Circuit breaker with improved armature adjustment means and armature pivot means

Claim 1

A CIRCUIT BREAKER HAVING RELATIVELY MOVABLE CONTACTS AND A TRIP DEVICE FOR EFFECTING AUTOMATIC OPENING OF SAID CONTACTS, SAID TRIP DEVICE COMPRISING AN ENERGIZING WINDING, A U-SHAPED CORE MEMBER DISPOSED TO THE ENERGIZED BY SAID WINDING, SAID CORE MEMBER COMPRISING TWO OUTERMOST LAINIATIONS AND AT LEAST ONE INNER LAMINATION, A V-SHAPED PIVOT FORMED ON ONE LEG OF SAID INNER LAMINATION, SAID OUTERMOST LAMINATIONS FORMING SIDEWAY ADJACENT THE OPENING DEFINED BY THE LEGS OF SAID V-SHAPED PIVOT, A MOVABLE ARMATURE COMPRISING TWO OUTERMOST LAMINATIONS AND AT LEAST ONE INNER LAMINATION, SAID INNER LAMINATION COMPRISING A KNIFE-EDGE PIVOTING PORTION PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED ON SAID V-SHAPED PIVOT ON SAID ONE LEG OF SAID CORE MEMBER, SAID ARMATURE EXTENDING OVER THE OTHER LEG OF SAID CORE MEMBER AND BEING SPACED FROM SAID OTHER LEG WHEREBY THERE IS AN AIR GAP BETWEEN SAID ARMATURE AND SAID OTHER LEG, SAID ARMATURE UPON THE OCCURRENCE OF AN OVERLOAD CURRENT ABOVE A PREDETERMINED VALVE THROUGH SAID ENERGIZING WINDING PIVOTING TOWARD SAID OTHER LEG TO CLOSE SAID AIR GAP TO EFFECT AUTOMATIC OPENING OF SAID CONTACTS, SAID SIDE WALLS OF SAID CORE MEMBER ENGAGING SAID PIVOTING PORTION OF SAID ARMATURE TO PREVENT MOVEMENT OF SAID ARMATURE IN A DIRECTION NORMAL TO A PLANE GENERATED BY SAID PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID ARMATURE, MEANS FOR ADJUSTING SAID TRIP DEVICE BY VARYING THE DIMENSION OF SAID AIR GAP, SAID ADJUSTING MEANS COMPRISING A CAM MEMBER AND A CAM FOLLOWER, SAID CAM FOLLOWER BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID CAM MEMBER AND SAID ARMATURE AND BEING MOVABLE BY MOVEMENT OF SAID CAM MEMBER TO MOVE SAID ARMATURE TO VARY SAID MAGNETIC AIR GAP, AND SAID CAM FOLLOWER BEING ADJUSTABLE TO VARY SAID MAGNETIC AIR GAP TO PERMIT CALIBRATION OF SAID TRIP DEVICE.