US3133175A

US3133175A - Shockproof electromagnetic contactor having arc chute and blowout assembly and pivoted contact carriage means

Info

Publication number: US3133175A
Application number: US60742A
Authority: US
Inventors: Clarence W Kuhn; Theodore F Rosing
Original assignee: Cutler Hammer Inc
Current assignee: Cutler Hammer Inc
Priority date: 1960-10-05
Filing date: 1960-10-05
Publication date: 1964-05-12
Anticipated expiration: 1981-05-12

Description

May 12, 1964 c. w. KUHN ETAL 3,133,175

SHOCKPROOF ELECTROMAGNETIC CONTACTOR HAVING ARC CHUTE AND BLOWOUT ASSEMBLY AND PIVOTED CONTACT CARRIAGE MEANS Filed Oct. 5, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 12, 1964 c. w. KUHN ETAL 3,133,175

SHOCKPROOF ELECTROMAGNETIC CONTACTOR HAVING ARC CHUTE AND BLOWOUT ASSEMBLY AND PIVOTED CONTACT CARRIAGE MEANS Filed Oct. 5, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I so so as so so I I 5 I 5a 4 32. as I f 2.80 z: |n mu m lll l II 21 so z a; a9 66 70 L9 5 33 all 35 33 65 y 1964 c. w. KUHN ETAL 3,133,175

SHOCKFROOF ELECTROMAGNETIC CONTACTOR HAVING ARC CHUTE AND BLOWOUT ASSEMBLY AND PIVOTED CONTACT CARRIAGE MEANS Filed Oct. 5, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent Ofilice 3,133,175 Patented May 12, 1964 3,133,175 SHOCKPROOF ELECTROMAGNETIC CONTAC- TOR HAVING ARC CHUTE AND BLOWOUT ASSEMBLY AND PTVOTED CGNTACT CAR- RIAGE MEANS Clarence W. Kuhn, Whitefish Bay, and Theodore F. Rosing, Wauwatosa, Wis., assignors to Cutier-Hammer, Inc, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Filed Get. 5, 1960, Ser. No. 60,742 2 Claims. (Cl. 200-147) This invention relates to a shockproof electromagnetic switch designed for alternating current operation.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a highly compact switch for use at relatively high voltages in the range of 2,000 to 5,000 volts.

Another object is to provide such a switch in which the contacts may be quickly inspected and replaced if necessary.

The first object is accomplished by providing (1) a compact roller guide shockproof linkage construction and (2) encapsulated blow-out coils having physically smaller laminated wound cores producing the required blow-out field. The roller guide assembly requires less space than common shockproof linkages because of the rectilinear motion of the contact carrying carriages and the fact that the roller support will carry larger loads with smaller area as well as having low friction operation The cylindrically wound cores are easier to manufacture than conventional cores. Their use also reduces the size of the coil construction and facilitates in manutacture.

Other objects and advantages will be pointed out in, or be apparent from the specification and claims, as will obvious modifications of the single embodiment shown in the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a shockproof contactor embodying the invention with a portion broken away to show contact structure;

FIG. 2 is a top viewot only the contact carrying portion of the contactor;

FIG, 3 is a sectional View taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;,

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of only the contact carrying portion of the contactor;

FIG. 5 is a view in side elevation of only the blow-out coil and are chute portion of the contactor;

FIG. 6 is a side view of a compact blow-out coil;

PEG. 7 is an end view of such blow-out coil; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view or" a cylindrical laminated Wound core for a blow-out coil.

Referring to the drawings, the invention is shown embodied in a shockproof electromagnetic switch which has a contact carrying portion 16 and a blow-out coil and are chute portion 15 both mounted on a vertical frame 14; the contact carrying portion being mounted so that it may be swung downward to expose the contacts for inspection and replacement.

The blow-out coil and arc chute portion has an upper insulator arc attenuating section 10 of usual design including arc runners 11. Closely below the arc runners there is positioned a pair of blow-out coils 13 wound on laminated cores 31 that are secured by bolts 19 passing through an insulator panel 17. The panels 17 have openings 17a through which the cores project to make good magnetic connection with the pole plates 12. The blowout coil has been improved into a more compact structure. This has been accomplished by encapsulating the coil winding 25 with epoxy resin 27 or the like, and then coring a circular bore 29 in the insulative resin through the inside of the coil winding 25. The laminated cylindrical wound core 31 (see FIG. 8}, formed by rolling a strip of suitable magnetic material, is inserted in the cylindrical bore. This core construction is much more compact than those of conventional design which employ stackedplates to form the coil core. The present coil, because of its reduced size made possible by this new type core, can be nested closely below the arc runners without having to unduly space the contact carrying assembly below the bottom of the arc chutes 10, or with out having the coil projecting outwardly to the front or rear of the arc chutes. compactness is essential in many uses of this type of shockproof switch, and the improved blow-out coil design contributes to the overall size reduction of the present switch. Flux from a front blow-out coil enters the pole piece and then passes into the contact gap where it interacts with the flux produced by the arc to exert an upward force on the arc in the gap. The back blow-out coil creates a similar field and these fields force the arc created upon contact separation from the contacts to the arc runners 11 along the arc runners and up into the arc chutes 10 so that the arc is attenuated and thereby extinguished.

The contact carlying portion 16 has pairs of opposed contacts 18, 20 mounted on a shockproof linkage (described below) which is carried by spaced channel shaped horizontal frame members 32. The horizontal frame members 32 are pivotally secured to the vertical frame 14 in a manner described in detail below. The contacts project upward into operative relation with the blowout coil and arc chute portion of the contactor.

The shock proof linkage consists of identical and oppositely acting carriage assemblies. One carriage assembly includes an E-shaped armature 21 and one or more fixed contacts 18 fixed to a support plate 23 which in turn is fixed to the upper flanges of

channels

26, 26. Each of the channels 26 ride on pairs of spaced

rollers

28, 28 which rotate on bolts 30 secured to the web of each of the horizontal frame members 32. The other carriage assembly includes a like but oppositely displaced E-shaped armature 22 and one or more contacts 20 mounted on a support plate 24 which in turn is fixed to the lower flanges of spaced apart

channels

29, 29. Each of the channels 29 ride on spaced

rollers

31, 31 whichrotate on bolts 30 secured to the webs of the horizontal frame members 32. An encapsulated energizing coil 35 is secured to a mounting bracket 33 which is secured to the horizontal frame member 32, and each armature is positioned on its respective support plate so that its center leg 34 is attracted to the coil interior when the coil is energized.

This arrangement results in a compact structure inasmuch as it permits the channels of each pair to overlap the carriage member to which they are not attached thereby permitting the support rollers to be spaced apart the entire depth of the assembly thereby maximizing the support span without increasing the depth of the contactor. A link 40 is pivoted to each of the horizontal frame members 32 at the mid-portion 42 of the link and has slotted ends 44 into which pins 46, which are fixed to

adjacent channels

26 and 29 extend. The slotted ends of the link accommodate the lateral motion inherent in this linkage when the

adjacent channels

26 and 29 move with respect to one another and maintain an operative connection between the channels throughout such movement.

Thus, when a shock is exerted along the line of move ment of the carriages, one carriage produces a clockwise force moment about the pivot point of the link, and the other carriage produces an equal counterclockwise force moment with a resultant cancellation of the effect of the shock force so that the carriages, and hence the contacts, remain in whatever position they occupied at the moment of the shock. Springs 48 normally bias the car- 55 riages apart, but when the coil is energized the armatures are attracted and the springs are overcome.

Each contact is connected through a lead 50 to one end of a coil winding 25 forming part of a blow-out coil 13. These leads are slack when the coil is deenergized so that when the coil is energized the leads do not inhibit carriagetravel. The leads cormecting the front contacts 20 to their blow-out coils are detachable for reasons ncxt described. It is often desirable to inspect the main contacts 18, 20 and to this end, the horizontal frame member 32 is pivoted to the vertical frame member 14 so that the contact carrying portion of the contactor may be swung down to expose the contacts. The horizontal frame member is normally supported by two spaced bolts 72, 74 at the top and one bolt 75 at the bottom. One top bolt hole 76 communicates with an inclined slot 73 so that the entire contact carrying portion may be swung down by removing bottom bolt '75 and loosening bolts 72 and 74. This is done on both sides of the symmetrical frame and detachable lead-s 50 are detached from the front blow-out coil winding. The contact carrying portion is then free to pivot on bolt 74, and bolt '72 slides to the end of slot 78 which limits the downswing of the contact carrying portion of the contactor. The horizontal frame is tapered adjacent to the vertical frame so that it does not interfere with the downswing. This tapered portion may butt against the vertical frame and stop the downswing under certain tolerance conditions but, in any event, a stop on the downswing is provided by either the bolt reaching the end of the slot or by the horizontal frame butting against the vertical frame. Of course, the same swingdown action is secured if the slot is placed adjacent a bolt hole in the horizontal frame member.

Interlock switch mechanism 65, which forms no part of this invention, of the sliding engagement type for controlling auxiliary circuits is provided with one movable actuator'bar fixed to one carriage through arm 66 and another movable actuator similarly fixed to the other carriage through arm '70.

Although but one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. The compact combination of a shockproof contact operating assembly and an arc chute and blow-out assembly with the contact operating assembly comprising a frame, a coil carried by said frame, a pair of carriages having contacts thereon and movable with respect to said frame, each carriage including an armature in cooperation with said coil, the mass of one carriage being equivalent to the mass of the other carriage, roller means between said carriages and said frame supporting said carriages, and linkage means interconnecting said carriages so that each of said carriage masses opposes the other under shock, the arc chute and blow-out coil assembly being connected to said frame and comprising arc chute means normally in operative relation to said contacts, a plurality of blowout coils each having its winding connected to one of said contacts through a flexible conductor, said flexible conductor being adapted for disconnection from said blow-out coil winding, said frame being divided into horizontal and vertical portions, said horizontal portion carrying said roller assembly and said vertical portion carrying said are chute and blow-out assembly, and means for pivoting one of said portions away from the other portion whereby said contacts are exposed to facilitate contact inspection and replacement.

2. The combination according to claim 1 in which said pivoting means includes a pair of horizontally spaced bolt holes in said vertical frame portion and a single bolt hole vertically spaced from said pair of bolt holes all in said vertical frame portion, said horizontal frame including a pair of horizontally spaced bolt holes and a bolt hole spaced vertically therefrom, said bolt holes in said frame portions being aligned and first, second and third bolts holding said frame portions when said contactor is in operative condition, and an inclined slot in communication with the bolt hole in one of said frame portions in which said first bolt is mounted whereby removal of said second bolt from the bolt hole in which said second bolt is mounted permits one of said frame members to pivot on said third bolt whereby said first bolt slides in said inclined slot to permit pivotal motion of said frame portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent .UNITED STATES PATENTS

Claims

1. THE COMPACT COMBINATION OF A SHOCKPROOF CONTACT OPERATING ASSEMBLY AND AN ARC CHUTE AND BLOW-OUT ASSEMBLY WITH THE CONTACT OPERATING ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A FRAME, A COIL CARRIED BY SAID FRAME, A PAIR OF CARRIAGES HAVING CONTACTS THEREON AND MOVABLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID FRAME, EACH CARRIAGE INCLUDING AN ARMATURE IN COOPERATION WITH SAID COIL, THE MASS OF ONE CARRIAGE BEING EQUIVALENT TO THE MASS OF THE OTHER CARRIAGE, ROLLER MEANS BETWEEN SAID CARRIAGES AND SAID FRAME SUPPORTING SAID CARRIAGES, AND LINKAGE MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID CARRIAGES SO THAT EACH OF SAID CARRIAGE MASSES OPPOSES THE OTHER UNDER SHOCK, THE ARC CHUTE AND BLOW-OUT COIL ASSEMBLY BEING CONNECTED TO SAID FRAME AND COMPRISING ARC CHUTE MEANS NORMALLY IN OPERATIVE RELATION TO SAID CONTACTS, A PLURALITY OF BLOWOUT COILS EACH HAVING ITS WINDING CONNECTED TO ONE OF SAID CONTACTS THROUGH A FLEXIBLE CONDUCTOR, SAID FLEXIBLE CONDUCTOR BEING ADAPTED FOR DISCONNECTION FROM SAID BLOW-OUT COIL WINDING, SAID FRAME BEING DIVIDED INTO HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL PORTIONS, SAID HORIZONTAL PORTION CARRYING SAID ROLLER ASSEMBLY AND SAID VERTICAL PORTION CARRYING SAID ARC CHUTE AND BLOW-OUT ASSEMBLY, AND MEANS FOR PIVOTING ONE OF SAID PORTIONS AWAY FROM THE OTHER PORTION WHEREBY SAID CONTACTS ARE EXPOSED TO FACILITATE CONTACT INSPECTION AND REPLACEMENT.