US3593235A — Linearly operated circuit breaker

Claim 1

Independent Claim 142 words

In combination, a circuit breaker including a case, a pair of contacts enclosed by said case, a collapsible mechanism to move one of the contacts between contacts ''''closed'''' and ''''open'''' positions, said mechanism including a pivotal link to operate said mechanism, electrical means for sensing predetermined electrical conditions and collapsing said mechanism to electrically trip ''''open'''' said contacts at such time, and a unitary adapter secured to said case and including an actuator, movable generally linearly into engagement with said pivotal link and automatically retracted back to a neutral position out of engagement with said pivotal link, to operate said mechanism for moving one of said contacts to the contacts ''''closed'''' or ''''open'''' positions while permitting said pivotal link to freely move when said mechanism is collapsed on predetermined electrical conditions, said adapter being mounted upon said case as a separate subassembly.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 142 words

In combination, a circuit breaker including a case, a pair of contacts enclosed by said case, a collapsible mechanism to move one of the contacts between contacts ''''closed'''' and ''''open'''' positions, said mechanism including a pivotal link to operate said mechanism, electrical means for sensing predetermined electrical conditions and collapsing said mechanism to electrically trip ''''open'''' said contacts at such time, and a unitary adapter secured to said case and including an actuator, movable generally linearly into engagement with said pivotal link and automatically retracted back to a neutral position out of engagement with said pivotal link, to operate said mechanism for moving one of said contacts to the contacts ''''closed'''' or ''''open'''' positions while permitting said pivotal link to freely move when said mechanism is collapsed on predetermined electrical conditions, said adapter being mounted upon said case as a separate subassembly.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 101 words

The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said circuit breaker includes an auxiliary switch means responsive to whether said contacts are ''''closed'''' or ''''open,'''' and a pushbutton module having a plunger engageable with said unitary adapter for actuating the latter, said pushbutton including electrical lamps alternately illuminated to indicate whether said contacts are ''''closed'''' or ''''open,'''' said pushbutton module being secured to said unitary adapter, and said pushbutton module and said auxiliary switch each having terminal means connectable to each other so that said pushbutton module will indicate by illumination of the appropriate lamp whether said contacts are ''''closed'''' or ''''open.''''

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 36 words

The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said case includes two portions, said adapter has legs extending along the side of said case, and rivets securing the case portions to each other and to said legs.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 95 words

The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said unitary adapter includes a bracket secured to said case, a tube secured to said bracket, a linearly movable unit movable back and forth within said tube from an initial position to a depressed position, said unit including a return spring for returning said unit to its initial position, said unit further comprising, an actuator movable into engagement with said pivotal link to actuate said mechanism, and wall means forming part of said adapter to limit movement of said unit from said depressed position to said initial position.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 43 words

The combination recited in claim 4 wherein said pivotal link has two surfaces to alternately receive said actuator, said unit including a depressable piston and a pin connecting said actuator to said piston, and means for centering said actuator relative to said piston.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 42 words

The combination recited in claim 5 wherein said tube is provided with elongated guide walls, said pin connecting said actuator to said piston has end portions cooperating with said walls to limit the movement of said unit away from said pivotal link.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 45 words

The combination recited in claim 5 wherein said means for centering said actuator includes a centering cap slidably received by said piston and a centering spring for urging said centering cap toward said actuator, and said centering cap and actuator having mating, abuttable planar surfaces.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 110 words

The combination recited in claim 5 wherein said unitary adapter includes a flange upon which is seated one end portion of said return spring, said depressable piston having a peripheral margin against which the other end portion of said return spring is seated, said case including an upstanding boss, said case including two case portions, said bracket including legs, rivets extending through said case and said legs to secure said case portions to each other and said bracket to said case, and said bracket having an inverted U-shaped in cross section uniformly extending along the width of said circuit breaker to provide a space within which said boss is received.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 38 words

The combination recited in claim 8 wherein said bracket has a keyway into which a portion of said tube is staked to provide an antirotation feature between said tube and said bracket, and a sleeve surrounding said tube.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 74 words

The combination recited in claim 5 wherein said unitary adapter includes spaced opposed walls, said actuator being received between said opposed walls and confined thereby against rotation, said actuator carrying a second pin, said opposed walls being formed with V-shaped recesses receiving said second pin as said actuator returns to its initial position for centering the latter relative to said pivotal link and limiting the movement of said unit away from said pivotal link.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 39 words

The combination recited in claim 10 wherein said means for centering said actuator further includes a centering compression spring whose longitudinal axis is coincident with the longitudinal axis of said tube, said tube being aligned with said pivotal link.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 122 words

The combination recited in claim 5 wherein said unitary adapter includes a shelf upon which is seated one end portion of said return spring, said depressable piston having a peripheral margin against which the other end portion of said return spring is seated, said case including an upstanding boss, said case including two case portions, said bracket including ears, and rivets extending through said case and said ears to secure said case portions to each other and said bracket to said case, and said bracket having a U-shaped central portion when viewed along the width of said circuit breaker to provide a space within which said boss is received and substantially flat portions overlying said case on either side of said boss.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 54 words

The combination recited in claim 2 wherein said circuit breaker and said pushbutton module have the general shape of quadrilaterals, said pushbutton module and said unitary adapter include mounting means to secure said pushbutton module to said unitary adapter with one axis parallel to the corresponding axis of said circuit breaker or perpendicular theReto.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 83 words

The combination recited in claim 13 wherein said mounting means includes a mounting plate secured to said unitary adapter and to which said pushbutton module is secured and a spring means secured to said pushbutton module engageable with said mounting plate to secure said pushbutton module thereto, said mounting plate having substantially the same shape when viewed along transverse, perpendicular axes, whereby said pushbutton module may be mounted with one axis parallel to the corresponding axis of said circuit breaker or perpendicular thereto.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 62 words

The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said unitary adapter includes a linearly movable unit movable back and forth from an initial position to a depressed position, said linearly movable unit having an outer dimension smaller than that of an adult finger, and said linearly movable unit extends outwardly of said adapter sufficiently to be manually engaged and depressed by said finger.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 200 words

In combination, a circuit breaker including a case, a pair of contacts enclosed by said case, an automatically resettable collapsible mechanism to move one of the contacts between contacts ''''closed'''' and ''''open'''' positions, said mechanism including a pivotal link to operate said mechanism, electrical means for sensing predetermined electrical conditions and collapsing said mechanism to electrically trip ''''open'''' said contacts at such time, and an adapter secured to said case and including an actuator, movable into engagement with said pivotal link and automatically retracted back to a neutral position out of engagement with said pivotal link, to operate said mechanism for moving one of said contacts to the contacts ''''closed'''' or ''''open'''' positions while permitting said pivotal link to freely move when said mechanism is collapsed on predetermined electrical conditions, a tube, a driving piston connected to said actuator, a return spring for returning said actuator to its initial position, a cap slidably movable relative to said piston and carried thereby, and means biasing said cap into engagement with said actuator to align said actuator along the longitudinal axis of said tube upon its return to its initial position, said adapter being mounted upon said case as a separate subassembly.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 200 words

In combination, a circuit breaker including a case, a pair of contacts enclosed by said case, an automatically resettable collapsible mechanism to move one of the contacts between contacts ''''closed'''' and ''''open'''' positions, said mechanism including a pivotal link to operate said mechanism, electrical means for sensing predetermined electrical conditions and collapsing said mechanism to electrically trip ''''open'''' said contacts at such time, and an adapter secured to said case and including an actuator, movable into engagement with said pivotal link and automatically retracted back to a neutral position out of engagement with said pivotal link, to operate said mechanism for moving one of said contacts to the contacts ''''closed'''' or ''''open'''' positions while permitting said pivotal link to freely move when said mechanism is collapsed on predetermined electrical conditions, a tube, a driving piston connected to said actuator, a return spring for returning said actuator to its initial position, a cap slidably movable relative to said piston and carried thereby, and means biasing said cap into engagement with said actuator to align said actuator along the longitudinal axis of said tube upon its return to its initial position, said adapter being mounted upon said case as a separate subassembly.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 184 words

In combination, a circuit breaker including a case, a pair of contacts enclosed by said case, an automatically resettable collapsible mechanism to move one of the contacts between contacts ''''closed'''' and ''''open'''' positions, said mechanism including a pivotal link to operate said mechanism, electrical means for sensing predetermined electrical conditions and collapsing said mechanism to electrically trip ''''open'''' said contacts at such time, and a push-type adapter secured to said case and including an actuator, movable into engagement with said pivotal link and automatically retracted back to an initial position out of engagement with said pivotal link, to operate said mechanism for moving one of said contacts to the contacts ''''closed'''' or ''''open'''' positions while permitting said pivotal link to freely move when said mechanism is collapsed on predetermined electrical conditions, said adapter including a driving piston, a return spring disposed between said case and said piston, said driving piston carrying centering means for returning said actuator to a position in alignment with said pivotal link and limiting pivotal motion of said actuator, said adapter being mounted upon said case as a separate subassembly.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 184 words

In combination, a circuit breaker including a case, a pair of contacts enclosed by said case, an automatically resettable collapsible mechanism to move one of the contacts between contacts ''''closed'''' and ''''open'''' positions, said mechanism including a pivotal link to operate said mechanism, electrical means for sensing predetermined electrical conditions and collapsing said mechanism to electrically trip ''''open'''' said contacts at such time, and a push-type adapter secured to said case and including an actuator, movable into engagement with said pivotal link and automatically retracted back to an initial position out of engagement with said pivotal link, to operate said mechanism for moving one of said contacts to the contacts ''''closed'''' or ''''open'''' positions while permitting said pivotal link to freely move when said mechanism is collapsed on predetermined electrical conditions, said adapter including a driving piston, a return spring disposed between said case and said piston, said driving piston carrying centering means for returning said actuator to a position in alignment with said pivotal link and limiting pivotal motion of said actuator, said adapter being mounted upon said case as a separate subassembly.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 46 words

The combination recited in claim 17 and further including wall means limiting upward movement of said actuator on its return to said initial position, and wherein said actuator is restrained from travelling downward only after said mechanism is moved to the contacts ''''closed'''' or ''''opeN'''' positions.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1974-07-12	1975-01-11	1975-07-13	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1978-07-12	1979-01-11	1979-07-13	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1982-07-12	1983-01-11	1983-07-13	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Linearly operated circuit breaker

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