Apparatus for racking circuit breakers into and out of switchgear

A motorized racking operator for racking a circuit breaker into and out of electrical switchgear, the switchgear having a housing for supporting the circuit breaker, a racking shaft and a racking mechanism, the racking shaft having a receiving end for receiver an actuator, whereby rotation of the racking shaft via the actuator causes movement of the racking mechanism that results in the circuit breaker being racked into and out of the switchgear, the operator comprising:

• a motor having a drive shaft, an end of the drive shaft configured to operably engage with the receiving end of the racking shaft;
• a bracket securely attached to the motor and having a protruding portion that engages with a recessed region of the circuit breaker;
• and
• a spring-biased latch for removably securing the motor and bracket to the circuit breaker such that the motor and bracket move in unison with the circuit breaker in response to the motor driving the racking shaft to rack the circuit breaker into and out of the switchgear and the protruding portion of the bracket engaging with the recessed region of the circuit breaker to prevent rotation of the motor in response to the motor applying a torque to the racking shaft.

A motorized racking operator for racking a circuit breaker into and out of electrical switchgear, the switchgear having a housing for supporting the circuit breaker, a racking shaft and a racking mechanism, the racking shaft having a receiving end for receiver an actuator, whereby rotation of the racking shaft via the actuator causes movement of the racking mechanism that results in the circuit breaker being racked into and out of the switchgear, the operator comprising:

• a motor having a drive shaft, an end of the drive shaft configured to operably engage with the receiving end of the racking shaft;
• an On-Off control in signal communication with the motor;
• a bracket securely attached to the motor and having a pin displaced from the drive shaft and oriented parallel thereto;
• and
• a latch for removably securing the motor and bracket to the circuit breaker such that the motor and bracket move in unison with the circuit breaker in response to the motor driving the racking shaft to rack the circuit breaker into and out of the switchgear and the pin of the bracket engaging with a surface of the circuit breaker to prevent rotation of the motor in response to the motor applying a torque to the racking shaft.