Gas blast circuit breaker with spring mounted hollow contact member and associated exhaust valve controlled thereby

Claim 1

A GAS BLAST CIRCUIT BREAKER COMPRISING A CHAMBER HAVING A CONTINUOUS FILLING OF PRESSURIZED GAS, FIRST AND SECOND NOZZLE TYPE CONTACT MEMBERS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CHAMBER, SAID FIRST CONTACT MEMBER BEING ACTUATABLE TOWARDS AND AWAY FROM SAID SECOND CONTACT MEMBER TO EFFECT ENGAGEMENT AND DISENGAGEMENT RESPECTIVELY OF SAID CONTACT MEMBERS, SAID SECOND CONTACT MEMBER INCLUDING SPRING MEANS ESTABLISHING A YIELDABLE MOUNTING THEREFOR ENABLING SAID SECOND CONTACT MEMBER TO FOLLOW SAID FIRST CONTACT MEMBER FOR A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE WITHOUT SEPARATING THEREFROM DURING AN INITIAL OPENING PHASE OF THE CIRCUIT BREAKER, A GAS EXHAUST VALVE CORRELATED TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID SECOND CONTACT MEMBER AND WHICH SERVES WHEN OPEN TO DISCHARGE TO ATMOSPHERE THE PRESSURIZED GAS FLOWING THROUGH SAID SECOND CONTACT MEMBER FROM SAID CHAMBER WHEN SAID CONTACT MEMBERS BECOME DISENGAGED, SAID EXHAUST VALVE INCLUDING A VALVE SEAT AND A MOVABLE VALVE MEMBER CONSTITUTED AS A PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL PISTON, SAID EXHAUST VALVE MEMBER BEING HELD AGAINST ITS SEAT BY SAID SECOND CONTACT MEMBER WHEN SAID CONTACT MEMBERS ARE ENGAGED, AND A SERVO VALVE INCLUDING FIRST AND SECOND SEATS AND A VALVE MEMBER ACTUATABLE IN ONE DIRECTON TO ENGAGE SAID FIRST SEAT BY MOVEMENT OF SAID EXHAUST VALVE MEMBER TO THE OPEN POSITION AND ACTUATABLE IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO ENGAGE SAID SECOND SEAT BY MOVEMENT OF SAID SECOND CONTACT MEMBER DURING A CONTACT ENGAGING OPERATION OF THE CIRCUIT BREAKER, SAID SERVO VALVE MEMBER WHEN ENGAGED WITH SAID SECOND SEAT ESTABLISHING A DIFFERENTIAL FORCE ON SAID EXHAUST VALVE MEMBER DERIVED FROM ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AND IN SUCH DIRECTION AS TO READY SAID EXHAUST VALVE MEMBER TO FOLLOW THE MOVEMENT OF SAID SECOND CONTACT MEMBER DURING SAID INITIAL OPENING PHASE OF THE CIRCUIT BREAKER AND EFFECT OPENING OF SAID EXHAUST VALVE, AND SAID SERVO VALVE MEMBER WHEN ENGAGED WITH SAID FIRST SEAT ESTABLISHING A TIME DELAYED FORCE ON SAID EXHAUST VALVE MEMBER DERIVED FROM SAID PRESSURIZED GAS WITHIN SAID CHAMBER AND IN SUCH DIRECTIONS AS TO CAUSE SAID EXHAUST VALVE MEMBERR TO REENGAGE ITS SEAT AND HENCE SHUT OFF FLOW OF PRESSURIZED GAS THROUGH SAID SECOND CONTACT MEMBER.