Patents Assigned to E. O. Schweitzer Manufacturing Co.
  • Patent number: 6963197
    Abstract: A fault indicator for indicating the occurrence of a fault in an electrical conductor is reset at a predetermined time after the fault is detected, such as about 4 hours. The fault indicator has a housing, a high capacity battery, a fault sensor, a display for indicating a fault condition, and a programmable controller with a sleep state that draws low quiescent current. As a result the battery is expected to last the lifetime of the fault indicator. The fault indicator may optionally include current inrush restraint and/or voltage inrush restraint to inhibit the controller from activating the display to the fault indicating condition during the inrush conditions. The electromagnetic field about the conductor causes an electrostatic sensor to develop a differential voltage signal between two electrodes of different areas for the voltage inrush restraint circuit. Auxiliary contacts are provided to remotely monitor the fault indicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2005
    Assignee: E.O. Schweitzer Manufacturing Co., LLC.
    Inventors: Laurence Virgil Feight, James Manley Duros, Kurt James Fenske
  • Patent number: 6949921
    Abstract: A fault indicator for indicating the occurrence of a fault in an electrical conductor has a plurality of trip settings, such as in the range of 50 A to 1200 A, that is automatically calibrated. The fault indicator includes a housing, a battery, an illuminated display, such as LEDs, a current sensor for sensing the load current in the conductor and a microcontroller that receives a current signal from the current sensor to determine the load current. In the calibration mode, a known load current is passed through the conductor, the microcontroller selects the trip level that is related to the load current, determines the load current from the current signal, and sequentially calibrates each of the plurality of trip levels for the respective known load currents. The calibration information is stored in memory. The illuminated display provides a distinctive pattern to indicate that each trip setting has been calibrated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: E.O. Schweitzer Manufacturing Co., LLC
    Inventors: Laurence V. Feight, Kurt J. Fenske
  • Patent number: 6734662
    Abstract: A fault indicator for indicating the occurrence of a fault in an electrical conductor has a housing, a high capacity battery, at least one light emitting diode (LED) visible from the exterior of the fault indicator upon the occurrence of a fault, and electronic circuitry for sensing a fault, for actuating the LEDs to indicate a fault and to provide a timed reset of the LEDs to a non-fault indicating condition a predetermined time after the fault has occurred. The electronic circuitry, including a microprocessor that is normally in a sleep mode, conserves energy by drawing insubstantial current from a high capacity battery during non-fault conditions. During fault conditions, a light sensor senses the ambient lighting conditions and the microprocessor reduces current supplied to the LEDs under reduced lighting levels, such as night, further conserving battery life. The LEDs may also be operated at an intermediate illumination level, such as at dusk or dawn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: E.O. Schweitzer Manufacturing Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Kurt James Fenske
  • Patent number: 6479981
    Abstract: A fault indicator contained within a protective equipment closure of the type used to house pad-mounted components of a power distribution system detects the occurrence of a fault current in a monitored conductor and provides a light indication thereof. The fault indicator includes a circuit monitoring module, having an integral fault indicator flag module, and a remote fault indicator light module. A status-indicating flag is rotatably mounted in the integral fault indicator flag module. The flag is positioned in either a reset indicating position or a fault indicating position by a magnetic pole piece, which is magnetized in one magnetic direction or the other by momentary application of a current in one direction or the other to an actuator winding on the pole piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: E.O. Schweitzer Manufacturing Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Edmund O. Schweitzer, Jr., Laurence V. Feight
  • Patent number: 6133724
    Abstract: A fault indicator contained within a protective equipment closure of the type used to house pad-mounted components of a power distribution system detects the occurrence of a fault current in a monitored conductor and provides a light indication thereof. The fault indicator includes a circuit monitoring module, having an integral fault indicator flag module, and a remote fault indicator light module. A status-indicating flag is rotatably mounted in the integral fault indicator flag module. The flag is positioned in either a reset indicating position or a fault indicating position by a magnetic pole piece, which is magnetized in one magnetic direction or the other by momentary application of a current in one direction or the other to an actuator winding on the pole piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Assignee: E. O. Schweitzer Manufacturing Co.
    Inventors: Edmund O. Schweitzer, Jr., Laurence V. Feight
  • Patent number: 6133723
    Abstract: A fault indicator contained within a protective equipment closure of the type used to house pad-mounted components of a power distribution system detects the occurrence of a fault current in a monitored conductor and provides a light indication thereof. The fault indicator includes a circuit monitoring module, having an integral fault indicator flag module, and a remote fault indicator light module. A status-indicating flag is rotatably mounted in the integral fault indicator flag module. The flag is positioned in either a reset indicating position or a fault indicating position by a magnetic pole piece, which is magnetized in one magnetic direction or the other by momentary application of a current in one direction or the other to an actuator winding on the pole piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Assignee: E. O. Schweitzer Manufacturing Co.
    Inventor: Laurence V. Feight
  • Patent number: 6043433
    Abstract: A clamping mechanism for mounting a circuit conditioning monitoring device to electrical cables of various diameters includes a fixed sleeve and a movable sleeve positioned within the fixed sleeve. Both sleeves include gaps whereby an electrical cable may be pasted therethrough. The inner movable sleeve further includes a clamping means, preferably a tightening screw, whereby after a cable is passed through the gaps, the inner sleeve rotates within the outer sleeve to close the gap and further clamps onto the cable for secure mounting of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: E.O. Schweitzer Manufacturing Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Edmund O. Schweitzer, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6016105
    Abstract: A fault indicator for detecting the occurrence of a fault current in a monitored conductor and providing a contact closure and a light indication indicative thereof includes a rotatably mounted indicator flag. The flag is positioned in either a reset indicating or a fault indicating state by a four-pole magnetic pole piece, which is magnetized to an appropriate magnetic orientation by momentary application of a current to an actuator winding on the pole piece. A first magnetically actuated reed switch in an auxiliary magnetic circuit associated with a first pole of the magnetic pole piece and including the actuator winding and a first bias magnet closes upon occurrence of the fault current to connect an internal lithium battery to an LED visible from the exterior of the fault indicator housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2000
    Assignee: E.O. Schweitzer Manufacturing Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Edmund O. Schweitzer, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4904932
    Abstract: A circuit condition monitoring system for an electrical power distribution system includes a system connector component having an integrally molded test point socket within which a circuit module is received to provide fault current or voltage loss monitoring of a system conductor within the connector. The test point socket provides capacitive coupling to the monitored conductor without the use of a metallic test point, and a ground return to the electrically conductive outer sheath of the connector. An electrically conductive end cap may be provided to cover the projecting end of the module when the module is installed in the socket. Adapters installed on the other end of the module enable the module to be installed on prior metallic contact-type test points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1990
    Assignee: E. O. Schweitzer Manufacturing Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Edmund O. Schweitzer, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4152643
    Abstract: A test point cap provides a visual indication of the voltage level of an alternating current in the conductor of a connector on which the cap is installed. The test point cap includes a bridge-type rectifier circuit which is capacitively coupled to the conductor through a test point terminal on the connector. The rectifier circuit charges a capacitor across which a neon lamp visible through a window in the end of the cap is connected, the rate at which the neon lamp flashes providing an indication of the voltage level on the conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1978
    Date of Patent: May 1, 1979
    Assignee: E. O. Schweitzer Manufacturing Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Edmund O. Schweitzer, Jr.