US2694122A - Electric circuit breaker - Google Patents

Electric circuit breaker Download PDF

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Publication number
US2694122A
US2694122A US350455A US35045553A US2694122A US 2694122 A US2694122 A US 2694122A US 350455 A US350455 A US 350455A US 35045553 A US35045553 A US 35045553A US 2694122 A US2694122 A US 2694122A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
abutment
latch
screw
circuit breaker
thermal
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US350455A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Richard C Ingwersen
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Mechanical Products Inc
Original Assignee
Mechanical Products Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority to NL89251D priority Critical patent/NL89251C/xx
Priority to NLAANVRAGE7712728,A priority patent/NL186856B/xx
Application filed by Mechanical Products Inc filed Critical Mechanical Products Inc
Priority to US350455A priority patent/US2694122A/en
Priority to GB8807/54A priority patent/GB756764A/en
Priority to FR1097554D priority patent/FR1097554A/fr
Priority to DEM22708A priority patent/DE971628C/de
Priority to CH318051D priority patent/CH318051A/fr
Priority to ES0214844A priority patent/ES214844A1/es
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US2694122A publication Critical patent/US2694122A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H73/00—Protective overload circuit-breaking switches in which excess current opens the contacts by automatic release of mechanical energy stored by previous operation of a hand reset mechanism
    • H01H73/60—Protective overload circuit-breaking switches in which excess current opens the contacts by automatic release of mechanical energy stored by previous operation of a hand reset mechanism cartridge type, e.g. screw-in cartridge
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H71/00—Details of the protective switches or relays covered by groups H01H73/00 - H01H83/00
    • H01H71/74—Means for adjusting the conditions under which the device will function to provide protection
    • H01H71/7427—Adjusting only the electrothermal mechanism

Definitions

  • This invention relates to electric circuit breakers havingcurrent overload protection and in which such pro- -tection is provided by the action of a bi-metallic thermal latch element arranged so as automatically to disengage van abutment upon the occurrence of an overload current 2,485,736 issued October 29, 1949, No. 2,514,545, prior U. S. Patents No. 2,639,349 issued May 19, 1953, No. 2,642,510, issued June 6, 1953, No. 2,665,347, issued January 5, 1954, and application Ser. No. 331,769 tiled January 19, 1953.
  • thermal latch element itself permits the latch to be kept to finely calibrated limits to provide the desired automatic and instant circuit breaking operation and it becomes desirable, therefore, that the latch element should not be subjected to positive mechanical deflection in order to adjust its position of Contact with the abutment surface, as disclosed in the said U. S. Patent No. 2,639,349.
  • lt is an important object of the present invention to provide an improved thermal latch and abutment assembly in which adjustment of the position of contact of the thermal latch element with its abutment is readily possible without the necessity of subjecting the thermal element itself to mechanical flexure.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide an improved thermal latch and abutment assembly in which the abutment is capable of being readily adjusted to adjust thc position of contact of the thermal element with respect to the abutment.
  • Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of an electric circuit breaker embodying the present invention, with the thermal latch shown engaged with its abutment,
  • Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1,
  • Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevational view of the thermal lFa'tchZand abutment assembly looking upon the front of 2,694,122 Patented Nov. 9, 1954 ice gig.
  • 4 is a vertical'section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, an
  • Figs. 5 and 6 are diagrammatic views of alternative adjustable abutments and latch assemblies.
  • Figs. 1 to 4 there is disclosed an electrical circuit breaker constructed and arranged to operate substantially as disclosed in the above mentioned patents and co-pending applications, but in which the thermal latch element '10 is arranged to engage an abutment surface 12 defined at the lower end of a plate member 14 secured upon the actuator plunger 16 (constituting support structure for the abutment) at its opposite end, as by the cross rivet 18.
  • thermal latch element arranged to engage on one side of the actuator plunger, this latch element being connected with a guide plate 20 slidably and guidedly engaged with respect to the opposite side of the actuator plunger. It is to be understood, however, that the construction may be modified to provide a thermal latch element and abutment upon opposite sides of the actuator plunger, with the adjustable abutment construction being, for instance, as disclosed in Fig. 6, to be described later.
  • the actuator plunger 16 is formed with opposite ledge surfaces 22, 22 with which the outwardly directed abutment surface 12, and a similar surface 24 on a wear plate 26, engage, the plate 26 providing a wear surface, at 24, for the slidable engagement of the guide plate 20.
  • theplate 14 which is deflectable in its lower portion, containing the abutment surface, is formed with an inturned tongue 14', the free end edge of which is engaged by the conical end v28 of an adjustment screw 23.
  • This screw is shown as extending vertically through a screw-threaded bore 30 in the lower end portion 16 of the vplunger 16.
  • the screw- has its screw-driver slot 28" exposed to an enlarged vertical cavity 16" in the piunger, in which cavity the coil spring 32 for restoring the plunger to its released re-set position is housed.
  • the tongue 14' may be pressed out of the material of the plate 14, with the formation of a rectangular slot 14 (Fig. 3) in the plate.
  • the spring 32 When assembled within the casing, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, the spring 32 extends between the screw-driver end of the adjustment -screw 28 and a nut 34 mounted within an opening 36 in the bottom of the casing. This opening is finally closed by a screw plug 38, screwed through the nut 34, but, with the screw-plug removed, it is possible'to adjust the screw 28 by inserting a screwdriver through the center of the spring 32 to engage the screw-driver slot 28".
  • Rotation of the screw 28 in one direction or the other, by contact of the screw end 23 with the tongue 14', will cause the abutment vsurface'12 to move outwards or 'inwards wthrespect to its ledge and guide surface 22 and thereby adjust the position at which the latch edge 10' engagesvthe Vabutment surface.
  • the latch edge 10 can be made to engage the abutment surface either farther inwards or outwards, depending upon the amount of thermal distortion needed for the latch edge to disengage the abutment surface upon the oc currence of the predetermined current overload at which the circuit breaker is required to operate to automatically interrupt the circuit closed at the movable contacts 40, 40 and the iixed contact 42, 42.
  • the abutment is in the form of a block 44 mounted for lateral sliding and translational movement with respect to a rectilinear recess 46 formed in the abutment support structure 48, which structure may form part of a re-set actuator plunger, as disclosed in Figs. 1 4.
  • the thermal latch element is indicated at 50 with its free distortable edge 50 in engagement with the abutment surface 44' provided by the abutment block 44.
  • the abutment block has a cenv tral lateral screw-threaded bore 52 in which the screwthreaded end 54' of an adjustment screw 54 engages,
  • this screw having its screw-driver slot 54 exposed to the side of the support structure (or actuator plunger) remote from the abutment block 44 and being constrained against axial motion, when rotated, by the keeper plate structure 56.
  • the support structure 58 which may constitute a re-set actuator plunger, has recesses 60, 60, formed in its opposite sides, and similar abutment blocks 62, 62 are slidably mounted in each said recess, these blocks presenting abutment surfaces 62', 62' to the thermally distortable free end edges 64', 64 of a pair of bi-metallic thermal latch plates 64, 64.
  • the blocks 62 have axially aligned screw-threaded bores 62, 62" which are of opposite direction (i. e.
  • an electric circuit breaker having current overload protection and including fixed and movable contact means, a bi-metallic latch in electrical connection with said movable contact means, and an abutment with which an edge of said latch engages to hold the contacts closed, support structure for said abutment, means mounting said abutment upon said support structure for translational movement with respect to said latch edge, adjustable means connected with said abutment for imparting said translational movement to the abutment to adjust the position of contact of the latch edge with said abutment, and spring means connected with said latch for holding said edge firmly engaged against said abutment.
  • said abutment including a plate member defining an abutment surface at one end, means mounting one end of said plate member upon said support structure, said end with the abutment surface being deflectable, an adjustment screw on said support structure, and means on said plate member in engagement with said adjustment screw for deecting said plate end, by adjustment of said screw, to vary the position of engagement of the latch edge with said abutment surface.
  • An electric circuit breaker as claimed in claim l said support structure including a guide surface and said abutment including a block slidably supported with respect to said guide surface, an adjustment screw on said support structure and engaged with said abutment block, and means constraining said block to partake of sliding movement with respect to said guide surface upon rotation of said adjustment screw.
  • An electric circuit breaker as claimed in claim 1 said support structure defining opposite sides with a guide surface on each side, and said abutment including a block slidably supported with respect to each said guide surface, whereby there is an abutment block on opposite sides of the support structure, an adjustment screw inter-connecting said abutment blocks, and means constraining said blocks to partake of sliding movement with respect to said guide surface in opposite directions, and to a similar extent, upon rotation of said adjustment screw.
  • thermal latch and abutment assembly for an electrical circuit breaker, said assembly including support structure, a thermal latch movably mounted with respect to said support structure and an abutment on said support structure for engagement by an end edge of said latch to hold the latch in the latched position, a guide surface on said structure, means mounting said abutment on said structure for movement with respect to said guide surface, and adjustment means on said support structure and connected with said abutment to adjust the abutment with respect to said guide surface, whereby to vary the point of engagement of said latch edge with said abutment, and spring means connected with said latch for holding said edge irmly engaged against said abutment 7.
  • a bimetallic latch in electrical connection with said movable contact means, guide structure including an abutment surface, means mounting said movable contact means and said bi-metallic latch for movement as a unit relatively to said guide structure for engaging an edge of said latch with said abutment surface, said latch edge being deflectable from engagement with said abutment surface under the influence of the heat of the conducted current, means mounting said abutment for adjustment upon said support structure in the direction of said deflection, and spring means connected with said unit for holding said latch rmly engaged with said abutment, said spring means being operative to move said movable contact means sharply away from the movable contact means when said latch disengages said abutment.

Landscapes

  • Breakers (AREA)
  • Thermally Actuated Switches (AREA)
US350455A 1953-04-22 1953-04-22 Electric circuit breaker Expired - Lifetime US2694122A (en)

Priority Applications (8)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL89251D NL89251C (fr) 1953-04-22
NLAANVRAGE7712728,A NL186856B (nl) 1953-04-22 Werkwijze voor het katalytisch hydrogenolyseren van maleinezuuranhydride.
US350455A US2694122A (en) 1953-04-22 1953-04-22 Electric circuit breaker
GB8807/54A GB756764A (en) 1953-04-22 1954-03-25 Improvements in and relating to electric circuit breakers
FR1097554D FR1097554A (fr) 1953-04-22 1954-04-03 Disjoncteur électrique avec verrou à commande thermique
DEM22708A DE971628C (de) 1953-04-22 1954-04-11 Elektrischer Selbstschalter
CH318051D CH318051A (fr) 1953-04-22 1954-04-21 Disjoncteur électrique
ES0214844A ES214844A1 (es) 1953-04-22 1954-04-21 Un interruptor de circuito eléctrico

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US350455A US2694122A (en) 1953-04-22 1953-04-22 Electric circuit breaker

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US2694122A true US2694122A (en) 1954-11-09

Family

ID=23376797

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US350455A Expired - Lifetime US2694122A (en) 1953-04-22 1953-04-22 Electric circuit breaker

Country Status (7)

Country Link
US (1) US2694122A (fr)
CH (1) CH318051A (fr)
DE (1) DE971628C (fr)
ES (1) ES214844A1 (fr)
FR (1) FR1097554A (fr)
GB (1) GB756764A (fr)
NL (2) NL89251C (fr)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2809255A (en) * 1955-04-12 1957-10-08 Westinghouse Electric Corp Circuit breaker
US2844690A (en) * 1956-09-17 1958-07-22 Dominick A Lombardo Circuit breaker for individual circuits
US2859304A (en) * 1954-07-09 1958-11-04 Ite Circuit Breaker Ltd Circuit breaker
US2958748A (en) * 1959-04-27 1960-11-01 Cts Corp Combination electrical control

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2388617A (en) * 1943-05-17 1945-11-06 Line Material Co Switch construction
US2573306A (en) * 1948-08-11 1951-10-30 Gen Electric Electric circuit breaker

Family Cites Families (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE496251C (de) * 1928-07-01 1930-04-17 Wilhelm Leyhausen Thermische Ausloesevorrichtung fuer elektrische Schalter
DE538849C (de) * 1930-09-23 1931-11-19 Siemens Schuckertwerke Akt Ges Waermeausloeser mit unmittelbarer Heizung
DE649003C (de) * 1934-12-21 1937-08-12 Aeg Installationsselbstschalter mit einer Druckknopf-Klinkenfreiausloesung
US2214695A (en) * 1938-03-19 1940-09-10 Westinghouse Electric & Mfg Co Circuit breaker
US2418537A (en) * 1944-01-07 1947-04-08 Morris B Wood Electric circuit breaker
US2624816A (en) * 1945-05-09 1953-01-06 Westinghouse Electric Corp Circuit breaker
US2501363A (en) * 1946-07-20 1950-03-21 Westinghouse Electric Corp Shock-resisting thermallyresponsive device
BE486218A (fr) * 1947-12-10
DE1632535U (de) * 1948-10-01 1951-12-20 Ellenberger & Poensgen Installationsselbstschalter.
DE836965C (de) * 1950-03-22 1952-04-17 Elektrotechnische Spezialfabri Selbstschalter, insbesondere in Stoepselform

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2388617A (en) * 1943-05-17 1945-11-06 Line Material Co Switch construction
US2573306A (en) * 1948-08-11 1951-10-30 Gen Electric Electric circuit breaker

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2859304A (en) * 1954-07-09 1958-11-04 Ite Circuit Breaker Ltd Circuit breaker
US2809255A (en) * 1955-04-12 1957-10-08 Westinghouse Electric Corp Circuit breaker
US2844690A (en) * 1956-09-17 1958-07-22 Dominick A Lombardo Circuit breaker for individual circuits
US2958748A (en) * 1959-04-27 1960-11-01 Cts Corp Combination electrical control

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB756764A (en) 1956-09-12
ES214844A1 (es) 1954-06-01
CH318051A (fr) 1956-12-15
NL186856B (nl)
FR1097554A (fr) 1955-07-07
DE971628C (de) 1959-03-05
NL89251C (fr)

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