Eaton Corporation

Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Walter Oliver Jenkins

Francois Jean Marchand

James Jeffery Benke

Norman Davies

Anthony Thomas Ricciuti

Thomas Kenneth Fogle

John Joseph Hoegle

Paul Bottegal

Alfred E Maier

Douglas Charles Marks

Ronald W Crookston

Richard E White

John K Livesey

Glenn Arthur Calhoon

Robert J Rinefierd, Jr

Amelia M Stay

Robert Nicholas Krevoklich

A mechanism assembly is for a vacuum circuit interrupter including a vacuum housing including a stationary contact and a moveable contact, and an operating mechanism including a drive rod. The mechanism assembly cooperates with the drive rod to open and close the contacts. The mechanism assembly includes a housing having a pair of first longitudinal openings and a pair of second longitudinal openings, the first longitudinal openings defining a first plane, the second longitudinal openings defining a different second plane. A first trunnion member is pivotally and translationally mounted with respect to the first longitudinal openings. The first trunnion member is coupled to the moveable contact. A second trunnion member is pivotally and translationally mounted with respect to the second longitudinal openings. The drive rod is pivotally connected to the second trunnion member. A pair of compression springs are biased between the first and second trunnion members.

Spring-charged mechanism assembly employing two trunnion members moveable in different planes and circuit interrupter employing the same

An interlock assembly for a circuit breaker housing assembly and a circuit breaker extraction device wherein the interlock assembly has a first and second component. The first component is coupled to a circuit breaker housing assembly and the second component is coupled to a circuit breaker extraction device. The first component includes a rail obstruction assembly that is structured to move between a first position, wherein the movable rail obstruction element blocks a circuit breaker wheel from traveling over a circuit breaker housing assembly rail, and a second position, wherein the movable rail obstruction element is spaced from the circuit breaker housing assembly rail so that a wheel may travel over the circuit breaker housing assembly rail. The second component is structured to engage the first component when the circuit breaker extraction device is brought adjacent to the circuit breaker housing assembly and to move the movable rail obstruction element from the first position to the second position.

Safety interlock for circuit breaker housing assembly and extraction device

The present invention provides improved and more efficient methods and apparatus for maintaining and/or adjusting over-travel gaps and contact wipe portions in operating rod assemblies of circuit interrupters. According to one embodiment of the invention, a circuit interrupter comprises a fixed electrical contact; a moveable electrical contact; an operating rod assembly comprising at least one contact spring for imparting a corresponding opening or closing force to the contacts; a moveable contact stem operatively coupled between the moveable electrical contact and the operating rod assembly for positioning the moveable electrical contact into or out of engagement with the fixed electrical contact; and an adjustment member adjustably disposed on an opposite end of the circuit interrupter relative to the moveable electrical contact from the at least one contact spring; wherein motion of the operating rod assembly causes the moveable electrical contact to move into or out of engagement with the fixed electrical contact via motion of the moveable contact stem and wherein the moveable electrical contact moves into or out of engagement with the fixed electrical contact with application of force imparted by the contact spring, and wherein the adjustment member is capable of adjusting the force imparted by the contact spring when moving the moveable electrical contact into or out of engagement with the fixed electrical contact.

Apparatus and method for use in circuit interrupters

A latch kit comprising a member with at least one hook end, a tension member, and a hook plate. The hook plate is connected to the member by a tension member. The kit is intended to be used in conjunction with an industrial circuit breaker which is secured in a cell by a catch plate. When the hook plate is attached to the circuit breaker, the hook end can be used to support the circuit breaker's catch plate handle in the open position so that the circuit breaker can be extracted from the cell.

Portable Latch

A flexible shunt in the form of a flexible member made up of a stack of electrically conductive laminations each of a thickness of no more than about 0.002 inch (0.051 mm) has a moveable end secured by a moveable mount to a moveable contact support of an electric power switch for movement along a linear path. A fixed mount secures the fixed end of the flexible member to a fixed conductor termination spaced laterally from the moveable end along a neutral axis perpendicular to the linear path of the moveable end by an offset distance such that the installed length of the intermediate section between the fixed and moveable ends is less than the free length of the intermediate section. With this arrangement the stroke of the moveable end along the linear path can be up to at least &frac13; and even &frac12; of the free length of the intermediate section of the flexible member and with very low operating forces.

Vacuum switch operating mechanism including laminated flexible shunt connector

A compact power circuit breaker has a molded insulative casing providing the structural support and electrical isolation for the pole mechanisms mounted in cavities in the casing and the operating mechanism mounted to the front of the casing. A grounded barrier between the pole mechanisms and the operating mechanism protects the operator actuating push buttons controlling the operating mechanism and accessible through a molded insulative cover. Preferably, the grounded barrier is sandwiched between a rear section of the molded casing containing the pole cavities and a forward section to which the operating mechanism is secured. The grounded barrier is connected to an electrically conductive pan extending under the molded insulative casing which also houses electrically grounded linkages coupling the operating mechanism to the vacuum interrupters of the pole mechanisms. A vented air gap between the rear section of the molded insulative casing and the grounded barrier minimizes erosion of the molded insulative casing in the event of an arc penetrating the casings to the grounded barrier.

Power circuit breaker having molded insulative casing with a dead front

Power circuit breaker with air gap between molded insulative casing and grounded barrier insulating operating mechanism

A molded case circuit breaker having current limiting capabilities is dimensionally optimized for relatively smaller frame size circuit breakers. The handle yoke is supported with rollers thereby allowing the crossbar to be disposed in the space normally utilized for the handle yoke pivot axis. A clinch joint arcer assembly with a plurality of arcing contact arms, each pivotally connected by a clinch joint to a pivotally mounted main contact arm permits additional main contact arms to be provided in the same space normally occupied by the arcing contact arms alone. Additionally, arcing contact spring housings protect the arcing contact springs from deterioration due to corrosive ionizing gases generated during interruption. A positive off link assembly prevents the operating handle from being placed on an OFF position when the main contacts are welded together and transfers the force applied to the operating handle to the upper link to allow the weld to be broken. Lastly, a reversible barrier in one of the sidewalls allows in one position circuit breaker auxiliaries, located in the outside pole compartments, to communicate with the operating mechanism and the operating handle. For circuit breakers without auxiliaries, the barrier acts as an interphase gas barrier.

Growing community of inventors

Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America

Walter Oliver Jenkins