Circuit breaker with spring charged operating mechanism

Claim 2

A vacuum type circuit interrupter assembly comprising, a vacuum interrupter having contacts movable between open and closed positions and a spring stored energy operating mechanism comprising: a frame; a closing spring; operating rod means connected to said vacuum interrupter; a rotatably mounted crankshaft; means for driving the crankshaft to load said closing spring; closing latch means for releasably retaining said closing spring in the loaded condition; cam means rigidly attached to said crankshaft; a contact operating lever attached to said operating rod means; a tripping latch means; a cross link means having two free ends, one end supported by said tripping latch means and having the other end supported by said cam means; a vertical link pinned at one end to said contact operating lever and pinned at its other end to said cross link means remote from said cross link means ends; said cam means being driven by said crankshaft when said closing latch means is released, to release said closing spring, and raise said cross link means and said vertical link and said contact operating lever and said operating rod; whereby said vacuum interrupter contacts are moved to their closed position.

Claim 3

A vacuum type circuit interrupter assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein, said vacuum interrupter is mounted directly on said frame of said operating mechanism, and said vacuum interrupter comprises a vacuum chamber, stationary contact means, movable contact means, being movable between a first closed position where said stationary contact means are in engagement with said movable contact means and a second open position where said movable contact means are spaced from said stationary contact means, said operating rod means being connected to said movable contact means, said operating rod means extending external of said vacuum housing.

Claim 4

A vacuum type circuit interrupter assembly as claimed in claim 2 including a plurality of vacuum interrupters mounted side by side on said frame of said operating mechanism.

Claim 5

A vacuum type circuit interrupter assembly as claimed in claim 2 including multiple vacuum interrupters mounted on said frame, an operating shaft rotatably mounted on the frame of said operating mechanism, multiple contact unit operating levers, each of said pole unit operating levers being mounted beneath an associated vacuum interrupter, one end of each of said contact operating levers rigidly attached to said operating shaft and the other end of each of said contact unit operating levers being attached to said operating rod from said associated vacuum interrupter.

Claim 6

A vacuum type circuit interrupter assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tripping means comprises; a tripping plunger; a tripping lever; and a tripping latch member; with the vacuum interrupter in said first closed position, said tripping lever is held in a generally vertical alignment by said tripping latch; said tripping lever when in the vertical position supporting one end of said cross link means; said tripping plunger when activated interacts with said tripping latch to release said vertical tripping lever to permit said vertical tripping lever to rotate and allow the end of said cross link means supported by said vertical tripping member, when said vacuum interrupter is in said closed position, to move in a generally downward direction; as said cross link means mOves in a downward direction said vacuum interrupter moves from said first closed position to said second opened position.

Claim 7

A vacuum type circuit interrupter assembly comprising, a vacuum interrupter having contacts movable between open and closed positions and a spring stored energy operating mechanism comprising: a frame; a closing spring; operating rod means connected to said vacuum interrupter; a rotatably mounted crankshaft; means for driving the crankshaft to load said closing spring; closing latch means for releasably retaining said closing spring in the loaded condition; cam means rigidly attached to said crankshaft, a contact operating lever attached to said operating rod means; a tripping latch means; a cross link means having two free ends, one end supported by said tripping latch means and having the other end supported by said cam means; a vertical link pinned at one end to said contact operating lever and pinned at its other end to said cross link means remote from said cross link means ends; said cam means being driven by said crankshaft when said closing latch means is released, to release said closing spring, and raise said cross link means and said vertical link and said contact operating lever and said operating rod; and including a pair of guide links, a first pin means attaching said vertical link to said cross linked means, a second pin means, said second pin means being fixed with respect to said frame, one set of ends of said pair of guide links being pivotally attached to said second fixed pin means, the other ends of said pair of guide links being pivotally attached to said first pin means to guide said cross link means and said vertical link in a predetermined direction.

Claim 8

A vacuum type circuit interrupter assembly comprising, a vacuum interrupter having contacts movable between open and closed positions and a spring stored energy operating mechanism comprising: a frame; a closing spring; operating rod means connected to said vacuum interrupter; a rotatably mounted crankshaft; means for driving the crankshaft to load said closing spring; closing latch means for releasably retaining said closing spring in the loaded condition; cam means rigidly attached to said crankshaft, a contact operating lever attached to said operating rod means; a tripping latch means; a cross link means having two free ends, one end supported by said tripping latch means and having the other end supported by said cam means; a vertical link pinned at one end to said contact operating lever and pinned at its other end to said cross link means remote from said cross link means ends; said cam means being driven by said crankshaft when said closing latch means is released, to release said closing spring, and raise said cross link means and said vertical link and said contact operating lever and said operating rod; and including a pair of guide links, a first pin means attaching said vertical link to said cross linked means, a second pin means, said second pin means being fixed with respect to said frame, one set of ends of said pair of guide links being pivotally attached to said second fixed pin means, the other ends of said pair of guide links being pivotally attached to said first pin means to guide said cross link means and said vertical link in a predetermined direction.

Claim 9

A vacuum type circuit interrupter assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein said vacuum interrupter comprises a bridging member, a first bushing mounted on said vacuum chamber generally perpendicular to said bridging member, a second bushing mounted on said vacuum chamber generally parallel to said first bushing, said stationary contact means being mounted on said first bushing and said second bushing, said movable contact means being mounted on said bridging member, said bridging member being movable to move said movable contacts from said first position in engagement with said stationary contact means to said second position separated from said stationary contact means, mounting means for connecting said operating rod to said bridging member.

Claim 10

A combination as claimed in claim 7 wherein said connecting means comprises an insulating member, said insulating member being mounted between said bridging member and said operating rod to electrically insulate said operating rod and said vacuum chamber from said bridging member.

Claim 11

A vacuum type circuit interrupter assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein, said stationary contact means comprises at least one stationary contact being generally cup-shaped, a first contact surface formed at the inner lip of said stationary cup-shaped contact, said first contact surface sloping generally inward, said movable contact means comprising at least one movable contact, said movable contact being generally cup-shaped, a second contact surface formed at the outer lip of said movable contact, said second contact surface sloping generally outward from said movable cup-shaped contact, said movable contact and said stationary contacts being disposed in said vacuum interrupter so that when said movable contact means engages said stationary contact means, a portion of said second contact surface of said movable contact engages said first contact surface of said stationary contact and a portion of said second contact surface moves inside the confines of said stationary cup-shaped contact.

Claim 12

The combination as claimed in claim 9 including, a first plurality of fins extending from said stationary contact, and a second plurality of fins extending from said movable contact.

Claim 13

The combination as claimed in claim 9 wherein; said stationary contacT has multiple slots formed in the side thereof, the slots in said stationary contact being formed in a generally circumferential and radial direction; said movable contact has multiple slots formed in the side thereof, the slots in said movable contact being formed in a generally radial and circumferential direction; said stationary contact and said movable contact being disposed in said vacuum interrupter with the slots of said stationary contact and the slots of said movable contact pointing in the same direction, so that when said movable contact separates from said stationary contacts and an arc is formed therebetween the arc rotates around the outer circumference of said stationary contact and the inner circumference of said movable contact.

Claim 14

A vacuum type circuit interrupter assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein said stationary contact means comprises a generally first cup-shaped stationary contact, said cup-shaped stationary contact comprises multiple contact fingers, said multiple contact fingers being arranged in a generally annular ring and forming the side of said cup-shaped stationary contact, a first contact surface formed at the free ends of said contact fingers sloping towards the center of said cup-shaped stationary contact, said movable contact means comprises a second generally cup-shaped contact, said cup-shaped contact comprising multiple contact fingers, said contact fingers being arranged in a generally annular ring and forming the side of said cup-shaped movable contact, a second contact surface formed on the free ends of said contact fingers and sloping generally away from the center of said cup-shaped movable contact, said stationary contact and said movable contact disposed in said vacuum interrupter so that when said stationary contact is engaged by said movable contact said first contact surface engages said second contact surface with a portion of said second contact surface passing inside the confines of said stationary contact, the fingers of said stationary contact being deflected outward and the fingers of said movable contact being deflected inward to give multiple contact points under high contact pressure.

Claim 15

The combination as claimed in claim 12 including a disc mounted internal of said movable contact, said disc limiting the amount of possible inward deflection of said contact fingers forming the side of said movable cup-shaped contacts.

Claim 16

A vacuum type circuit interrupter as claimed in claim 12 wherein said stationary contact and said movable contact have an equal number of contact fingers, and said stationary contact and said movable contacts are disposed in said vacuum interrupter so that when said vacuum interrupter is in said first closed position each finger of said movable contact engages a mating finger on said stationary contact.

Claim 17

A circuit breaker spring stored energy operating assembly for a circuit breaker having contacts movable between open and closed positions, comprising: a frame; a closing spring; operating means connected to the circuit breaker, and contacts for moving the contacts; a rotatably mounted crankshaft supported from said frame; means for driving the crankshaft to load said closing spring; closing latch means for releasably retaining said closing spring in the loaded condition; cam means rigidly attached to said rotatably mounted crankshaft; a tripping latch means; a cross link means having two free ends, one end supported by said tripping latch means and having the other end supported by said cam means; a vertical link pinned at one end to said contact operating lever and pinned at its other end to said cross link means intermediate the two free ends; and, said cam means driven by said crankshaft when said closing latch means is released, to release said closing spring, raise said cross link means, said vertical link and said operating means whereby said circuit breaker contacts are moved to their closed position.

Claim 18

A circuit breaker spring stored energy operating assembly for a circuit breaker having contacts movable between open and closed positions, comprising: a frame; a closing spring; operating means connected to the circuit breaker, and contacts for moving the contacts; a rotatably mounted crankshaft supported from said frame; means for driving the crankshaft to load said closing spring; closing latch means for releasably retaining said closing spring in the loaded condition; cam means rigidly attached to said rotatably mounted crankshaft; a tripping latch means; a cross link means having two free ends, one end supported by said tripping latch means and having the other end supported by said cam means; a vertical link pinned at one end to said contact operating lever and pinned at its other end to said cross link means intermediate the two free ends; and, said cam means driven by said crankshaft when said closing latch means is released, to release said closing spring, raise said cross link means, said vertical link and said operating means whereby said circuit breaker contacts are moved to their closed position.