The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 02, 1980
Filed:
Jan. 06, 1977
Charles D Bice, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Abstract
An improved bi-switch construction is provided having an interrupting device arranged in electrical parallel relation therewith so that the circuit through each of the two switches is made through the interrupting device, and, subsequently, the interrupting device is shorted out in the closed-circuit position of the particular switch being operated. During the opening operation, again the interrupting device is brought into play so that a parallel electrical path is provided in shunt relationship to the particular switch being operated through the interrupting device, the interrupting switch assuming the burden of interrupting the circuit; and subsequently the particular switch being operated provides an isolating gap from the interrupting device. The arrangement is particularly desirable when two three-phase switches have a common leg, or terminal, to which one end of the interrupting device may be electrically attached, so that either switch may be operated with the interrupting device serving as a common means for both switches. An improved overcenter spring mechanism is provided for operating the interrupting device in both the closing direction and also in the opening direction for quick-make and quick-break operations of the interrupting device. In one arrangement, the movable contact member of each switch may comprise a rotatable movable blade, which first makes contact with an auxiliary terminal of the interrupting device, while simultaneously the overcenter spring device of the mechanism for operating the interrupting device is being charged. Further rotational movement of the movable rotatable blade of the particular switch effects, through the overcenter spring device, quick closing of the interrupting device, and further rotation of the movable blade effects a bypassing of the interrupting device, so that in the closed position of the particular switch being operated the interrupting blade effects conduction of all of the current to the main terminals of the particular switch being operated to the exclusion of the interrupting device.