US1426467A - Circuit-breaker tripping structure - Google Patents

Description

T. B. EASTBURN. C|RCU|T BREAKER TRIPPING STRUCTURE.

APPLICATION H'LED DEC. 23. 1920.

Patented Aug. 22, 1922.

lam TOR 26 A TTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS B. EASTBURN,

CUTTER ELECTRICAL PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CIRCUIT-BREAKER TRIPPING STRUCTURE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pate t d A 22 1922 Application filed December 23, 1920. Serial No. 432,642.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS B. EASTBURN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Circuit-Breaker Tripping Structure, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to time element or start delaying devices, more particularly of the sucker type, and relates more particularly to such devices in relation to tripping mechanism for electric switches or automatic circuit breakers. y

In accordance with my invention the movable element of the start delaying or time element device is connected by a spring with the movable member, as a magnet armature, tripping member or the like, whose start is to be delayed, the spring being housed within a rigid member which allows relative movement between the movable element of the start delaying device and said movable member, the rigid member having universal joint engagement with the movable element of the start delaying device and having a guiding connection or engagement with said movable member.

My invention resides in features hereinafter described and claimed.

For an illustration of one of the forms my invention may take, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, illustrating mechanism embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the delay device and its connections,

taken at right angles to the sectional view thereof in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view guiding and separating member.

Fig. 4c is an elevational view at right angles to that of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of means for adjusting the normal position of armature and start delaying device.

Referring to the drawing, 1 is a base of insulating material upon which are secured the stationary contacts or terminal blocks 2 and 3 adapted to be bridged and connected by the movable contact member 4 carried by the arm 5 pivoted at 6 to a fixed member 7 carried by the base 1. Pivoted to the member 7 at 8 is a toggle link or lever 9 pivoted of the at 10 to the toggle link or lever 11 pivoted to the arm 5 at 12.

In the position illustrated, the toggle 9, 11 1s overtravelled in that the pivot 10 is to the rlght and above the line oining the centers of the pivots 8 and 12. The contact member is accordingly held locked in circurt closing position illustrated. Carried by the member 7 is an electro-magnet whose wind ng is 13, connected in series with the circuit controlled by the contact 1, or in any other arrangement therein or in any other circuit. The electro-magnet has the poles 14 and 15 with which is adapted to co-act the armature 16 pivoted at 17. Slidable upward between the pole piece 15 and the strap or bracket 18 is the member 19 whose upper end 1s adapted to strike upwardly against the operating arm 20 forming an extension of the toggle link 9.

. The member 20 may be actuated for closing or resetting the circuit breaker by r0tation of the member 21 by handle 22; and the breaker may be manually tripped, by actuation of the member 23 by inward movement of the rod 24 when actuated from its outer end at the button 25.

Carried by the horizontally extending portion 26 of the bracket or strap 18 is the cup or chamber 27 whose suitably surfaced bottom 28 constitutes'the fixed or stationary element of a start delaying device of the sucker type. Co-acting with the stationary sucker element 28 is the movable sucker element 29, oil or equivalent material being placed in the cup 27 to a depth suitably above the element 29. At the center of the movable sucker element 29 is a substantially hemispherical boss 30 having a hole into which is hooked the lower end 31 of the helical spring 32 whose upper end 33 hooks over the pin 35 extending across the aperture or slot 36 in the movable tripping member or armature 16. The rigid guide and separator member 37 is in the form of a tube within which the spring 32 is housed. The tube 37 is open at its lower end and engages the hemispherical lug 30 on member 29, there being accordingly formed, in effect, a universal joint between the member 29 and the member 37. The tube 37 adjacent its upper end is flattened, as indicated at 38, the portion 38 having therein the open ended slot 39, holes 40 extending through tude,

the flattened members 38, and the aforesaid pin 35 extending through said holes 40. r The cup 27 is threaded cover 41 having an opening 42 through which freely extend the spring 32 and tube 37.

Threaded into the side of the cup 27 is the thumb screw 43 extending through the vertical slot 44 in the member 18, whereby the normal position of the armature 16 with respect to the magnet poles 14 and 15 may be adjusted by raising the cup 27 to suitable position while the screw 43 is loose, and then tightenin the screw 43 and so clamping the cup 2 in adjusted position to the fixed member 18.

The operation is as follows:

When the adhesion of the sucker element 29 to its companion 28 is of normal magnitude, upon flow of current of predetermined magnitude through the magnet winding 13 the armature 16 will be attracted upwardly, andafter a time, by force communicated to it through spring 32, will cause it to separate from element 28, and the armature 16 will thereafter freely rise and engage the member 19 which will carr the toggle pivot 10 across dead center, allbwing the toggle to collapse and the movable contact member 4 to separate from the main terminals 2 and 3 and so interrupt the circuit.

If, however, the adhesion of members 28 and 29 to each other be abnormal in magnias when the oil or other material in the cup 27 thickens or dries, or for any other reason the adhesion becomes abnormal, the

element 29 will not separate from its companion 28 upon flow of current of said predetermined magnitude through the magnet Winding '13. If, however, the current through the winding 13"should thereafter materially increase, the breaker will nevertheless be tripped, because upon application of the greater attractive force to the armature 16 it will rise, elongating spring 32, and eventually trip the breaker moving the member 19.

The spring 32 draws the member 29 against the lower .end of the tube 37, whereby the member 27 has in effect a universal joint upon the member 37, which latter guide or positioning member and further serves to' limit the approach of members 16 and 29 toward each other.

What I claim is: x 1. In circuit breaker tripping mechanism, the combination with a movable tripping member, of a sucker device having a movable element, a spring connecting said movable sucker element with said tripping mem-. ber, and a rigid member pivoted to said tripping member and having a universal provided with a screw by engaging and joint with respect to said movable sucker element.

2. In circuit breaker tripping mechanism, the combination with amovable tripping member, of a sucker device having a movable element, a spring connecting said movable sucker element with said tripping member, and a tubular member enclosing said spring and limiting approach of said tripping member and movable sucker element toward each other.

3. The combination with a movable member, of a sucker device having a movable element, a spring connecting said movable sucker element with said member, said movable sucker element carrying an element of a universal joint, a tube enclosing said spring engaging at its open end with said joint element, and a connection between said tube and said movable member.

4. The combination with a movable member having an opening therein, of a pin extending across said opening, a sucker device having a movable element, a spring connecting said movable sucker element with said pin, and a tube enclosing said spring and pivoted on said pin within said opening.

5. The combination with a movable member having an opening, of a pin extending across said opening, a sucker device having a movable element, a spring connecting said movable element of said sucker device with said pin, a tube engaging said movable sucker element and enclosing said spring, said tube being flattened and extending into said opening and having a connection with said pin. I

6. The combination with a movable member, of a tube supported at one end on said movable member, a sucker device having a movable element, a spring connecting said movable sucker element with said movable member and disposed within said tube, said tube engaging said movable sucker element at its opposite end, said tube separating from said movable sucker element upon elongation of said spring by said movable member.

In circuit breaker tripping mechanism, the combination with a movable tripping member, of a sucker device having a movable element, a spring connecting said movable sucker element with said tripping member, and a rigid member attached to said tripping member and engaging said movable sucker element and separating from said movable sucker element upon movement of said tripping member away from said movable sucker element.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature this 20th day of December, 1920.

THOMAS B. EASTBURN.

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