Switchgear with fuses individually mounted on fuse carriers and switches therefor for interlocks

Claim 2

Switchgear comprising a metallic housing, a plurality of sets of fuse contacts mounted in insulated spaced relation in said housing, a plurality of unconnected fuse carriers individually removably mounted on said housing, a fuse carried by each of said fuse carriers for movement into and out of contact engagement with a respective set of fuse contacts, a carriage slidably mounted on said housing independently of and overlying said fuse carriers, coupling means on said carriage for selectively connecting said carriage to one or more of said fuse carriers for withdrawing said one or more fuse carriers and the fuse or fuses carried thereby from and returning the fuse or fuses to contact engagement with the respective set of contacts, a plurality of switch means in insulated spaced relation in said housing, each said switch means associated with a respective fuse for connecting said respective fuses in and disconnecting said respective ruses from an electrical circuit, switch operating means for independently operating a respectively associated switch means, and locking flipper means for preventing operation of said switch operating means when said fuse carrier is withdrawn from said housing.

Claim 3

Switchgear according to claim 1 wherein each fuse carrier includes: a locking bolt movable into and out of locking engagement with said housing, and a coupling cam receiver; and said coupling means includes a manually operable coupling cam pivotally mounted on said carriage individual to each of said fuse carriers for engaging the respective coupling cam receiver to cause movement of said locking bolt out of locking engagement with said housing when said coupling cam and said cam receiver are engaged and into locking engagement with said housing when said coupling cam and said cam receiver are disengaged and for making mechanical connection to the respective fuse carrier for withdrawing and returning said fuse carrier to the housing.

Claim 4

Switchgear according to claim 1 wherein each fuse carrier includes: a locking boLt actuator, a locking bolt connected to said actuator and movable by said actuator into and out of lock-engagement with said housing, and a coupling cam receiving aperture in said actuator; and said coupling means includes manually operable locking cams pivotally mounted on said carriage individual to each fuse carrier for entering the respective aperture to engage said actuator to pivot said locking bolt actuator to cause said locking bolt to move into and out of locking engagement with said housing and for making mechanical connection to the respective fuse carrier for withdrawing and returning the same as aforesaid.

Claim 5

Switchgear according to claim 3 wherein said carriage comprises upper and lower frame members slidably mounted on said housing and interconnected at one end by a vertical panel carrying said locking cams on the side facing said fuse carriers, and handles on the other side of said panel connected to the respective locking cams.

Claim 6

Switchgear according to claim 3 wherein an interlock lever is pivotably mounted on each fuse carrier adjacent each of said locking bolts and is biased with respect to said locking bolts to move into the path of said locking bolts to prevent movement thereof to locking position when said fuse carrier is removed from said housing and means on said housing for engaging each interlock lever to move the same out of said path when said fuse carrier occupies its fully closed position.

Claim 7

Switchgear according to claim 5 wherein each interlock lever is movable in a plane parallel to the path of said carriage, and pin means on said housing engage the respective interlock lever to move it out of the path of the respective locking bolt when the respective fuse carrier is slid to its fully closed position.

Claim 8

Switchgear according to claim 1 wherein guide means on said housing and on said carriage interfit with said fuse carriers to direct accurately each fuse into engagement with the set of fuse contacts individual thereto when said fuse carriers are moved to their closed positions.

Claim 9

Switchgear according to claim 7 wherein an interlock lever is pivoted on each fuse carrier and is biased with respect to the locking bolt thereon into its path to prevent movement thereof to locking position, said guide means on said housing engaging each interlock lever to move the same out of said paths when said fuse carrier occupies its fully closed position.

Claim 10

Switchgear comprising a metallic housing, a plurality of sets of fuse contacts mounted in insulated spaced relation in said housing, a plurality of unconnected fuse carriers individually slidably mounted on said housing, a fuse carried by each of said fuse carriers for movement into and out of contact engagement with a respective set of fuse contacts, a carriage slidably mounted on said housing independently of and overlying said fuse carriers, coupling means on said carriage for selectively connecting said carriage to one or more of said fuse carriers for withdrawing said one or more fuse carriers and the fuse or fuses carried thereby from and returning the fuse or fuses to contact engagement with the respective set of contacts, a plurality of switch means in insulated spaced relation in said housing each of said switch means associated with a respective fuse for connecting said respective fuse in and disconnecting said respective fuse from a circuit, and a switch operating means for independently operating a respectively associated switch means, and fuse interlock means on each fuse carrier arranged to prevent withdrawal thereof when the switch operating means individual thereto is in the closed position, and locking flipper means operated by each switch operating means is arranged to prevent closure of its switch means when the fuse carrier individual thereto is withdrawn from said housing.

Claim 11

Switchgear comprising a metallic housing, a plurality of sets of fuse contacts mounted in insulated spaced relation in said housing, a plurality of unconnected fuse carriers individually slidably mounted on said housing, a fuse carried by each of said fuse carriers for movement into and out of contact engagement with a respective set of fuse contacts, a carriage slidably mounted on said housing independently of and overlying said fuse carriers, coupling means on said carriage for selectively connecting said carriage to one or more of said fuse carriers for withdrawing said one or more fuse carriers and the fuse or fuses carried thereby from and returning the fuse or fuses to contact engagement with the respective set of contacts, a plurality of switch means in insulated spaced relation in said housing each of said switch means associated with a respective fuse for connecting said respective fuse in and disconnecting said respective fuse from a circuit, and a switch operating means for independently operating a respectively associated switch means, and fuse interlock means on each fuse carrier arranged to prevent withdrawal thereof when the switch operating means individual thereto is in the closed position, and locking flipper means operated by each switch operating means is arranged to prevent closure of its switch means when the fuse carrier individual thereto is withdrawn from said housing.

Claim 12

Switchgear according to claim 9 wherein lost motion means between each switch operating means and the respective locking flipper means effect operation of the latter to permit withdrawal of thE respective fuse carrier near the end of the opening stroke of said operating means for the respective switch means.

Claim 13

Switchgear according to claim 9 wherein each fuse carrier includes: a pivotable locking bolt actuator, a locking bolt connected to said actuator and movable by said actuator into and out of locking engagement with said housing, and a cam receiving slot in said actuator; and said coupling means includes a manually operable locking cams pivotally mounted on said carriage individual to each said fuse carriers for entering the respective slot to engage said actuator to pivot said locking bolt actuator from and to locking position and make mechanical connection to the respective fuse carrier for withdrawing and returning the same as aforesaid; and said switch operating means includes means for interconnecting each locking bolt for preventing movement of the respective locking bolt to unlocked position when said switch means occupies the switch closed position.

Claim 14

Switchgear according to claim 11 wherein said locking bolt has a transverse notch adjacent its distal end, and said means interconnecting said locking bolt includes a locking lever for entering said transverse notch to prevent withdrawal of said locking bolt and the respective fuse carrier when said switch means occupies the closed position.

Claim 15

Switchgear according to claim 12 wherein said locking lever is L-shaped with one arm arranged to enter said notch and the other arm pivoted at its distal end and mechanically connected to the respective switch operating means.

Claim 16

Switchgear according to claim 13 wherein said locking flipper means is a flipper biased into the path of said other arm of said L-shaped locking lever for preventing pivotal movement thereof when the respective fuse carrier is withdrawn to prevent opening of the respective switch means, and said flipper is shifted out of the path of said L-shaped locking lever by said locking bolt when the respective fuse carrier is closed and said locking bolt occupies its locked position.