Narrow multi-pole circuit breaker having inertia actuated overtravel for latch release
AssigneeI-T-E Imperial Corporation
InventorsCarl E. Gryctko, Charles T. Robins
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A plurality of single pole circuit breakers stacked side-by-side are interconnected by a tie rod connecting the magnetic armatures of their respective instantaneous trip means. When one pole is caused to trip because of a fault condition, a driving formation on the releasable cradle of the faulted pole delivers a hammerlike blow to a cam means on the magnetic armature. The energy imparted to the armature by this blow causes the latch carried thereby to move in the tripping direction substantially beyond the point required for releasing the cradle latch in the faulted phase. This added movement assures that the tie rod shall transmit sufficient motion to all non-faulted poles to cause tripping thereof.
Claims8
A circuit breaker having a plurality of poles and including, for each pole thereof, cooperating contact means, releasable operating means for opening and closing said contact means, latch means for maintaining said operating means in operative condition to close said contact means, and fault current responsive trip means which when actuated trips said latch means to release said operating means which renders the latter inoperative to either close or maintain said contact means closed;
- said trip means including an electromagnet comprising a relatively stationary magnetic frame and a magnetic armature movable from a normal forward position rearward through a latch releasing position upon predetermined energization of said electromagnet, tie means interconnecting said armatures of said plurality of poles for simultaneous operation thereof;
- biasing means for said armature urging the latter toward said normal position;
- within a pole carrying fault current said armature being moved rearward magnetically past said latch releasing position;
- said trip means also including thermally responsive means for automatically releasing said operating means at overload current below said fault current;
- said operating means upon release thereof by said thermally responsive means operatively engaging said armature thereby moving the armatures of all poles substantially to the rear of their said latch releasing positions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.