US1821167A - Strain-type disconnecting switch - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 1, 1931. c. KQPPITZ 1,821,167

STRAIN TYPE DIS dONNECTING SWITCH Filed Jan. 13, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 attou eqa Sept. 1, 1931. c. G. KOPPITZ STRAIN TYPE DISCONNECTING SWITCH Filed Jan. 15, 2 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented Sept. 1, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARL G. IKOPPITZ, OF GREENSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 RAILWAY AND INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING COMPANY, OF GREENSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A COR- POBATION OF PENNSYLVANIA STRAIN-TYPE DISCONNECTING SWITCH Application filed. January 13, 1926.

into the line wires of a transmission system and placed near supporting insulators and have the purpose to open the line conductors at the particular points for 1solat1ng sections of the system in case of trouble or repair.

The object of the invention is an improvement upon switch mechanism of the type mentioned to facilitate adjustment of the position of the mechanism relative to the line wires.

For a full understanding of the inventlon and the points of novelty thereof reference is made to the accompanying drawmgs 111 which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic representatlon of a part of a transmission line to which the invention is applied;

Fig. 2 is a side view of a switch mecha nism according to the invention; and

Fig. 3 a detail view of a switch blade; and

Fig. 4; is a sectional View of aw mechanism for receiving the blade, and

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the contact aw structure.

Having reference to Figs. 2-4, 11 and 12 indicate the sections of a line that may be interconnected or disconnected from each other by a switch. In the particular illustration the line is assumed to consist of a steel core surrounded by an envelope of aluminum. The connections to the switch are made by slitting the aluminum envelope and prying it away from the core ends 11a and 12a, respectively, and then connecting the aluminum ends 11?) and 12b to the switch terminals while the core ends are interconnected by a string of strain insulators 13. The connection between the core ends includes clamps 14c and 15 between which the core ends are firmly clamped, clamps 16 and 17 just outwardly of the clamps 14; and 15 clamping the line ends around the aluminum envelope, links 16a and 17a rigidly interconnecting clamps 14 Serial No. 81,117.

and 16 and clamps 15 and 17 respectively, and short round bars 18 and 19 connected between clamps 1a and 15 and the string of insulators 13 respectively.

To one of the bars, bar 18 in the illustration, is clamped the hinge casting 21 on which is pivotally supported the switch arm 22 while upon bar 19 is secured the jaw mechanism generally indicated by the numeral 23.

The arm 22 carries at one end a hinge element 22a pivotally mounted upon a hinge pin 21a of the hinge casting 21, cap nuts 21?) being preferably used to screw upon the outer ends of the pin 21a to secure the hinge element 22a in position. At the opposite end switch arm 22 carries a knife blade 22?) for engagement with spring jaws and an eye 22c for engagement by a hook stick for formed to define inner portions for contact ing with the blade 22b, outwardly flaring.

portions facilitating the entrance of the blade and portions pressed inwardly toward each other to afford retaining shoulders against movement of the blade 226 out of contact position, as indicated in Fig. 4. Thus, when the switch arm 22 is moved to close the switch, the blade 22?) enters the mouth defined by the flaring ends of the fingers 230 opening the jaws against the tension of springs 23d and after it has reached its final position, the front portions of the fingers close upon each other. The retaining shoulders under the action of springs 28d effectively hold the blade in contact position against all usual forces tending to dislodgeto torsional movement blade whereas a relatively easy jerk by means of the long operating hook stick effects a quick release. The action of the spiral springs 23d may be augmented by external leaf springs 23f provided with dished ends to fit over the ends of the two studs 23c nearer the mouth of the contact fingers, only one of the springs 23;" being shown in Fig. 2. By means of such auxiliu ary springs the force for retaining the blade 22?) in position may be increased to any desired extent. In practice a steady pull of about 100-200 lbs. is required to disconnect the blade from the jaws. The springs are mounted upon the parallel plates 23b.

Connection between the ends 11?) and 12b of the aluminum sheathing and the hinge casting 21 and jaw mechanism 23, respectively, may be made by means of clamps 24 having parallel grooves for receiving the said ends and connecting leads 25, as indicated.

The hinge casting 21 and the jaw mechanism 23 are attached to the round bars 18 g? and 19, respectively, by means of Ushaped bolts 26 embracing the'bars. By this arrangement the hinge casting and the jaw mechanism may be adjusted lengthwise of the rods 18 and 19 and, above all, may be moangularly adjusted to assume any desired position relatively to the horizontal. The practical significance of the latter adjustment is that the plane of movement of the switch arm 22 may be adjusted to suit particular requirements.

As has been schematically indicated in Fig. 1, in which 10 represents a line tower ormast carrying transmission wires, a, b, 0, (Z, 6 and f, it is sometimes desirable to operate switch arms in planes such as indicated by the dotted lines. By means of the round bars 18. and 19 and the angular adjustment of the hinge casting 21 and jaw mechanism 23 about these rods the planes of movement c1; of. the switch arms may be accurately ad.-

justed' to afford the most expeditious operation of the switches.

Inasmuch as the mode of suspension of the switches involves susceptibility of the parts a.) to torsional movement, I provide special means'for facilitating the closing of the switch arms. I prefer the use of guide horns 27 and 2S flarin in opposite directions. The lower horns 27 are considerably longer L1; than the upper horns 28, as indicated in 65' switch he pulls the arm 22 toward him. preparatory to upward movement in the intended inclined plane toward the mouth of the contact fingers 23d. However, the operation with the long operating stick and the unstable position of the arm make the closing operation uncertain. By the provision of the guide horns 27 and 28, it is merely necessary for the operator to push the arm 22 in the general direction of tie aw mechanism, but preferably aiming a little higher so that the knife blade 22b strikes the upper surface of the longer lower horn 27 and then the blade 22?) may enter between the contact fingers 2365 before a torsional movement of the jaw mechanism can defeat the purpose.

The construction of the jaw mechanism is an essential part of the particular switch mechanism inasmuch as it is self-aligning and readily adapts itself to the conditions If i of operation or the switch arm and the loose coupling between the hinge connection and the jaw mechanism. The contact fingers are freely movable toward and away from each other in the sense that each end may yield independently of the other end.

The arrangeme t described has considerable advantages 11 .smuch as the use of a standard suspension unit involves a lower first cost and less liability to breakage than a rigid post construction. failure of any one unit of a string it can be cheaply replaced by stock of the same insulators as used on the line.

I claim:

1. The combination with a string of strain insulators for mechanically interconnecting two sections of a high-tension line, of a switch including an arm, a hinge support therefor and jaws and means for supporting the hinge support and the aws on opposite ends of the string of insulators, said means including means for angularly adjusting the position of the hinge support and the jaws about the string of insulators as axis.

2. The combination with the ends of two sections of a high-tension line, of a switch including an arm, a hinge support therefor, means for connecting the hinge support to one of said ends including means for angularly adjustin its position about the said end axis, jaws and means for connecting the same to the other of said ends'including means for angularly adjusting the position of the jaws about the said end as axis and insulating means for mechanically interconnecting the two ends.

3. Construction according to claim 1 including means for adjusting the position of the hinge support and the aws toward and away from each other in the direction of length of the string of insulators.

4. The combination with the ends of two sections of a high-tension line and insulating means for mechanically interconnecting the said ends, of a switch including a switch Also in case of ,g-

arm, a hinge support therefor connected to one of said ends, jaws connected to the other of said ends, and means for angularly adjusting the position of the hinge support and the jaws about the said ends and the insulating connecting means as axis, the jaws comprising contact fingers freely movable toward and away from each other and spring means for pressing the fingers toward each other.

5. The combination with the ends of two sections of a high-tension line and insulating means for mechanically interconnecting the said ends, of a switch including a switch arm, a hinge support therefor connected to one of said ends, jaws connected to the other of said ends, means for angularly adjusting the position of the hinge support and the jaws about the said ends and the insulating means as an axis, the jaws comprising con-- tact fingers freely movable toward and away from each other, spring means for pressing the fingers toward each other, stationary parallel plates, studs extending from the rear surfaces of said contact fingers outwardly through said plates, the spring means including coil springs surrounding said studs and bearing against said plates and leaf springs bearing against the projecting end of one of the studs.

In testimony whereof, I affix mysignature.

CARL G. KOPPITZ.

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