Abstract: A circuit interrupter including a housing, separable main contacts disposed in the housing, and an operating mechanism disposed in the housing and interconnected with the contacts. A trip mechanism is disposed in the housing and has an automatic trip assembly that selectively generates a tripping operation which opens the contacts upon a predetermined current threshold. The automatic trip assembly includes a substantially planar bimetal, an electrical terminal, and a magnetic yoke. The bimetal has a first cutout region and a second cutout region on opposite sides thereof which form a neck portion and define a head portion. The head portion is connected to an end of the terminal. The magnetic yoke has a substantially planar portion and two arm portions. The bimetal is positioned substantially parallel with the planar portion with the neck portion positioned between the arm portions.

Abstract: A circuit interrupter including a housing, separable main contacts disposed in the housing and rotatable between a contact open position and a contact closed position, and an operating mechanism disposed in the housing and interconnected with the contacts for rotating the contacts alternatively between the contact open position and the contact closed position. The operating mechanism includes a handle moveable by an operator between handle open and handle closed positions normally corresponding to and resulting in the contact open position and the contact closed position, with the handle including a protrusion. The operating mechanism further includes a crossbar assembly for rotating with the contacts as the contacts rotate between the contact open position and the contact closed position.

Abstract: A circuit interrupter including a housing having a cover connected to a base, separable main contacts within the housing, and an operating mechanism within the housing and interconnected with the contacts. A trip mechanism is disposed within the housing and includes a rotatable trip bar assembly that, when selectively rotated, generates a tripping operation. The trip mechanism includes a dual-purpose trip actuator biased upwards and positioned for vertical movement within the housing and having a top portion extending through the cover. The actuator includes a push-to-trip member and an interlock trip member. The trip bar assembly includes a multi-purpose trip member having a push-to-trip actuating region, an interlock trip actuating region, and an accessory trip actuating region. The push-to-trip member contacts the push-to-trip actuating region when the top portion is depressed, causing the trip bar assembly to rotate.

Abstract: A circuit interrupter including a housing, separable main contacts disposed in the housing, and an operating mechanism disposed in the housing and interconnected with the contacts. The housing has a cover securable to a base, with the cover including a downwardly-facing abutment portion. An electrical terminal is releasably disposed within the base and has a tab that abuttingly engages the abutment portion of the cover when the cover is secured to the base. The base also includes channels formed in the sides of the base, and the electrical terminal includes sides that insert into the channels and that include rib portions that frictionally engage the channels upon insertion. The base also includes tapered sides, with the electrical terminal sides being tapered in order to follow or mirror the tapered sides of the base.

Abstract: A circuit interrupter including separable main contacts, an operating mechanism interconnected with the contacts, and a housing in which the contacts and the operating mechanism are disposed. A trip mechanism is disposed in the housing and includes a trip bar assembly that, when selectively rotated in a first direction, generates a tripping operation causing the contacts to open. The trip bar assembly includes a groove in which sits a torsion spring for rotationally biasing the assembly in a second direction that is opposite the first direction.

Abstract: A circuit interrupter including separable main contacts, an operating mechanism interconnected with the contacts, and a housing in which the contacts and the operating mechanism are disposed. The housing includes a base having a bottom including a break-away region into which a tool may be inserted for breaking off the region for providing internal access to the operating mechanism.

Abstract: A circuit interrupter including a housing, separable main contacts disposed in the housing, and an operating mechanism disposed in the housing and interconnected with the contacts. A trip mechanism is disposed in the housing and includes a rotatable trip bar assembly that, when selectively rotated, generates a tripping operation that causes the contacts to open. The trip mechanism further includes an automatic trip assembly for selectively rotating the trip bar assembly upon a predetermined current threshold. The automatic trip assembly includes a magnetic yoke having two arms with a pivot support on the top of each. Each of the pivot supports includes a pivot surface, and one of the pivot supports includes a rear retaining protrusion adjacent its pivot surface. The other of the pivot supports includes a front retaining member adjacent its pivot surface.

Abstract: A circuit interrupter including a housing, separable main contacts within the housing, and an operating mechanism within the housing and interconnected with the contacts. A trip mechanism is disposed within the housing and includes a rotatable trip bar assembly that, when selectively rotated, generates a tripping operation. The trip bar assembly includes an attaching structure which interconnects with an accessory trip member. The accessory trip member causes the trip bar assembly to rotate and generate a tripping operation when the accessory trip member is moved in a first direction. The accessory trip member is configured to enable flexing of the accessory trip member in a second direction opposite of the first direction.

Abstract: A circuit interrupter including a housing, separable main contacts disposed in the housing, and an operating mechanism disposed in the housing and interconnected with the contacts. A trip mechanism is disposed in the housing and has an automatic trip assembly that selectively generates a tripping operation to cause the operating mechanism to open the contacts upon a predetermined current threshold. The automatic trip assembly includes a magnetic yoke, an armature, and an electrical terminal. The magnetic yoke has pivot supports on which are positioned pivot arms of a head portion of the armature. A clamp member applies a clamping force to the head portion of the armature in a direction to normally rotationally displace a bottom portion of the armature away from the yoke and the terminal.

Abstract: A circuit interrupter with an accessory case socket into which an accessory bell alarm member is disposed. A two-piece lever arrangement is provided in the bell alarm accessory case between the micro-switch button thereof and the operating mechanism of the circuit breaker. In the first stage of operation the operating mechanism rotates the entire two-piece member as a unit until the bell alarm button has been completely depressed, after which overtravel of the operating mechanism is accommodated by rotational movement of only one of the members on a common axis against the force of a hub located torsion spring.

Abstract: A circuit interrupter including separable main contacts, an operating mechanism interconnected with the contacts, and a housing in which the contacts and the operating mechanism are disposed. The housing includes a cover positioned atop a base. The cover includes a recessed region in which are formed a first hole and a second hole. The first hole and the second hole extend through the cover and into the base, and the second hole extends through the base. A retainment device is positioned within the recessed region, and includes a first opening positioned above the first hole and a second opening positioned above the second hole. The second opening has an opening diameter. A first screw is inserted into the first opening and the first hole. A second screw is for inserting into the second opening and the second hole. The second screw includes a threaded portion having a first diameter and a non-threaded portion having a second diameter.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring and recording the number of miles that a vehicle has traveled within each of a set of geographic entities. A vehicle position determination system is installed on-board the vehicle for generating a present vehicle location point. A memory is provided for storing for each of the entities a set of ordered coordinate data points representing the boundary of the entity. A processor is coupled with the position determination system and the memory for comparing the present vehicle location point to the boundary coordinate data points of an entity, including generating a ray emanating from the location point and determining if said ray crosses the boundary of the entity an even or odd number of times.

Abstract: A circuit interrupter including separable main contacts, an operating mechanism interconnected with the contacts, and a housing in which the contacts and the operating mechanism are disposed. The housing includes a base and a cover. Also provided is an attaching device that secures the cover to the base. The attaching device includes a main member having a head connected to a body, with the body separated into a non-gripping portion adjacent the head and a gripping portion away from the head. The gripping portion attaches to the base, and the non-gripping portion extends through the cover with the head providing a stop for limiting the separation between the base and the cover. The attaching device further includes a compressible member that is positioned between the head and the cover.

Abstract: A circuit interrupter including a housing, separable main contacts disposed in the housing, and an operating mechanism disposed in the housing and interconnected with the contacts. The operating mechanism includes a cradle for rotating from a first position to a second position in the event of a tripping operation. The cradle has an aperture with a smaller cutout portion and a larger cutout portion. The operating mechanism further includes a pivot pin disposed within the housing. The pivot pin is insertable through the larger cutout portion and is seated in the smaller cutout portion.

Abstract: A control (60) for an EGR valve (24) including an actuator (16) for moving the EGR valve (24) between a closed position and an open position, and a position sensor (48) for detecting the position of the EGR valve (24) and generating a position output signal. A processing circuit (70,72) receives the position output signal and transmits electrical control signals to energize the actuator (16) and move the EGR valve (24). Control logic is implemented whereby, when the EGR valve (24) is moving towards the closed position, the processing circuit (70,72) transmits first electrical control signals for energizing the actuator (16) in a first predetermined manner when the position output signal indicates that the EGR valve (24) is at least a predetermined distance away from the closed position.

Abstract: A system (10) and method for detecting a speed sensor failure in a vehicle equipped with a geographic position determining system such as a GPS system (14). An on-board processor (12) compares vehicle travel distance calculations made using speed sensor (20) information to distance calculations performed using positional information. Discrepancies therebetween are used to indicate errors in the information provided by the speed sensor, or conversely, by the positioning system.

Abstract: A repeater for a communication network having an isolation circuit for disabling the transmission of a fault-indicative signal through the repeater onto the network. A retriggerable one-shot starts timing with high to low signal transition. In the absence of a second transition within a defined time period, the one-shot triggers a flip-flop which, depending on the logic level of the input signal, generates an enabling signal passed to a logic gate to selectively allow and cut off the transmission of the signal to the repeater circuit input.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring and recording the number of miles that a vehicle has traveled within each of a set of geographic entities. Current vehicle location data points are compared to entity boundary line approximations to determine which of a set of entities the location point falls within. Once an entity has been confirmed for a given location point obtained, the incremental mileage traveled by the vehicle since the previous location point was obtained is added to an accumulated mileage value for that entity.

Abstract: An angle sensor for detecting the angular position of a rotating body. The angle sensor includes a plurality of digital patterns positioned on a surface that rotates with a rotating body. A source of light illuminates the patterns, and a multi-pixel optical device receives light from the patterns and converts the light into electrical signals. A processing circuit receives the electrical signals and identifies the illuminated patterns.