Bolt-in circuit breaker with improved terminal fastener retaining structure
AssigneeEaton Corporation
InventorsThomas E. Culnan, Lacy L. Hall, II
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Lateral ears of a terminal strap are bent sharply upward to form sidewalls spaced apart by the width of the strap, openings in the sidewalls overlapping arcuate edge portions of an annular flange of a threaded nut to loosely captivate the nut in position over a hole in the strap for cooperation with a threaded post projecting through the hole upon attachment of the breaker to a panelboard. Upper edges of the sidewall openings are abutted by the flange, and a frustoconical rear surface of the nut is engaged by the thread post upon installation to automatically align the nut and post.
Claims6
In an overload responsive circuit breaker having a terminal adapted for bolted connection against a surface of an electric conductor, said terminal comprising:
- an elongated conductive strap projecting from said circuit breaker;
- a hole in said strap;
- upstanding sidewalls at opposite lateral edges of said strap, said sidewalls having longitudinally extending openings;
- and
- threaded fastener means comprising a rotatable element on said strap and a cooperable fixed element on said conductor, said rotatable element having an annular flange greater in diameter than spacing between said sidewalls, arcuate portions of said flange being received in said sidewall openings, thereby rotatably retaining said rotatable element on said strap, one of said elements comprising a threaded shank extending through said hole.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.