Patent ID: RE40161

Claim:
An inverter bypass safety switch for rerouting electrical power either through or around an inverter drive during electrical disturbances and suitable to directly handle high power motor loads, said switch comprising one or more sections joined together by throughbolts to form a substantially cylindrical contact block having a central axis, a rotatable shaft disposed along the central axis, electrically conductive exterior interconnections for connecting selected stationary contacts, externally mounted electrical contacts for receiving electrical wires, and a handle mounted on one end of the shaft that can be turned by an operator, each section comprising: a cam mounted on the shaft; at least one pair of stationary contacts contact connected to the contact block; and at least one radially sliding moveable contact operably connected to the cam by a spring-loaded follower that biases the moveable contact into engagement with the pair of stationary contacts contact when a low profile section of the cam faces the follower; wherein manual rotation of the shaft causes the cam to rotate and act upon the moveable contact to cause the moveable contact to move either into or out of engagement with the stationary contacts contact , thus causing electrical power to be directed either through or around the inverter drive.