Patent CA-1085439-A (CA)
Inventor: FRINK RUSSELL E
IPC: H01H3/02
Filed: 1979-10-10
Granted: 1980-09-09
Abstract: ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE      An improved operating mechanism of the energy-storage type is provided for circuit-interrupting struc-tures, including an energy-storing means having the energy content therein increased by the movement of a movable member, during the closing operation and a collapsible toggle-linkage is provided between the energy-storing means and the separable arcing contact structure of the circuit-interrupter structure.  Improved means are pro-vided for tripping operation, and thereby effecting the collapse of said toggle-linkage to effect the opening of said separable contact structure, and a second releasing means is preferably provided for discharging the stored-energy of the energy-storing means to effect thereby the straightening of said toggle-linkage and the consequent closing of the separable contacts within the circuit-interrupter during the closing operation.      The energy-storing means, preferably, is provided by suitable spring-means, such as, for example, compression-spring means, which has the energy content therein increased during the closing operation of the circuit interrupter by suitable crank-means, for example, which increases the energy content of the energy-storage means until a certain point in closing travel is reached, at which point releas-ing means effects an extension of said spring means to thereby effect straightening of the toggle-linkage associa-ted with the contacts of the circuit-interrupter and con-sequent closing of the separable contacts thereof.           In more detail, the improved operating mechanism is, for some applications, adaptable for a medium-fault-break switch structure, including a latched collapsible toggle-linkage, which is movable laterally, for example, to close the separable arcing contacts within a circuit-interrupting unit.  Preferably, an energy-storage means is provided, such as, for example, a suitable compression-spring means, to effect such lateral movement, for example, of the aforesaid latched collapsible toggle-linkage to thereby effect the contact closure of the separable inter-rupter arcing contacts.           If desired, the energy-storage means may be actuated by the rotative movement of a power-device, for example, employed to effect operation of the switch struc-ture.  Such a power device may, for example, include a driving-shaft-structure having a crank-arm associated therewith to effect the increase of the energy content in the compression-spring storage means to a certain point in the closing operation at which point the energy within such energy-storage means is suddenly released to thereby effect straightening of the toggle link structure, con-nected to the separable arcing contact structure within the interrupting unit to effect the rapid closure thereof.         Improved means for effecting a tripping opening operation of the operating mechanism may be provided in-cluding a latching means, which will be released by any slight opening rotative movement of the operating mechanism for the switch.  In addition, unique adjusting means are pro-vided with power for both the opening and closing operations of the switch  being derived from the closing operation only.          Preferably, an opening accelerating spring means may be provided to bias the separable arcing interrupter contacts to the open-circuit position, such opening spring means being weaker in characteristics than the spring means associated with the energy-storing means.