US3801758A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Multiple switch assembly with external slide member allowing actuation of only one switch at a time
Assignee: Airpax Electronics Inc
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Filing: 1973-03-19
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Granted: 1974-04-02
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Expires: 1993-03-19
Abstract
Abstract Disclosed is apparatus for selectively allowing the actuation of a predetermined number from a plurality of electrical switching devices in an electrical system. Disclosed is an electrical system that requires, as an example, the selection of one of a plurality of power sources to a load. For overload protection, an electrical switch such as a circuit breaker is connected between each power source and load. The present invention cooperates with the circuit breakers to provide fail-safe protection by permitting one and only one circuit breaker, and thus power source, to be actuated at any one time. The apparatus comprises a slide member whose geometrical configuration allows it to be positioned over a circuit breaker only when the handle of the circuit breaker is in its OFF (unactuated) position. By utilizing a side-to-side configuration of circuit breakers, the slide members may be mounted on a pair of guide rods which extend longitudinally across all the circuit breakers in the system. The guide rods allow the slide members to be selectively positioned over those circuit breakers which are desired to remain in an unactuated position. By providing one less slide member than are provided electrical circuit breakers, only one of said circuit breakers will be left exposed to manual accessibility, thus allowing it to be manually switched to either of its two operating positions. Thus, the slide members of the present invention effectively combine the functions of power source selection and overload protection to make them mutually dependent.
Inventors
- 👤 J Shand
- 👤 L Merriken
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 08:54
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01H; H01H71/00; H01H71/10; H01H71/1009; H01H9/00; H01H9/20; H01H9/26; H01H2009/265; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S200/00; Y10S200/06
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
213 words
In combination with a plurality of electrical circuit breakers each having a manually operable handle movable in a first direction between first and second operative positions, apparatus for preventing manual access to all but a selected handle comprising a plurality of cover plates adapted to be positioned over said handles, said cover plates being one less in number than said circuit breakers, the cross section of each said plate including an indented portion located so as to permit said plate to be positioned over a handle only when said handle is in said first operative position, each said cover plate being slideably positionable along a second direction generally transverse to said first direction, said cross section of each said plate further comprising an abutment portion located so as to prevent said slide plate from being positioned over a circuit breaker when its handle is in said second operative position, said first and second operative positions corresponding to circuit breaker OFF and ON positions, respectively, and means for guiding said cover plates along said second direction, said guiding means comprising a pair of parallel rods securably mounted to said circuit breakers in parallel relation to said second direction and a plurality of flanges that maintain said rods in raised relation to said circuit breakers.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
213 words
In combination with a plurality of electrical circuit breakers each having a manually operable handle movable in a first direction between first and second operative positions, apparatus for preventing manual access to all but a selected handle comprising a plurality of cover plates adapted to be positioned over said handles, said cover plates being one less in number than said circuit breakers, the cross section of each said plate including an indented portion located so as to permit said plate to be positioned over a handle only when said handle is in said first operative position, each said cover plate being slideably positionable along a second direction generally transverse to said first direction, said cross section of each said plate further comprising an abutment portion located so as to prevent said slide plate from being positioned over a circuit breaker when its handle is in said second operative position, said first and second operative positions corresponding to circuit breaker OFF and ON positions, respectively, and means for guiding said cover plates along said second direction, said guiding means comprising a pair of parallel rods securably mounted to said circuit breakers in parallel relation to said second direction and a plurality of flanges that maintain said rods in raised relation to said circuit breakers.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
113 words
In combination with at least first and second electrical switching devices, each including a housing having a front surface and a manual operating handle outwardly extending therefrom, said manual operating handle movable in a first direction between first and second operative positions; a handle interlock selectively positionable over one of said switching devices, said handle interlock comprising a slide member, means for guiding said slide member in a second direction generally transverse to said first direction, said slide member having no moving parts and including abutment means for preventing movement of said operating handle of the switching device over which it is positioned from said first operating position to said second operating position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
113 words
In combination with at least first and second electrical switching devices, each including a housing having a front surface and a manual operating handle outwardly extending therefrom, said manual operating handle movable in a first direction between first and second operative positions; a handle interlock selectively positionable over one of said switching devices, said handle interlock comprising a slide member, means for guiding said slide member in a second direction generally transverse to said first direction, said slide member having no moving parts and including abutment means for preventing movement of said operating handle of the switching device over which it is positioned from said first operating position to said second operating position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
56 words
The combination of claim 2 wherein said slide member comprises an outer surface oriented in a plane generally parallel to said front surface of said switching device and an inner surface in raised opposing relation to said front surface of said switching device, said inner surface having said abutment means formEd as an integral part thereof.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
109 words
The combination of claim 3 wherein said inner surface comprises first, second and third sections, said first and second sections being essentially parallel to said outer surface of said slide member, said first section being closer to said outer surface of said slide member than said second section, said third section connecting said first section to said second section so as to form an abutment edge which comprises part of said abutment means, said third and first sections forming an indent portion that essentially allows said slide member to be positioned over said switching device only when said handle of said switching device is in said first operative position.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
The combination of claim 4 wherein said electrical switching devices are circuit breakers and said first and second operative positions correspond to circuit breaker OFF and ON positions, respectively.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
133 words
A plurality of switch selector devices for preventing manual access to a plurality of electrical circuit breaker handles, the number of circuit breaker handles being one greater than the number of switch selector devices so that only one of said circuit breaker handles is exposed to manual manipulation, each of said circuit breaker handles movable in a first direction between first and second operative positions, said plurality of switch selector devices being selectively positionable over a like number of said circuit breaker handles via guide means, said guide means being adapted to guide said selector devices in a second direction generally transverse to said first direction, each of said selector devices having a cross section such that it may be slidably moved only over a handle which is in said first operative position.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
133 words
A plurality of switch selector devices for preventing manual access to a plurality of electrical circuit breaker handles, the number of circuit breaker handles being one greater than the number of switch selector devices so that only one of said circuit breaker handles is exposed to manual manipulation, each of said circuit breaker handles movable in a first direction between first and second operative positions, said plurality of switch selector devices being selectively positionable over a like number of said circuit breaker handles via guide means, said guide means being adapted to guide said selector devices in a second direction generally transverse to said first direction, each of said selector devices having a cross section such that it may be slidably moved only over a handle which is in said first operative position.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
61 words
The invention according to claim 6 wherein said handles are coupled to circuit breakers and said first and second operative positions correspond to circuit breaker OFF and ON positions, respectively, whereby said plurality of circuit breakers and said plurality of selector devices coact so as to allow only one circuit breaker to be in said ON position at any one time.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
The invention according to claim 7 wherein each of said switch selector devices has no moving parts, being a single integrally molded piece.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
78 words
The invention according to claim 8 wherein said cross section of each of said selector devices comprises an abutment portion and an indent portion, said abutment portion of such width so as to prevent lateral passage of said selector device over a circuit breaker whose handle is in said ON position, said indent portion of such width so as to allow lateral passage of said interlock device over a circuit breaker whose handle is in said OFF position.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
The invention according to claim 9 wherein said guide means comprises a pair of parallel rods securably mounted to said circuit breakers in parallel relation to said second direction.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
The invention according to claim 10 wherein said guide means further comprises a plurality of flanges that maintain said rods in raised relation to said circuit breakers.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3319020A
Cited
US3492448A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-04-01 | 1977-10-01 | 1978-04-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-04-01 | 1981-10-01 | 1982-04-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-04-01 | 1985-10-01 | 1986-04-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |