US1898135A - Operating mechanism for switches - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 21, 1933.

H. B. MASSEY OPERATING MECHANISM FOR SWITCHES Filed Feb. 1932" 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 21, 1933. H a MASSEY 1,898,135

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR SWITCHES Filed Feb. 4, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEHBLEY B. MASSEY, OF GREENSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO RAILWAY AND I INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING COMPANY, OF GREENSBUBG, PENNSYLVANIA, A GOR- POBATION OF PENNSYLVANIA orma'rme MECHANISM ron swrrcmis Application filed February 4,1982. Serial No. 590,951.

This invention relates to disconnecting switches and more particularly to mechanism for operating heavy current, pressure contact, knife switches. 16 High capacity switches of this type usually have two or more blades. When in a closed position the jaws of the switch, in order to maintain an efiicient contact, must exert' a considerable pressure against the blades. The consequence is that it is exceedingly diflicult to draw the blades from, the jaws.v Mechanical devices have been devised to facilitate the opening of such high capacity switches but these are cumbersome and expensive and in addition, do not relleve the strain on the insulators and other switch parts, incident to opening and closing.

An object of this invention is to solve the above problems by providing a mechanism' that wlll'open progressively the blades of a multi-blade switch.

Another object isto provide mechanism for opening progressively by groups, the blades of a multi-blade switch.

A further object is to reduce the stress upon the switch parts due to the opening and closing movements.

A still further object is to facilitate the opening and closing of the switch.

These and other objects will be clear from the following specification when taken with the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the switch in closed position, its open position being shown 85 by broken lines,

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 22 of Fi 1, and

ig, 3 is a side elevation of the switch blades showing the two outer ones partially .0 en and the two inner ones completely 0 osed.

The switch is mounted on insulators 1 attached to a back board 2 and. is controlled from a panel 3. The jaws 4 and the blades 5 are of known construction, the jaws comprising tongues 6 pressed inwardly by spring fingers 7 and the blades being pivoted at 8, having contact bosses or buttons 9 corresponding to similar bosses or buttons 10 on the 5 blades 5. The jaw support 11 and the blade support 12 each connected to the insulators 1, are provided with bars 13 for connecting the switch in the power line in which it is to operate.

The switch in the modification shown has four blades, the operating mechanism which comprises the subject of this invention, initially moving together the outer two blades before the inner two. However, for simplicity, the description will be given for the outer and the inner blades which appear in Fig. 3

and 18 of insulating material. .The link 17 i is pivoted to the outer blade 5 by a pin 19 in a lug 20 fixed to the blade. The link 18, provided with a slot 21, is pivoted to the inner blade by a pin 22 slidably fitting in the slot 21. For the distance between the pin 22 and t e pivot 8 is less than the distance between the pin 19 and the pivot 8. The operation is as follows:

purposes hereinafter explained,

In order to open the switch, the shaft 14 v is moved in a counter-clockwise direction, carrying with it the crank arm l5. As the crank arm 15 and the link 17 are exactly on dead center when the switch is closed, the link 17 immediately begins to open the outer blade to which it is connected. During this initial opening movement, the crank arm 15 and the link 18 pass through dead center, but there is no movement. of the inner blade until the outer end of the slot 21 meets the pin 2.4. At this moment the-inner blade begins to open but'b'y this time the outer blade has moved until it is partially open as shown in Fig. 3. opening the switch in this B manner, the iictional resistance to movement is reduced as not all of the blades initially are moved at the same time, resulting comparative ease in operation and conse- .quent elimination of severe strains on the insulators and other switch parts.

Upon further counter-clockwise rotation of the shaft 14, both inner and outer blades 5 are rotated further about the pivot 8 until they are wholly free much as the distance between the pivot point of the link 18 on the inner blade and the pivot 8 is shorter than the corresponding 10 distance between the pivot point of the link 17 on the outer blade and the pivot 8, the rate of rotation of the inner blade is more rapid than that of the outer blade. The parts are operably so related that when the switch has reached its fully open position, the inner blade which at first lagged behind the outer blade will have caught up with the outer blade so that the inner and outer blades each other as shown by are directly opposite 20 broken lines in Fig. 1.

The closing of theswitch is the reverse of opening. Upon clockwise movement of shaft 14 and therefore of the crank arm 15, i the inner blade, for the reason given above, moves more rapidly than the outer one and after the initial closingimovement slides link 18 on the pin' 22 to ta e up the lost motion. Then, due to the more rapid rotation of the inner blade, it contacts with the jaws before the outer blade. When the link 18 and the crank arm 15 are in dead center position, the inner blade is completely closed. As the dead center position is passed, the link 18 is slightly withdrawn but the movement is taken up by the slot 22 as the blade is held in position by the friction due to the pressure of the jaws. When the link 18 and crank arm 15 have passed dead center, the link 17 and crank arm go into dead center position. The switch is then completely closed and locked closed by the link 17 and crank arm 15 in dead center position.

In construction it has been found more satisfactory to locate the pin 22 substantially on the axis of the inner blade. Also, in order to conserve space and maintain appearance, it is desirable that the mechanism be deto a four. blade switch, it is evident that it may be applied to any switch having a plurality of blades. Also it is within the contemplaticn of this invention that the blades 5 be moved singly or in groups of any number.

from the jaws 4. Inasa manner that the inner and While this invention, as shown, is applied I claim:

1. An operating mechanism for a multiple blade disconnectmg switch comprising a shaft, a crank arm fixed to said shaft, and link means connected to the crank arm to progressively open blades of the switch.

2. An operating mechanism for a multipleblade disconnectlng switch comprising a shaft, a crank arm fixed to said shaft and a plurality of links, each pivotally connecting the crank arm to different blades of the switch.

3. An operating mechanism for a multiple blade disconnecting switch comprising a shaft, a crank arm fixed to said shaft, a'pluralit ,of each pivotally connecting the cran slot inone of said 4. An operating mechanism for a multiple blade disconnectmg switch comprising a shaft spaced from said blades, a crank arm fixed to said shaft, and means including a lost motion arrangement connected to the crank arm to progressively open blades of the switch.

5. An operating mechanism fora multiple blade disconnecting switch comprising a shaft, a crank arm fixed to said shaft, a plurality of links, each pivotally connecting the crank arm to a different switch blade, and a pivot about which the blades oscillate, distances between said pivot and points at which the links are pivoted to their corresponding blades being different.

6. An operating mechanism for a multiple blade disconnectlng switch comprising a shaft, a crank arm fixed to said shaft, a plurality of links each pivotally connecting the crank arm to a different switch blade, a slot in one of said links providing for lost motion and a pivot about which the blades oscillate,

- the distances between said pivot and points at which the linksare pivoted to their corresponding blades being different.

7. An operating mechanism for a multipleblade disconnecting switch comprising a shaft, a crank arm fixed to said shaft and means connected to the crank arm to progressively open the blades of the switch, said means including means to lock the blades in closed position.

8. An operating mechanism for a multiple blade disconnecting switch comprising a shaft, a crank arm fixed to said shaft and means including a lost motion arrangement connected to the crank arm to progressively open blades of the switch,"-said means including means to lock the blades in closed position.

9. In a disconnecting switch and operating mechanism therefor, the combination of a plurality of blades, a pivot about which said blades oscillate, a link pivoted to each blade, and means for moving said links to open the switch.

the

arm to a different switch blade,.and a 10. .In a disconnecting switch and operating mechanism therefor, the combination of a plurality of blades, a pivot about which said blades oscillate, a link pivoted to each of said blades, a pin connecting the free ends of said links, and means to move said links to o' n the switch the distance between the pivot and the pin being the same in both open and closed positions of the switch.

11. In a disconnecting switch and operating mechanism therefor, the combination .of a lurality of blades, a pivot about which said lades oscillate, a link pivoted to each of said blades, a slot in one of said links providing for lost motion, and means for moving said links to openthe switch.

12. In a disconnecting switch and operating mechanism therefor the combination of a plurality of blades, a pivot about which said blades oscillate, a link ivoted to each of said blades, a slot in one o said-links providing for lost motion, a pinconnecting the free ends of said links and means to move said links to open the switch whereby the distance between the pivot and the pin is the same in both open and closed positions of the switch.

' 13. In a disconnecting switch and o rat-" ing mechanism therefor, the combination of a plurality of blades, a pivot about which said blades oscillate, a link for each blade, means for each blade pivotally connecting a link to each blade, the istanc'e between the pivot and each of said ineans being difi'erent, and means to move said links to open the switch.

14. In a disconnecting switch and operating mechanism therefor, the combination of a plurality of blades, a pivot about which saidlades oscillate, a link for each blade, a slot in one of said links providing for lost motion,

means for each blade pivotally connecting a link to each blade, the distance'between the pivot and each of said means being different, and means to move said links to open the 15. In a multi-blade disconnecting switch and an operating mechanism for progressive- 1i 0 ning the lades,the combination of a s af a crank arm fixed to said shaft, a plurality of blades, a ivot about which said blades oscillate, a pivotally connected to each of said blades an means pivotally connecting the free ends of said links to said crank arm, the distances between the pivot and the points of connection of the links with the blades being different for each blade and the distance between the pivot and said means being the same in both open and closed position.

In testimon whereof, I aflix m si ature.

HEMSLEY B.

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