US1581830A

US1581830A - Circuit interrupter

Info

Publication number: US1581830A
Application number: US638759A
Authority: US
Inventors: Beschnitt Albert
Original assignee: General Electric Co
Current assignee: General Electric Co
Priority date: 1923-05-14
Filing date: 1923-05-14
Publication date: 1926-04-20
Anticipated expiration: 1943-04-20

Description

April 20 1926;

y A. BESCHNITT cmcuxw'm'rsnnurwnn Filed May 14. 1925,

- Im/ehtor: *Nberb Beschni'tlt, by

His 'M'xofney Patented Apr. 20, 1926.

ALBERT 'GIIOB TU GENERAL ELEQTR IC COM- PANY, A CORIGRATIOEI YORK.

CIRCUIT INTERRUP I ER.

Application filed May 14, i923.

To LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, finance? BESCHNITT, a citizen of the German Realm, residing at Berlin. Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circuit Interruptcrs, which the "Following is a specilication.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved interrupter for electric circuits which will positively and quickly interrupt the controlled circuit in response to a predetermined condition, such, for instance, as an overload condition.

A further object of the invention is to provide an impr Ted interrupter which is magnetically held closed and magnetically opened.

2 still further object of the invention is to provide an improved interrupter which does not require the use of triggers, latches and the like for holding the switch contact niechanisn'i in the closed position.

A. still further object of the invention is toprovide an interrupter whic iis held closed by an electi'oinagnet having a shunt winding and opened by means responsive to the current in the controlled circuit, the arrangem nt being such that the flux of the shunt winding is automatically shifted to assist in opening the controlled circuit.

Another object of he invention is to provi .0 an improved circuit interrupter in which a plurality o1 s itch contact menihers are arranged to be connected in series relation in a circuit to be controlled and the switch members are held in the closed position by a single clectroinag" et having a shunt holding coil and the s ch members are operated to the open position under the control of series winding which opposes the normal efilect of the shunt winding. Tl" and other objects of the invention as either apparent to those skilled in the art or as will he pointed on fully hereiiaiter are attained in the electromagnetic vitch illustrated in the accompanying crawings.

deterring to the accoi'npang'ing drawings, Fig. 1 shows very d1agrannnatically a cirinterrupter in ordance with the invention, the single switch IDGIHlJOY of the interrupter being magnetically held in the clo ed position; 2 is a very diagrammatic view showing the relative positions of the parts when the circuit in alter is in Serial No. 638,?59.

the open position; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a double pole circuit breaker in accordance with the invention, with the switch contact members in their respective closed positions; and F a: is a VlQW showing the relative positions of the parts of the switch illustrated in Fig. 3 when the switch membe are in their respective open positions. Referring to the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2, the movable switch member 10 is adapted to make engagement with the stationary switch contact 111 as to complete the circuit controlled by the switch. 'The switch member 10 is under the control of electromagnetic means having a magnetic structure comprising the armature l2'which is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends and tho E-shapedmagnetic structure 13. The armature l2 and the switch member controlled thcrehy are held in their respective closer p sitions in response to the magnetic flux set up by the shunt winding 14-. This shunt winding 14- is disposed on the middle le ot' the i i-shaped magnetic structure, and it will be oh er that while the magnetic structure provides two multiple connected 1 paths, the swit n member is held in the closed pos on oy reason of the flux in the the paths. The pivotal upper portion or moun ing of the armature 1'22 is preferably opposite the middle leg or the common part or the two paths for the magnetic flux of when the armashown and the the electronisgnet, so that med the magnetic tnre is in the ion shunt wind v e L the up portion of the predominates orer 'ie magnetic is a mature 'ill be hell in the bias of the spring open theiwritch. he switch. is iagiieticaly opened under ontrol of the ries 'nding 16 which v either be inclut e v led directly in the circontrolled by the svitch or energized esponsively to the current in the controlled circuit, as will he understood by those sl-zilled in the art. The series winding is disposed on the lower leg of the Eshaped magnetic structure and since this winding embraces the lower the multiple connect-ed paths of the magnetic structure, it is in close inductive relation with the shunt winding As long as the attractive force of the magnetic flux of the shunt winding 14: acting is interrupted,

the magnetic pull of the flux set up by the series winding predominates over the magnetic pull set up by the shunt winding, the switch will be opened, thereby protecting the controlled circuit from abnormal curren conditions. The arrangement is preterably such that the direction of the flu set up by the shunt winding and the direction of the flux setup by the series winding through the common part of the multiple connected paths is in the same direction,

so that when the armature 12 starts to move away from the closed position under the control of the series winding so as to thereby increase the air gap 17 and decrease the air gap 18, the flux of the holding winding 14 will diminish through the upper portion of the magnetic paths and will be shifted so as to pass through the lower portion of the magnetic paths and thus assist the series winding and the biasing spring 15 in opening the switch. This is an important feature of the invention, for the reason that the holding magnet serves to normally hold the switch member in the closed position as long as conditions in the controlled circuit are normal, but when the conditions in the controlled circuit become abnormal, the flux of the holding magnet is made ellective to assist in the opening of the switch. Due to the inductive relation between the series winding 16 and the shunt winding 1e, a very rapid shitting o1 the flux ofthe shunt winding is etlected upon a rapid increase in the current through the series winding and a very quick interruption of the controlled circuitis thereby efitected.

By reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the flux set up by the holding magnet through the upper portion of the magnetic circuit is materially less than the flu): set up through the lower portion of the multiple connected magnetic paths. The flux: is indicated by the dot and dash lines with the arrows indicating the direction of the fluxes, in a manner which will be well understood by those skilled in the art. lit will be understood, of course. that after the switch contacts have opened and the controlled circuit has been interrupted, the spring 15 will be effective to complete the opening movement of the switch, since when the circuit the pull set up by the series winding will cease. It will .lso hen-Cited that the flux lines as indicated in Fig. 2 are not necessarily of the exact relative values as shown after the switch has opened, it be ing the intention of this figure to rather indicate the distribution of the fluxes while the switch is in the act of opening.

By reference to Fig. 3 it will be observed that my invention is applicable to an arrangement in which two switch m mbers connected in series in the controlled circuit are controlled by a common electromagnetic device in accordance with the invention, as explained in connection with Figs. 1 and 2. By reference to Fig. 3, it will be seen that two pivotally mounted

arn'iatures

12 and 12 are provided and that these ari'natures, together with the

magnetic pole pieces

19 and 20, form a magnetic structure which is essentially the same as the magnetic struc ture of the switch illust ated in Figs. 1 and Each of the

armatures

12 and 12" is biased to the open position by its respective spring as indicated, and the shunt winding 1 3 is effective to hold the two armaturcs and their controlled switch members in their respective closed positions as long the flux set up by this shunt winding through the upper portion of the multiple connected magnetic paths predominates over the flux set up by the series winding 16 through the lower portion of the magnetic paths. The operation of this form of my invention is in principle the same as the operation of the arrangen'ient shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and it is believed that "from the previous description given, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the switch members will be magnetically held in their closed positions until thetiux set up by the series winding predominates so as to attract the lower portions 01": the

armatures

12 and 12 toward each other so as to simultaneously interrupt the controlled circuit at both interrupting gaps. When t 1e effect of the series winding predominates the flux of the shunt winding will be shifted so as to assist in opening the switch members in the same manner as explained in Figs. 1 and 2. lVh n the switch is thus opened, the parts will be in their relative positions, as shown in Fig. 4, and it will be understood that the direction and magnitude of the flux lines indicated in this figure are to be taken as representing the conditions while the.

away from their toward their reswitch members are moving respective closed positions spective open positions.

It will be observed that my improved electro-magnetically controlled switch or circuit interriq'it-er is arranged to be magnetically held closed and magnetically opened, and that there is no necessity for the use of triggers, latches and the like which are troublesome and likely to get out of repair, and which are also objectionable for the reason that delays in the opening of the conto open the switch,

lot

trolled circuit are introduced thereby. It will also be observed that the holding winding is in close inductive relation with the series winding in order to render the former eflective to assist the series winding in the by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A circuit interrupter comprising a switch member bias-ed to the open position, an electromagnet having a centrally pivoted armature and a shunt winding acting on one end of the armature for holding the switch member in the closed position, and means responding to the current in the controlled circuit acting on the other end of the armature for shifting the magnetic flux of the shunt winding to the said other end of the armature, to permit the switch member to open the controlled circuit.

2. A circuit interrupter comprising two switch members arranged. to be connected in series in an electric circuit to be controlled, an electromagnet having a separate pivotally mounted armature connected to each of said switch members and a shunt winding tor holding the said switch members in their closed positions, and means responsive to the current in the controlled circuit for attracting the said armatures to open the controlled circuit.

A circuitinterrupter comprising two switch members biased to their open posilions and arranged to be connected in series in an electric circuit to be controlled, an electroiuagnet having a separate pivotally mounted armature connected to each of said switch members and a shunt winding for setting up a flux to hold the said switch members in their closed positions, and means responsive to the current in the controlled circuit "for shifting the magnetic flux of the shunt winding to assist the bias of the said switch members to their open positions' *l. A circuit interrupter comprising a switch member, an electromagnet having a pivotally mounted armature and a shunt winding disposed on. a part of the magnetic structure of the said electromagnet opposite the pivot of said armature and cooperating with one end of the armature for holding the said switch member in the closed position, and a series winding disposed with respect ,to the said arnjiature to produce a this acting substantially entirely on the other .end of the said armature for effecting the interruptioiro'f the controlled circuit in response to the current through the series winding.

5. A circuit interrupter comprising a switch member, an electromagnet having a centrally pivoted armature and a shunt winding disposed on a part of the magnetic structure of the said electroinagnet opposite the pivot of said armature and co-operating with one end of the arn'iature for holding the said switch member in the closed position, and a series winding acting upon the other end of said armature for shifting the magnetic flux of the said shunt winding to assist the iiux of the series winding to effect the interruption of the controlled circuit in accordance with the current through the series winding.

6. A circuit interrupter comprising a switch member, an electromagnet having a v magnetic structure with two multiple connected paths for the flux of the electromagnet and a shunt winding disposed on the common part of the said paths for setting up a magnetic flux through one of said paths for magnetically holding the said switch member in the closed position, and a series winding disposed in inductive relation with said shunt winding on the other of the said paths to set up a flux through the said common path in the same direction as the flux of the shunt winding for magnetically operating the switch member from the closed position towa d the open position.

7, A circuit interrupter comprising a pivotally mounted switch member, and an electromagnet having a magnetic structure with two multiple connected paths for the flux of the electromagnet, the common part of the said paths disposed substantially opposite the pivotal mounting of the said switch member, a shunt winding disposed on the said common part of the said paths for setting up a magnetic flux through one of said paths on one side of the said pivotal mounting of the switch member for magnetically holding the switch member in the closed position, and a series winding for magnetically operating the switch member from the closed postion toward the open position, the said series winding disposed in inductive re lation with said shunt winding on the other of said paths so as to set up a flux therein which is in the same direction through the said common part of the paths as the flux of the said shunt winding.

8. A circuit interrupter comprising a switch member and an eleotromagnet having a centrally pivoted armature, a magnetic structure cooperating therewith to form multiple connected flux paths through opposite ends of said armature, a shunt winding disposed on the common part of said paths part as the flux of the shunt winding for for setting up a magnetic flux through one magnetically operating the switch member 10 of said paths for magnetically holding the from the closed position toward the open said switch member in the closed position, position.

- and a series winding disposed in inductive In witness whereof, I have hereunto set relation with said shunt winding on the my hand this Qth day of April, 1923. other of said paths to set up a flux in the same direction through the said eonnnon ALBERT BESOHNITT.