US3775713A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Circuit breaker with externally operable means for manual adjustment and manual tripping
Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
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Filing: 1972-11-03
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Granted: 1973-11-27
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Expires: 1992-11-03
Abstract
Abstract A circuit breaker is provided with externally accessible adjusting means manually operable to adjust the trip means of the breaker and manually operable to trip the breaker.
Inventors
- 👤 E Walker
- 👤 R Flick
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 15:30
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01H; H01H71/00; H01H71/10; H01H71/12; H01H71/128; H01H71/74; H01H71/7463
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
114 words
A circuit breaker comprising an insulating housing, a circuit breaker structure supported in said housing, said circuit breaker structure comprising a pair of cooperable contacts, a trip member movable from an initial position to a tripped position to effect automatic opening of said contacts, trip means automatically operable upon the occurrence of overload current conditions above a predetermined value to effect movement of said trip member to said tripped position, said housing having an opening thErein, adjusting means accessible at said opening and being manually operable to adjust the trip characteristics of said trip means, and said adjusting means also being manually operable to effect movement of said trip bar to said tripped position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
114 words
A circuit breaker comprising an insulating housing, a circuit breaker structure supported in said housing, said circuit breaker structure comprising a pair of cooperable contacts, a trip member movable from an initial position to a tripped position to effect automatic opening of said contacts, trip means automatically operable upon the occurrence of overload current conditions above a predetermined value to effect movement of said trip member to said tripped position, said housing having an opening thErein, adjusting means accessible at said opening and being manually operable to adjust the trip characteristics of said trip means, and said adjusting means also being manually operable to effect movement of said trip bar to said tripped position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
49 words
A circuit breaker according to claim 1, said adjusting means comprising an adjusting member manually movable in one mode to adjust the trip characteristics of said trip means, and said adjusting member being manually movable in another mode to effect movement of said trip bar to said tripped position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
56 words
A circuit breaker according to claim 1, said adjusting means comprising an adjusting member supported for rotatable movement and also for rectilinear movement, said adjusting member being rotatable to adjust the trip characteristics of said trip means, and said adjusting member being rectilinearly movable inwardly to effect movement of said trip bar to said tripped position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
64 words
A circuit breaker according to claim 3, spring means biasing said adjusting member outwardly to an unactuated position, said adjusting member being rectilinearly movable inwardly against the bias of said spring means to an actuating position to effect movement of said trip member to said tripped position, and said adjusting member when in the actuating position being below the front surface of said housing.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
114 words
A circuit breaker according to claim 4, said trip means comprising a yoke and an armature supported for movement relative to said yoke with an air gap between said armature and said yoke, upon the occurrence of overload current conditions above said predetermined value said armature being attracted toward said yoke to effect movement of said trip member to said tripped position, said adjusting means comprising cam means operable upon rotation of said adjusting member to vary said air gap to thereby vary the tripping characteristics to said trip device, and upon inward rectilinear movement of said adjusting member said adjusting member operating to effect movement of said trip member to said tripped position.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
116 words
A circuit breaker according to claim 5, a cam follower disposed between said cam member and said armature, actuating means connected between said armature and said trip member, upon the occurrence of said overload current condition above said predetermined value said armature being attracted to said yoke to move said actuating means to thereby move said trip member to the tripped position, upon rotation of said adjusting member said cam follower being moved to move said armature to vary said air gap, and upon inward rectilinear movement of said adjusting member said cam follower being moved inwardly to move said armature to move said actuating means to thereby move said trip member to said tripped position.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
53 words
A circuit breaker according to claim 6, said circuit breaker comprising a generally planar front surface, and said adjusting member being rotatable about an axis generally normal to the plane of said front surface, and said adjusting member being movable rectilinearly in a direction generally normal to the plane of said front surface.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
109 words
A circuit breaker according to claim 5, a cam follower disposed between said cam member and said armature, actuating means connected between said armature and said trip member, upon the occurrence of said overload current condition above said predetermined value said armature being attracted to said yoke to move said actuating means to thereby move said trip member to the tripped position, upon rotation of said adjusting member said cam follower being moved to move said armature to vary said air gap, and means movable inwardly with said adjusting member to directly move said trip bar to the tripped position independent of any movement of said cam and armature.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
34 words
A circuit breaker according to claim 8, said circuit breaker comprising a generally planar front surface, and said adjusting member being rotatable about an axis generally normal to the plane of said front surface.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
A circuit breaker according to claim 9, and said adjusting member being rectilinearly movable in a direction generally normal to the plane of said front surface.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-11-26 | 1977-05-28 | 1977-11-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-11-26 | 1981-05-28 | 1981-11-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-11-26 | 1985-05-28 | 1985-11-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |