Improvements in Electric Switches and Cut Outs.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Jan., 1898-Accepted, 3rd Dec., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Switches and Cut Outs.
I, HENRY BENJAMIN CUTTER, of 3126, Palmer Street, in the City of Phila-
delphia. and State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Electrical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
My invention relates to rheostats in combination with automatic circuit
breakers and among the objects of my improvements, are, to afford in combina-
tion with the usual means of closing circuits through gradually decreasing
resistance, commonly known as rheostats, means of automatically open-
ing or breaking the circuit upon the Occurrence of a predeter-
mined above-normal or below-normal flow of current and means of
automatically preventing the closing of the circuit breaker until
the pivoted arm of the rheostat is brought to such a position that upon the
closing of the circuit breaker no current will flow through the device or else it
will flow through sufficient resistance to protect the motor or other apparatus for
which the current is intended.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of my device showing
coils of automatic circuit-breaker and paths of current in diagram; Figure 2
is a front elevation of the automatic circuit-breaker in part section showing means
of adjustment of core of underload coil; Figure 3 is a side elevation in part
section of the overload coil and locking means; Figure 4 is a perspective view
in detail of the locking-lever. Figure 5 is a view in section of the spring actuated
piston rod and lever adapted to lock the same.
In Fig. 1, A is the base plate or frame preferably of slate or other insulating
substance, 2 and 3 may be the generator terminal binding posts, 4 and 5 the
motor binding posts or vice versa. The terminal binding post 2 is connected.
through one side of the double pole switch and the solenoid coil 34 of the cir-
cuit breaker, which are arranged in series, to the terminal binding post 4. The
terminal binding post 3 is connected through the other side of the double pole
switch to the hub of the resistance controlling switch 6, upon which it turns;
the said hub is also connected with contact jaw 16. The terminal binding post 5
is connected with contact jaw 12 which is one terminal of the resistance 11, the
other terminal of the resistance being at contact piece 10, which, together with
the intermediate resistance contacts, are adapted to contact with the upper end
of the pivoted contact or switch arm 6 of the rheostat so that when said arm 6.
moves from the position shown in Fig. 1 as soon as it contacts with contact
piece 10 the current passes from the terminal binding post 3 through one side
of the double pole switch to the hub of the arm 6, the arm and all of the resis-
tance to the terminal binding post 5. As the arm approaches its contact jaws 12
and 16 the resistance decreases as each successive resistance contact is passed
until the arm reaches the contact jaws 12 and 16 when all resistance is cut out
TD 077

page_text: of the circuit breaker upon said contact arm 6 reaching an assigned range of
positions. The said projection or pin 23 is so covered and encased that it can
only be reached by said arm G or a projection thereof. The position to which the arm 6
must be brought to actuate the lever 18 to permit the closing of the circuit
breaker is such that either no current will flow through the device or else that
the current will flow through sufficient resistance to protect the motor or other
apparatus for which the current is intended.
The contacts 12 and 16 are spring-jaws adapted to hold the contact-arm
against the force exerted by spring 37. The contact arm 6 is adapted to be
forced into and out of engagement with said contact jaws 12 and 16 only upon
the application of mutual force. The spring 37 tends to force the arm 6 when
out of engagement with contacts 12 and 16 to the position shown in Figure 1
and prevents it from resting on any intermediate resistance contact by cause
of the inadvertence or carelessness of the operator.
It is obvious that the automatic means of thus locking open the circuit-breaker,
adapted to be actuated to release same when the rheostat is in certain positions,
may be varied in form and construction without departing from the spirit of
my invention. I do not, therefore, wish to be confined to the exact form of
device above described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The combination of an electro magnetic circuit breaker, a resistance con-
trolling switch, and means for preventing the closure of the circuit breaker when
the resistance controlling switch is in certain positions.
2. The combination of a rheostat, an automatic magnetic circuit breaker, ad-
justable with respect to the above or below normal flow of current necessary for
its actuation, and means for preventing the closing of the circuit-breaker when
the rheostat arm is in certain positions, substantially as described.
3. The combination of a rheostat, an automatic magnetic circuit-breaker and
means independent of the rheostat arm for preventing the closing of the circuit
breaker when the rheostat arm is in certain positions said means adapted to be
actuated to permit said closure when the rheostat arm is in certain other posi-
tions, substantially as described.
4. In combination with a rheostat means for automatically breaking the cir-
cuit independently of the movement of the movable contact arm of the rheostat,
upon the occurrence of a predetermined above normal flow of current and
automatic means independent of said movable contact arm for preventing the
closure of the circuit-breaker until actuated by the said movable contact arm
to permit the same, substantially as described.
5. In combination with a rheostat means for automatically breaking the cir-
cuit independently of the movement of the movable contact arm of the rheostat,
upon the occurrence of a predetermined below normal flow of current and
automatic means independent of said movable contact arm for preventing the
closure of the circuit breaker until actuated by the said movable contact arm
to permit the same, substantially as described.
6. In combination with a rheostat means for automatically breaking the cir-
cuit independently of the movement of the movable contact arm of the rheostat,
upon the occurrence of a predetermined above normal or below normal flow
of current and automatic means independent of said movable contact arm for
preventing the closure of the circuit breaker until actuated by the said movable
contact arm to permit the same, substantially as described.
7. The combination of a rheostat, an automatic magnetic circuit-breaker, the
spring actuated piston rod and automatic means for locking said piston rod
when the circuit-breaker is open and the rheostat arm is in certain positions,