Patent ID: 8183481

Claim:
A mechanical interlock of a disconnect box having a plug receptacle with shaft operated switches comprising: an enclosure defining an interior cavity, said enclosure having a door defined therethrough; a switch assembly disposed in said recess of said enclosure and including: a first switch and a second switch; a first shaft operably coupled with said first switch; a second shaft disposed in parallel relation to said first shaft and operably coupled with said second switch; an interlocking power activation bar operably engaged by one of the first shaft and the second shaft, whereby rotation of one of said shafts to an “on” position displaces said interlocking power activation bar transversely to lock the other of said shafts from rotating to an “on” position, thereby preventing both of said shafts from being rotated to an “on” position concurrently; a plug receptacle disposed through a wall of said enclosure, said plug receptacle having a plug receptacle handle; a first disk and a second disk disposed between said door and said cavity of said enclosure to initially occlude said first and second shafts while no plug has been inserted into said plug receptacle, each of said first disk and said second disk having two through-holes defined therethrough; a first pushrod, said first pushrod having a portion protruding into said plug receptacle and slidingly coupled between said plug receptacle and an off-center portion of said first disk, wherein said first pushrod actuates said first disk rotationally responsive to a plug insertion into said plug receptacle impinging on said protruding portion of said first pushrod; a second pushrod, said second pushrod slidingly coupled between said plug receptacle handle and an off-center portion of said second disk, wherein said second pushrod rotates said second disk responsive to said plug receptacle handle being actuated into a plug locking position, whereby said through-holes of said first disk and said second disk are brought into registration with said two shafts to thereby allow actuation of either of said two shafts; and, a plug receptacle handle locking member including: a third pushrod operably coupled between a cam of said plug receptacle handle and said first shaft, said third pushrod being immobilized to prevent actuation of said plug receptacle handle, said third pushrod engaging said plug receptacle handle responsive to said first shaft being rotated to an “off” position, whereby a plug is mechanically interlocked from removal while said first shaft is in an “off” position.