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AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorJoseph R. Rostron
Estimating the term…
A multi-pole high-power circuit-interrupter is provided having a single common operating mechanism therefor, and having independent pole tripping operation by associating with at least one of a plurality of the pole-units its independent ball latching means, which may be very quickly mechanically released upon a tripping operation associated with the respective one pole-unit to which said ball latching device is connected. Another important feature of the invention is the provision of a plurality of load-release latching balls, which may be quickly released from their latched position by a pneumatic releasing device, which is energized in response to electrical overload conditions existing in the respective pole-unit to provide thereby a tripping operation for the particular pole-unit, to which the ball-latching releaseable device is mechanically connected. Still another feature of the present invention is the provision of a spring-return catch-member in a ball-latch releasing device, which holds the load-release balls in their latched position, and provides a desirable quick relatching operation at the end of the closing operation of the circuit-interrupter.
The combination in a multi-pole high-power high-voltage circuit-interrupter assemblage having a plurality of pole-units ("A", "B", "C") each with its separable arcing contacts, adaptable for interrupting multi-phase high-voltage circuits of considerable amperage, of a single common operating mechanism at ground potential for simultaneously effecting the opening and closing operations of the several arcing contacts for all of the several pole-units, a mechanical interconnecting operating linkage positively connected between the individual pairs of separable arcing contacts of the several pole-units and said single common operating mechanism situated at ground potential, an independently-operated ball-release latching means (22) interposed in said positive interconnecting operating linkage (20, 34, 46) for at least one of said pole-units, means responsive to a fault condition existing in said one pole-unit to release said independently-operated ball-release latching means (22) to thereby trip the said one affected faulted pole-unit open independently of the condition of said single common operating mechanism at ground potential.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.