Patents by Inventor Eldon B. Heft

Eldon B. Heft has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Molding composition for arc circuit breakers
    Patent number: 4511773
    Abstract: A ceramic useful as an electrically insulating material is produced by calcinating wollastonite powder, admixing the calcined powder with phosphoric acid of certain P.sub.2 O.sub.5 concentration range, die-pressing the resulting mixture, and firing the resulting pressed piece. The ceramic is employed within arc circuit breakers as a substitute for asbestos liners, dividers and arc splitters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 16, 1985
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Eldon B. Heft, Irvin C. Huseby, Jan W. Szymaszek
  • Insulated latch-cradle mechanism
    Patent number: 4481491
    Abstract: An electric circuit breaker includes an insulated latch and cradle mechanism to prevent deleterious arc formation between their points of separation when the circuit breaker contacts are opened under short circuit conditions. One embodiment employs an insulated latch mounted on the breaker armature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 1983
    Date of Patent: November 6, 1984
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Eldon B. Heft, Keith W. Klein
  • Thermal shield for circuit breaker operating spring
    Patent number: 4431877
    Abstract: A thermal shield is employed with a circuit breaker operating spring to protect the spring from thermal degradation during contact arcing. One embodiment includes an ablative plastic coating on the outer surface of the shield to promote arc quenching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1982
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1984
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Eldon B. Heft, Joseph B. Kelaita, Jr.
  • Molding composition and product produced therefrom
    Patent number: 4413062
    Abstract: A ceramic useful as an electrically insulating material is produced by calcining wollastonite powder, admixing the calcined powder with phosphoric acid of certain P.sub.2 O.sub.5 concentration range, die-pressing the resulting mixture, and firing the resulting pressed piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1982
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1983
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Irvin C. Huseby, Jan W. Szymaszek, Eldon B. Heft
  • Contact pop responsive latch release for circuit breakers
    Patent number: 4346358
    Abstract: A rearward extension of a circuit breaker pivotally mounted movable contact arm is positioned, with the arm in its closed position, to engage a trip bar and trip the breaker in response to popping movement of the arm away from its closed position as induced by the flow of high level fault current. The trip bar is configured such that the circuit breaker is not tripped incident to manual operation of the movable arm between its open and closed positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1982
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Eldon B. Heft
  • Individual circuit breaker pole trip mechanism
    Patent number: 4281303
    Abstract: The common trip mechanism of a multi-pole circuit breaker is supplemented by individual breaker pole trip mechanisms operating independently of each other in response to fault current flowing in its breaker pole to unlatch the movable contact arm operating therein for uninhibited, independent opening movement from its closed circuit position to a tripped open position motivated by the electrodynamic forces associated with its breaker pole fault current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1980
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1981
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Eldon B. Heft