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US 3,943,314 AGranted
Motion-multiplying linkage-mechanism for sealed-casing structures
AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorRussell E. Frink
Life of this patent
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AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorRussell E. Frink
Estimating the term…
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.
A gas-type puffer circuit-interrupter comprising a sealed-casing structure having a relatively stationary contact disposed adjacent one end thereof and a movable contact cooperable with said stationary contact and operable out of an apertured plate at the other end of said sealed-casing structure, a movable contact operating rod extending interiorly into the sealed-casing structure to operate the movable contact therein, a sylphon bellows sealed to one end of said end plate of the sealed-casing structure through which the movable contact rod extends, the other end of the sylphon bellows being sealed to an intermediate portion of the movable contact-operating rod, a lazy-tong motion-multiplying operating linkage mechanism interposed between the inner end of the movable contact operating rod and the movable contact structure, a longitudinally-extending guide-means for the lazy-tong operating mechanism having one end affixed to the said apertured end plate and the other end supporting a fixed piston structure, said movable contact carrying a movable operating cylinder slidable longitudinally over said fixed piston structure to provide gas flow, an insulating nozzle secured to said movable contact structure whereby compression of gas between the movable operating cylinder and the fixed piston structure will force compressed gas out through the movable nozzle structure to effect extinction of the arc drawn between the stationary and movable contacts.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.