US3684849A

US3684849A - Heavy duty switch

Info

Publication number: US3684849A
Application number: US104854A
Authority: US
Inventors: Martin V Zubaty
Original assignee: ITE Imperial Corp
Current assignee: Siemens Energy and Automation Inc
Priority date: 1971-01-08
Filing date: 1971-01-08
Publication date: 1972-08-15
Anticipated expiration: 1989-08-15
Also published as: CA940573A

Abstract

A multipole heavy duty manually or remote control operated switch is constructed of individual pole units stacked side-byside. Each pole unit includes first and second molded insulating members joined side to side to form a housing having a chamber, and both stationay contacts and an arc chute are within said chamber. A so-called four-bar linkage connects the switch arms to a bail connected to a common operating mechanism. When the switch is open, the movable contact ends of the switch arms extend beyond the confines of the pole unit housings to provide a positive visual indication that the switch is open. Each switch arm is constructed of two abutting sheet metal members having oppositely extending formations providing contact areas and an area for making a mechanical connection to the operating bail.

Description

United States Patent Zubaty [54] HEAVY DUTY SWITCH [72] Inventor: Martin V. Zubaty, Bellefontaine,

Ohio

[73] Assignee: ITE Imperial Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa.

[22] Filed: Jan. 8, 1971 [21 Appl. No.: 104,854

[is] 3,684,849 [4 1 Aug. 15, 1972 Primary Examiner-Robert K. Schaefer Assistant Examiner-Robert A; Vanderhye Attorney-Ostrolenk, Faber, Gerb 8L Sofien ABSTRACT A multipole heavy duty manually or remote control operated switch is constructed of individual pole units stacked side-by-side. Each pole unit includes first and second molded insulating members joined side to side to form a housing having a chamber, and both stationay contacts and an arc chute are within said chamber. A so-called four-bar linkage connects the switch arms to a bail connected to a common operating mechanism. When the switch is open, the movable contact ends of the switch arms extend beyond the confines of the pole unit housings to provide a positive visual indication that the switch is open. Each switch arm is constructed of two abutting sheet metal members having oppositely extending formations providing contact areas and an area for making a mechanical connection to the operating bail.

11 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAus 15 I972 SHEET 1 [IF 2 HEAVY DUTY SWITCH This invention relates to circuit interrupters in general, and more particularly relates to a compact heavy duty manually operated switch mechanism.

For many applications it is necessary that a switch connected in series with a fusebe of a relatively heavy duty rating in that the switch must be able to close on a circuit having 100,000 amperes r.m.s. or more available current. It is desirable that such switches be of compact construction, and disconnect requirements are such that when the switch is in opened circuit position the movable contact arm or switch blade must permit a positive visual observation of the open circuit condition.

Accordingly, a primary object of the instant invention is to provide a novel construction for a heavy duty manually operated switch.

Anotherobject is to provide a novel construction for a multipole heavy duty switch, in which individual pole units are stacked side-by-side and connected to a common operating bail.

Still another object is to provide a pole unit in which the movable contact extends beyond the confines of the insulated housing when the pole unit is in open circuit conditions.

A further object is to provide a movable contact arm constructed of two sheet metal stampings having oppositely protruding formations.

A still further object is to provide a multipole switch mechanism, in which a common operating bail is pivoted at a point to the rear of the pivot for the pivoted contact arms, and a so-called fourbar linkage is used to transmit force from the operating bail to the contact arm.

These objects as well as other objects of this invention will become readily apparent after reading the following description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a three pole switch mechanism constructed in accordance with teachings of the instant invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-section taken through line 22 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of arrows 2-2.

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of the lever connecting the operating bail to a switch blade, such cross-section being taken through line 3-3 of FIG. 2, looking in the direction of arrows 3-3.

FIG. 4 is a cross-section taken through line 44 of FIG. 3, looking in the direction of arrows 44.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section of the movable contact arm taken through line 55 of FIG. 2, looking in the direction of arrows 55.

Now referring to the figures. Multipole switch of FIG. 1 comprises three

identical pole units

11, 12, 13,

stacked side-by-side and connected to web l4-of common opera ting bail 15, in a manner to be hereinafter explained. Frame 17 for a manually controlled overcenter operating mechanism (not shown) of a type well known to the art abuts the right-hand wallof pole unit 13 (as seen in FIG. 1). Switch 10, including its operating mechanism, is mounted within an enclosure, only the rear wall 28 of which is shown. Frame 17 is fixedly secured to rear wall 28 by screws 27, with the operating mechanism handle extending beyond the confines of the enclosure, in a manner well known to the art.

Bolts l8, 19 extend transversely through pole units 11-13 and secure these elements to left wall 17a of frame 17. The free end of arm 16 of bail 15 is pivotally secured by pin 20 to the frames left wall 17a and the free end of the other bail arm is pivotally secured to support plate 21, which is secured to the left side of switch mechanism 10 by bolts l8, 19. The head of screw 22 abuts the forward edge of plate 21 and ledge 11a at the left side of pole unit 11 to hold switch mechanism 10 against rear wall 28 of the enclosure. Similarly, ear 17b protrudes to the left from wall 17a and engages ledge at the right side of pole unit 13 to hold switch 10 against the rear wall 28, and further stabilize the position of switch 10 in its enclosure. Since each of the pole units ll, 12 and 13 is of identical construction, for the sake of brevity only the construction of pole unit 13 will be described in detail. More particularly, pole unit 13 includes two molded insulating sheet-

like members

31, 32 secured by rivets 29 in stacked face-to-face relationship to form a housing. The confronting faces of

housing parts

31, 32 are formed with appropriately shaped depressions to operatively position and retain the electrical elements of pole unit 13. The electrical path through pole unit 13 extends from line terminal wire grip 33, line terminal strap 34, stationary contact 35, movable contact 36 at one end of switch or movable contact arm 37, stationary contact 38 engaged with the other end of contact arm 37, to load terminal 39 having fuse clip 41 mounted thereto to engage ferrule type terminal 42 at one end of cartridge fuse 43.

As best seen in FIG. 5, switch arm 37 is constructed of identical symmetrical sheet metal stampings, having

protrusions

36, 52 and 53. Rivets 54, 55

secure elements

46, 47 together in face-to-face relationship, with their respective protrusions extending in opposite directions. Pin 58 extends through the central apertures in protrusions 53 to pivotally mount switch arm 37 between the arms of stationary contact 38. U shaped spring 56 straddles stationary contact 38 urging the arms thereof to converge and exert contact pressure against switch arm 37. Similarly, U-shaped spring 57 straddles stationary contact 35, urging the arms thereof inwardly to make good electrical contact with movable contact 36 positioned therebetween when switch arm 37 is in the closed circuit position illustrated in phantom in FIG. 2. One end of operating lever 60 extends into the space between protrusions 52 of

members

46, 47 with rivet 61 pivotally connecting lever 60 to switch arm 37 at the center thereof.

As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, lever 60 consists of steel arm 62 having

apertures

63, 64 at opposite ends thereof. Aperture 63 receives the shank of rivet 61. Arm 62 is an insert extending from molded insulator 65. The latter is mounted at the end of member 62, having aperture 64, with insulator 65 forming an insulating bearing surrounding aperture 66 through which web 14 of operating bail 15 extends. Thus, operating bail 15 is electrically insulated from switch arm 37.

It is noted that stationary pivot 20 for bail 15 is parallel to and offset from pivot 58 for movable contact arm 37, with the latter being closer to stationary contact 35 than the former. Pivots 20, 58 are the stationary pivots for the fourbar linkage through which motion is transmitted from the operating mechanism (not shown) to switch arm 37. Bail web 14 and rivet 61 constitute the movable pivots for this four-bar linkage. By utilization of such an arrangement, angular movement of movable contact 36 is multiplied over the angular movement of bail 15.

It is also noted that as contact arm 37 moves from closed to disconnect or open circuit position, movable contact 36 moves through housing opening 70 and when pole unit 13 is open; movable contact 36 extends beyond the confines of

housing

31, 32 so as to provide a positive visual indication that pole unit 13 is open. When pole unit 13 is closed, contact arm 37 is buried within

housing

31, 32 and lever insulator 65 extends into housing opening 70. During the opening stroke of contact arm 37, the path of movement of movable contact 36 in relation to arc chute 98 is such that the arc is extinguished inside chute 98 and is not drawn outside of

housing

31, 32.

The end of contact arm 37, in the region of movable contact 36, is depressed with respect to the latter to act as an arcing horn or tip to prevent burn spots from forming at contact 36. Arcing tips of high melting point material may be secured to the end of contact blade 37 adjacent to contact 36, and a strong ceramic or other type permanent magnet may be captured in the space between the protrusion forming contact 36 to influence arc movement and act in conjunction with metal inserts 99 in arc chute 98 to promote extinguishing of electric current arcs formed during circuit interruption.

It is further noted that bail 15 is not mounted directly to the switch enclosure as in prior art constructions.ln-

stead, bail 15 is mounted so as to be an integral part of switch 10, resulting in a more flexible utilization for switch 10 in that its use is not limited to an enclosure having a particular size and location for the contact arm connected operating bail.

Although in the foregoing there have been described preferred embodiments of this novel invention, many variations and modifications will now become apparent to those skilled in the art, and it is therefore preferred that this invention be limited not by the foregoing disclosure but only by the appending claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive privilegeor property is claimed are defined as follows.

l. A multipole switch device comprising a plurality of individual pole units stacked side-by-side; each of said pole units including first and second molded insulating members joined side to side in face to face relationship to form a housing having a chamber therein; first and second stationary contacts within said chamber; an elongated switch blade, a first pivot pivotally mounting one end of said blade to said first contact, with the other end of the blade being operable into and out of engagement with said second contact as said blade is pivoted about said first pivot; an arc chute within said housing in the region of said second contact; an operating mechanism operatively connected to the blades of all of said pole units for simultaneous operation thereof to first and second positions; for each of said pole units said blade when in said first position being in engagement with said second contact and when in said second position said other end thereof being disengaged from said second contact and extending beyond the confines of said housing for visual observation that said pole unit is open.

2. A multipole switch device as set forth in claim 1 in which there is an operating bail interposed between the operating mechanism and the switch blades of all of said pole units; a second pivot about which said bail is moved by said operating mechanism; said first and second pivots being parallel and laterally ofi'set with said first pivot being closer than said second pivot to said second contact.

3. A multipole switch device as set forth in claim 1 in which each of the switch blades comprises first and second sheet-like members abutting one another in a plane normal to said first pivot; said members having oppositely directed formations extending parallel to said first axis; said formations being engaged by said stationary contacts.

4. A multipole switch device as set forth in claim 3 in which said sheet-like members are substantially identical, with said formations including like contact formations at each end of said blade and a central formation between said contact formations.

5. A multipole switch device as set forth in claim 4 in which each of said sheet-like members is symmetrical with respect to two axes of symmetry.

6. A multipole switch device as set forth in claim 2 in which each of the switch blades comprises first and second sheet-like members abutting one another in a plane normal to said first pivot; said members having oppositely directed formations extending parallel to said first axis; said formations being engaged by said stationary contacts; an individual lever interposed between said switch blades and said bail and pivotally connected to the latter; each of said levers being pivotally secured to its associated blade essentially at the center thereof and being positioned between the members of said associated blade.

7. A multipole switch device as set forth in claim 1 in which there is an operating bail interposed between the operating mechanism and the switch blades; an individual metal lever interposed between each of said blades and said bail; an individual insulating member interposed between each of said levers and said bail; each of said insulating members being formed by being molded directly on its associated lever.

8. A multipole switch device as set forth in claim 7 in which there is a second pivot about which said bail is moved by said operating mechanism; said first and second pivots being parallel and laterally offset with said first pivot being closer than said second pivot to said second contact.

9. A multipole switch device as set forth in claim 2 in which there is an individual lever interposed between each of the switch blades and the bail; one end of said lever being pivotally connected to its associated switch blade at a point substantially midway between the ends thereof; the other end of said lever being pivotally connected to said bail.

10. A multipole switch device as set forth in claim 9 in which each of the switch blades comprises first and second sheet-like members abutting one another in a plane normal to said first pivot; said members having formations extending in opposite directions and parallel to said first axis; said formations being engaged by said stationary contacts; each of said levers being positioned between the members constituting the blade to which the particular lever is secured.

l l. A multipole switch device as set forth in claim 1, in which there is an operating bail interposed between the operating mechanism and the switch blades of said plurality of pole units; and means pivotally mounting the end of said bail remote from said switch blades 5 directly to said plurality of pole units.

Claims

1. A multipole switch device comprising a plurality of individual pole units stacked side-by-side; each of said pole units including first and second molded insulating members joined side to side in face to face relationship to form a housing having a chamber therein; first and second stationary contacts within said chamber; an elongated switch blade, a first pivot pivotally mounting one end of said blade to said first contact, with the other end of the blade being operable into and out of engagement with said second contact as said blade is pivoted about said first pivot; an arc chute within said housing in the region of said second contact; an operating mechanism operatively connected to the blades of all of said pole units for simultaneous operation thereof to first and second positions; for each of said pole units said blade when in said first position being in engagement with said second contact and when in said second position said other end thereof being disengaged from said second contact and extending beyond the confines of said housing for visual observation that said pole unit is open.

2. A multipole switch device as set forth in claim 1 in which there is an operating bail interposed between the operating mechanism and the switch blades of all of said pole units; a second pivot about which said bail is moved by said operating mechanism; said first and second pivots being parallel and laterally offset with said first pivot being closer than said second pivot to said second contact.

11. A multipole switch device as set forth in claim 1, in which there is an operating bail interposed between the operating mechanism and the switch blades of said plurality of pole units; and means pivotally mounting the end of said bail remote from said switch blades directly to said plurality of pole units.