US1350432A - Fuse-switch - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FUSE-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 15, 1917. Serial No.'202,110.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN P. ARNDT, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of \Visconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fuse-Switches, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

The invention relates to switches.

The invention is more particularly designed to provide a disconnecting fuse switch using a fuse element with means for disrupt ing the are upon the blowing out of the fuse element.

Another object of the invention is to provide a circuit controlled compressed gas generating means within the fuse casing to disrupt the arc, occasioned by the blowing out of the fuse, by the use of the compressed gas.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of the fuse switch;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The numeral 1 designates the usual insulators carried by a suitable support, 2 the fixed contacts secured to the insulators; and 3 the movable switch arm as a whole, said arm being pivotally secured to one of the fixed contacts by a pin or screw 4 on one fixed contact engaging in a slot 5 in the blade 6 of the switch arm, the other blade 7' of said arm being releasabl held between the fingers of the other fixe contactas will be readily understood b those skilled in the art.

The mova le switch arm consists of a cylinder or tube 8, caps 9 and 10 secured to the ends of the tube and having the blades 6 and 7 respectively integral therewith, means including a fuse element 11 for electrically connecting said caps 9 and 10 and consequently the blades 6 and 7 together, and means for disrupting the are upon the rupture of the fuse element.

The means for electrically connecting the caps 9 and 10 together comprises a. conductor 12 secured at one end to the cap 9 and at its other to a tube 13 b a clip 14, a tubular fuse terminal 15 detacfiably secured to the tube 13 by a pin 16 on the tube 13 and a bayonet slot 17 in the terminal 15, the end of the fuse 11 being inserted in a slot 18 in the terminal 15 and turned up and held bv a sleeve 19 slidably mounted on .the terminal 15, the other end of the fuse'being secured to the cap 10 by being passed through a slot 20 1n a tubular fuse terminal 21 and held by a sleeve 22 slidably mountedon the terminal 21, said terminal 21 being secured to the cap 10 by having its outer flanged end 23 engaging a tubular portion 24 on the cap and being clamped thereto by a cap 25.

The means for disrupting the are upon the rupture of the fuse element comprises a compressed gas generating means within the tube 8 consisting of a piston 26 connected to the tube 13 and slidably mounted within the cylinder and provided with piston rings 27, a rod 28 connected to said tube and slidably mounted in a tubular plug 29 carried by the cap 9 and a coiled tension spring 30 secured at one end to said cap 9 and at the other end to the tube 13. The compressed gas is conducted from the closed end of the cylinder into the tube 13, through apertures 31.

The cap 10 is provided with radially disposed lugs 32 to form channels 33 between the cap and the open end of the tube 8 and a pull ring 34.

To assist in placing the fuse in position the piston is held against actuation 'from the spring 30 by means of a pin 34' secured to the rod 28 and adapted to engage in a -ba onet slot 35 in the plug 29.

Vith this construction when the piston 26 is pushed up so that the pin 34' engages in the slot 35, the fuse terminal 15 protrudes through the tubular portion 24 and by turning it to unlock the bayonet joint it may be removed from the tube 13. On its removal one end of the fuse 11 is passed through the slot 18, bent up and the sleeve 19 slipped over it and the other end of the fuse is secured to the terminal 21 in a similar manner by passing it through the slot 20 and slipping the sleeve 22 over it. With the fuse thus connected to its terminals the Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

terminal 15 is slipped back onto the tube 13 tion 24. With the switch thus loaded-current from the line conductor 35 passes through one of the fixed contacts 2 to the blade 6, cap 9, conductor 12, tube 13, terminal 15, fuse 11, terminal 521, cap 10, blade 7, other fixed contact to the line conductor 36.

If for any reason the current in the line increases to such an extent as to rupture the fuse element 11 then upon the blowing out of the fuse the spring 30 is released and the air in the tube is compressed between the piston 26 and the closed end of the tube and passes through the apertures 31 into the tube 13 and terminal 15 through which it is delivered in the space between the fuse terminals and blows out or disrupts the arc and passes out through the channels 33. in the resetting of the device the switch arm is swung to open position by a pull on the ring 34 and the fuse is replaced and the switch moved back to operative position.

The great danger with fuse switches is the liability of the arc injuring the fuse terminals and the present construction successfully overcomes this difficulty by disrupting the are through the use of compressed air.

1 am aware that the details of construction shown and described herein are capable of some modification and change and 1 therefore desire it to be understood that such changes in construction as come within the scope of the appended claims 1 deem to be within the spirit of my invention.

What 1 claim as my invention is:

1. A fuse switch comprising a casing having a closed end and an open end, a spring pressed air-compressor piston working within said casing, a fuse secured to the open end of the casing and to the piston and held in tension by the spring, and means for conducting the compressed air generated in the closed end of the cylinder against the ruptured ends of the fuse when the circuit is opened.

2. A fuse switch comprising a casing having a closed end and an open end, an air compressor piston working within said casing, a fuse secured to the open end of the casing and to the piston, means for moving the piston on the blowing out of the fuse to compress the air between it and the closed end of the casing, and means forv conducting the compressed air generated in the closed end of the cylinder against the ruptured ends of the fuse when the circuit is opened.

3. In a fuse switch, the combination, with a tube having an open end, of a fuse element secured at the open end of the casing, and a fuse-controlled air compressor within the tube for delivering compressed air against the ruptured ends of the fuse element when the circuit is opened.

4:. An electric switch including a movable connecting switch arm for engagement with a pair of contacts and comprising a tube having an open end, a renewable fuse element disposed therein near the open end of the tube, and means for generating compressed air within the tube and directing the same in a stream against the fuse element when the same is ruptured and the circuit open.

5. An electric switch including a movable switch arm for engagement with contacts and comprising a tube, a cap secured to one end of the tube, a terminal blade carried by said cap and engaging one of said contacts, an outlet port in said cap, another cap closing the other end of the tube, a terminal blade carried'by the last mentioned cap and engaging the other of said contacts, and electrical connections between the caps including a fuse element adjacent the first mentioned cap, a hollow terminal for one end of the fuse element, and means for generating compressed air within the tube and leading the air through said hollow terminal when the fuse element is ruptured.

6. In a fuse switch, the combination, of

a readily removable fuse element provided with a hollow terminal at one end, and means for driving air through said terminal when the circuit is opened.

7. A fuse switch, comprisin a casing closed at one end and open at the other, a piston dividing said easing into a closed compartment and an open compartment, a by-pass from the closed compartment to the open compartment, a fuse element secured to the open end portion ofthe casing and to the piston, and fuse controlled means for moving the piston to compress the air in the closed compartment, force it through said by-pass and against the ends of the fuse element on the blowing out of the fuse element.

8. A fuse switch, comprising a casing closed at one end and open to the atmosphere at the other end, a piston working within said casing, a renewable fuse element, means removably connecting one end of said element to the front end of the piston, means for removably connecting the other end of said element with the open end of the casing, a contractile spring normally acting to move said piston toward the closed end of.

the casing and held in tension by the fuse element, a by-pass from the clpsed end of the casing to the open end throi'lgh which air compressed by the piston upon its movement under action of said spring is directed against the ruptured ends of the fuse element on the release of the spring by the blowing out of the fuse element, and manually operated means for returning the piston and spring to a position for replacing the fuse element.

9. A fuse switch comprising a casing closed at one end and'open at the other, and

provided with a reloading opening at said open end, a piston working within said casing, a reloading rod secured to the piston and passing through the closed end of the casing, a by-pass between the closed and open end of the casing, a spring normally moving said piston toward said closed end, a fuse element removably secured at one end to the piston and removably secured at the other end in said reloading opening and held in tension .by the spring, said spring causing said piston to compress air in the closed end of the tube on the rupturing of the fuse, the compressed air passing through said bypass and against the ruptured ends of the fuse to extinguish the are.

10. A fuse switch comprising a casing closed at one end and open at the other and provided with a reloading opening at said open end, a piston working within said casing, a reloading rod secured to the piston and passing through the closed end of the casing, a spring normally moving said piston toward the closed end of the tube to compress air therein, means for locking the rod and piston against movement by the spring while reloading, a fuse element removably secured at one end to the piston and removably secured at the other end in said reloading opening and held in tension by the spring on the release of said locking means, and a by-pass between the open and closed ends of the casing.

11. An electric switch of the class described including a switch arm comprising a tube, a closure for both ends of said tube,

an outlet port in the closure at one end of the tube for connecting said end with the atmosphere, a piston reciprocally mounted in said tube, a manually operating rod for said piston having a by-pass in its end connected with its piston for communicating the end of the tube adjacent the closure havin the outlet port therein with the other end 0 said tube, means normally urging said piston toward the closed end of said tube, and means for retaining the piston against movement toward the closed end of the tube and consisting of a renewable fuse element connected with said piston adjacent the discharge end of the by-pass and connected with the closure having the outlet port, said piston being rapidly moved toward the closed end of the tube upon a rupture of the fuse element whereby to compress air therein and eject the same through the by-pass 7 onto the ruptured ends of said element.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN P. ARNDT.

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