Remotely controllable circuit breaker

A remotely controllable multipole circuit breaker provided with individual power circuits for more than one pole which comprises:

• a plurality of power contacts each connected in each of said power circuits for managing an electric load, said power contacts being interlocked to be movable together between a closed condition and an open condition and cooperative with spring means to be normally urged thereby into said open condition;
• a collapsible mechanical linkage connected to close and open said power contacts simultaneously;
• an electromagnet having excitation coil means and an armature, said excitation coil means connected in a control circuit to be energized and deenergized upon receiving a remote control signal, said armature being movable in response to the energization and deenergization of said excitation coil means between an actuated position of driving said power contacts through said mechanical linkage into the closed condition and a rest position of driving said power contacts through said mechanical linkage into the open condition;
• a control switch connected in series with said excitation coil in said control circuit;
• a manual handle movable between an ON-position and OFF-position and connected to close said control switch when it is moved to the ON-position and open the same when it is moved to the OFF-position;
• fault current sensing means for sensing a fault current passing through said main contact;
• tripper means cooperative with said fault current sensing means and operatively connected to said collapsible mechanical linkage for directly actuating the latter independently of said electromagnetic to move said linkage into a collapsed position of opening said power contacts from a latched position of keeping the power contacts closed in response to a fault current condition sensed by said fault current sensing means;
• said manual handle being mechanically isolated from said collapsible mechanical linkage as far as the latter is moved to open and close said power contact means while kept in said latched position;
• and
• a breaker housing the interior of which is divided by a horizontal wall into a lower compartment for receiving therein said electromagnet and an upper compartment for receiving therein said power contacts, said mechanical linkage, and said handle;
• the portion of said upper compartments further divided by upright wall means into individual pole chambers each receiving each of said power contacts, said upright wall means being formed with a hole through which extends tie rod means for linkage between said armature in the lower compartment and said mechanical linkage in the upper compartment.