Drawout apparatus having improved secondary contact mounting provisions
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsEric Axel Ericson, Frederick Daniel Kaufhold
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drawout mechanism includes a carriage mounting a circuit breaker and supported on telescoping rails to facilitate racking movement of the circuit breaker between extreme positions of electrical engagement and disengagement with respect to switchboard primary disconnect contacts. In an intermediate test position, the primary contacts are disengaged but plural secondary contacts mounted by the carriage and by the switchboard are engaged for testing of accessorial functions. The plural switchboard secondary contacts are floatingly mounted such that they can be drawn en masse into contact engaging alignment with the plural circuit breaker secondary contacts as the carriage moves into the test position from the disengaged position.
Claims10
Drawout apparatus for racking an electrical device into and out of a compartment in an electrical enclosure, wherein the electrical device and the enclosure are equipped with mating primary disconnect contacts, said drawout apparatus comprising, in combination:
- A. a carriage mounting the electrical device;
- B. a rail assembly mounted to each compartment sidewall and supporting said carriage for movement between an extended position where the primary contacts are disengaged and an engaged position where the primary contacts are engaged;
- C. means defining a test position for said carriage intermediate said extended and engaged positions;
- D. a first plurality of individually flexibly mounted secondary contacts;
- E. first means fixedly mounting said first plurality of secondary contacts en masse to one of said carriage and enclosure;
- F. a second plurality of individually flexibly mounted secondary contacts;
- G. second means floatingly mounting said second plurality of secondary contacts en masse to the other of said carriage and enclosure;
- H. first guide means referenced to said first plurality of secondary contacts;
- and
- I. second guide means referenced to said secondary plurality of secondary contacts, said first and second guide means interacting as said carriage is moved from said extended position to said test position to draw said second plurality of secondary contacts into individual electrical engagement with associated secondary contacts of said first plurality, and to maintain said electrical contacting engagement during movement of said carriage between said test position and said engaged position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.