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US 4,251,702 AGranted
Circuit breaker having multiple spring actuating mechanisms
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsRoger N. Castonguay, Charles L. Jencks
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spring powered charging mechanism is operatively coupled with a spring powered, circuit breaker contact operating mechanism such that charging of the operating mechanism springs is powered exclusively by the charging mechanism springs as they discharge. The charging mechanism includes a prop controlled by the condition of the operating mechanism to releaseably sustain the charging springs in a fully charged condition, while the operating mechanism includes a hook to releaseably sustain the breaker contacts open against the urgence of fully charged operating mechanism springs. Consequently, the circuit breaker is capable of executing multiple contact opening and closing operations without recharging.
Claims21
A circuit breaker comprising, in combination:
- A. a contact operating mechanism including
- (1) at least one movable contact arm,
- (2) a mechanism spring coupled with said contact arm and operative when charged to drive said contact arm to a closed position, said mechanism spring, upon discharging, driving said contact arm to an open position;
- B. a charging mechanism including
- (1) means coupling said charging mechanism with said contact operating mechanism,
- (2) a charging spring connected with said coupling means and capable of being charged, upon subsequent discharge thereof, said coupling means being driven through a contact operating mechanism charging cycle pursuant to charging said mechanism spring, and
- (3) prop means controllably positioned by said contact operating mechanism to permit discharge of said charging spring when said contact arm assumes its open position and to prevent discharge of said charging spring when said contact arm is in its closed position;
- and
- C. circuit breaker operator means coupled with said charging mechanism to charge said charging spring.
6 more elements
A circuit breaker comprising, in combination:
- A. a contact operating mechanism capable of assuming reset and tripped conditions,
- (1) at least one movable contact arm,
- (2) a mechanism spring capable of being charged incident with conversion of said operating mechanism from its tripped condition to its reset condition, said charged mechanism spring powering contact closure movement of said arm with said operating mechanism in its reset condition and contact opening movement of said arm upon conversion of said operating mechanism from its reset condition to its tripped condition, and
- (3) means selectively releaseably engaging said contact arm to restrain contact closure movement thereof under the urgence of said charged mechanism spring;
- B. a charging mechanism capable of assuming charged and discharged conditions, said charging mechanism including
- (1) a charging spring capable of being charged incident with said charging mechanism assuming its charged condition and then capable of discharging to drive said charging mechanism to its discharged condition,
- (2) means coupling said charging mechanism with said operating mechanism such that the discharge of said charging spring converts said operating mechanism from its tripped condition to said reset condition, in the process charging said mechanism spring, and
- (3) means automatically responsive to the condition of said operating mechanism for selectively, releaseably detaining said charging mechanism in its charged condition;
- and
- C. motivating means drivingly coupled with said charging mechanism for powering the conversion thereof from its discharged to its charged conditions.
7 more elements
A circuit breaker comprising, in combination:
- A. a contact operating mechanism including
- (1) at least one contact arm mounted for movement between open and closed tripped positions,
- (2) a cradle mounted for movement between reset and tripped positions,
- (3) a toggle interconnecting said contact arm and said cradle and including a pair of links pivotally interconnected by a knee pin, said toggle maintaining said contact arm in its open position while collapsed and forcing said contact arm to its closed position when straightened,
- (4) a mechanism spring, connected between a fixed point and said knee pin and adapted to be charged as said cradle moves from its tripped position to its reset position, said charged mechanism spring acting to straighten said toggle while said cradle is in its reset position and discharging to collapse said toggle when said cradle is released from its reset position, incidentally with collapsing said toggle, said mechanism spring driving said cradle to its tripped position;
- B. breaker opening means operable to release said cradle from its reset position;
- C. a charging mechanism including
- (1) an operator member,
- (2) charging means mounted for movement between a charged position and a discharged position, said charging means drivingly coupled with said operator member,
- (3) means carried by said charging means for engagably moving said cradle from its tripped to its reset position incident with movement of said charging means from its charged to its discharged position,
- (4) a charging spring connected with said charging means such as to be charged incident with operator member driven movement of said charging means from its discharged to its charged position, whereupon said charging spring discharges to drive said charging means from its charged to its discharged position and thereby propel said cradle from its tripped to its reset position, thus charging said mechanism spring to empower straightening of said toggle, and
- (5) a prop selectively operable to releasebly detain said charging means in its charged position and thereby store the charge in said charging spring;
- and
- D. circuit breaker operating means drivingly coupled with said operator member.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.