US2255927A - Enclosed circuit interrupter - Google Patents

Description

M. HUBER ET AL Filed June 2, 1939 ENCLOSED CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER [Hsz/Zazl'm Sept. 16, 1941.

INVENTORS Max Haber and ,l1/$6727 @af/)m5 ATTORNE wlTNEssEs:

Patented Sept. 16, 1941 2,255,927 ENCLOSED CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER Max Huber,

Berlin-Siemensstadt, and Albert Dahms, Berlin, Germany, assignors to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 2, 1939, serial No. 277,068

17 Claims.

The invention relates to circuit interrupting devices in general, and more particularly to circuit breakers, switches or motor starters which are mounted in enclosing housings for industrial application, and which are manually operable from outside of the enclosing housing by an operating handle on the housing.

Considerable difficulties have been encountered with some of the known types of enclosed circuit interrupters which are equipped with an operating handle on the openable cover of the enclosing housing. One diiculty has been that the operating handle on the cover cannot effect an operative engagement or connection with the circuit interrupter handle unless these handles are in corresponding positions when the cover is closed. Another difficulty is that the insulating handle of the circuit interrupter is apt to be broken or damaged when the cover is slammed shut. Also the structure for effecting connection between the interrupter handle and the operating handle on the cover are more complicated and expensive than is desired, thus increasing the total cost of the complete device.

An object of the present invention is the pro- I vision of an enclosed circuit interrupter operable by an operating handle on the openable cover and which obviates the disadvantages mentioned above of the prior art structures.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an enclosed circuit interrupter of the class described in which operative engagement or connection between the operating handle on the` cover and the circuitinterrupter handle can be easily effected after the cover is closed even though the handles are not in kcorresponding positions when the cover is closed.

Another object of the invention is the provisionl of an enclosed circuit interrupter in which the operative connection between the operating handle on the cover and the interrupter handle can be established when thecover is closed and the handles are in non-corresponding positions, merely by moving the operating handle to a position corresponding to that of the interrupter handle.'

Another object of the invention is the provision of an enclosed circuit interrupter in which the means for effecting an operative connection between the operating handle on the cover and the insulating circuit interrupter handle is of such construction as to prevent breakage of the interrupter handle when the cover is slammed shut Germany June 2, 1938 u closed circuit interrupter constructed in accord- Another object of the invention is the provision ance with the invention,

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the enclosed interrupter, and

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 1, showing the circuit interrupter handle and the operating handle in non-corresponding position to illustrate the manner in which they may be operatively connected by moving the operating handle..

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral 5 designates a protecting housing for enclosing a circuit interrupter 1. 'I'he housing 5 is preferably constructed of sheet metal and is provided with an openable cover 9 of the same material, which is hinged to one side lof the housing by a pair of hinges ll. The housing 5 and its cover 9 serve to protect the circuit interrupter 'l and any other electrical devices which may be mounted in the housingffrom dust, dirt and other deleterious materials usually encountered in industrial plants. The cover may be swung to open position to permit access to be had to the electrical devices within the housing; and this cover is adapted to be locked in closed position by a suitable latching or locking device I3.

The circuit interrupter 1 may be a circuit breaker, switch or manual motor starter of any known construction having a movable actuating handle or lever. The circuit interrupter 1 shown is contained within its own casing l5, and is providedy with an oscillatable actuating handle l1, preferably of insulating material, that is movable about a pivot to opposite off and on positions to open or to close the circuit controlled thereby.

The actuating mechanism (not shown) of the interrupter is preferably of the type which is automatically operable upon overloads of predetermined magnitude and duration to effect opening of the contacts of the interrupter, and the mechanism is resettable after an automatic opening operation. There are a number of known circuit is inclosedposition.

of a leaf spring 4I.

breakers of this general type, one, for example, being fully described in Patent 2,048,114 -to H. S. Gano and H. P. Dorfman, July ,21, 1936, assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

An operating handle I9 is-rotatably mountedV on the cover 9 to provide for operating the inter,

.ment of the operating handle I9 to al position will be hereinafter described. 'The cover 9 is provided with suitable indicia such as "on`and oi" which cooperate with an index mark 2i on the operating handle I9 to indicate the operating positions of the handle.

The operating handle I9 is rotatably mounted on the cover 9 by means of a shaft 23 secured to the handle which extends through an opening in the cover 9 and through a bushing or bearing 25 secured to the underside ofthe cover 9. `the inner end of the shaft 23 projecting beyond the bearing 25. w y' n The opening through which the shaft 23 extends is preferably packed in any suitable manner to prevent the entrance of dust or dirt into the housing at this point. The edges of the side and end walls of the cover 9 are slightly oset and are adapted to overlap and fit relatively close against the edges of,` the vside and Vend walls of the housing 5 to provide asubstantially-dust and dirt-proof joint therebetween when the cover 9 The separable connecting means which serve to provide an operative connection between the operating handle I9 and the interrupter handle I1 when the cover is closed whereby rotation of the operating handle to on" or oi positions affects movement of the interrupter handle to corresponding operating positions to operate the interrupter, comprises a crank arm 21 which isrigidly secured to the inner end. of the shaft 23. and a connecting member 29 carried by the circuit interrupter handle I1. The crank is keyed to the shaft 23 for rotation therewith and is held in mounted position on the shaft by the nuts 29.

The connecting member 29 has an integral yoke 3I at its upper end, the legs of which straddle the sides of the interrupter Vhandle I1. 'l

Y circuit interrupter handle I1 and is engaged in aligned openings in the legs of the yoke 3| to pivotally connect the member 29 to the interrupter either direction. I

corresponding .to that of the interrupter handle I1. Thus the operative connection between the handles can be established irrespective of the difference in their positions when the cover is closed. The structure oi the connecting means also prevents breakage of the insulating interrupter handle I1 when the cover 9 is slammed shut. This results from the fact that impacts resulting from slamming of the cover when the crank pin 39 is not in alignment with the slot 31 are not transmitted directly to the interrupter handle I1 but merely result in the connecting member 29 being depressed against the resiliency of the spring 4I.

Referring to Fig.,2,1 the operation of thejdevice isbriefly as follows. With the crank pin- 39 operatively engaged in the slot 31,k letitbe assumed that it is desired to operate the circuit interrupter to the oi position. The operating handle I9 is rotated in a clockwise directionfrom the on position shown inFig. 2 to a position in which the' index 2| aligns with the word oifv4 on the cover 9. ThisV movement of the operating handle I9 causes similar clockwise movement of the crank 21and crank pin 39. The crank pin 39 being engaged in the vslot 31 of the connecting member '29, clockwise movement of the crank pin causes the connecting vmember 29 to'be moved downwardly in a straight position shown in Fig. 2g This movement of the operating handle causes the crank pin 39 to move the connecting member 29 upwardly in a straight line to cause movement of the circuit interrupter handle upwardly from its off to its on position. The transverse slot 31 permits straight line movement of the connecting element 29 when the operating handle is rotated in4 When the cover. is swung to open position, the

jcrank pin 39 is 4,withdrawn from the' slot 31 and handle for movement therewith. 'Iheconnect-l i ing member 29 is provided with adownwardly extending portion which is cylindrically arched, as indicated at 35, and which is provided with a transversely extending slot 31 midway between the ends of the cylindrically arched portion 35.

The transverse slot 31 is adapted to receive an inwardly extending crank pin 39 formed integral with the end of the crank 21 to effect an operative connection between the operating handle VI9 and" the interrupter handle I1 whenthe'cover is in moves vwith l'the cover to open position. When the cover is closed, the crank pin 39 will reen gage in the slot 31 if'the operating .handle I9 is in va position corresponding to thatof them-Y t'errupter handle I1 at the time the cover. is

closed. However, if the operating handle Iil'happens to be in a different position from that-of the interrupter handle I1, even inI apcomplete opposite position therefroml the operative connection between the handles may be readily member 29 outwardly causing the slot 31 to enf gage the crank pin 39 and thus effect operative connection between the handles.

While the invention has been disclosed in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, it is to be understood that various changes in the structural details and modifications thereof may be made without departing from some of the essential features of the invention.

We claim as our invention:

l. In an enclosed circuit interrupter, a housing having an openable cover, ,a circuit interrupter unit having an oscillatable actuating handle mounted in said housing, an operating handle rotatably mounted on said cover for moving said actuating handle Y to actuate the interrupter, means providing a separable connection between said handles, said means being operable to establish an operative connection between said handles after the cover is closed'irrespective of any difference of position of said handles, by manual movement of said operating handle to a position corresponding to that ofsaid interrupter handle.

2. In an enclosed circuit interrupter, a housing having an openable cover, a circuit interrupter unit having a movable actuating handle mounted in said housing, a movable operating handle on said cover for moving said actuating handle to operate the interrupter, means providing a separable connection between said handles which is operable after the cover is closed to establish an operative connection between the handles by manually moving said operating handle to a position corresponding to that of said actuating handle.

3. In an enclosed circuit vinterrupter, a ,housing having an openable cover, a circuit interrupter having an actuating handle movable to "on and off positions mounted in said housing, an operating handle on said cover movable to corresponding on"and oir positions to operate the. interrupter, means providing a separable connection between said handles which when the cover is closed and the handles are in non-corresponding positions is operable to eiect -an operative connection between` said handles upon manual movement of said operating handle to a position corresponding to that of said lnterrupter handle.

4. In an enclosed circuit interrupter, a housing having an openable cover, a circuit interrupter having a movable actuating handle mounted in said housing, a movable operating handle on said cover for moving said actuating handle to operate the interrupter, means providing a separable connection between said .handles ccmprlsing an element movable with one of said handles and engageable with the other 1hantuating handle after the dle, said cover being closable when said han dles are Vin .non-corresponding position, and said element being yieldable to permit operative engagement thereof by manual movement of said operating handle to a position corresponding to that of said actuating handler after vthe cover is closed.

5. In an enclosed circuit interrupter, a' housing having an openable cover, a circuit lnterrupter having a movable actuating handle mounted in said housing, a movable operating handle on said cover for moving said actuating handle to operate the interrupter, means providing a separable connection. between said handles, said means comprising interengageable elements carried respectively by said operating handle and said actuating handle, one of said elements having means for causing it to yield and snap into operative engagement with the other element to eiIect an operative connection between said handles when the operating handle is moved to a position corresponding to that of said actuating handle after the 'cover is closed.

6. In an enclosed 'circuit interrupter, a housing having an openable cover, a circuit interrupter having a movable actuating handle mounted in said housing, a movable operating handle on said cover for moving said actuating handle to operate the interrupter, means providing a separable connection between said handles comprising interengageable elements carried respectively by said operating handle and said actuating handle, and means for causing said elements to operatively engage to effect an operative connection between said handles when the operating handle is manually moved to a position corresponding to that of said actuating handle after the cover is closed irrespective of the diilerence in position of said handles when the cover is closed.

7. In Aan enclosed circuit interrupter, a housing having an openable cover, a circuit interrupter having a movable actuating handle mounted in said housing, a movable operating handle on said cover for moving said actuating handle to operate the interrupter, means' providing a separable connection between said handles comprising an element movable with said operating handle interengageable with an element movable with said actuating handle, said element movable with said actuating handle being yieldable away from said cover to allow said elements to operatively engage to eiect an operative connection between said handles when said operating handle is manually moved to a position corresponding to that of said actuating handle after said cover is closed.

8. In an enclosed circuit interrupter, a housing having an openable cover, a circuit interrupter having a movable actuating handle mounted in said housing, a vmovable operating handle on said cover for moving said actuating handle to operate the interrupter, means providing a separable connection between said handles, said means comprising an element movable with said operating handle and an element operable by said actuating handle, one of said elements havinga recess for receiving the other element to effect operative connection of said handles, said elements being relatively yieldable away from each other to permit relative movement of said elements and engagement of said other element in said recess when the operating handle is moved to a position corresponding to that of said accover is closed.

9. In an enclosed circuit interrupter, a housing having an openable cover, a circuit interrupter having a movable actuating handle mounted in said housing, a movable operating handle on said cover for moving said actuating handle to operate the interrupter, means providing a separable connection between said handles, said means comprising a projection carried by said operating handle and an element connected to said interrupter handle for movement with said interrupter handle, said element having a recess for receiving the projection of said operating handle to eil'ect operative engagement of said handles and having inclined surfaces on opposite sides of said recess, said element being resiliently yieldable away from said cover to permit the projection on said operating handle to move along either of said inclined surfaces and into said recess when said operating handle is rupter having a movable actuating handle mounted in said housing, a movable operating handle on said cover for moving said actuating handle to operate the interrupter, means providing a separable connection between said handles, said means comprising a projection carried by said operating handle and an element secured to said actuating handle for movement with said actuating handle, said element having a recess for receiving the projection on said operating handle to operatively connect said handles and having inclined surfaces on opposite sides of the recess, said element being yieldable away from the cover and biased against the projection to permit said projection to move along either of the inclined surfaces and into said recess when said operating handle is moved to a position corresponding to that of said actuating handle after the cover is closed.

11. In an enclosed circuit interrupter, a housing, a circuit interrupter having an oscillatable actuating handle mounted in said housing, a rotatable operating handle on said `housing for moving said actuating handle to operate the interrupter, means providing a separable connection between said handles comprising an element secured to said interrupter handle for movement therewith said element having a slot therein, and a crank pin carried by said operating handle engageable in said slot to effect an operative connection between said handles, said element having inclined surfaces on opposite sides of said slot and said element being yieldable away from and biased against said pin.

12. In an enclosed circuit interrupter, a housing having an openable cover, a circuit interrupter having an oscillatable actuating handle mounted in said housing, a rotatable operating handle on said cover for moving said actuating handle to operate the interrupter, means providing a separable connection between said handles comprising an element connected to said actuating handle by a pivot pin extending transversely through said actuating handle, said element having a portion extending in the direction of movement of said actuating handle, said portion having a transverse slot therein and having inclined surfaces on opposite sides of the slot, a crank pin carried by said operating handle engageable in said slilfor effecting an operative connection between said handles, and a spring biasing said element against the crank pin.

13. In an enclosed circuit interrupter, a housing having an openable cover, a circuit interrupter having an oscillatable actuating handle mounted in said housing, a rotatable operating handle on said cover for moving said actuating handle to operate the interrupter, an element connected to said actuating handle by a pivot pin extending transversely through said handle, said element having a portion provided with a transverse slot and with cylindrically arched portions on opposite sides of the slot, a-crank pin secured to said operating handle engageable in said slot to operatively connect said handles, and a spring biasing said element against said crank pin.

14. In an enclosed circuit interrupter, a housing having an openable cover, a circuit interrupter having a movable handle mounted in said housing, a movable operating handle on said cover for moving said interrupter handle to operate the interrupter, means providing a separable connection between said handles comprising an element connected to one of said handles having means for operativelyr engaging the other handle to effect operative connection of said handles, said engaging means being yieldably depressible to permit operative engagement to be established after the cover is closed even though said handles are in non-corresponding positions, by manual movement of said operating handle to a position corresponding to that of said interrupter handle.

15. In an enclosed circuit interrupter, a housing having an openable cover, a circuit interrupter having a movable actuating handle mounted in said housing, a movable operating handle on said cover for moving said interrupter handle to operatethe interrupter, means providy ing a separable connection between said handles, said means comprising an element connected to one of said handles having opposed inclined portions for operatively engaging the other handle, said opposed portions being yieldably depressible by said other handle to permit operative engagement to be established when said operating han-y dle is manually moved to a position corresponding to that of said interrupter handle after the cover is closed.

16. In an enclosed circuit interrupter, a housing having a hinged cover, a circuit interrupter having an oscillatable handle mounted in said housing, a movable operating handle rotatably mounted on said cover for moving the interrupter handle to operate the interrupter, means providing a separable connection between said handles comprising an element connected to one of saidv handles having opposed inclined portions for operatively engaging the other handle, said opposed portions being yieldably depressible by said other handle to permit operative engagement to be established after the cover is closed, irrespective of the difference of position of said" handles, by movement of the operating handle to a position corresponding to that of said interrupter handle,

17. In combination, a housing having an openable cover, a circuit interrupter havinga movable actuating handle mounted in said housing, a movable operating handle on said cover for moving said interrupter handle to operate the interrupter, means providing a separable connection between said handles comprising an element connected to one of said handles having opposed portions for engaging the other handle, said portions being yieldably depressible by said other handle to permit operative engagement thereof after the cover is closed, by movement of the operating handle to a position corresponding to that of said interrupter handle.

MAX HBER. ALBERT DAHMS.

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