Improvements in Automatic Circuit-breakers.
Year: 1893

page_text: te of Application, 24th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 17th June, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Circuit-breakers.
I, DELOS IRISH, of Salt Lake City, in the County of Salt Lake, and Territory
of Utah, United States of America, Gentlemau, 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 :-
This invention relates to automatic circuit-breakers, and it has for its object to
provide an improved automatically operating circuit-breaker which also acts in the
capacity of an ordinary circuit-closer, but the same is especially adapted to be
used as a safety device for electric motors connected with a main working circuit,
which, in the event of the current being cut off at the central station and suddenly
switched in again, prevents the current thus suddenly switched in from injuring the
motor by burning the fields, armatures, or other part of the motor, and to this end
to provide a device capable of use in all analogous connections, and which acts in
the capacity of a circuit-closer which provides means whereby the circuit can only
be closed by the attendant after the current is once cut off.
With these and many other objects in view which will readily appear as the
nature of the invention is better understood the same consists in the novel
construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described,
illustrated and claimed.
In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a circuit-breaker
constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of
the same on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar view on the line 3-3 of
Fig. 1 Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail end view of the contacts separated.
Referring to the accompanying drawings.
A represents the base-board adapted to be secured in a suitable position for
supporting the various parts of the circuit-closer or breaker. An electro-magnet B
is adjustably supported off from the base board A by the bracket arm C having an
adjustable slot c, working over the securing bolt c¹ securing the magnet to the
board A. The current from the main working circuit is led through the binding
post D to the magnet wire E, connected with said post and leading to the helix of
the magnet, the other wire F of which leads to the slotted off-standing bracket
arm G adjustably secured to the board A and carrying at its outer end the
concaved carbon contact block H, held stationary off from said board by means of
the arm G.
Working directly opposite and adapted to register with the concaved carbon
contact block H is the opposite movable convexed carbon contact I. The said
convexed contact block I is clamped to the spring arm J, of the coiled spring K
which tends to normally hold the carbon I below and out of contact with the
carbon H. The spring K is secured to the outer end of the spring post L secured
to the base board A, which is of suitable non-conducting material, and further
carries upon its outer end the connecting socket M which receives one end of the
conducting wire N, and thereby leads the current from the spring to such wire,
which latter is connected to the motor binding post O to which is connected the
wire leading to the motor or other electrical device in connection with which the
circuit-breaker is adapted to be used.
As stated, the tension of the coiled spring K holds the spring arm J thereof
normally in a position to hold the carbon I below and out of contact with the
carbon H, when the circuit is broken, but when the circuit is closed and the current
cut onto the instrument, the carbon I is held into registering contact with the
stationary_carbon H by means of the weighted drop armature P.
The drop
armature P is clamped at one end in the socket which latter is pivotally

page_text: connected to the base board A. at a point below the exposed core of the magnet B
so that when the current is passing through the wire E, the magnet will hold the
weighted drop armature P up to the same in such a position as to hold the carbons
in close contact with each other. The drop armature is adapted to bear under the
outer insulated end R of the spring arm J when the magnet holds the former in its
attracted position at approximately right angles to the board A. Immediately upon
the current being cut off from the wire leading to the herein described circuit-
breaker the magnet becomes upon that instant demagnetized and therefore allows the
weighted drop armature to fall back against the board A, and the cushion S which
breaks the fall of the same. The spring arm J is thereby released and springs down
against the stop pin T projecting from the board A, and thus allows the registering
carbons to be immediately thrown out of contact with each other. It will be
apparent that even if the current from the central station should be suddenly
switched on, the same cannot pass through the circuit-breaker to the machine or
instrument in connection with which the same is employed, and on the contrary the
circuit cannot be again completed or closed until the heavy drop armature is moved
up to the magnet by the operator.
The many advantages of the herein described circuit-breaker will readily suggest
themselves to those skilled in the art.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. In a circuit-breaker, the combination of an electro-magnet arranged in the
working circuit, a weighted drop armature arranged at one end of the magnet,
a stationary contact arranged in the magnet circuit, and a movable spring supported
contact adapted to be held normally out of contact with the stationary contact and
controlled by said drop armature substantially as set forth.
2. In a circuit-breaker, an electro-magnet, a weighted drop armature arranged
at one end of the magnet, a stationary contact block, and a movable spring
supported contact block adapted to be held in engagement with the stationary
block by said drop armature, substantially as set forth.
to
3. In a circuit-breaker, the combination of the base board, the electro-magnet
adjustably secured to said base board and arranged in the working circuit, a
weighted drop armature pivoted at one end to said base board adjacent to
one end of the magnet, a stationary bracket arm adjustably secured
the base board adjacent to the magnet, the stationary concaved contact carbon
secured to the outer end of the bracket arm, a spring post secured to the base board,
a coiled spring secured to the outer end of said post and provided with a spring arm
terminating in an insulated end adapted to be engaged by said drop armature,
a concaved contact carbon secured to said spring arm, a stop pin arranged adjacent
to the spring arm to limit the same, and wires leading from the magnet to the
stationary bracket arm aud from the coiled spring to the line of use, substantially
as set forth.
Dated this 24th day of Anril 1802
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.