US1427367A - Circuit interrupter - Google Patents

Description

C. LE G. FORTESCUE AND F. C. BANKER.

CIRCUIT lNTERRUPTER.

Arrucmoa mnu'oct. 11. 1918.

Patented Aug. 29, 1922.

WITNESSES:

WMJIA INVENTORS Char/e: Le Farfeicue Fredegc C Han/rer ZTTURNEY ing UNITED STATES PATENT UFiFlCE.

CHARLES LE e. ron'rns'cun, or rrrrsnnnsmf AND FREDEBIC c. I-IANKER, or WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA; assmnoas TO WESTINGHOUSE nrnc'rmc a MANUFACTURING COMPANY, a CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA.

CIRCUIT INTERRUPTEB.

To all wlwmit may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES Ln G.

of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, and FREDERIGC. HANKER, a citizen of theUnited States, and a resident ;of Wilkinsburg State of ilennsylvania, have invented a new and useful. Improvement. vin Circuit. Inter,- rupters, of which the-following is a specification. 1 i

Our invent'onrelates to circuit interrupt ers andparticularly to quick-acting interrupters: i 1 One object of our invention is toprovide means for interrupting a circuit in anticipation of an-o'verload thereon.

. Another object of our invention is topr ovide a circuit interrupter-actuating device thatshall be :so controlled-directly from the circuit that :its time of Operation shall be relatively short.

A further. object of our invention is to provide a circuit-interrupting device, of the above-indicated character, that shall-be simple and ,inenpensiveto construct and accurate injits operation. i I .In practicing our invention we provide, a circuit interrupter-and an electromagnet comprising a stationary core member having' an air gap thereim'an armature that normally bridges the air gap and is operatively connected )to the circuit interrupter, a spring for actuating the armature to its open position, a windin for so energizing the stationary core mem eras to normally hold the armature in its-closed position, and 'a windoperatively connected to-the circuit and so disposedwith respect to the armature that, when the current in the direct-current circuit changes quickly, by reason of a ground or short circuit thereon, suflicient current will induced in the winding to divert the 'fiux from the armatureithrough the air gap in the stationary core member and thus permit the spring to quickly open the interrupter. Since the impulse'current that is'setnpis caused by' the rapid change The single figure of the accompanying Specification of Letters Patent.

in the county of Allegheny rand Patented Aug. 29, 1922.

Application filed October 17, 1918. Serial No. 258,554.

drawing is a diagrammatic view of a directcurr'entcircuit embodying our invention.

-A-direct-current circuit 1 is supplied with energy from a source 2 of electromotive force and is provided with a circuit'interrupterfi having an actuating and controlling device 4:. v

A devices comprises a sta netizable, core member 5 of substantially rectangular shape having an air gap 6 m;

oneieg thereof an armature 8 thatis pivotallymounted, at a point 9 on the corememher 5, and an actuating Winding 7 that is connected in' shunt relation to the circuit 1. for actuating the armature 8 to such position asto open the interrupter 3 under predetermined conditions. A winding 12 is disposed around the armature 8, and iscon nected, through a resistor 13, to the terminals of a series transformer 14 with which the circuit -1 is provided. A r -Since the-armature 8 is adapted to bridge the air gap 6 under nornial conditions, the flux set up by'the winding 7 will traverse the armature 8 and three legs of the core member 5 to thereby hold the interrupter 3 in its closed position. When a' short circuit or ground occurs on the circuit 1. the voltage ofthe circuit will change quickly and thereby induce voltage in thetransformer 14 that will cause suflicient current to traverse the Winding 12 to set up a flux in opposition to the flux set up in the armature 8 by thewind ing 7. Since the current: traversing the winding 12 prevents the flux set up by the winding? from traversing the armature 8, this flux will be diverted through the leg 15 of the core member 5 and across the air gap 6 and thuspermitthe spring 11 to quickly move the armature and. consequently, the circuit interrupter 3, to open position.

It will be understood that the function of the winding 12 is not to neutralize the flux set up by the winding 7, but merely to so divert the same through' another' path that the time of operation ofthe interrupter will be reduced to a minimum ivalue. It will further be understood that the-winding 12 onar y magis so, quickly energized, by reason of the quick change in voltage when a fault ob tains on the circuit 1, that the interrupter 3 may be opened substantially in anticipation of anactual overload on the circuit.

Our invention is not limited to the particulzir SllHCtlll'GS or arrangementillustrated, as it may be variously modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the in- YClilllOn, as set forth in the appended claims.

\Ve claim as our invention:

1. In a direct-current circuit, the combination with a circuit interrupter, of electromagnetic means for holding the interrupter closed, and means dependent only upon a quick change of current in the circuit for so shifting the flux of the electromagnetic means that the interrupter is quickly opened.

2. In a direct-current circuit-,the combination with a circuit interrupter, of an electromagnetic device energized by a potential winding fol-holding the interrupter closed, and means ener ized from the circuit only upon a quick change of current in the circuit for so shifting the flux'of the eIe'c-trmnagnetic device that the interrupter is permitted to openiquic'kly. I a

3. In a direct-current circuit, the combination with $1 circuit interrupter, of an electromagnet having twop'aral lel magnetic paths adapted to hold the interrupter in its closed position, and means dependent upon the rate of change of current in the circuit and asso ciated'w'ith one'of the p'aths'for causing the fiu'x'to traverse the other path.

4.- In an electric 'circuit,*the combination with a circuit interrupter, of an electromagnet comprising a stationary magnetizable core member,'ai'i armature, a potential windin for actuating the armature to 'holdt-he in arruptr closed, and a; winding energized (in anticipation) of a rush of current in the circuit for reventing the flux from the potential Winding from actuating 'the armatum 5- The cmritimticu With a circuit interrupter, of an electromagnet having a par tially cios'ed magnetic circuit,- an armature normally completing the magnetic circuit for holding the'interrupter closed, means for energiiing the electromagnet, and fneans energized upon a relatively quick change in the current in the interrupter t Prevent the flux Set up by the energizing means from traversing the armature.

6. The cmhb'ination with a; circuit Interrupter, of an electromagnetcomprising a core member having an air ap therein, an armature normally bridging-the air gap for holding the interrupter'iti its closed position, a winding for energizing the electrqmagnct, and a winding disposed iiroundthe armature to oppose the flow of magnetic linestlie're through from the core member only when a sudden overload traverses t e i terrupter.

7. In an electric circuit, the combination with a circuit interrupter, of an electromagnet having 5) potential winding operatiyely connected to the circuit for holding the interrupter closed, and means tipraiiii'ely'con nected to the circuit and depeiidentiip'en the change of current in the circuit, for demagnctizing a portion of the electroiuagnet 8. In an electric circuit, the combination with a circuit interrupter, of an electromagnet comprising an armature for directly actuating the interrupter, a potential Winding for actuating the armature, and means dependent upon the rate of change of current in the circuit, for rendering 'the' armature non-responsive to the potential windmg.

9. In an electric circuit, the combination with a circuit interrupter, of an electromagnet comprising an armature for directly actuating the interrupter, a potential wind-V mg for actuating the armature in one direction', aspring for actuating the armature in the other direction, and means dependent upon the rate'of ch-ange'of current in the circuit, for rendering the armature non-respon'sive to the potential winding.

10. In an electric circuit, the combination, with a circuit interrupter, of an electromagnet comprising an armature for directly actuating the interrupter, a potential Wind'- ing for actuating the armature in one direc tion, a spring for actuating the armature in the other direction, an'd means for rendering the armature non-responsive to the potential winding only when the current traversing the circuit increases quickly.

lli In a direct-current circuit, the combina-tion with a circuit interrupter, of an electromagnet comprising an armature for holding the interrupter closed, a spring for opening the interrupter, a winding for actuat-ing tlie'annature to its closed position, and a winding adapted to be energized from the circuit only when the current traversing the circuit changes quickly to so demagnetize the armature as to permit the spring to open the interrupter quickly.

12. In an electric circuit, the combination with a circuit interrupter, of an electromagnet comprising a core member and an arniire ture member, means for energizing the core member and means disposed around the armature member for deflecting the magnetic flux therefrom in anticipation of a sudden overload on the circuit.

13-. In an electric circuit, the combination with a circuit interrupter, of an electromagnct for holding the interrupter closed, and means dependentupon the rate of change in the condition of the circuit for so decreasing the holding effect of the flux of the magnet without materially afiecting the density thereof as to permit the interrupter to be actuated; I

14. 'In an electric circuit, the combination with a circuit interrupter, of an electromagnt for holding the interrupter closed, and means energized upon a sudden change in the condition of the circuit and in antici ation of a rush of current for so decreasing the holding effect of the flux of the magnet without materially affecting the density thereof as to permit the interrupter to be actuated.

15. In an electric circuit, the combination with a circuit interrupter, of a magnet and an armature therefor for holding the interrupter closed, and means responsive only to sudden changes in the condition of the circuit for so deflecting the magnetic flux of the magnet from the armature as to decrease the holding effect of the magnet and permit the interrupter to be actuated.

16. In a direct-current circuit, the combination with a circuit interrupter, of an electromagnetic device for holding the interrupter closed, and means energized from the circuit in anticipation of a rush of current therein for so shifting the flux of the electromagnetic device that the interrupter is permitted to open quickly.

17. In an electric circuit, the combination with a circuit interrupter, of a magnet and an armature therefor for holding the interrupter closed, and means associated with the armature member and responsive only to sudden changes in the condition of the circuit for so deflecting the magnetic flux of the magnet from the armature as to decrease the holding effect of the magnet and permit the interrupter to be actuated.

18. In an electric circuit, the combination with a circuit interrupter, of an electromagnet comprising a stationary magnetizable core member, an armature, a potential winding for actuating the armature to hold the interrupter closed, and a winding energized in anticipation of a predetermined flow of current in the circuit for preventing the flux from the potential winding from actuating the armature.

19. The combination with an electric circuit, of electromagnetic circuit-controlling means and means dependent only upon a quick change of current in the circuit for so shifting the flux of the electromagnetic means as to cause an actuation thereof.

20. The combination with an electric circuit, of electromagnetic means for controlling the same and means dependent only upon a quick change of current in the circuit for so shifting the flux of the electromagnetic means as to cause an actuation thereof.

21. The combination with an electric circuit, of electromagnetic circuit-controlling means and means dependent upon the rate of change of current in the circuit for so shifting the flux of the electromagnetic means as to cause an actuation thereof.

22. The combination with an electric circuit, of electromagnetic circuit-controlling means and means energized in antici ation of a rush of current in the circuit or so shifting the flux of the electromagnetic means as to cause an actuation thereof.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names this 26th day of Sept, 1918.

CHARLES LE G. FORTES CUE. FREDERIC C. HANKER.

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