Y.s. Securities Limited

Thomas W Mennell

An electrical isolator has an insulated housing with input and output conductors (1, 2) therein. A spring contact (6) is mounted within the housing for movement between open and closed positions. An insulating shroud (15) fully shields that part of the bridging contact accessible through an access opening of the housing. Manually operable pressure applying structure may be operated when the bridging contact is in the closed position to control that contact between a tightened condition applying pressure between the bridging contact and the conductors without the use of springs, and a free condition wherein the contact pressure is reduced. An interlock assembly prevents engagement and disengagement of the operating member with the pressure applying structure unless the bridging contact is located in either the closed or open position.

Isolator switch with interlock

An electrical assembly, for example for use in low voltage supply distribution, comprises a fixed casing (4) for each of three phases. A pair of fixed contacts (e.g. 11, 12) are spaced apart within the casing and set back from an opening into the casing. A fuse carrier (29) is mounted for rectilinear sliding movement within the casing between a first position adjacent to the opening and a second position. In the second position movable contacts (30, 31) on the carrier engage the fixed contacts to close a circuit therebetween. A drive unit (50) is provided for mechanically driving the carrier between the two positions, the drive unit being a self-contained mechanism comprising a housing and a drive member movable relative thereto. The drive member can be detachably coupled to the contact carrier, and means (58, 60) provided for releasably locking the drive housing to the fixed casing. Thus, the drive unit is a separate entity from the contact assembly and can be used as required to drive any selected contact carrier.

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Scarborough, United Kingdom

Thomas W Mennell