Interlock for circuit breaker switches

Claim 2

An interlock for circuit breaker switches in combination with first and second circuit breaker switches where said first and second switches are positioned in tandem alignment and respectively have first and second external switch operating handles thereon, said switches being oriented so that said handles are positioned away from each other when the switches are on and toward each other when the switches are off, said combination comprising: said interlock comprising an elongate member having a first stop at one end and a second stop at the other end, said stops facing each other and being positioned on the sides of said first and second operating handles away from said respective second and first switches so that, when one of said operating handles is moved from the off to the on position, each of said stops is engaged by its corresponding one of said operating handles whereby said member is pulled by such one operating handle in the direction to cause the other switch operating handle to pull the other switch from the on to the off position.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 wherein said elongated member comprises a flexible, substantially non-extensible wire cable and said stops are cylindrical members clamped adjacent the ends of said wire cable, said wire cable passing through openings in said operating handles of said first and second switches.

Claim 4

An interlock for circuit breaker switches in combination with first and second circuit breaker switches where said first and second switches are positioned in tandem alignment and respectively have first and second external switch operating handles thereon, said switches being oriented so that said handles are positioned away from each other when said switches are on and toward each other when said switches are off, said combination comprising: said interlock having an elongate metallic bar having a face which defines a plane, a first stop at one end of said bar and a second stop at the other end of said bar, said stops being bent ends of said metallic bar bent out of said plane, said stops facing each other and being positioned on the sides of said first and second operating handles away from said respective second and first switches so that, when one of said operating handles is moved from the off to the on position, said interlock bar is pulled by such one operating handle by engagement on its corresponding stop in the direction to cause the other stop to engage the other switch operating handle to pull the other switch from the on to the off position.

Claim 5

An interlock for circuit breaker switches in combination with first and second circuit breaker switches where said first and second switches are positioned in tandem alignment and respectively have first and second external switch operating handles thereon, said switches being oriented so that said handles are positioned away from each other when said switches are on and toward each other when said switches are off, said combination comprising: said interlock having an elongate metallic bar having a face which defines a plane, a first stop at one end of said bar and a second stop at the other end of said bar, said stops being bent ends of said metallic bar bent out of said plane, said stops facing each other and being positioned on the sides of said first and second operating handles away from said respective second and first switches so that, when one of said operating handles is moved from the off to the on position, said interlock bar is pulled by such one operating handle by engagement on its corresponding stop in the direction to cause the other stop to engage the other switch operating handle to pull the other switch from the on to the off position.

Claim 6

The combination of claim 3 wherein said metallic bar has a substantially rectangular cross section and a straight center section which forms the face of said bar and defines the plane of said bar, said bar being bent rearward of said plane at each end of said center section to form bearing areas and said bar being bent forward from said bearing areas to form said first and second stops at the ends of said interlock, said bearing areas bearing on said tandem positioned switches adjacent said switch operating handles thereon.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 3 wherein there is a laterally-adjacent switch adjacent each of said first and second facing opposed circuit breaker switches, the switch operating handles of laterally-adjacent switches being interconnected together so that said laterally-adjacent switches are constrained to operate together.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 5 wherein said laterally-adjacent switches are conneCted together by means of connection means connected between the switch operating handles of laterally-adjacent circuit breaker switches for operating said switch operating handles together, said interlock engaging said handle connection means.

Claim 9

An interlock for circuit breaker switches in combination with first and second circuit breaker switches, said switches each having an external operating handle and said switches being positioned in tandem aligned opposed position so that, when the switch operating handles are positioned toward each other, both said circuit breaker switches are in the off condition and, when the circuit breaker handles are in a position away from each other, both said switches are in the on condition, each of said handles having an outwardly facing engagement surface thereon, said combination comprising: said interlock comprising a substantially inextensible elongated body made of a metallic bar of substantially rectangular cross section which has a straight center section which forms the face of said bar and defines the plane of said bar, said bar being bent rearwardly of said plane at each end of said center section to form bearing areas toward each end of the bar from the center section thereof, first and second stops respectively positioned on the ends of said bar, said first and second stops facing each other, said bar being bent forward from said bearing areas to form said first and second stops adjacent the ends of said interlock, said stops being engageable on the engagement surfaces of said handles of said first and second switches and being spaced apart such a dimension that only one of said switches can be in the on position at a time, said bearing areas bearing on said opposed positioned switches adjacent said switch operating handles thereon.

Claim 10

An interlock for circuit breaker switches in combination with first and second circuit breaker switches, said switches each having an external operating handle and said switches being positioned in tandem aligned opposed position so that, when the switch operating handles are positioned toward each other, both said circuit breaker switches are in the off condition and, when the circuit breaker handles are in a position away from each other, both said switches are in the on condition, each of said handles having an outwardly facing engagement surface thereon, said combination comprising: said interlock comprising a substantially inextensible elongated body made of a metallic bar of substantially rectangular cross section which has a straight center section which forms the face of said bar and defines the plane of said bar, said bar being bent rearwardly of said plane at each end of said center section to form bearing areas toward each end of the bar from the center section thereof, first and second stops respectively positioned on the ends of said bar, said first and second stops facing each other, said bar being bent forward from said bearing areas to form said first and second stops adjacent the ends of said interlock, said stops being engageable on the engagement surfaces of said handles of said first and second switches and being spaced apart such a dimension that only one of said switches can be in the on position at a time, said bearing areas bearing on said opposed positioned switches adjacent said switch operating handles thereon.