US2695934A

US2695934A - Operating mechanism for enclosed circuit breakers or switches

Info

Publication number: US2695934A
Application number: US222621A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ervin E Wills
Original assignee: Federal Electric Products Co
Current assignee: Federal Electric Products Co
Priority date: 1951-04-24
Filing date: 1951-04-24
Publication date: 1954-11-30
Anticipated expiration: 1971-11-30

Description

Nov. 30, 1954 E. E. WILLS 2,695,934

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR ENCLOSED CIRCUIT BREAKERS OR SWITCHES Filed April 24, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. fry/ v 5. 14044 .5

Nov. 30, 1954 E E w|| s 2,695,934

OPERATING MECH'ANIsM FOR ENCLOSED CIRCUIT BREAKERS 0R SWITCHES Filed April 24, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 5 591/076. Zy/ E Z g BY I;

Nov. 30, 1954 E. E. w|| |..s 2,695,934

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR ENCLOSED CIRCUIT BREAKERS 0R SWITCHES Filed April 24, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVEN TOR. EfV/N 5. W/LL 6 BY a 425% 6% J United States Patent OPERATING MECHANISM FORENCLOSED CIR- CUIT BREAKERS OR SWITCHES Erwin E. "Wills, Aflton,

-Products Company, Delaware 'Mo., assignor to Federal Electric Newark, N. J., a corporation of This invention relates to operating mechanisms for enclosed circuit breakers.

One object of the present invention .is the provision of an improved mechanism for operating .a circuit breaker which is enclosed in a casing while the casing cover is closed and for lockingvthe casing cover closed in either the .open or closed condition of. the circuit breaker.

Another object of the present invention is the .provision of a circuit breaker enclosing casing having an openable cover carrying anexternally operable handle mechanism for actuating the circuit breaker handle and which isprovided with a device which is operable, upon closing of the casing cover, to automatically positionthe operating handle to correspond .to the position of the circuit breaker handle at the time of closing ofthe cover, without injury to handle mechanism or the circuit breaker and without moving the circuit breaker handle.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a circuit breaker enclosing casing having an openable cover carrying-an externally operable handle mechanism for actuating the circuit breaker handle, in which the "operating handle must be moved to aspecial open cover" position to release the coverinterlocking means and'in which the cover interlocking means may be locked in either'the on or ofl position of the operating handle.

"Another .object of the presentinvention is the provision of a circuit'breaker enclosing casing having an openable cover carrying an externally mounted operating handle mechanism for actuating the circuit breaker handle, in which'there is provided means operable by .said handle mechanism, when said cover is closed, for moving'thehandle'of thecircuit breaker unitlto correspond to the position of the external operating handle, and in which said-means ,are provided with releasable locking means to lock the-circuit breaker in open condition when it is in said condition when the casing *cover is opened and thecircuit breaker handle is in the off position.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a circuit breaker'enclosing casing having an openable cover carrying an externally mounted operating handle for controlling the circuit breaker handle, in which improved means are provided ,forexternally locking the operating handle in either the 'on or oft position.

Another object of the present invention is theprovision of a circuit breaker enclosing casing having an openable cover carrying an externally mounted operating handle for actuating the circuit breaker handle, in which independent external means are provided on the coverto permit the opening of the cover in allpositions of: the operating handle when the operating handle is not externally lockedv -A further object of the present invention is the .provision of a circuit breaker enclosingcasinghavingan opcnable cover carrying an externally mounted operating handle for controlling the circuit breaker handle, in which there is provided means 'for locking the handle of the circuit breaker unit in position on the opening of the cover: With'the circuitbreaker actuatinghandle in the off position, and in.which on the-closing of the cover the locking means are automatically released.

.-A.yet further object is genera'lly to provide an improved front 'operateden'closed circuit breaker.

'tTheiaboveand-other objects, features and advantages ofxthe'present'invention will be more'fully understood from the:following description consideredin connection with the: accompanyingdrawings.

off positions,

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the circuit breaker enclosing casing and operating mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention, the cover being shown in both opened and closed positions and the operatingihandle being shown in both on and off positions;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the operating handle, interlocking element, and operating plate assembly in disassembled relationship;

Fig. 3 is a partial perspective view of the reciprocable member and the releasable locking means for the reciprocable member;

Fig. 4 is a partial sectional view taken on the line 4-4 ofFig. 1 with the locking member shown in both handlereleasing position and handle-locking position;

Fig. 5 is a partial top plan view of the circuit breaker operating mechanism with the cover in closed position;

Fig. 6 is a rear elevational view of the circuit breaker operating mechanism with the mechanism shown in on and tripped positions;

Fig. 7. is a view similar shown in the OE Fig. 8 is-a to Fig. 6 with the mechanism and reset positions; partial detailed view showing the reciprocable ,rnember locking dog in its retracted position;

)Fig. 9 .isafragmentary front view of the casing cover with the operating handle removed but showing the locking projection and limiting stop element; and

Fig.,10 is a partial sectional view taken on the line 10-10 of Fig. .5.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the circuit breaker casing 10 comprisesa receptacle or box 12 and a cover 14 which is hinged to said box 12 at one side thereof so that said cover 14 may be swung to its open and .closed positions as illustrated in Fig. l. The cover is provided with a rim 16 which seats against the box 12 of the casing 10 to exclude foreign matter, as is well known in the art. With reference to Fig. 4, a circuit breaker unit 18 is mounted in the casing in any suitable way, being here shown, for illustration purposes only, secured to back wall 20 of the box 12 by screws 22. The circuit breaker unit 18 is provided with'an oscillatable actuating handle 24 for operating the circuit breaker mechanism. It will be readily apparent to those skilled inthe art that any type of circuit breaker unit having an oscillatable .actuating handle may be used. Secured to the circuit breaker unit 18 by means of the screws 22 is a channel shaped reciprocable handle actuating member 26 having an aperture 28 suitably dimensioned for the reception of the circuit breaker actuating handle 24 as shown in Fig. 4, thus providing an operative connection between member 26 and handle 28. The aperture 28 istformed, as here shown, by the pair of struck-out portions 30, in the bottom 32 of the member 26, which engage the handleat the opposite sides thereof for moving the handle in opposite directions. The bottom 32 of member 26 is provided with a pair of aligned elongated slots 34 which are adapted to cooperate with the guide screw studs 36 for reciprocable movement of member 26 relative to the circuit breaker unit 18. The member 26 is mounted on a pair of

suitable brackets

38 and 40 which are fixed to the circuit breaker unit 18 by means of screws 22, it being understood that member 26 is adapted to reciprocate relative to the circuit breaker unit .18, the member 26 accordingly oscillating or reciprocating the actuating handle 24 of the circuit breaker unit by means of the cooperating relationship between said actuating handle 24 and the struck-out portions 30 of the member 26. As is well known in the art, actuating handle 24 is adapted to oscillate between its on and and accordingly the slots 34 are longitudinally dimensioned so that the member 26 maybe reciprocated for the full range of reciprocation of the actuating handle 24. The member 26 is provided with a laterally projecting fixed stud or part 42 disposed intermediate the extremities of said member, for engagement by a part of the external actuating mechanism as will be described fully hereinafter.

"The member 26 is also provided with a slot 44 (Figures 3, 4, and'8) which is adapted to be engaged by a releasable locking dog 46 which is pivotally mounted on the bracket 40, by means of the pin 48, and is biased into a locking or slot engaging position by means of the spring 50. The locking dog 46 is provided with a projection 52 which is adapted to engage member 26 in slot 44 to lock said member against reciprocation when the circuit breaker is open and the casing cover is open. Integral with locking dog 46 is a lever 54 which is positioned to be engaged by cover 14 to retate the locking dog 46 out of engagement with the slot 44 of member 26 when the casing cover is closed as will be described in detail hereinafter. Integral with the bracket 40 is a horizontally projecting latch member 60 for interlocking the cover 14 to the box 12 as will be described in detail hereinafter.

Operating handle 62 is mounted on the cover 14 in position externally thereof and is rotatable to and from on, tripped, off and reset positions, respectively, and constitutes part of the mechanism hereinafter more particularly described for manually actuating the circuit breaker handle 24 and for locking the casing cover closed. With reference to Figures 2 and 4, the operating handle 62 is provided with a locking member 64 which is mounted for rectilinear movement in the slot 66 of the hub 106 of handle 62. The handle 62 and locking member 64 are substantially the same as the handle and lock device fully described and illustrated in application No. 75,652 filed February 10, 1949, by Egmont Arens and assigned to the assignee of this invention, and therefore said handle and locking

member assembly

62, 64 are only generally described herein. The locking member 64 is rectilinearly movable between a handle-releasing position and a handle-locking position, the retracted position of the member 64 being the handle-releasing position and the extended positionof member 64 being the handle-locking position. The member 64 is normally biased into the retracted or handle-releasing position by means of the spring 68. The member 64 is provided with an integral locking projection 70 adapted to be reciprocated outwardly of the handle 62 for locking said handle in a preselected position.

With reference to Fig. 9, the cover 14 is provided with an aperture 72 which is adapted to mount and rotatably support the handle 62. Continuous with aperture 72 is an arcuate cut-out portion 74 having shoulders 76 which are adapted to cooperate with handle limiting means which will be described in detail below. Connected with and extending from the arcuate cut-out portion 74 is a pair of spaced

slots

78 and 80 which are adapted to receive the locking projection 70 of the member 64 when the latter is extended to handle-locking position. Thus, when locking member 64 is extended into the handle-locking position the locking projection 70 will be accordingly extended into the slot 78 when the handle 62 is in the on position and said projection will be extended into the slot 80 when the handle 62 is in the 011 position.

In order to provide for moving the handle 24 of the circuit breaker unit 18 to a position corresponding to the position of the operating handle 62, there is provided an operating plate 82 which is mechanically connected to said handle 62 and rotates therewith. The operating plate 82 is provided with a cut-out portion 84 which is engageable with the laterally projecting part 42 of the member 26 (Figures 2, 4, and so that on the closing of the cover 14 the part 42 engages the cutout portion 84 when the part 42 and said cut-out portion 84 are in alignment.

It will be apparent that when the part 42 of member 26 and the cut-out portion 84 of operating plate 82 are not in alignment on the closing of the cover 14, there will be danger that the handle mechanism or the circuit breaker unit mechanism will be damaged, and to obviate this undesirable result there is provided integral with the operating plate 82 camming means comprising a pair of substantially symmetrical laterally projecting

cam elements

86 and 88 which extend from the cut-out portion 84. Thus it will be seen that on the closing of the cover 14, if the position of handle 62 does not correspond to the position of handle 24, in which case the cut-out portion 84 and the part 42 are not in alignment, straight cam edge 90 of one of the

cam elements

86 and 88 will be engaged by the part 42 to move theoperating plate 82 to a position where the part 42 engages the cut-out-portion 84 of operating plate 82 to automatically position the operating handle 62 to a position corresponding to the position of. the actuating.

handle 24. Thus, on the closing of the cover 14, if the part 42 and the cut-out portion 84 are in alignment, the part 42 will directly engage said cut-out portion 84, whereas if the part 42 and the cut-out portion 84 are not in alignment the part 42 will engage one of the

cam elements

86 and 88 to move the operating plate 82 to a position where the part 42 and the cut-out portion 84 will be in alignment.

Interposed between the operating plate 82 and the op;

erating handle 62 is a spacer 92, limiting stop element 94, spacer 96 and bearing plate 98 (Figures 2 and 4). There is provided a slot 100 in the limiting stop element 94, a slot 102 in the spacer 96, and a slot 104 in the bearing plate 98, said slots being in alignment on assembly for the reception of the locking projection 70 of the locking member 64. With reference to Fig. 2, the handle 62 and operating plate 82 are assembled by positioning the bearing plate 98 immediately adjacent to, the hub 106 of the handle 62 and superposing on said bearing plate 98 element 94. The limiting stop element 94 which is superposed on plate 98 is positioned in the aperture 72 of the cover 14 in substantial alignment with said cover. The operating plate 82 and the spacer 92 are positioned at the inner side of the cover 14, it being understood that the

slots

100, 102 and 104 are all aligned on assembly.

ment 94, the spacer 96 and the bearing plate 98 are all suitably apertured for the reception of the screws 112.

There is provided in the hub 106 of the handle 62 spaced threaded apertures 114 which are adapted for the re--.

ception of the complementary end portions of screws 112. Thus on assembly the operating plate 82, the

spacer 92, the limiting stop element 94, the spacer 96,.

erate with the shoulders 76 of the arcuate cut-out por-. tion 74 in the cover 14 for limiting the pivotal move-' ment of the handle 62 and operating plate 82. When.

cover 14 is closed, operating handle 62 is operable to move the actuating handle 24 of the circuit breaker unit 18 to manually open and close the breaker and handle 24 will, of course, move to a position corresponding to the position of said operating handle. As shown in Fig. 1 the operating handle 62 is adapted to be moved: through the distance between the reset and on po-- sitions, and the limiting stop element 94 and cover 14 are adapted to cooperate to limit the pivotal movement of handle 62 to the distance represented by the range between the reset and on positions.

When the operating handle 62 is turned to the desired position, plate 82 will be correspondingly turned and, when the cover 14 is in closed condition and the circuit breaker unit 18 and operating handle 62 are in corresponding positions, plate 82, at its cut-out portion 84, will directly engage the laterally projecting part 42' of the reciprocable member 26 to reciprocate said member 26, the raised or struck-out portions 30 of said member 26 engaging the actuating handle 24 of the circuit breaker unit 18 to reciprocate said actuating handle 24.

to a position corresponding to the position to which handle 62 is turned.

cuit breaker unit 18, the laterally projecting part 42 of the reciprocable member 26 will engage one of the cam edges 90 of the cam-

elements

86 and 88, the cam edge 4 90 that is engaged by the part 42 depending on the relative positioning of the operating handle 62 and the actuating handle 24, as will be readily understood. The relative engagement of the part 42 of the member 26 and one of the cam edges 90 of the

cam elements

86 and 88 will be effective to turn the operating plate' 82 in an appropriate direction and concomitantly turn the handle 62 to a position where the laterally projecting In the base 108 of the operating plate 82 there is provided a pair of spaced apertures 110 which are adapted for the reception of the fasten-- ing screws 112. The spacer 92, the limiting stop ele-f If, on the closing of the cover, 14, the operating handle 62 is not in a position correspondlng to the position of the handle 24 of the cirpart 42 and the cut-out portion 84 are in respective engagement, said movement being effective to automatically position the operating handle 62 to the position corresponding to the position of the handle 24 of the oncuit breaker. It will be understood that the spring in the circuit breaker unit 18 is inherently stiit and strong to prevent movement of handle 24 by member 82, except when the latter is operated by manual actuation ofhandle 62 and said spring readily absorbs the shock of the contact between the part 42 of the member 26 and one of the cam edges 90 of the plate 82, without any-damage to said circuit breaker unit.

With reference to Fig. 8 is to be observed that on the closing of the cover 14 the latter engages the lever 54 of the locking dog 46 to rotate said locking dog 46 out of engagement with the slot 44 of the member 26 to release said member 26 for reciprocation. This lock prevents inadvertent closing of the circuit breaker when the casing cover is open, for in order to close the breaker when the casing cover is open, it would be necessary to manually release lock 46 and this would normally require the attention of the operator as contrasted with an inadvertent manipulation.

To lock the cover 14 in closed position there is provided interlocking means enclosed by said casing and cover, said means comprising an interlocking element 118 (Figure 2) which is pivotally mounted to the cover 14 at 120. The interlocking element 118 is provided with a laterally projecting locking portion 122 which is adapted to cooperate with the latch member 60, which is integral with the bracket 40 as described above. The interlocking element 118 is biased into a locking or counterclockwise position as viewed in Figures 6 and 7 by means of the spring 124, said spring being secured at one end 125 to the interlocking element 118 and fixed at the other end to the underside of the cover 14 by means of the lug 126 which is suitably fixed to said cover 14. In the normal closing of the cover 14 the inclined or cam edge 128 of the portion 122 strikes member 60, the interlocking element 118 being turned against its spring bias until part 130 is below latch 6i? (Fig. '5) whereupon spring 124 moves locking member to its operative position under member 60 for locking the casing cover releasably in closed position. To release the above described interlocking means there is provided a shoulder 132 on the operating plate 82 which cooperates with a struck down portion 134 in the interlocking element 118. Thus when the operating handle 62 is rotated to a special open cover position (Figure 7) which in the illustrated embodiment coincides with the reset position, the shoulder 132 of the operating plate 82 will engage the struck down portion 134 of the interlocking element 118 to rotate said element 118 out of interlocking relation with the member 60 thereby allowing the cover 14 to be freely opened. As shown in Fig. 7, it will be readily apparent that on the rotation of the interlocking element 118 the arm 130 of said interlocking element 118 will be disengaged from the member 60 to thereby release the interlocking means.

The interlocking element 118 is provided with an arcuate end portion 136 having a pair of laterally spaced

slots

138 and 140, said spaced slots being adapted to register with the spaced slots 78 and 8t), respectively, in the cover 14, except when the operating handle 62 is in the open cover or reset position. Thus when the handle 62 is in the on position the slot 138 of the interlocking element will be in registry with the slot 78 of the cover 14 and when the handle 62 is in the off position the slot 140 of the element 118 will be in registry with the slot 80 of said cover 14. When the handle 62 is in the on position and the locking member 64 is extended into the handle-locking position, the locking projection 70 will mate with the registered

slots

78 and 138, thereby locking said handle 62 in the on position. When the handle 62 is rotated to the 011" position and the locking member 64 is extended to the handle-locking position, the locking projection 70 will matewith the registered

slots

80 and 140, thereby locking said handle 62 in the ofi position. It will be readily apparent from the above that the operating handle '62 may be externally locked in either the on or ofi? position but may not be so locked. in any intermediate position. When the operating handle 62 is rotated to the open cover position the interlocking element 118 will be accordingly pivoted to unlock the cover 14 as aforedescribed, but when said operating handle 62 is externally locked the interlocking element 118 is accordingly locked against pivotal movement.

To provide for the release of the above described interlocking means to permit the opening of the cover 14 in all positions of the operating handle 62, when said handle is not externally locked, the interlocking element 118 is fixed to a rotatable stud or screw 142 which has a slotted head 144 projecting to the outside of the cover 14 so that on the rotation of said slotted portion 144 by a conventional screwdriver the interlocking element 118 will be accordingly rotated out of interlock with the member 60 (Figure 10). Thus whenever desired the slotted portion 144 may be rotated from the outside of the cover 14 to release the arm of the interlocking element 118 from engagement with the member 60 of bracket 40, such external release of the interlocking means having no effect on the positioning of the actuating handle 24 of the circuit breaker unit 18. It will be readily apparent from the above that when the bandle 62 is externally locked, one of the slots 138 and 148 will be interengaged with the locking member 164 to lock element 118 against pivotal movement whereby stud 142 is locked against rotation to prevent the opening of cover 14 in this manner. The locking member 64 has an elongated opening 65 which as shown in Fig. 4 is disposed internally to the handle hub 106 when said locking member is in its retracted or handle-releasing position and which is disposed externally of the handle 62 when said locking member is extended into the handle-locking position. Said elongated opening 65 in the handle-locking position of member 64 is adapted to receive one or more conventional padlocks or the like so that the handle 62 may be locked externally as is well known to those skilled in the art.

As is well known in the art, the holding of the actuating handle 24 of the circuit breaker unit 18 in the on position will not prevent the tripping or overload automatic operation of the circuit breaker. It will also be apparent that when for any reason the actuating handle 24 of the circuit breaker unit 18 is tripped, the operating handle 62 if not locked by member 64 will assume a corresponding position (Figure 6). Handle 62 when manually moved to the on and off positions will remain so positioned, but said handle can be held in reset position and moved to reset position only against the tension of the circuit breaker spring, as is well known to those skilled in the art, and against the bias of spring 124.

Thus it will be seen that the above described mechanism provides for automatically positioning the operating handle 62 to a position corresponding to the position of the circuit breaker actuating handle 24 on the closing of the cover 14 without any injury to the circuit breaker unit. The above mechanism also requires the operating handle 62 to be moved to a special open cover position to release the cover interlocking means and said cover interlocking means may be locked in either the on or off position of said handle 62. The above mechanism also provides for an improved mechanlsm for operating and locking the circuit breaker unit 18, and, when the cover 14 is closed, the actuating handle 24 of the circuit breaker unit will correspond to the position of the operating handle 62. Operating handle 62 may be locked in either the on or off position as described above which is very advantageous in that the circuit breaker for the controlled circuit may be externally locked with the circuit either closed or open. There is also provided the slotted portion 144 of the shaft 142 mounted externally of the cover 14 to permit the opening of said cover 14 in all positions of the operating handle 62 when said handle is not externally locked, so that a supervisor or operator familar with the mechanism may open the cover 14 without disturbing the circuit breaker unit setting in any way.

Although the invention has been described for a circurt breaker which is automatically opened or trippe'l. upon overload, the invention may be used at least a; to certain features thereof in connection with other types of circuit interrupters, for example, mechanical switches.

While there is shown and described herein certain spe- ClfiC structure embodying the invention it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular form herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An enclosing casing for a circuit breaker or switch having an operating member, said casing having a cover movable to closed and open positions, an actuating handle carried by said cover in position at the outer side thereof and mounted for turning movement on said cover to a plurality of difierent positions in the open and closed positions of said cover, and mechanism mounted at the inner side of said cover and movable therewith when said cover is moved to said positions and fixed to said handle for turning movement therewith, said mechanism comprising a member provided with cam means which in the movement of the casing cover to closed position engages the operating member of the circuit breaker in either the open or closed condition of the latter and moves said actuating handle to a position corresponding to the position of said operating member of the circuit breaker, if said actuating handle is then in a non-corresponding position, said cam means having a part which automatically engages said operating member in operative relation thereto for actuating the latter when the cover is closed, a lock carried by said cover and movable thereon into releasable engagement with a relatively stationary part in said casing when the cover is closed, for releasably locking the cover in closed position, said mechanism member having a part which is engageable with said lock to release the latter when the handle is moved to one of said positions thereof, and a releasable lock for the handle operable to secure the same against turning movement, and interengaging means on said handle lock and on said cover lock to prevent release of the latter when the handle is locked against turning movement.

2. In combination with a circuit breaker unit having an actuating handle movable to on, off and reset positions, a casing in which said unit is mounted, an openable cover for said casing, said cover having an operating handle mounted thereon, said operating handle being movable to on, ofl? and open cover position beyond the OE position for moving said handle of said circuit breaker unit to a corresponding position when said cover is in a closed condition, said operating handle having a locking member mounted on said handle for movement from handle-releasing position to handle-locking position, an operating plate connected to said operating handle and eifective to move said handle of said breaker unit to a position corresponding to the position of said operating handle, and interlocking means enclosed by said casing and cover for locking said cover comprising an interlocking element pivotally mounted for movement independently of said operating plate and rotated by said operating plate for releasing said interlocking means to permit the opening of said cover when said operating handle is moved to the open cover position, said interlocking means being effective to lock said cover in all other positions of said operating handle, said interlocking element having a slotted end portion which is adapted to be engaged by said handle locking member when the latter is moved to handle-locking position whereby in the handle-locking position of said locking member said interlocking element is locked against pivotal movement thereby preventing the release of said interlocking means.

3. In combination with a circuit breaker unit having an actuating handle movable to on, off and reset positions, a casing in which said unit is mounted, an openable cover for said casing, said cover having an operating handle mounted thereon, said operating handle being movable to on, off and open cover positions beyond the off position for moving said handle of said circuit breaker unit to a corresponding position when said cover is in a closed condition, said operating handle having a locking member mounted on said handle for movement from handle-releasing position to handle-locking position, an operating plate connected to said operating handle and effective to move said handle of said breaker unit to a position corresponding to the position of said operating handle, and interlocking means enclosed by said casing and cover for locking said cover comprising an interlocking element pivotally mounted for movement independently of said operating plate and rotated by said operating plate for releasing said interlocking means to permit the opening of said cover when said operating handle is moved to the open cover position, said interlocking means being eifective to lock said cover in all other positions of said operating handle, said interlocking element having a slotted end portion which is adapted to be engaged by said handle locking member when the latter is moved to handle-locking position whereby in the handle-locking position of said locking member said interlocking element is locked against pivotal movement thereby preventing the release of said interlocking means.

4. In combination with a circuit breaker unit having an actuating handle movable to on, ofi and reset positions, a casing in which said unit is mounted, an openable cover for said casing, said cover having an operating handle mounted thereon, said operating handle being movable to on, oil? and open cover position beyond the off position for moving said handle of said circuit breaker unit to a corresponding position when said cover is in a closed condition, said operating handle having a locking member mounted on said handle for movement from handle-releasing position to handlelocking position, an operating plate connected to said operating handle and effective to move said handle of said breaker unit to a position corresponding to the position of said operating handle, and interlocking means enclosed by said casing and cover for locking said cover comprising an interlocking element pivotally mounted for movement independently of said operating plate and rotated by said operating plate for releasing said interlocking means to permit the opening of said cover when said operating handle is moved to the open cover position, said interlocking means being effective to lock said cover in all other positions of said operating handle, said interlocking element having one end portion provided with a pair of spaced slots which are each adapted to be engaged by said handle-locking member when the latter is moved to handle-locking position, one slot being adapted to be engaged by said locking member when said operating handle is in the on position, and the other slot being adapted to be engaged by said locking member when said operating handle is in the OE position, whereby said operating handle may be locked in either the on or off positions with said interlocking element being locked against pivotal movement thereby preventing the release of said interlocking means.

5. In combination with a circuit breaker unit having an actuating handle movable to on, oil and reset positions, a casing in which said unit is mounted, an openable cover for said casing, said cover having an operating handle mounted thereon, said operating handle being movable to on, ofi and open cover position beyond the off position for moving said handle of said circuit breaker unit to a corresponding position when said cover is in a closed condition, said operating handle having a locking member mounted on said handle for movement from handle-releasing position to handlelocking position, said locking member having a locking projection, said cover having an opening through which said operating handle is operable, a pair of spaced slots formed in said cover adjacent said opening and adapted to receive said locking projection when the latter is in handle-locking position, an operating plate connected to said operating handle and effective to move said handle of said breaker unit to a position corresponding to the position of said operating handle, and interlocking means enclosed by said casing and cover for locking said cover comprising an interlocking element pivotally mounted for movement independently of said operating plate and rotated by said operating plate for releasing said interlocking means to permit the opening of said cover when said operating handle is moved to the open cover position, said interlocking means being effective to lock said cover in all other positions of said operating handle, said interlocking element having one end portion provided with a pair of spaced slots which are adapted to register with said spaced slots formed in said cover when said operating handle is in the on position and the off position, one pair of slots in registry being adapted to be engaged by said locking projection when said operating handle is in the on position, and the other pair of slots in registry being adapted to be engaged by said locking projection when said operating handle is in the off position, whereby said operating handle may be locked in either the on or oil positions with said interlocking element being locked against pivotal movement thereby preventing the release of said interlocking means.

6. In combination with a circuit breaker unit having an acuting handle movable to on, off and reset positions, a casing in which said unit is mounted, an openable cover for said casing, said cover having an operating handle mounted thereon, said operating handle being movable to on, off and open cover position beyond the off position for moving said handle of said circuit breaker unit to a corresponding position when said cover is in a closed condition, said operating handle having a locking member mounted on said handle for movement from handle-releasing position to handlelocking position, said locking member having a locking projection, said cover having an opening through which said operating handle is operable, a pair of spaced slots formed in said cover adjacent said opening and adapted to receive said locking projection when the latter is in handle-locking position, an operating plate connected to said operating handle and effective to move said handle of said breaker unit to a position corresponding to the position of said operating handle, and interlocking means enclosed by said casing and cover for locking said cover, comprising an interlocking element pivotally mounted for movement independently of said operating plate and rotated by said operating plate for releasing said interlocking means to permit the opening of said cover when said operating handle is moved to the open cover position, said interlocking means being effective to lock said cover in all other positions of said operating handle, said interlocking element having one end portion provided with a pair of spaced slots which are adapted to register with said spaced slots formed in said cover when said operating handle is in the on position and the off position, one pair of slots in registry being adapted to be engaged by said locking projection when said operating handle is in the on position, and the other pair of slots in registry being adapted to be engaged by said locking projection when said operating handle is in the off position, said locking member being spring biased to handle-releasing position whereby on the movement of said locking member to handle-locking position said locking projection engages a-pair of slots in registry to lock said operating-handle in a predetermined position in relation to said cover whereby said operating handle may be locked in either the on or oft positions with said interlocking element being locked against pivotal movement thereby preventing the release of said interlocking means.

7. In combination with a circuit breaker unit having an actuating handle movable to on, off and reset positions, a casing, in which said unit is mounted, an

openable cover for said casing, said cover having an operating handle mounted thereon, said operating handle being movable to on, off and open cover position beyond the ofi position for moving said handle of said circuit breaker unit to a corresponding position when said cover is in a closed condition, said operating handle having a locking member mounted on said handle for movement from handle-releasing position to handle-locking position, said locking member having a locking projection, said cover having an openingv through which said operating handle is operable, a pair of spaced slots formed in said cover adjacent said opening and adapted to receive said locking projection when the latter is in handle-locking position, an operating plate connected to said operating handle and effective to move said handle of said breaker unit to a position corresponding to the position of said operating handle, and interlocking means enclosed by said casing and cover for locking said cover, comprising an interlocking element pivotally mounted for movement independently of said operating plate and rotated by said operating plate for releasing said interlocking means to permit the opening of said cover when said operating handle is moved to the open cover position, said interlocking means being effective to lock said cover in all other positions of said operating handle, said interlocking element having one end portion provided with a pair of spaced slots which are adapted to register with said spaced slots formed in said cover when said operating handle is in the on position and the off position,

one pair of slots in registry being adapted to be engaged by said locking projection when said operating handle is in the on position, and the other pair of slots in registry being adapted to be engaged by said locking projection when said operating handle is in the off position, said locking member being spring biased to handle-releasing position whereby on the movement of said locking member to handle-locking position said locking projection engages a pair of slots in registry to lock said operating handle in a predetermined position in relation to said cover whereby said operating handle may be locked in either the on or off positions with said interlocking elements being locked against pivotal movement thereby preventing the release of said interlocking means, said interlocking element being fixed to a rotatable stub shaft, said shaft having a portion projecting to the outside of said cover whereby in the handle-releasing position of said locking member said outside portion of said shaft may be rotated for releasing said interlocking means to permit the opening of said cover in all positions of said operating hand e.

8. An enclosing casing for a circuit breaker or switch having an operating member, said casing having a cover movable to closed and open positions, an actuating handle carried by said cover in position at the outer side thereof and mounted for turning movement on said cover to a plurality of different positions in the open and closed positions of said cover, mechanism mounted at the inner side of said cover and movable therewith when said cover is moved to said positions and fixed to said handle for turning movement therewith, said mechanism having a member adapted to move said operating member to a position corresponding to the position of said actuating handle when said cover is in a closed condition, a lock carried by said cover and movable thereon into releasable engagement with a relatively stationary part in said casing when the cover is closed, for releasably locking the cover in closed position, said mechanism member having a part which is engageable with said lock to release the latter when the handle is moved to one of said positions thereof, and a releasable lock for the handle operable to secure the same against turning movement, and interengaging means on said handle lock and on said cover lock to prevent release of the latter when the handle is locked against turning movement.

9. An enclosing casing for a circuit breaker or switch having an operating member, said casing having a cover movable to closed and open positions, an actuating handle carried by said cover in position at the outer side thereof and mounted for turning movement on said cover to a plurality of diflerent positions in the open and closed positions of said cover, mechanism mounted at the inner side of said cover and movable therewith when said cover is moved to said positions and fixed to said handle for turning movement therewith, said mechanism having a member adapted to move said operating member to a position corresponding to the position of said actuating handle when said cover is in a closed condition, a lock carried by said cover and movable thereon into releasable engagement with a relatively stationary part in said casing when the cover is closed, for releasably locking the cover in closed position, said mechanism member having a part which is engageable with said lock to release the latter when the handle is moved to one of said positions thereof, and a releasable lock for the handle operable to secure the same against turning movement, and interengaging means on said handle lock and on said cover lock to prevent release of the latter when the handle is locked against turning movement, said lock comprising an interlocking element pivotally mounted for movement independently of said mechanism member and rotated by the latter for releasing said interlocking element from said stationary part in said casing when the handle is moved to one of said positions thereof.

10. In combination with a circuit breaker unit having an actuating handle movable to on, cit and reset positions, a casing in which said unit is mounted, an openable cover for said casing, said cover having an operating handle mounted thereon, said operating handle being movable to on, off and open cover" position beyond the off position for moving said handle of said circuit breaker unit to a corresponding position when said cover is in a closed condition,

said operating handle having a locking member mounted on said handle for movement from handle-releasing position to handle-locking position, an operating plate connected to said operating handle and eiiective to move said handle of said breaker unit to a position corresponding to the position of said operating handle, and interlocking means enclosed by said casing and cover for locking said cover comprising an interlocking element pivotally mounted for movement independently of said operating plate and rotated by said operating plate for releasing said interlocking means to permit the opening of said cover when said operating handle is moved to the open cover position, said interlocking means being effective to lock said cover in all other positions of said operating handle, said interlocking element having a portion which is adapted to be engaged by said handle locking member when the latter is moved to handlelocking position whereby in the handle-locking position of said locking member said interlocking element is locked against pivotal movement thereby preventing the release of said interlocking means.

11. In combination with a circuit breaker unit having a movable actuating handle, a casing in which said unit is mounted, an openable cover for said casing, said cover having an operating handle mounted thereon, said operating handle being movable to an on and off position for moving said handle of said circuit breaker unit to a corresponding position when said cover is in a closed condition, a reciprocable member connected to said circuit breaker unit and effective on reciprocation to control said actuating handle, said reciprocable member having releasable locking means comprising a slot in said member and a releasable pivotally mounted locking dog adapted to be received in said slot for locking said member against reciprocation on the opening of said cover when said actuating handle is in the off position, and cover position responsive means operatively associated with said locking dog whereby on the closing of said cover the latter engages said cover position responsive means to pivotally retract said locking dog from said slot to thereby release said member, and means associated with said operating handle and effective to move said handle of said breaker unit to a position corresponding to the position of said operating handle when said cover is in a closed condition.

12. In combination with a circuit breaker unit having a movable actuating handle, a casing in which said unit is mounted, an openable cover for said casing, said cover having an operating handle mounted thereon, said operating handle being movable to an on and off position for moving said handle of said circuit breaker unit to a corresponding position when said cover is in a closed condition, a reciprocable member connected to said circuit breaker unit and effective on reciprocation to control said actuating handle, said reciprocable member having releasable locking means comprising a slot in said member and a releasable pivotally mounted locking dog adapted to be received in said slot for locking said member against reciprocation on the opening of said cover when said actuating handle is in the off position, and cover position responsive means operatively associated with said locking dog whereby on the closing of said cover the latter engages said cover position responsive means to pivotally retract said locking dog from said slot to thereby release said member, and means associated with said operating handle and effective to move said handle of said breaker unit to a position corresponding to the position of said operating handle when said cover is in a closed condition, said cover position responsive means comprising a lever connected to said locking dog, said lever being adapted to be engaged by said cover on the closing thereof.

13. In combination with a circuit breaker unit having a movable actuating handle, a casing in which said unit is mounted, an openable cover for said casing, said cover having an operating handle mounted thereon, said operating handle being movable to different positions for moving said handle of said circuit breaker unit to a corresponding position when said cover is in a closed condition, a reciprocable member connected to said circuit breaker unit and effective on reciprocation to control said actuating handle, said reciprocable member having releasable locking means comprising a slot in said member and a releasable pivotally mounted locking dog adapted to be received in said slot for locking said member against reciprocation on the opening of said cover when said actuating handle is in one of said positions, and cover position responsive means operatively associated with said locking dog whereby on the closing of said cover the latter engages said cover position responsive means to pivotally retract said locking dog from said slot to thereby release said member and means associated with said operating handle and effective to move said handle of said breaker unit to a position corresponding to the position of said operating handle when said cover is in a closed condition.

14. In combination with a circuit breaker unit having a movable actuating handle, a casing in which said unit is mounted, an openable cover for said casing, said cover having an operating handle mounted thereon, said oper ating handle being movable to an on and off position for moving said handle of said circuit breaker unit to a corresponding position when said cover is in a closed condition, a reciprocable member connected to said circuit breaker unit and eflective on reciprocation to control said actuating handle, said reciprocable member having releasable locking means comprising a slot in said member and a releasable pivotally mounted locking dog adapted to be received in said slot for locking said member against reciprocation on the opening of said cover when said actuating handle is in the off position, and cover position responsive means operatively associated with said locking dog whereby on the closing of said cover the latter engages said cover position responsive means to pivotally retract said locking dog from said slot to thereby release said member, and means associated with said operating handle and effective to move said handle of said breaker unit to a position corresponding to the position of said operating handle when said cover is in a closed condition, said cover position responsive means comprising a lever integral with said locking dog whereby on the closing of said cover the latter engages said lever to rotate said locking dog and thereby retract said locking dog from said slot to release said member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,163,230 Rowe June 20, 1939 2,260,073 Ellis Oct. 21, 1941 2,263,860 Currie Nov. 25, 1941 2,512,505 Rowe June 20, 1950 2,540,814 Eichelberger Feb. 6, 1951 2,550,125 Schueler et al Apr. 24, 1951