US1116348A - Circuit-breaker. - Google Patents

Description

E. W. STULL.

CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.16,1912.

Patented Nov. 3, 1914 TNE NORRIS PEYERS co PNOT'O-LITNQ. WASNINGIDN. a. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMME'IT W. STULIi, OF WILKINSBURG. PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE AS- SIGNMENTS, TO ALLIS-CHALMERS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

CIRCUIT-BREAKER.

Patented Nov. 3, 1914..

Original application filed May 29, 1911, Serial No. 630,150. Divided and this application filed November 16, 1912. Serial No. 731,887. v

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMMETT W. STULL, a citizen of the United States, residing at VVilkinsburg, in. the county of Alleghenyand State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and. useful Improvement in Circuit-Breakers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electricaleontrol.

systems, especially to such systems as are intended for operation from separate sources of different potential. I,

For reasons 50f economy, it has been found desirable to use higher voltages for the operation of interurban electric railways than are permissible for the ordinary city-rail-- ways. The common'voltage used in cities is about 600. By using double that voltage, or 1200 volts,,for.interurban service, a great saving'in copper .or in the number of sub stations anay be effected. ;Since most-interurban ;cars,are'al so; used more .or less for city service; it becomes necessary in most cases to arrange the electrical apparatus on the cars which are used on suchhigher voltage interurban systemsso that they may be used on the lower voltage city systems. 5

In co-pending application filed-May 29, 1911, Serial No. 630,150, of which this appli cation is a division, a control system is'de-' scribed as applied to the operation of the motors'and auxiliary apparatus on a car of an electric railway system, .whereby the car can be efficiently operated. on sections of the line supplied atdifi'crent potentials. 1 f; The above mentioned co-pending-application describes means whereby the avoltage impressed on the motonterminals and the terminals-of the auxiliary apparatus is al ways that of the lowzvoltage section of the line, and further describes special means for preventing the use of a set of connections unsuitable for the supplied circuit.

The objects of the present invention are, generally, to provide means for safeguard ingthe electrical apparatus used on the car, and, specifically, to provide a simple and efficient type of no-voltage circuit breaker for said apparatus.

Thevariousnovel features of the invention will appear from the description and drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the claims;

In the drawings; Figurel is a view in ratus when the car ison the highgvoltage or low voltagesection of the line.

The trolley wire or third rail' hashighand low voltage sections 22, and 23 respectively. The current from either section may be. supplied to the car through a trolley or; collector 24. Each car may be operated s eparately or there may be a number. of carscon trolled in common and operated together in a train. On eachlcar are'aplurality of mo-.. tors M, M, arranged onelor more'groups. of two, but one group beingshown. The two motors forminga group :are connected in series for high voltage .opei'ation and in parallel for low. voltage.--; These connections are obtained a combined series J parallel and reversing switch 25,21 portion of which is shown diagrammaticallyin Fig; :20 This switch also reverses the relative direction of current throughthe ifield windings and armatures of such motors to obtain the desired direction of movement of thecar and is specifically described in co -pending application referred to above. a

In the controlling circuitsisa circuitbrealrer 82, biased to open position. When moved to closed position it is held there by a magnet 83, which becomes denergized upon failure of voltage for any reason and allows the circuit-breaker to open. IVhen open, 'the circuit-breaker is held in open position by a latch 84, which is not released until the magnet 83 is again energized; when the circuit-breaker may be closed by hand. The magnet 83 is in series with the operating solenoid of the main circuitbreaker 85, an overload switch 86, and the switch 87 and its operating solenoid. In shunt to the switch 87 is the solenoid 88 of the double-throw switch 89. The solenoid of the switch 87 is so wound that when the trolley 24 is on a low voltage section of the line the switch 87 remains in its lower or closed position, thus short-circuiting the solenoid 88, and when the trolley 24 passes to a high voltage section the switch 87 is opened by its operating solenoid, thus throwing current through the solenoid 88 to v the .circuitrbreaker This causes the circuit hreaker's'fii, a'nd585 to open, f thus disco necting aIl' .ci'rcuits save f-hat including thcceil'ofmagnet 83". The passing of the trolley theseetion 9Q thus'disconnects any motors thaitf may have been connected forioperati-h f'the car. The insulated section 90 is'paralle ed ashort section '91,. which is preferably" 'tfnnectcd to the low voltage sectidii l23; The section 91fis forthe purposeof allowing the ,energization of the rious"circuits the 'car' in case the car should} with the trolley on the secother wh'enfth'e cards on. a low voltage secof the li'r'iel circuits supply-the inotor eon troldevicesjfand the other an. :iliary 'apparatus'on the'car, as specifically de scribed irii' dopending' applications Serial i No. 630,150, filed. May 29, 1 911, and Serial to. the. line.

arrow is'iadapted in its'upper posip .1 the core 19 also provided withan off-set extion to 'connect terimnaLQQ- to the line and in its lower position to connect terminallOl Assume that a car has hecncperating on the low voltage section 23. In order for it to so operatelt hc switch 89 is'down and the switches 43 and 25:11? in low rnltage position, the former to connect contacts 101 and 201 and the latter to connect. the motors M. \Vhen the trolley leavesE M, in parallel. p the section 23 and engages the section SlOJhc various circuits are deiiucrgized in the mani ner already described; hen the trolley reaches thehigh voltage section 22. the circuit including the magnet 83 is energized, thus releasing the latch 81, closing the (11'- cuit-breaker 85, lifting the switch 87, and i throwing current through the solenoid 88 to caiiseit to raise the switch 89. of the latch 84 permits thetnanual closing of the circuit-breaker 82. The closing of this circuit-breaker and the lifting cf the switch 89supplies the potential of the section 22 to the contacts)? "on the switch 43. The motorman now. turns the switch 43 by means of the handle 44 to move the switch from low voltage position to high voltage The lifting position, connecting contacts 92 and 93, thus energizing the circuit 9 1 which supplies the motor-controlling devices and the auxiliary apparatus. The car can now be started on operation of the motor-control system as described in my copending applications .referred to above. In case of an overload at any time, the overload coil 'IOGliEt-s its core and closes the switch 86. This short-circuits the operating solenoid of the circuitbreaker 85, causing the opening oi such circuit-breaker. Thisintcrrupts all motor circuits. breaker this arcing may be suppressed .in any suitable manner. hen the car passes to a low voltage section 23, the- . switches 87, 89, drop to their lower positions, thus connecting the c0ntact1Gto the trolley;

The circuit breaker 82", shown in enlarged formin Fig. 1, comprises fixed and movable contacts 11 and 12, respectively, 'and'elee' trdmagnetic means for controlling the operation of 'the' movable contact. Theelectro magnet' 83 comprises a core member consisting-of two arms bent at angle to each other; An energizing coil 14 is mounted on one of these arms and to the extremity of the other arm" is pivoted an- 'ann-' 16 of magnetic material'to one end of which movable contact 121's secured. The other end of the arm '16 is provided with a handle-17 for manually operating the'circuit-breakeri The end of the core adjaccntthe c'oill t'is'pr'oportion of thearm 16 is adapted to be heldwhen the coil 14 is energized. This endof i tension 19 with which the end'of a pivoted latch 84, of magnetic material, is adapted to engage. One convenient manner of supporting the circuit-breaker partsis shown in Fig. 1, in which the core and the fixed contact 11 are rigidly secured to an insulating base20. The latch Si is also shown as being pivoted to this base. The core 83, the fixed contact 1 11, and the latch 84 are'so'positioned rela tively to each other that the movable contact E 12 properly engages fixed contact 11 when the pivoted arm 16 is held against the pole I face 18, and that the pivoted latch 84 engages a pin on the arm 16 when the movable contact 12 is in full open position to firmly secure the parts in open circuit relation, and further, that the end of the movable latch 84 may be attracted by and engage the core extension 19. The insulating support 20 with the attached circuit-breaker may he positioned within a casing 21 to properly protect the circuitbreaker parts.

As shown in Fig. l, the circuit-breaker is in open position with the circuit through i the coil l open, a condition which will -the high voltage section of the line by the 4 Any arcing occursat the circuit-' vided with a pole face 18 against which a exist while the trolley 24 is passing from the section of low voltage 23 to the section of high voltage 22, or vice versa. \Vhen the trolley 24 is again in engagement with a live portion of the trolley wire, the coil 14: is energized and the end of the latch 84 is drawn up to the extension 19 to release the arm 16 bearing the movable contact 12. With the parts in this position the contact 12 can be manually moved into engagement with the contact 11 and the arm 16 into engagement with the pole face 18, in which position the parts are held by magnetic attraction. The parts remain in this position until the trolley moves onto an insulating section 90 of the line, at which time the magnet 14, being deenergized, allows the arm 16 to drop and move the contact 12 to its normally open position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and further allows the latch 84 to drop into engagement with the pin on the arm 16. A stop 15 may be provided to limit the opening movement of the switch to a position in which the latch 84 will properly engage the pin or projection on the arm 16.

It will be seen that in the form of invention described, gravity alone is depended upon to move the arm 16 so as to open the circuitbreaker. It will be obvious that a spring may be properlypositioned to either perform this function alone or to assist the action of gravity for this purpose.

WVith the circuit-breaker in open position, no automatic action or jarring caused by the motion of the car can move the contacts 11 and 12 into engagement. The device disclosed insures that the motorman shall manually operate this switch before he can op erate the motors or any of the auxiliary apparatus on the car.

It should be understood that it is not desired to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent,

1. A circuit-breaker, comprising a contact bearing arm biased to one position, a latch for holding said arm in said position, and electro-magnetic means for releasing said latch and for holding said arm in a second position independently of said latch.

2. A circuit-breaker, comprising a contact bearing arm having a portion of magnetic material and biased to one position, a latch for holding said arm in said position, and

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the an electro-magnet for releasing said latch and for holding said arm in a second position.

3. A circuit-breaking device comprising a movable contact member, means for holding said contact member in one position, and means for releasing said holding means and for retaining said contact member in a second position independently of said holding means.

4. A circuit-breaker, comprising an electro-magnet having fixed and movable parts, a contact attached to the movable part, and a latch for holding said movable part away from said fixed part, said fixed part adapted to release said latch and to hold the movable part in engagement with said fixed part when the electromagnet is energized.

5. In a circuit-breaker, an electro-magnet having fixed and movable parts, and a latch having a portion of magnetic material for holding the movable part in one position, flux through said electro-magnet releasing said latch and holding the movable part in the second position.

6. A circuit-breaker, comprising fixed and movable contacts, an arm of magnetic material attached to said movable contact, an electro-magnet comprising a core and a winding therefor, said arm being in engagement with one pole of said core and movable into engagement with the other pole. and a latch of magnetic material for holding said arm out of engagement with said core and adapted to be moved out of latching position by said electro-magnet to permit movement of said arm toward said second pole.

7. A circuit-breaker, comprising fixed and movable contacts, electro-magnetic means for holding said contacts in engagement and including a core and a coil thereon, an arm of magnetic material pivoted to said core, and a latch for holding said arm away from one pole of said core, said pole provided with an offset pole piece adapted to attract said latch, whereby said latch is released and said arm is held in engagement with said core to hold the switch contacts in engagement when the coil is energized.

In testimony whereof, the signature of the inventor is affixed hereto in the presence of two witnesses.

EMMETT XV. STULL.

Witnesses:

Emma H. STRUBLE, A. YOUNGHANS.

"Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C.

Images