Flexible cable assembly for high-power switch gear

An electrical switching station for controlling electrical power comprising:

• a cabinet providing an interior volume accessible through a cabinet door when the cabinet doors open;
• at least one electrical switch attached to the cabinet within the interior volume, the electrical switch having a switch operator extending from a front of a housing of the electrical switch and movable along an actuation axis to switch the electrical switch between an on and off state;
• an actuator frame fixable relative to the housing of the electrical switch proximate to the switch operator;
• a slider held by the actuator frame to slide along the actuation axis, the slider providing a collar receiving the switch operator when the actuator frame is fixed to the housing of the electrical switch, so that movement of the slider along the actuation axis may switch the switch operator between the on and off states;
• an actuator cable providing an outer sheath and inner flexible cable, a first end of the outer sheath attached to one end of the actuator frame so that the inner flexible cable may extend from the first end along the actuation axis and a first end of the inner flexible cable attached to the slider to most the slider with movement of the inner flexible cable;
• wherein the attachment between the first end of the outer sheath and the actuator frame provides a threaded ferrule at the first end of the actuator sheath threadably engaging a threaded fastener adjustable therealong and wherein at least a portion of the threaded fastener is received within a pocket on the actuator frame, the pocket sized to permit rotation of the threaded fastener about the threaded ferrule within the pocket while preventing translation of the threaded fastener along the axis with respect to the actuator frame;
• a handle mechanism attached to the cabinet surface and having a handle frame and a handle movable with respect to the handle frame between an on position and an off position, the handle mechanism holding the door in a closed position when the handle is in the on position;
• and wherein a second end of the outer sheath is attached to the handle frame and the second end of the inner flexible cable is attached to the handle so that movement of the handle between the first position and second position moves the slider in a range sufficient to switch the switch operator between the on and off states.

A method of adjusting an electrical switch as may be disposed in a cabinet having a door, the electrical switch having a switch operator extending from a front of a housing of the electrical switch movable along an actuation axis to switch the electrical switch between an on and off state, using an apparatus including:

• an actuator frame fixable relative to the housing of the electrical switch proximate to the switch operator;
• a slider held by the actuator frame to slide along the actuation axis, the slider providing a collar receiving the switch operator when the actuator frame is fixed to the housing of the electrical switch, so that movement of the slider along the actuation axis may switch, the switch operator between the on and off states;
• an actuator cable providing an outer sheath and inner flexible cable, a first end of the outer sheath attached to one end of the actuator frame so that the inner flexible cable may extend from the first end along the actuation axis and a first end of the inner flexible cable attached to the slider to move the slider with movement of the inner flexible cable;
• wherein the attachment between the first end of the outer sheath and the actuator frame provides a threaded ferrule at the first end of the actuator sheath threadably engaging a threaded fastener adjustable therealong and wherein at least a portion of the threaded fastener is received within a pocket on the actuator frame, the pocket sized to permit rotation of the threaded fastener about the threaded ferrule within the pocket while preventing translation of the threaded fastener along the axis with respect to the actuator frame;
• a handle mechanism attached to the cabinet surface and having a handle frame and a handle movable with respect to the handle frame between an on position and an off position, the handle mechanism holding the door in a closed position when the handle is in the on position;
• and wherein a second end of the outer sheath is attached to the handle frame and the second end of the inner flexible cable is attached to the handle so that movement of the handle between the first position and second position moves the slider in a range sufficient to switch the switch operator between the on and off states;
• and
• a viewable scale proximate to a fiducial feature of the slider, the scale indicating a first range of positions of the slider corresponding to switching of the switch operator in the on state and a second range of positions corresponding to switching of the switch operator in the off state, the method comprising the steps of.
• (a) positioning the handle in a first of the on and off positions and observing a first position of the fiducial feature of the slider;
• (b) positioning the handle in a second of the on and off positions and observing a second position of the fiducial feature of the slider;
• and
• (c) rotating the threaded fastener to position a center point of the first and second positions at a center point between the first and second ranges.