US1358268A - Automatic electric-circuit breaker - Google Patents

Description

H. E. WADSWORTH AND W. B. ENSIGN.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC CIRCUIT BREAKER. 7

APPLICATION FILED IAILZ, I920.

Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

3 mmro 13S JZMMWA' "(40649019774 MLL/Am 19. 55/6 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY E. WADSWORTH, OF NEW YORK, AND WILLIAM B. ENSIGN, OF WHITE PLAINS,

NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC-CIRCUIT BREAKER.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, HARRY E. VVAns- WORTH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough and county of Bronx, city and State of New York, and lViLLIAM B. ENSIGN, a citizen of the Unlted States, and a resident of White Plains, county of \Vestchester, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Electric- Circuit Breakers, of which the following is a specification.

()ur improvements relate to means for antomatically breaking or opening an electric circuit when a predetermined excess of current occurs, substantially as set forth in our concurrent application Serial No. 314,552, filed July 31, 1919, the object, as in that case, being primarily to dispense with cutout fuses by providing an equivalent therefor to be positioned in like manner between the usual spring clip terminals; to eifectually protect the operative parts and prevent tampering therewith, etc.,our invention in the present case consisting in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts herein described and claimed specifically, whereby these desired results are attained; and a distinctive feature being the substitution of a contact rock lever in lieu of the cut-out slide shown and described in our aforesaid concurrent application No. 314,552.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1, is a front elevation of our improved circuit breaker;

Fig. 2, is an end elevation thereof;

Fig. 3, is a central longitudinal sectional elevation, taken upon plane of line wa Fig. 1, and showing the operative parts set to close a circuit;

Fig. 4, is a like view showing the contact rock lever tripped and the circuit broken;

Fig. 5, is a like view illustrating the resetting operation;

Fig. 6, is a section taken upon plane of line 66, Fig. 3; V

Fig. 7, is a section taken upon plane of line 7-7, Fig. 5;

Fig. 8, is an enlarged sectional detail of the trip mechanism, etc.

The casing of insulating material is made in two parts C, C, each forming one half of the basic structure, and each being sub- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

stantially a reversed duplication of the other. The extremities of each half are semi-circular, so that when the halves are fitted together cylindrical ends are formed over which the cylindrical metallic ferrule caps F, F, fit, binding the two said nonconductive parts C, C, of the housing together. These parts C, C, are further secured together by the rigidly mounted cross bar 13, and further, if desired, by screws or bolts for which holes a, 0, may be provided as indicated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5.

One of the ferrule caps, F, is a fixture upon its end of the casing C, C, being rigidly attached thereto by any suitable mechanical expedient,-while the other ferrule cap F, is movable within certain prescribed limits on its end of the casing for the purpose of re-setting the operative parts, as hereinafter set forth, after a break in the electric circuit.

The medial portions of the halves C, C, are formed with coincidental lateral extensions, and are recessed to afford operative space for the contact rock lever R, the hub 1', of which is fulcrumed on a cross bar B,- said hub 9", being formed with the contact arms 1", 7' and with the trip arm W A spring 8, rigidly afiixed at one end to the cross bar B, and having its free end resting against one of the contact arms, tends constantly to rock the lever R, into the position shown in Fig. 4, with its contact arms r,

r out of en a ement with the terminals 0 0 said arms being metallic conductors which thus bridge over the space between and connect electrically said terminals 0, 0

The terminal 0 is in electrical connection (as by wire 0 with one end'of the coil 0 the other end of which is electrically connected with the fixed ferrule F. The other terminal 0, extends to or is otherwise electrically connected with the annular contact plate 0 formed with the elastic resilient tongues 0 which insure electrical contact with the slidable ferrule F.

Rigidly affixed to the slidable ferrule F, is a reset slide f, positioned in a longitudinal recess 0", formed for it in and between the halves (J, C, of the non-conductive housing. The inner end of this re-set slide 7, is formed with a shoulder f, which normally extends beyond the end of the trip arm 9, of the contact rock lever R, when the latter is in normal position, as in Figs. 3, 5, 6 and 8.

When however the slidable ferrule F, is drawn outward as in Fig. 5, the shoulder f, is drawn into the central position shown therein. Thus, when the contact rock lever has been tripped and rocked by the spring 8, into the position shown in Fig. &, the drawing outward of the slidable ferrule F, causes the shoulder f", of the reset slide 7, to return said contact rock lever to its normal position, as in Fig. 5, resetting the contacts between the arms r,.1" and the terminals 0, 0

The contact rock lever B, under ordinary or normal conditions of electrical current is locked in its contactual position, as in Figs. 3, 5, 6 and 8, by a latch lever Z, fulcrumed on a fixed rod or shaft cl, supported upon and between the halves C, C, of the housing, as shown more particularly in Fig. 6,said latch lever Z, being articularly con nected with the trip arm P of the contact rock lever B, by means of a link Z, pivoted to one arm of said latch lever Z, so that when the other or latch end of the said lever Z, is released by the solenoid plunger bolt 0, as in Fig. 4-, the contact rock lever B, is-free to respond to the pressure exerted by the spring 8, and to assume the position shown in said Fig. 4, with the end of its trip arm resting against the shoulder f, of the re-set slide 7, provided of course that the latter is in retracted position, 6., provided the slidable ferrule F, is in normal closed position as in Figs. 3, 4-, 5 and 8.

The bolt 6, consists of the protuberant extremity of the solenoid plunger E, which is backed by a spring 6, which tends constantly to thrust said plunger outward, as will be understood by reference more particularly to Fig. 8,said spring, 6, being of sufiicient strength to resist a prescribed strength of current passing through the coil 0. Whenever, however, this prescribed limit of strength of current is exceeded the coil 0 retracts the plunger E, causing the bolt 6, to release the latch lever Z, and allow.

the spring 8, to rock the lever R, as hereinbefore set forth.

When the movable ferrule F, is drawn outward to re-set the rock lever R, the shoulder f, of the re-set slide f, in returning the saidlever to normal position causes the link Z, to rock the latch lever Z, back into engagement with the bolt e,the spring 6,

allowing the said bolt 6, (again protuberant if the current in the coil 0 is normal) to,

yield to the chamfered free end of said latch lever Z, and then snapping it back into looking engagement therewith as in Figs. 3, 5 and 8.

As in the case of our cut-out slide circuit breaker described in said concurrent application Serial No. 814,552, it will be seen that in our present device the switch latch may be reset, when the device is removed from between the terminal clips, without opening the casing, and by the simple expedient of reciprocating a portion thereof.

Furthermore all the operative parts of the circuit breaker are inclosed, isolated and protected from contact with extraneous objects, and they cannot be tampered with or improperly manipulated while the encasement is intact. The deviceis an effectual substitute for the blow-out fuse,

with the great advantage that it can be reset and used indefinitely; and the act of resetting simply involves its removal from between the circuit terminal clips and the manipulation of the ferrule cap F after which it is ready for replacement in operative position.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

An automatic electric circuit breaker of the character designated, comprising a casing of insulating material, metallic ferrule caps formed externally for contactual engagement with electric terminal spring clips, fixed electric contacts connected with each of said ferrule caps, a contact rock lever normally engaging with said fixed electrical contacts, means which tend constantly to rock said contact lever out of engagement with saidfixed electric contacts, switch latch mechanism connected with said contact rock lever, a solenoid interposed in the electric current, a solenoid plunger controlled thereby and formed with a bolt portion adapted to engage with the aforesaid switch lock mechanism, and ferrule-cap-connected means for re-setting the parts after a break.

HARRY l]. WADSWORTH. WILLIAM B. ENSIGN.

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