US981821A - Contact member for electric switching devices. - Google Patents

Description

CONTACT' MEMBER FOR ELEGTRIG SWITHHG DEVIGBS,

PPLUATION FILED JULY 6, 12508 Patented Jan.17,1911

v l /f/ v f f l a f lll. $4.. :la 1. E, 1|

UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CURTIS A. TUCKER, 0F EDGEWOOD PABII, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF EAST PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 0F PENNSYLVANIA.

CONTACT MEMBER FOR ELECTRIC SWITCHING DEVICES.

Specification of Lett-ers Patent.

"atented Jan. 17, 1911.

l Application filed July 6, 1908. Serial No. 442,224.

To all lwhom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, Courts TVCKER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Edgewood Park, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Contact Members for Electric. Switching Devices, of which the following is a sp'ecification.

My invention relates to Contact members for circuit breakers and other' electric switching devices and it has for its object to provide a simple and efficienty Contact member, the component parts of which shall he compactly arranged and the contact ,portion of which shall be resiliently supported.

Circuit interrupters which are adapted to transmit relatively large electric currents at high voltages often comprise one or more groups of stationary contact members which project downwardly from a suitable support and a movable bridging contact member to cooperate therewith. In such structures, the movable bridging members are usually provided with cylindrical contact blocks which are resiliently secured to the bridging arm and are electrically connected thereto by means ot a fiexible shunt conductor.

In order to simplify the nu 'able contact member, I resiliently mount the lower portions or contact blocks of thc stationary contact members and establish electrical connections between the contact. blocks and the rigid terminals above them by means of flexible tubular conductors, the arrangement of parts bein" such that the resilient supports for the blocks are disposed within the flexible tubes.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a sectional elevation of a portion ot' a circuit interrupter having cooperating stationary and movable Contact members constructed in accordance with my invention and Fig. 2 is a detail view of the tubular shunt conductor which is associated with the stationary contact member, v Referring to thc drawings, the, mechanism hereJ illustrated comprises a substam tially horizontal supporting platel which may constitute a part of a well-known form of circuit interrulpter, a tank 2 secured to the plate l and adapted tol, contain insulating fluid, a stationary tcrn'inial 3, an insulating bushing 4 therefor, a cylindrical contact terminal L3 and a movable bridging member 6' which cooperates with the stationary members.

The downwardly projecting portion S of the stationary terminal 3 is screw-threaded and is disposed in the center of' a flange or bell i' of insulation which forms a part of the bushing ft. The lower endfof the terminal projection 8 is materially reduced in size and is bored out to receive a shank') that projects from the contactblock 5, a lost motion connection being provided between thc two parts by means ot a transverse pin 10 which extends through a longitudinal slot 11 in the shank i). The portion of the shank which adjacent to the contact block 5 is materially larger in I ialneter than its upper portion and a helical spring 12 surrounds the smaller portion and is intcrposed between the lower end of the rojcction 8 and the shoulder 13 formed y the upper end of the, enlarged portion of the shank. A tube 14 is fitted upon the lower end of the projection 8, which is yof less diameter than the screw-threaded portion, and

extends downwardly therefrom over the spring l2 and the cylindrical surface of the larger `portion of the shank y9.` SurrmmdA ing the tube l1 is a sleeve which comprises a bushing 15, a ficxible tubular conductor 16 (preferably of' copper fabric)and a cap 17.

The shank 9 is removably attached to the body of the block 5 by means of a screwthreaded projection 1S) with which the shank is provided. After the shank 0, the spring 12 and the tube 11 are assembled in posltion, the outer'sleeve 16 is slipped over these parts into position, theybushing 15 heilig screwed upon the projection 8 and the cap 17 being provided with the hole` 18 through which the screw-threaded /projection 19 may project.'

that a material adjustment of the contact blockfis permitted without tending to injure or rupture its fabric and, by this means, a materlal' saving in the space occupied by the contact member is effected.'

The movable bridging contact member comprisesa rod or shaft '20 having a cross arm 21 at its lower end on which the contact blocks are carried. The blocks are adapted to engage. the. stationary contact blocks 3 and are detachably secured to the cross arm. The contract surface of the movable block is provid'e't'l with a small hole 23 which is materially enlarged below the surface and cooperates )vith a similar hole in the cross arm to t'ornt a funnel-shaped opening Q4. Tl usual oil jet agailht' the contact surfaces when they are separated .suddenly in opening the interruptor.

It will be understood that rations structural modifications may be etl'cctcd within the scope ot' my invention and that either of the contact members may ne considered as stationary and, consequently.- l desire that only such limitations .shall be imposed as arc indicated in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a switching device, the con'ibimition iis opening .serves to produce the with a terminal, a contact member movably g connected to and supported by said terminal.

and a second Contact member cooperating therewith, of a exible tubular shunt surrounding the connection between the terminal and its contact member and having its 'respective ends fastened to said terminaland 'to :aid contact member.

with a stationary terminal, and a contact block secured thereto by a lost-motion connection, of a copeating contact terminal,

vagoni and a flexible tubular shunt surrounding the lost-motion connection and having its respective ends fastened to said terminal and to said contact block.

I. In a switching device, the combination with a terminal having a tubular portion, and a Contact block having a .shank that projects into said tubular portion and is .secured therein by a lost-motion connection, of resilient. means interposed between said terminal and said contact block and a flexible tubular shunt surrounding said shank and resilient means and having its respective ends fas tened. to .sai-lterminal and to said contact block.

llln a ,switching device, the combination .vith a stationary terminal having a screwtln-cadcd portion and a tubular extension of reduced diana-ter, and a contact block having a shank that projects into the tubular extension and attached thereto by a lostmotion connection. of a spring interposed between the end of the tubular extension and ihc contact block and tending to separate the part. a tubular guide secured to the tubular extension and a tubular shunt of woven conducting material surrounding the tubular guide and electrically connecting the terminal and thc contact block together.

ln testimony whereof. l have hereunto subscrilmd my name this 24th day of June5 C URTI A. T U CKE P.

t tooo. 2. In a switching device, the combination i Witness s:

A. 1I. BAKKEN, rimer I'lixes.

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