Automated secondary disconnect mechanism for electrical switchgear

An automatic secondary disconnect mechanism for an electrical switchgear apparatus having an enclosure and a removable circuit device wherein the circuit device is movable into and out of the enclosure between disconnect, test and connect positions, said automatic secondary disconnect mechanism comprising:

• a guide rail mounted on the enclosure and extending substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the circuit device into and out of the enclosure;
• a slide member slidably mounted on said guide rail and adapted to slide back and forth lengthwise of said guide rail;
• means disposed on said slide member for locking said slide member in place on said guide rail at a point corresponding to the test position of said circuit device;
• means disposed on the circuit device which cooperates with said locking means for releasing said slide member from its locked position when the circuit device reaches the test position from the disconnect position, and for maintaining said release to enable said slide member to slide along said guide rail as the circuit device moves between the test and connect positions;
• and
• a pair of mating secondary contact members, one of said secondary contact members being coupled to said slide member, the other of said secondary contact members being coupled to the circuit device, said mating secondary contact members being disposed relative to each other such that when said slide member is in its locked position, the secondary contact members will engage as the circuit device moves from the disconnect position to the test position.

An automatic secondary disconnect mechanism for an electrical switchgear apparatus having an enclosure and a removable circuit breaker wherein the circuit breaker is movable into and out of the enclosure between disconnect, test and connect positions, said automatic secondary disconnect mechanism comprising:

• a guide rail mounted on the enclosure and extending substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the circuit breaker into and out of the enclosure, said guide rail having at least one slot formed therein proximate a point corresponding to the test position of said circuit breaker;
• a slide member slidably mounted on said guide rail movable back and forth lengthwise of said guide rail;
• at least one arm pivotally mounted on said slide member and operable to pivot into the slot formed on the guide rail when the slide member is positioned at said point corresponding to the test position of said circuit breaker, said point thereby defining a locked position of said slide member;
• a rigid tongue member coupled to the circuit breaker which engages said arm and pivots said arm out of the slot when the circuit breaker reaches the test position from the disconnect position, thereby enabling said slide member to slide along said guide rail;
• and
• a pair of mating secondary contact members, one of said secondary contact members being coupled to said slide member, the other of said secondary contact members being coupled to the circuit breaker, said mating secondary contact members being disposed relative to each other such that when the slide member is in its locked position, the secondary contact members will engage as the circuit breaker moves from the disconnect position to the test position.