relatively slow in operation. Relative fast rotation, for example, between the upstanding rotatable supporting column structure and the lower base-spindle structure is provided by a suitable bearing support provided therebetween, together with a latched biasing structure, which when unlatched, or released, will permit a slight relative degree of rotation, say, for example, 8 degrees of rotation, between the upstanding, operating, supporting column structure and the driving base-spindle structure, preferably release occurring by means of a suitable electrically-actuated solenoid device for each pole-unit, which, through suitable energization in synchronism with the motor for operating the driving linkage, will effect unlatching or release of the spring-assembly, and thereby permitting a slight resulting relative motion, say of the order of 8 degrees, for example, to occur between the upstanding, rotatable operating support column and the more relatively slowly moving rotatable base-spindle structure, the latter being mechanically linked to the motor-operator of the interrupter. Relatching may occur, thereby effecting a resetting of the latch structure at the end of the tripping opening operation of the breaker, so that the spring assembly will be recharged and the latches reset to result in a unitary structure, operable to effect the closing operation of the associated circuit-interrupter as a unit, or if a serially-related disconnecting switchblade structure is used, closing motion of the latter.

Improved hermetic seals for casing structures, particularly applicable for insulating-casing structures utilized in connection with gas-type piston-flow circuit-interrupters, are provided including end metallic closure-plate members, which are hermetically sealed in a gas-tight manner to the ends of generally-tubular, or cylindrically-shaped insulating-casing structures, such as porcelain casings, for example. In some embodiments of the invention, an internally-located ring-shaped, mounting-flange member, or adapter ring, is secured, as by a cemented, or babbitted construction, to the inner internal end surface of the insulating-casing structure, and suitable hermetic sealing means are provided for attaching the metallic end closure plate member to this internally-disposed supporting-flange, or adapter member. In other embodiments of the invention, there is provided an externally-located supporting ring-shaped flange-member cemented, or babbitted to an end portion externally of the tubular insulating casing member, and in this particular instance, the end metallic closure plate member may be secured, as by a bolted connection, to such externally-disposed flange-member, with, preferably, a gasket and a solder-sealed ring-shaped mounting member, the latter being affixed, as by a soldered connection, to such end metallic closure-plate member.

Hermetic seals for insulating-casing structures

An improved motion-multiplying linkage-mechanism is provided for the movable contact structure of a circuit-interrupter, particularly one of the sealed-casing type, enclosing a suitable arc-extinguishing medium, such as a highly efficient arc-extinguishing gas, such as compressed sulfur-hexafluoride (SF.sub.6) gas, for example. However, where desired, the motion-multiplying mechanism of the present invention may, additionally, be utilized in vacuum interrupters, or in other types of arc-extinguishing devices where the surrounding casing structure is of a sealed type. In accordance with the present invention, a sylphon bellows is secured to an end metallic plate of the sealed casing, and also affixed to the contact operating rod extending therewithin. A motion-multiplying mechanism, such as a lazy-tong, or pantograph-linkage assembly, is attached to the interior end of the contact operating rod, so that for a short initiating driving travel of the contact operating rod from a suitable mechanism, provided externally of the sealed-casing structure, a considerably increased length of travel for the movable contact structure is obtained. Suitable guideways are preferably provided for guiding the linear travel of the lazy-tong linkage structure so as to effect an accurate linear driving motion of the linkage.

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Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America

Russell E Frink