Circuit breaker having improved operating mechanism
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsCharles L. Jencks, Roger N. Castonguay
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A circuit breaker includes an operating mechanism having powerful mechanism springs to achieve the requisite contact pressures for high current carrying capacity. A single crank of a rotary handle through a relatively small arc of 120.degree. resets the operating mechanism via a reciprocating slide and a latching mechanism, while loading the mechanism springs. Return of the handle to its original position shifts the line of action of the springs such as to abruptly straighten a toggle and achieve rapid closure of the circuit breaker contacts. The latching mechanism is equipped with plural circuit breaker tripping capabilities, together with a lockout and bell alarm switch accessory.
Claims10
A multi-pole circuit breaker comprising, in combination:
- A. a support;
- B. a plurality of stationary contacts mounted by said support;
- C. a plurality of movable contact arms pivotally mounted by said support,
- 1. each said arm carrying a movable contact, and
- 2. said arms ganged together for conjunctive pivotal movement between a common open circuit position and a common closed circuit position with said movable contacts electrically engaging corresponding stationary contacts;
- D. a frame mounted by said support;
- E. a cradle pivotally mounted by said frame for movement between reset and released positions;
- F. a toggle linkage interconnecting said cradle and contact arms,
- 1. said toggle linkage including first and second links pivotally interconnected by a knee joint, and
- 2. said toggle linkage maintaining said contact arms in their open circuit position while collapsed and pivoting said contact arms to their closed circuit position when straightened;
- G. a latching mechanism for latchably engaging said cradle as it is pivoted to its reset position;
- H. an operating lever pivotally mounted by said frame, said lever drivingly engaging said cradle upon pivotal movement in a forward direction to pivot said cradle to its reset position;
- I. a spring connected between said operating lever and said knee joint, said spring being progressively rotated as said lever is pivoted in its forward direction;
- J. a reciprocating slide mounted by said frame, said slide coupled to pivot said lever in its forward direction and said cradle to its reset position during a forward slide stroke and to pivot said lever in a return direction enabling said spring to straighten said toggle linkage during a return slide stroke;
- K. a rotary handle mounted by said support and drivingly connected to said slide, said handle driving said slide through its forward stroke during a forward handle crank and driving said slide through its return stroke during a return handle crank.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.