US3188416A

US3188416A - Circuit breaker disconnector

Info

Publication number: US3188416A
Application number: US190143A
Authority: US
Inventors: William J Schultz
Original assignee: Ward Leonard Electric Co
Current assignee: Ward Leonard Electric Co
Priority date: 1962-04-25
Filing date: 1962-04-25
Publication date: 1965-06-08
Anticipated expiration: 1982-06-08

Description

June 8, 1965 w. J. SCHULTZ 3,188,415

CIRCUIT BREAKER mscommcwon Filed April '25, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 8, 1 965 v v. J. SCHULTZ 3,188,416

CIRCUIT BREAKER DISCONNECTOR Filed April 25, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 v %J rroeucy Filed April 25, 1962 June 1965 w. J. SCHULTZ 3,188,416

CIRCUIT BREAKER DISGONNECTOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent Ofiice 3,188,416 CIRCUIT BREAKER DISCONNECTOR William J. Schultz, Yonkers, N.Y., assignor to Ward Leonard Electric (10., Mount Vernon, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 25, 1962, Ser. No. 196,143 3 Claims. (Cl. 2tlt)51.09)

This invention relates to electrical apparatus for connecting separate loads to separate control devices by individual circuits, and particularly to apparatus insuring that a circuit is open on the making or breaking of; contact between a plug and receptacleconnecting a selected load to a selected control device.

The invention is directed particularly to the cold patching of incandescent lamps to lighting control equipment, such as dimmers. However, the embodiments may be readily adapted for connecting other types of loads, such as motors, transformers, electric furnaces, plating equipment and the like, with or without interposing control equipment.

In stage li hting, the stage lights or spotlights are remotely mounted on batten strips above the stage or in various ways in the wings of the stage remotely from the control equipment. The control equipment may comprise a large number of dimmers for individually controlling one or more stage lights. The dimmers are connected to the stage lights through patch panels which permits a versatile connection of the dimmers to the stage lights so that any one dimmer may be connected to control any one or more stage lights. The patch panel usually comprises a plurality of electrical receptacles and a plurality of plugs which are connected to a respective dimmer or stage light. The plugs and receptacles may pass high currents, particularly when connections are made to unilluminated filament type lamps. The transference of high currents between the plugs and the receptacles should be avoided when a plug is being inserted or removed. This may be accomplished by maintaining the circuit connecting the dimmer and lamps open until the plug is fully seated in the receptacle. This is known as cold patching since plug and receptacle are cold or deenergized when they come in mechanical contact, or break contact, with each other.

An object of this invention is to provide means to insure an open circuit between control equipment and load on insertion or separation of a plug in a plug and receptacle combination connecting the control equipment and load.

Another object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive and readily adaptable means for disruption of a circuit by a plug being inserted into or removed from an electrical receptacle.

Other and further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, in which FIG. 1 illustrates a lighting circuit connecting stage lights to a control device through a patch panel with mechanical means actuating the trip mechanism of the circuit breaker connected in the circuit;

FIG. 2 illustrates a lighting circuit connecting lamps to a control device through a patch panel with magnetic means for actuating the trip mechanism of the circuit breaker connected in the circuit;

FIG. 3 is a top View of the circuit breaker, a plug and a receptacle with the receptacle partially illustrated in section;

FIG. 4 is a top view illustrating a plug, receptacle and circuit breaker with a lever interposed between the plug and the circuit breaker;

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the circuit breaker;

3,188,416 Patented June 8, 1965 FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a circuit breaker with the casing in section to illustrate the operative members;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary side view of the circuit breaker operative members with the contacts closed;

FIG. 8 is a side view of the circuit breaker operative members with the contacts open;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of the trip mechanism of the circuit breaker;

FTG. 10 is a side view of the plunger actuating the trip mechanism;

FIG. 11 is a side view of another embodiment of the plunger actuating another portion of the trip mechanism; and

FIG. 12 illustrates an embodiment of the plug and receptacle with a switch for actuating the trip circuit breaker.

In describing the invention the specific embodiments illustrate incandescent lamps as the load and a variable voltage dimmer as the control device or equipment. In F168. 1 and 2 the lamp loads 2i) are connected to the dimmers 21 through the patch panels 22 in FIG. 1 and 23 in FIG. 2.

The circuit is connected across input alternating

current supply terminals

24, 25. The patch panel 22 has a plug and receptacle assembly 26 with the receptacle 27 mounted on the panel 28. The plug 29 is connected in a conventional manner with the lamp load 20 by a flexible cord 39. The receptacle 27 is connected through a circuit breaker 31 to the control device or dimmer 21 and thence to terminal 24. The circuit breaker 31 is mounted on the panel 28 adjacent to the receptacle 27 for actuation by the plug 29 in a manner later described herein.

The plug 29 is similar to conventional plugs and has a prong with a metal current carrying tip 32 and an insulating shaft 33 having an inner axial conductor for connecting the tip 32 with the cable 36. A handle 34 supports the insulating shaft 33 and the tip 32 and is used to insert the plug into and remove it from the receptacle 27.

The receptacle 27 is of a conventional type with an insulating tubular holder 35 secured to the panel 28 by the nut 3% and collar 37. At the free end the tubular holder 35 supports a metal conductive socket 38 and has an opening 39 to receive the spring contacts 40 for engagement by the tip 32. The terminal post 41 is located at the end of the holder 35 for connecting the socket 38 to external leads 42 by means of the bolt 43. The holder 35 has an opening 44 intermediate the ends thereof for receiving a plunger 45 mounted on the circuit breaker 31. The plunger 45 extends into the receptacle and is engaged by the tip 32 and subsequently by the insulating shaft 33 for actuating the circuit breaker 31. The plunger 45 on being moved into the circuit breaker 31 opens the circuit breaker 31 to open the supply circuit. The insulating shaft 33 has an intermediate circular groove 46 for recessing the plunger 45 after the tip 32 engages the contacts 46 so that the circuit breaker may be turned on. The circuit breaker is illustrated in FIG. 5 and has a casing 47 housing the operating components and a switch knob 48 for manual actuation of the breaker. The breaker 31 is mounted on the panel 28 so that the knob 48 projects through the panel on the same side as the handle 34 of the plug for easy actuation.

In FIGS. 6 through 9 the operative portions of the circuit breaker are illustrated and are of a conventional type and are described herein for the purpose of illustrating the adaptation to the present invention. The contact 50 is securely fastened in fixed relation to the casing 47 and the movable contact 51 is pivotally mounted in the bracket 52 with the spring 53 also mounted on the bracket 52 and urging the contact 51 out of engagement with the contact 50. The knob 48 is pivotally mounted on the bracket 54 and pivotally connected at 55 to the link 56 which is in turn pivotally connected to the link 57 which is pivotally connected to the contact 51. The

links

56 and 57 are held in a non-pivotal relation by the cam 58 and the catch 59. The catch 59 is pivotally mounted in the link 57 and urged to rotate in a counter-' clockwise direction by a helical spring 60. The catch 59 has a U shape with a leg 61 engaging the cam 58 and a leg 62 for engagement by the armature 63. The leg 61 has a notch 64 which on rotation of the catch 59 in a clockwise direction disengages leg 61 from the cam 58 to permit relative pivotal movement of the

links

56 and 57. Since the spring 53 is urging the contact 51 out of engagement, the

links

56 and 57 will break and then contact 51 snapped into the position illustrated in FIG. 8. The armature 63 is biased by the spring 65 out of contact with the catch 59 and the electromagnet 66. However, on passage of an overload current through the terminals 67, winding 68, braided connector 69, movable contact 51 and fiXed contact 50 to the terminal 70, the armature will be drawn downward and rotated to engage the leg 62 of the catch 59 into a position as illustrated in FIG. 9 permitting relative rotation of the

links

56, 57. Thus the catch 59, armature 63, electromagnet 66 and associated parts form the trip mechanism opening the circuit breaker.

In FIG. the plunger 45 has a conical tip 71 forming a trip means for engaging the catch 59 to rotate it in a similar manner to the armature 63 for tripping the circuit breaker. A helical spring 72 engages a collar 73 secured to the plunger 45 to normally hold the plunger 45 out of contact with the catch 59 so that the circuit breaker will operate in its usual and normal manner. 0n insertion of the plug 29, the tip 32 engages the plunger 45 and forces it inward to engage the catch 59 and holds the plunger 45 in the compressed position by the insulator 33 and until the plug is fully seated and the plunger 45 returns to its normal position by the recess 44.

Thus during the insertion of the plug the

circuit breaker contacts

50 and 51 are separated so that no current can pass'between the tip 32 and the socket 38.

Instead of the plunger 45 or trip means engaging the catch 59 it may engage the armature 63, as illustrated in FIG. 11, and rotate the armature on actuation of the plunger 45 with the armature 63 engaging the catch 59 for opening the circuit breaker contacts. Instead of mechanically actuating the circuit breaker, the circuit breaker may be magnetically actuated, in addition to actuation by the winding 68, by a coil 74 on the electromagnet 66. The coil 74 is connected in parallel to the plug and receptacle combination to conduct current from the supply side of the load to the socket 38. A microswitch 75 actuated by a' plunger 76 is connected in series with the Winding 74. The microswitch is mounted on the panel 28 adjacent to the receptacle 27 and has a resilient arm 77 with a roller 78 fitting in the opening 44 in the insulating holder 35 for engagement by the tip 32 and shaft 33 of the prong. The arm 77 actuates the plunger 76 to close the contacts in order to supply current to the electromagnet 66. The winding 74 actuates the armature 63 to trip the circuit breaker.

It is thus seen from the foregoing embodiments that the main circuit is open on insertion of the plug 29 into the receptacle 27 so no arcing or sparking will occur between the tip 32 and the socket 38, and thus pitting or possible welding of these members together is avoided. As previously stated the foregoing embodiments may be readily adapted for connecting other types of electrical equipment without departing from the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

*I claim:

1. Electric apparatus for completing an electrical circuit while maintaining the circuit in open condition during completion or disruption of the circuit comprising a prong having a conductive tip, a receptacle having a prong holder and a conductive socket for receiving said prong with said tip fitting in said socket for transferring current therebet-ween, electrical means having contacts in make or open relation in series with said socket and tip and having a trip mechanism for opening the contacts, trip means for actuating said trip mechanism independent of the current through said contacts including movable projecting means engageable by said prong to actuate said trip means and said prong having means for actuating said projecting means to render said contacts in an open condition while said tip is forming an engagement With or disengagement from said socket.

2. Electrical apparatus for completing an electrical circuit while maintaining the circuit in open condition during completion or disruption of the circuit comprising a plug having a prong with a conductive tip and a circumferential groove intermediate the length of the prong, a receptacle having a plug holder and a conductive socket for receiving said prong with said tip fitting in said socket for transferring current therebetween, said holder having an intermediate opening registering with said groove on seating of said tip in said socket, electrical means having contacts in make or open relation in series with said socket and tip and having -a trip mechanism for opening the contacts, and movable means for actuating said trip mechanism having a plunger projecting into said opening in said holder for engagement by said prong to render said contacts in an open condition to prevent transfer of current while said tip is forming an engagement or disengagement with said contact.

3. Electrical apparatus for completing an electrical circuit while maintaining the circuit in open condition during completion or disruption of the circuit comprising a prong having a conductive tip, a receptacle having a prong holder and a conductive socket for receiving said prong with said tip fitting in said socket for transferring current therebetween, electrical means having contacts in make or open relation in series with said socket and tip and having a trip mechanism with an electrom'agnet having a winding actuating said electromagnet on passing of excessive current for opening the contacts, trip means for actuating said trip mechanism independent of the current through said contacts including a winding connected in parallel to said prong and receptacle to energize said electromagnet on passage of current to open the contacts and including a switch in series with said second winding for connecting said second winding to a current supply, said switch having movable projecting means engageable by said prong to actuate said switch and said prong having means for actuating said project-ing means to render said contacts in an open condition by energizing said second winding while said tip is forming an engagement or disengagement with said contact.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,731,417 10/29 Hartwig 20050 BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. ELECTRIC APPARATUS FOR COMPLETING AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT WHILE MAINTAINING THE CIRCUIT IN OPEN CONDITION DURING COMPLETION OR DISRUPTION OF THE CIRCUIT COMPRISING A PRONG HAVING A CONDUCTIVE TIP, A RECEPTACLE HAVING A PRONG HOLDER AND A CONDUCTIVE SOCKET FOR RECEIVING SAID PRONG WITH SAID TIP FITTING IN SAID SOCKET FOR TRANSFERRING CURRENT THEREBETWEEN, ELECTRICL MEANS HAVING CONTACTS IN MAKE OR OPEN RELATION IN SERIES WITH SAID SOCKET AND TIP AND HAVING A TRIP MECHANISM FOR OPENING THE CONTACTS, TRIP MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID TRIP MECHANISM INDEPENDENT OF THE CURRENT THROUGH SAID CONTACTS INCLUDING MOVABLE PROJECTING MEANS ENGAGEABLE BY SAID PRONG TO ACTUATE SAID TRIP MEANS AND SAID PRONG HAVING MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID PROJECTING MEANS TO RENDER SAID CONTACTS IN AN OPEN CONDITION WHILE SAID TIP IS FORMING AN ENGAGEMENT WITH OR DISENGAGEMENT FROM SAID SOCKET.