US1817065A - Disconnecting switch - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 4, 1931. H. J. CRABBS DISCONNECTING SWITCH Filed Feb 65y 3929 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Herberffabb.

ATTORNEY Allg- 4, 1931. H. J. cRABBs 1,817,065

I DISCONNECTINGSWITCH Filed Feb. e, 1929 3 sheets-sheet 2 .#INVENTOR Hefbef/ J Cm.

' ATTORNEY Y Aug'. 4, 1931.

H, J. cRABBs DISCONNECTING SWITCH Filed Feb- 6, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR `ATTORNEY Patented Aug. y 4, 1931 UNITED STATES HERBERTJ'. CRABBS, OF IRWIN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELC- TRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION F PENNSYLVANIA DISCONNECTING SWITCH Application mea February 6,' 1929. seriaro'jeavea.

My invention relates t-o-switch mechanisms tact pressures through rotative engagement.

and particularly to disconnecting switches for high voltage circuits. l

One object of my invention is to provide a pair of insulating members for a -switch of the above-mentioned type that shall be so supported as to permit a tilting movement to engage and separate the contact members thereof.

Heretofore it has been the practice to provide high Voltage disconnecting switches with a pair of vertical insulating members to support a contact jaw and a cooperating blade, respectively. The -demand for switches of greater current and vol* age finds this type of structure inadequate as the cantilever strain on the insulators, the spacing of which must necessarily be increased, becomes prohibitive and other structures must be employed. y

Accordingly, I have provided a pair of tilting insulating members, that may be of considerable length, supported for a tilting movement -on either side of their vertical positions, such movement being sufficient toeectively interrupt the high voltage circuit.

The contacts employed on the insulators have a high pressure engagement brought about through the rotation .of one or both of the insulators after they have been tilted into their contact engaging position.

-It is a property of the ceramic materials usually employed for high voltage insulators in outdoor service that, while capable of withstanding considerable compressive and torsional stresses, they are relatively weak in under tension and cantilever stresses. A pair of tilting insulator columns are accordingly but poorly adapted to force a blade and a contact jaw located on their respective ends into an engagement of the degree of tightness necessary for satisfactory operation of a switch. On the other hand since even a. long column of' ceramic insulators is well adapted to exert considerable torsional forces, it is o'ssible to obviate the abovedescribed di culty from inability to withstand cantilever stress by employing, in combination with switches of the character herein so described, contacts whichv produce high con- It is, therefore, another object of my invention to provide a switch of the above-mentioned type with an operating mechanism that rotates one or both of the insulators after first tilting them until the contacts thereof come into the engagement position.

A further object of my invention is to provide a switch having tilting and rotating movement with a pair of lever systems connected to a single operating member and so arranged that one lever system tilts the insulators and the other lever system, thereafter, rotates the Contact members.

With these principles and objects in mind, my invention will best be understood by referring to the following description and drawings wherein;

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a switch structure embodying my invention and shown in open position.

Fig. 2 is an end view in elevation of the bifurcated contact shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a View in elevation similar to that of Fig. 1, with. the exception that the parts are shownv in-'switch closed position.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. l with the circuit interrupter shown in open position.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary View, in elevation, of a switch structure embodying a modiied form of my invention that is illustrated in Fig. 1, shown in open position.

Fig. 6 is a view, in elevation, similar to that of Fig. 1, with the exception that the parts are shown in switch-closed position, and

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a view, in elevation of a switch structure embodying a modified form of myt,l

invention that is illustrated in Fig. 1, shown'g in closed position. l

y Fig. 9 is a view, in elevation, of a switch structure embodying a further modified form of my invention that is illustrated in Fig. 1, shown in closed position.

My invention comprises, in general, arrangement shown in Fig. 1, comprising channels or base members 1 having pivot pins 2 and 3 located in the ends thereof on which the tilting insulators carrying the switch con- 103 tacts turn. A' bearing 4 is provided in the central portion of the base and is :supported thereon by bolts 5 and 6 and is employed to journal a shaft 7 therein.

Insulating columns 8 and 9 are mounted on the pivot pins 2 and 3, respectively, the insulating column 8 supporting on its upper end a bifurcated contact 11 that is connected by means of the flexible connector 12 to the main :line circuit. The insulator column 9 supports" on its upper end a blade 13 which is electrically connected, by means of the flexible conductor 14, to the other side of the main line circuit. The distance between the bifurcated contact 11 and the blade 13 when separated should be such as to be proportional to the voltage rating of the switch, since the flexible conductors are the means of connecting the main lines to the contacts, the supg porting structure being insulated therefrom by the columns 8 and 9.

Between the supporting pin 3 and the base of the insulating ,column 9, a pin 15 is provided upon which the insulating column 9 may rotate. An arm 16 extends from the side of the base of the insulating column 9 and has a loosev swivel connection with a link 17 associated therewith. The pivotal support members for the insulating columns 8 and 9 eX- r tend below the pins 2 and 3 and are pivotally the extension 16 have s uch relative positions and length that the first movement of rotation of the shaft 7 imparts very little or no movement of rotation to the insulating column 9 but does impart a large movement to the links 18 and 19 to tilt the insulator columns 8 and 9 toward each other. During this time, the crank arm 21 is moving in an arc in a` manner to be approximately proportional to the movement of the extension 16 in an arc about the pivot 3.

After the tilting movement has been completed. the continued rotation of the shaft 7 moves the double crank 22 up to and beyond the'toggle position of the links 18 and 19, thereafter producing very little, if any, tilting movement to the insulator` columns 8 and 9. During this latter movement, the crank arm 21 has revolved with the crank arm 22 a distance suflicient to cause the extension 16 to rotate. carrying the insulator column 9 therewith, so that the blade 13 is rotated in such a manner as to produce a high pressure engagement with the bifurcated jaw l1. The

closed position of the blade and jaw and of the cranks and the levers is that shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

The opening operation of the switch takes place in the reverse order from that just described. The insulating column 9 rotates at first to disengage the contacts while the crank 22 is moving over its center position and the movement thereafter tilts the members 8 and 9 away from each other into the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings.

It is to be understood that by employing a double arm 25 in place of the arm 21 as illustrated in' Figs. 6 and 7 and providing column 8 with a duplication ofthe linkage system associated with column 9 and comprising link 26, extension 27 and a pin 28, the column 8 may be rotated at the same time as the column 9. This construction permits the bringing of contact members 29 and 30 into high pressure engagement with a smaller angular movement of the insulating columns or as illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 a greater rubbing engagement between the contact members lnay ensue. It is also to be understood that when the single insulating column is rotated it may either support the bifurcated member or the blade member, as the high pressure engagement therebetween may be obtained through the rotation of either of the contact members.

It will also be noted that the arm 21 may be located below the base member, attached to the pin 15 when extended therethrough, in- -order to provide a structure having all of the links and levers close together so that they may be enclosed by a simple structure to protect them from ice and sleet.

Under certain conditions, it may be advisable to mount insulating column 8 directly on the shaft 7 as shown in Fig. 9 and tilt the other insulator while the first insulator is being rotated. Such a construction permits the Contact member 13 on the one insulator to be rotated during the first part of the movement at the time the other contact 11 on the tilting insulator is being moved into engagement therewith. After the engagement of the contacts, the crank arm 22 would thereafter move to and beyond the toggle position with the link 18 and apply no further tilting movement to the insulating column 9 While the insulating column 8 would then be completingv its movement of rotation. The same result will also be achieved by mounting one insulator in fixed position and tilting and rotating the other column as shown in Fig. 8.

It Will thus be seen that I have provided a switch for high voltage operation in which the cantilever stresses that heretofore limited the size of the slructure, have been eliminated by employing large insulating columns that are moved only a short distance on either side of their vertical position. My invention4 is further novel in providing a switch compris- The lever system, employed to obtain they tilting and rotating movement of the insulator columns, is actuated from a common source and the two movements that are obtained in sequence are made possible by having each lever system pass over toggle posi- .tion While the other lever system is applying a force to the columns.

It will be understood that man modifications, changes, additions and su stitutions,

A may be made therein without departing from theI spirit and scope of my invention. I, therefore, desire that the appended claims .be limited only in the respects imposed by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. ln a switch structure, a pair of insulators pivoted for a tilting movement, an operating mechanism associated withthe insulators to tilt the insulators in opposite directions simultaneously, a switch jaw on one insulator, a cooperating contact on a second insulator, and means for rotating one of the insulators after the contact of the latter has been moved into engagement with the jaw.

2. A switch structure including a jaw and a cooperating contact, a pair of insulators pivoted for tilting movement and supporting the contact and the jaw, the insulator supporting the contact being adapted for rotative movement and means for tilting the insulator until the contact engages the jaw and.'

to thereafter rotate the insulator and contact.

'I blade and the Jaw, one of the insulators being constructed for rotative movement and means for tilting the insulators until the blade and jaw engage and thereafter to rotate the one said insulator to' bring the jaw and the blade into intimate engagement.

4. A switch structure including a jaw and a cooperating contact, ya pair of insulators supporting the contact and the jaw and pivoted for tilting' movement, a second pivot associated with the' insulators upon which they may rotate and operating means for tilting the .insulators until the contact engages the jaw and for thereafter rotating the insulators to force the contact and the jaw into more intimate engagement.

5. A' switch structure, including a cooperating Contact and ajaw, two insulators, one supporting the contact, the other supporting the jaw, ivot means for supporting the insulators or tilting movement, a second pivot means associated with each insulator for permitting them to rotate and means for tilting the insulators until the contact engages the jaw and for thereafter rotating the insulators to bring the said contact and aw into high pressure engagement.

6.1m an operating mechanism for a pair of insulators that have a tilting and rotative movement, a togglelever system for tilting the insulator, a second toggle lever system that passes over center position during the time the insulators are being tilted and that rotates the insulator thereafter while the first said lever system is passing over its center position.

7 A pair of toggle lever systems actuated by a common member to impart a rotative and a tilting movement to a switch member, the one lever system producing the tilting movement while the second lever system is moving over its center position, and the first said lever system is moving over its center position while the second lever system is rotating the said member.

8. A switch mechanism having a blade and a jaw, an insulating member pivoted for a rotative movement, a second insulator supported for a tilting movement, one of said insulators supporting said blade and the other supporting said jaw, and a lever system for first tilting the one insulator and thereafter rotating the other insulator so that the blade and jaw are moved into intimate engagement.

9. A switch mechanism having a contact and a jaw, an insulating member pivoted for a rotative movement, a second insulator supported for a tilting movement, one insulator supporting said contact, the other insulator supporting said jaw, and an interconnected lever system that rotates the one insulator while the other is tilted, and lirmly engages said contact with said jaw by continued rotation thereafter.

'10. A switch mechanism having separable contact members for completing an electrical circuit, a pair of ceramic insulating members each supporting one of the separable contact members, means for supporting one of the insulating members for an arcuate and rotative movement and operating means for the said one insulator to first tilt it until the contact members come into engagement and thereafter to rotate it to provide a high pressure engagement for the said contact members.

11. The combination in a switch structure, of a pair of insulators pivoted for a tilting movement, an operating mechanism associated with the insulators to tilt the insulators in opposite directions simultaneously, a switch jaw on one insulator, a cooperating contact on a second insulator, and means for rotating one of the insulators after the latter has been moved into engagement with the jaw. l

12.1 A switch mechanism having a contact and a jaw, independent insulating members for their support, two pivots associated with one of said insulating members, and operat- HHB lib

ing mechanism for tilting said insulating member about one of said pivots and. for ro- 'tating it thereafter about the other pivot.

13. A switch mechanism having a Contact and a jaw, an insulating member pivoted for a rotative movement, a second insulating member supported for a tilting movement, one insulating member supporting said contact, the. other insulating member supporting said jaw and an operating mechanism for Ytilting one insulating member and for rotating the other insulating member in order that the contact and jaw shall become firmly engaged.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 31st day of January,

HERBERT J. CRABBS.

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