US2224380A - Disconnecting switch - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 10, 1940. H. J. CRABBS ETAL YDISCONNECTING, SWITCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 17, 1939 WITNESSES:

1940- H. J. CRABB S ETAL.

DISCONNECTING SWITCH Filed May 17, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS ATTORNEY d W 5 M m C M M y WITNESSES: 0 flrmaw Patented Dec. 10, 1940 DISCONNECTING SWITCH Herbert J. Crabbs and Herbert L. Rawlins, Wilkinsburg, Pa., assignors to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 17, 1939, SerialN 0. 274,1 2 17 Claims. (c1. 200-162) tact member readily accessible for future operation, and also to serve as a signal to indicate the open condition of the switch and to maintain proper electrical clearances from metal parts below the switch.

Heretofore switches of this type have employed separate stop means as attachments to stand- 20 ard disconnecting switches to limit the opening movement of the switch and this necessitated the use of difierent types of such attachments for limiting the opening movement to difierent angular positions. w

. It is an object of this invention to provide a stop means integral with the switch which. is simple in design and economical to manufacture.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a stop means integral with the switch which 3 can be utilized to stop the opening movement of the switch at difierent angular positions from the closed position.

It is a further object of this invention to provide -a stop for a disconnecting switch which can be utilize-d to lock the switch in an open position. I

These and other objects will become apparent in connection with the following description taken with the attached drawings, in which;

Figure 1 is a plan view of our improved switch embodying our novel stop'means with the switch shown in closed position,

Fig. 2 is a side view of the switch shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the pivoted end of the movable contact member showing the stop means in one limiting position,

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the stop means in another limiting position, and

Fig; 5 is -a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the switch locked in an open position.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the embodiment as illustrated is a split-blade disconnecting switch and our invention consists, 55 of a movable switch blade or contact member I ber I3 is pivoted on the movable contact member to the movable contact member I.

comprising the spaced parallel side membersv 2 pivoted at one end on a pivot pin'3 which, in turn, is carried by a.hinge tongue or base part 4 mounted on the insulating support 6 and positioned between the sides of the blade I. The 5 hinge tongue or basepart I embodies a laterally extending connector part 5 to which a lead may be connected. A fixed contact tongue or membar I is provided on the insulating support 8 and also includes a laterally extending terminal connector portion 9. In closed position the movable blade or contact member I engages with the fixed contact member I, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A latch member I0 is pivoted on the fixed contact member I and is urged in the-clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2, by a spring II to engage over a pin I2 on the movable blade or contact member I to maintain the movable contact mem her I in closed position. A latch release mem- I and has a portion I3 engaging the latch I0 to release the same from the pin I2. The latch release member further embodies an aperture I5 for the reception of a hook operating member to open the switch.

The fixed contact member I is providedwith a groove I6 for the reception of a bolt II secured The movable contact member I is provided with contact elements I8 for engaging the terminal part 4 3 and fixed contact member I, and these together with the latch mechanism described in. connection with this switch are illustrated in and form the subjects matter of the copending application of Herbert J. Crabbs. Serial No. 180,394, filed December 17, 1937.

The movable blade or contact member I is provided with pairs of spaced apertures I9 and 20 locatedadjacent to but spaced fromlthe pivot axis of the movable contact member. These 40 pairs of apertures are provided for therecep tion of a stop pin 2| removably secured'in position by a cotter pin 2| or the like. The stop .pin 2| extends between members 2 --to be engageable with. a fixed stop 22 provided on the tongue or' base part 4 and located between members 2 upon opening movement of the switch. As shown, stop 22 is of less widththan base part 4 to insure clearance of blade members 2. The pairs of apertures I9 and 20 are spaced from each other so that when the stop pinZI is inserted, for example, in the pairs of apertures 20, the opening movement of the switch will be limited at a position substantially 90 from its closed position, as shown in Fig. 3. If the 2 stop pin is inserted in the apertures [9, the opening movement of the switch will be limited at a point approximately 135 from the closed position, as shown in Fig. 4. Thus it is apparent 5 that we .have provided a stop means for a movable contact member of a switch which can be adjusted for limiting the opening movement of the switch to diiIerent positions as desired by the particular operator. Furthermore, if stop pins be inserted in both sets of apertures l9 and 20, as shown in Fig. 5, so that the pins lie on opposite sides of the fixed stop member 22, the movable contact member will be locked in a fixed 'open position, thus preventing accidental closure of the switch until at least one of the pins are removed. It is thus apparentthat we have not only provided a simplified means for limiting the opening movement of a disconnecting switch which is built into the switch and is adjustable so that the switch may be limited in its opening movement to different angular positions from its closed position, but have also provided a simple and effective means for positively looking a switch in an open position.

Obviously the apertures I9 and 20 could be located laterally of the switch member 2 at positions other than those illustrated to limit the opening movement of the switch to any desired open position.

It is further obvious that the stop means disclosed herein could be used on any known type of disconnecting switch other than that herein disclosed. Thus, in the application of this stop means to multi-polar switches, one or more of the blades thereof could be apertured and provided with a fixed stop and stop pin as in a single pole switch, or a single stop pin could be pro- .vided of insulating material to extend through the aligned apertures of all of .the blades of a 40 multi-polar switch.

' While in accordance with the patent statutes, we have described in the foregoing, 'details of certain preferred embodiments of our invention, it is to be understood that many of these details are merely illustrative and variations in their precise form will be both necessary and desirable in certain instances. It is our intention, thereiore, that the language of the accompanying claims shall be accorded the broadest reasonable construction and shall be limited only by what is expressly set forth therein.

We claim as our invention: 1. In a switch, the combination oi. a base member, a contact-member pivotally mounted thereon,- cooperating stop means on said members,

respectively, one of which is removable, and

means for mounting said removable stop member at different positions about the pivot axis of said contact member to limit opening 'movement of said contact member to different selected posi-' tions. J

2. In an electric switch, a. base member, a contact member movably mounted thereon, means limiting movement of said contact member, saidmeans including cooperating stop abutments normally fixed relative to said members, respectively, at least one of said abutments being removable, and means able abutment at diflerent positions on its re- 70 spective member, to selectively limit movement of said member.

3. In a switch, the contact member pivotallymounted thereon, a stationary contact positioned to be engaged by 75 said movable contact in the closed position of and stop for mounting said removcombination of .a base, a

. fixed contact in the closed position of the the switch, a plurality of spaced apertures in the movable contact member, and a fixed stop memher on the base positioned to be engaged by a stop pin removably mounted in one 0! said apertures to limit the opening movement of said 5 switch.

4. In a switch, the combination of a base, a contact member pivotally mounted thereon, a stationary contact positioned to be engaged by said movable contact in the closed position of the switch, a lurality of apertures in the movable contact member spaced from the pivot axis of the movable contact member and disposed in different angular positions about said axis and a fixed stop member on the base positioned to be engaged by astop pin removably mounted in one of said apertures to limit the opening movement of said switch.

5. In a switch, the combination of a base, a contact member pivotally mounted thereon, a stationary contact positioned to be engaged by said movable contact in the closed position of the switch, a plurality of spaced apertures in the movable contact member, and a'fixed stop mem-' her on the base, at least two of said apertures being positioned to lie on opposite sides of said stop member in an open position of the switch, and stop pins adapted to be removably mounted in said apertures to engage opposite sides of said stop member whereby the switch may be locked in said open position.

6. In a switch, the combination of a fixed contact, a base member, a contact member movably mounted on said base and adapted to engage said switch? having spaced apertures,

one of said members a stop member adapted to be removably mounted in relatively fixed relation in one of said apertures, the other of said members being provided with relatively fixed stop means positioned to engage said stop member to limit opening movement of said switch.

'7. In a switch, the combination of a fixed contact, a base member, a contact member movably mounted on said base and adapted to engage said fixed contact in the closed position of the switch; one of said members having a stop member integral therewith, and the other of said members having a stop member removably mounted thereon and maintained in a position to engage the first mentioned stop member during opening movement of said switch, to limit such opening movement.

8. In a switch, the combination of a fixed contact, a base member, a contact member movably mounted on said base and adapted to engage said fixed contact in the closed position of the switch; one of said members having a stop member integral therewith, and the other of said members having spaced removable stop members positioned to lie on opposite sides of said first-mentioned stop member in an open position of the switch to lock the switch in said open position.

9. In a switch, the combination of a. fixed contact, a base member, a contact member movably mounted on said base and adapted to engage said fixed contact in the closed position of the switch; one of said members having a stop member inv tegral therewith, and the other of said members having spaced mountings each adapted to removably support a stop member in a position to engage said first-mentioned stop member on opening movement of the switch so that the opening movement of said switch may be limited to any of a plurality of open positions, or locked in an open position dependent upon which of said mountings carry stop members.

10. In a switch,- the combination of a fixed contact, a base member, a contact member movably mounted on said base and adapted to engage said fixed contact in the closed position of the switch; one of said members being apertured, a

pin removably supported 'in said aperture and maintained in a position such that it is engageable with a stop carried by the other .of said members to limit opening movement of said switch.

11. In a split-blade switch, a hinge tongue, 9. pair of blade members pivoted at one end on opposite sides of said hinge tongue, a contact for engaging the other end of said blade members, a projection on said-hinge tongue of less width than the space between said blade members, and means removably mounted on said blade members to engage said projection and form a stop for said blade members when in open position.

12. In a split-blade switch, a hinge tongue, a-

pair of blade members pivoted at one end on opposite sides of said hinge tongue, a contact for engaging the other end of said blade members, a projection on said hinge tongue of less width than the space between said blade members, a

pair of holes in said blade members adjacent said hinge tongue and a pin removably positioned in one of said holes and extending between said blade members to engage said projection when said blade members are in open position.

13. In a switch, the combination of a fixed contact, a base member, a contact member movably mounted on said base and adapted to engage said fixed contact in the closed position of the switch; one of said members being apertured, apin removably supported in said aperture, relatively fixed stop means carried by the other of said members, said aperture and stop meansbeing positioned so that in the opening movement of the switch said aperture may be selectively positioned on opposite sides of said stop means, whereby said pin may operate to limit the opening movement of said switch or prevent closing movement thereof.

14. In a split-blade switch, a hinge tongue, a pair of blade members pivoted at one end on opposite sides of said hinge tongue, 2. contact for engaging the other end of said blade members, a projection on said hinge tongue extending in the plane of the space between said blade nnnebers, and aligned apertures in said blade members adapted to mount a stop means in bridging relation with respect to said blade members for cooperation with said projection to limit pivotal movement of said blade members.

15. In a split-blade switch, a hinge tongue, a pair of blade members pivoted at one end on opposite sides of said hinge tongue, a contact for engaging the other end of said blade members, means removably mounted on said blade members in bridging relation with respect thereto, so as to engage a portion of said hinge tongue to limit movement of said blade members when in an open position.

16. In a switch, a switch blade having a pivot I apertur therethrough and one or more stop apertures adjacent to but spaced from said .pivot aperture.

1'7. In a switch, the combination of a base member, a contact member movably mounted on said base, stop means relatively fixedly supported by one of said members, and mounting means on the other of said members for removably supporting cooperating stop means in a position to engage said first mentioned stop means in an open position of said switch.

HERBERT J. CRABBS.

HERBERT L. RAWLINS.

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