US1859088A - Electric switching apparatus - Google Patents

Description

May 17, 1932. c, H L 1,859,088

ELECTRIC SWITCHING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 51, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I nmm.

InvenTor' Charles H. Hill, b3 HiSATTOPflC-EH.

May 17', 1932. c. H HELL 1,859,088

ELECTRIC SWITCHING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 31, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Invenl'or Charles PLHi H y MW Hi 5 ATTor'ne g- Patented May 17, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES H. I HILL, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A GORPORATION OF NEW YORK ELECTRIC SWITCHING APPARATUS Application filed December 31, 1927. Serial No. 243,977.

My invention relates to electric switching apparatus and particularly to switching apparatus of the character comprising a main switch unit which is adapted to be removably mounted in a stationary frame and which has disconnecting switch terminals thereon which when the unit is raised and lowered in the frame cooperate with corresponding switch terminals on the frame. The object of my invention is the provision of an improved electric switching apparatus having a construction which is sturdy, which facilitates convenience of handling and which is eflicient in operation.

l\1y invention will be better understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,

and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims. 7

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a switching apparatus involving my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof with portions broken away; Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views and Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings, the frame 1 of the apparatus is shown as fabricated from structural steel members welded together and forming a supporting structure for the main switch unit, the bus bars, the disconnecting switch contracts, and the transformers, etc. associated therewith. A plurality of similar apparatus may be arranged in a switching station with their frames standing side by side in a row either with their backs against a wall or otherwise or, if preferred, two such rows may be arranged with the apparatus placed back to back. In addition to the metal frame, the live portions of the apparatus are enclosed in metallic casings from which they are separated in most parts by insulating oil or compound hence the term metal clad tial transformers, connections 6 being shown at the bottom of easing 4 for incoming or outgoing cables depending on the use of the apparatus. The connections between the current transformers in casing 4 and the bus bars are enclosed by the casing 7. Two flattened tubular casings 8 and 9 each enclose a group of three fixed disconnecting switch contacts 10 supported by rodsll, the rods of one group of which connect by straps 12 with the respective bus bars 3. The main switch unit comprising the oil switch 14, its operating mechanism 15 and the movable contacts 16 of the disconnecting switch is removably mounted in the frame and adapted frame. Internally the yoke has the guides" 21 on its two sides which are engaged by suitable lugs or projections on the oil switch. At the rear, the yoke is provided with lugs 22 and 23 having their adjacent faces inclined; The oil switch has a projecting po'rtion'24 having correspondingly inclined faces which when the switch is pushed rearwardly engage lugs 22 and 23 and firmly secure the switch at the rear to the yoke. At the front the oil switch is secured to the yoke by the screws 25 which. pass through the plate 27 forming a part of the switch into the ends of the yoke. By drawing up on these screws 25 the switch is pushed rearwardly against the lugs 22 and 23 and when thus engaged in the yoke the switch is firmly held against such violent movements as might injure the disconnecting switch contacts. In Fig. 3 the oil switch is shown removed and the yoke is shown in its lowermost position when it rests upon the angle 29. After the oil switch has been IOU brought up to the frame by the carriage, it is slid into place in the yoke and the clamping screws 25 firmly secure it in the yoke. The switch and yoke are then raised together by suitable lifting means preferably mounted on the carriage in a well known manner and which need not here be described. As the switch is raised, disconnecting switch contacts 16 and 10 engage the one within the other whereby the main or oil switch contacts are connected to the circuit. When the switch and the yoke have been raised the proper distance they are locked in the raised position by the locking bars 30. Each bar has a handle 31 and plates 32 which are adapt to slide in grooves 33 formed in the guides 20. In the locking position the plates engage the lugs 19 and support the switch and yoke. As a result of this construction the locking bars may be comparatively light and need be moved only enough to shift the plates from one position to the other. The bars may be secured in locking position by means such for example as a padlock 35 applied to the members 36.

Inasmuch as the disconnecting switch contacts 10 and 16 are not dapted for interrupting the circuit controlled by the oil switch 01' even for finally closing the same, I have provided means for automatically tripping open the oil switch and also for locking the switch operating mechanism against movement to closed circuit position in the event that one should begin to lower the oil switch when in closed circuit position. Shaft 38 mounted in plate 27 of the oil switch has an arm 39 carrying the roller 40 at its end which in the fully raised position of the switch engages in the notch 41 in fixed bar 42 forming a part of the frame. A. second arm 43 to which also the spring 44 is attached for yieldingly holding the roller against the bar 42 is connected through link 45, crank 46 and shaft 47 with arm 48 which moves the link 49 of the final holding toggle of the oil switch to trip the same to open circuit position. This toggle also is adapted to be tripped in the usual and well known manner by the plunger 50 of the tripping coil 51. A third arm 53 on shaft 38 operates the locking member 54 which has the shoulder 55 adapted to engage the shoulder 56 on the crank 57 of the switch operating mechanism. The connection between arms 53 and 55 is shown as comprising rod 60 on which is loosely mounted the block 61 between the nut 62 and the collar 63, a compression spring 64 normally holding the block against the nut. Block 61 connects through crank 65 and shaft 66 with locking member 54. Handle 67 is attached to shaft 38 on the front of plate 27 whereby the tripping arm may be operated manually.

I have illustrated the main oil switch provided with a solenoid actuated operating mechanism of a well known construction comprising the main operating lever 68 which may be operated either by the solenoid or by hand and the adjustable link 69 connecting it to the crank 57 of the switch. In the closing movement,- crank 57 is moved in a clockwise direction as viewed Fig. 4. If the switch unit is in its fully raised position as illustrated in Fig. 4, the locking member will not interfere with this movement of crank 57 and the switch may be closed; If with the switch closed one should start to lower the unit, the initial movement thereof would cause the roller 40 to ride out of the notch 41 and through tripping arm 48 immediatelytripthe switch to open circuit position. At the same time locking member 54 is rotated counterclockwise to such a position that its shoulder 55 lies in the path of shoulder 56 on crank 57, thus positively locking the switch operating mechanism against movement to close the main switch. The locking member remains in this position until the unit is returned to its fully raised position when the roller will drop into the notch 41. In some cases it may be desirable to close and open the oil switch when it is in the lowered or disconnected position. I may therefore provide a second notch 41 to receive roller 40 when the switch is in that position.

As shown in Fig. 1 the three bus bars 3 are enclosed in the bus chamber or trough 2. When a plurality of switching apparatus such as that illustrated are arranged side by sidein a row, the respective bus bars and troughs are connected one with another to form a continuous length of trough with continuous bus bars therein. Each trough section is formed with flanges at the ends whereby the sections may be bolted together and the end of the bus bars have bolt holes by which the bus connecting plates 70 may be bolted thereto. The bus bars are supported in proper position in the trough by the partitions 71 each shown as comprising two layers or plates which are bolted along the periphery to an inwardly extending flange 7 2 on the trough. These partitions not only support the bus bars but'serve to retain the insulating liquid '73 in all of that portion of the trough between them. For making the joints tight between the partitions and the bus bars I have shown gaskets 74 surrounding the bus bars and lying in recesses in the adjacent faces of the partitions. Gaskets may also be used if necessary between the partitions and the flanges to which they are bolted. lhe top of the trough is closed by a. cover plate 75 bolted to the- 1,s59,oss Y 3 portions of the troughs, the main or body portions of the troughs being undisturbed.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 5, it will seen that flattened metal casings 8 and 9 each encloses a group of three fixed disconnecting switch contacts 10 and each is supported by a flange on its upper end which is bolted to the frame. Within each casing are the three insulation tubes 7 8 each enclosing a contact 10 and its insulated connecting rod 11. Each rod and contact is supported by a member 7 9 which is bolted to the flange of a casing and to which is bolted the trough 2. In order that the heat produced .at the disconnecting switch contacts may in all cases be dissipated with suflicient rapidity, I have provided a ventilating space between the insulating tubes 78 and fixed contacts and parts associated therewith and in the bases of the supporting member 79 have provided lateral openings 80 which communicate with those spaces. Since the lower ends of the tubes 7 8 are never entirely closed a cooling current of air is free to flow up past each of the disconnecting switch contacts and cool the same. What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Electrical switching apparatus comprising a frame, a U-shaped yoke guided for vertical movement within said frame, a main switch unit mounted within said yoke and detachably and rigidly secured thereto, said frame and switch unit having cooperating disconnecting switch contacts, and means cooperating with the open end of said yoke maintaining said switch unit in position including a plate on which switch operating mechanism is mounted. w

2. Electric switching apparatus comprising a frame, a main switch unit supported thereby and adapted to be raised and lowered therein, said frame and switch unit having cooperating disconnecting switch contacts adapted to engage when the switch unit is in raised position, a yoke in which said switch unit is detachably secured, cooperating guides on the frame and the yoke and a locking bar slidably mounted engaging the yoke and frame for locking the yoke to the frame in its raised position.

3. Electric switching apparatus comprising a frame having fixed disconnecting switch contacts, a main switch unit having cooperating disconnecting switch contacts adapted when the switch unit is raised to engage the fixed contacts, a yoke open at one side guided for vertical movement in said frame, said unit being adapted to be inserted in and withdrawn from the yoke through the open side thereof, means operable from said side for securely clamping the unit to the yoke against relative movement therein and locking bars engaging the yoke and frame for firmly securing the yoke to the frame in the raised position.

4. Electric switching apparatus comprising a frame, a main switch unit mounted to have vertical movement' therein, said framefor preventing switch closing movement of I said mechanism upon movement of the unit from its uppermost position.

5. Electric switchingapparatus comprising a frame, a main switch unit mounted to have vertical movement therein and having an operating mechanism and a tripping means carried thereby, said frame and switch unit having coopefiating disconnecting switch contacts separable by a downward movement of the unit, and means carried by the switch unit for operating the tripping means and for preventing operation of the operating mechanism upon the initial downward movement of the unit from its upperm st position, said latter means including a controlling member arranged to be actuated by engagement with a portion of said frame.

6. Electric switching apparatus comprising a frame, a main switch unit mounted to have vertical movement therein and having an operating mechanism and a tripping means carried thereby, said frame and switch unit having cooperating disconnecting switch contacts separable by a downward movement of the unit, a locking member for preventing the operating of the operating mechanism, a

member for operating the tripping means, and a device carried by said unit and controlled by engagement with said frame for operating both of said members in response to a lowering of said unit from a predetermined raised position.

7 In electric switching apparatus, a fixed frame having downwardly extending disconnecting switch contacts, a main switch unit having cooperating disconnecting switch contacts and mounted for movement in the frame to cause said contacts to be connected and,

disconnected, protective enclosing members for said contacts secured to the frame and spaced from the c ntacts to provide ventilating passages and contact supporting members secured to said frame having discharge openings communicating with said ventilating passages.

8. Electric switching appartus comprising afixed frame having disconnecting contacts thereon, a movable switch unit having coopcrating disconnectlng contacts thereon, operating mechanism for the main switch unit mounted thereon and movable. therewith, said mechanism including a tripping means and ameans for locking the mechanism in switch open position, and a member engaging a portion of the fixed frame for controlllng the operation of said tripping and locldng means.

9. Electric switching apparatus comprising a fixed frame having disconnecting contacts thereon, a movable switch unit having cooperating disconnecting contacts thereon, operating mechanism for the main switch unit mounted thereon and movable therewith, said mechanism including means for tripping open the main switch and for locking m the same in open position, an' actuating arm for said means having a roller engaging a portion of the fixed frame, said portion having means thereon arranged to operate the arm when the unit is moved from a prede- 15 tel-mined position.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 30th dav of December, 1927. CHARLES H. HILL.

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