Patents Examined by H. Broome
  • Patent number: 4954802
    Abstract: A temperature switch assembly which includes a bimetal element inserted into a holder body and secured in place by a mating shell is presented. The holder body is constructed so that it may be screwed into existing bore holes of the vessel or engine. The bimetal element is formed with tangs on its base so that expansion and contraction effects due to temperature changes are compensated thus ensuring calibration of temperature switch over prolonged usage. The mating shell includes a switch contact. When the bimetal element reaches a predetermined temperature, the bimetal element makes contact with the switch contact and completes the circuit. The circuit is connected to a warning device which is actuated when the circuit is completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 4, 1990
    Assignee: Stewart Warner Instrument Corporation
    Inventors: Henry Wasserstrom, Viorel Drambarean
  • Patent number: 4952900
    Abstract: A high voltage circuit interrupter, having telescopic tubular insulating and conducting casings, contains an expulsion end sealing construction which hermetically seals and controls the expulsion rate of the interrupter. The expulsion end includes a sleeve, a thin, rupturable diaphragm affixed against the sleeve by cyanoacrylate cement, and an end cap. Epoxy cement is applied into the cap so that the space between the diaphragm and the end cap are filled forming a sealant layer therebetween. A main ferrule secures the strain element, and an auxiliary ferrule secures both the main ferrule and the end cap onto the end of the tubular insulating casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 28, 1990
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Frank L. Cameron, George A. Smith
  • Patent number: 4952901
    Abstract: A disc assembly for a bimetallic disc-actuated thermostatic switch is adapted to minimize response time. The switch includes a disc assembly comprising a disc retainer, and a bimetallic disc and a cap on the disc retainer. The disc retainer includes a central hub portion, a plurality of fingers which radiate outwardly from the hub portion, a plurality of disc retainer projections on the fingers adjacent the terminal ends thereof and a plurality of disc support shoulders on the fingers adjacent the disc retainer projections thereon. The fingers have open notches therebetween for reducing the cross sectional area of the material available in the disc retainer for conducting heat from the bimetallic disc to the body portion of a thermostatic switch on which the disc assembly is installed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 28, 1990
    Assignee: Elmwood Sensors, Inc.
    Inventors: John J. Chrupcala, Anthony F. Urban
  • Patent number: 4951025
    Abstract: An electrical outlet receptacle is shown having a thermally responsive switch disposed within the receptacle thermally coupled to components of the receptacle and adapted to interrupt power thereto upon the occurrence of overload or overtemperature conditions in the environs of the receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1990
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Francis Finnegan, Anthony Azzara
  • Patent number: 4951026
    Abstract: A high speed fuse 8 having terminals 14 staked to non-electrically conductive end bells 12 with fusible element 30 connected to ridges 44 on terminal 14 by projection welding, and round balls 18 plugging sand holes 20.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1990
    Assignee: Cooper Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Arlie H. Ehlmann
  • Patent number: 4949062
    Abstract: A high speed fuse 8 having elements 14 staked to non-electrically conductive end balls 12 with fusible element 30 connected to ridges 44 on terminal 14 by projection welding, and round balls 18 plugging sand holes 20.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 14, 1990
    Assignee: Cooper Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald E. Mollet
  • Patent number: 4949061
    Abstract: An electromechanical relay for the activation of at least one operating circuit, has an activator (10, 110) for example in the form of a helix made of a material having form-restoring or shape memory properties. A reset element (17, 117) holds the actuator in a distorted position opposite to that of its original position as long as an electrical heating current does not flow through the actuator. When the heating current, also referred to as switching current, is passing through the actuator, the latter returns to its original position or shape against the force of the reset spring thereby activating, through an operating member, a number of contact pairs of an operating circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 14, 1990
    Assignee: Messerschmitt-Boelkow-Blohm GmbH
    Inventor: Safa Kirma
  • Patent number: 4949058
    Abstract: An electromagnetic relay comprises an elongated coil bobbin having an axially extending bore and carrying therearound an excitation coil, a generally U-shaped yoke with first and second yoke members, and a generally U-shaped armature with short and long legs connected by a web. The yoke and the armature are magnetically coupled together partly within the axial bore of the coil bobbin to form a magnetic circuit with the excitation coil such that the armature is movable between a set position of closing a relay contact and a reset position of opening the relay contact. The first yoke member extends into the axial bore to define at its free end a first pole end while the second yoke member extending outwardly of the excitation coil to define a second pole end. The short armature leg extends into the bore in an overlying relation with the first pole end, while the long armature leg extends outwardly of the coil in adjacent relation to the second pole end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 14, 1990
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toyotaka Nishikawa, Kazuhiko Inoue
  • Patent number: 4949060
    Abstract: The invention provides an isolating fusible link, in series with a transformer primary circuit breaker device, for producing an isolating gap after an occurrence of a primary fault condition. More particularly, the invention provides an apparatus comprising a power transformer primary circuit breaker device adapted to be electrically connected in a circuit and including a first contact, and a second contact movable out of engagement with the first contact to open the circuit and movable into engagement with the first contact to close the circuit; and a fuse device including a fusible link connected in electrical series with the breaker device, and adapted to fuse upon an overcurrent condition in the circuit, and structure for moving and maintaining the second current out of engagement with the first contact in response to fusing of the fusible link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 14, 1990
    Assignee: Cooper Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Harvey W. Mikulecky
  • Patent number: 4949063
    Abstract: A high speed fuse 8 having terminals 14 staked to non-electrically conductive end bells 12 with fusible element 30 connected to ridges 44 on terminal 14 by projection welding, and round balls 18 plugging sand holes 20.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 14, 1990
    Assignee: Cooper Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Fred Levko
  • Patent number: 4947147
    Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, it comprises a fireproof enclosure having a first and a second electrical terminal. The first electrical terminal is coupled to an electrical contact internal the fireproof enclosure. An actuating member is provided in the trip mechanism. A first end is inside the mechanism, while a second end extends outside. The actuator member is biased to have the first end in contact to the electrical contact at a first position. The first end has a bimetallic latch coupled thereto. The bimetallic latch comprises a contact portion at the point of coupling to the first end and a first and second wing portion extending from the contact portion. Ledges are disposed on the interior of the trip mechanism. The wing portions engage the ledges to hold the actuator member at a second position. The second position establishes a gap between the electrical contact and the contact portion of the bimetallic latch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 7, 1990
    Inventor: Robert W. Minogue
  • Patent number: 4947148
    Abstract: A horizontally mounted electrical cut-out device is provided. The device includes an insulator electrically isolating a pair of terminals and a fuse assembly comprising a fuse carrier housing a fuse element removably connected between the terminals. The fuse assembly is pivotally connected at one end to one of the terminals to allow the other end of the fuse assembly to engage the other terminal when the fuse assembly is pivoted. The pivotal connection is such so as to permit the fuse assembly to drop automatically to an open position following an interruption resulting from an overload or fault thereby establishing an open circuit condition. This increases safety and provides a visible indication of the open circuit condition. A latch is provided on the other terminal to engage releasably the other end of the fuse assembly to maintain the electrical connection between the two terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 7, 1990
    Inventor: Francis D. MacDonald
  • Patent number: 4947149
    Abstract: An electrical fuse including a fuse casing having a tubular wall including multiple-filament reinforcing yarns that have been braided in the tubular shape of the wall and a synthetic resin bonding the yarns together and impregnating the yarns, a pair of terminals secured to the ends of the fuse casing, and a fusible element inside the casing and connected to the terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 7, 1990
    Assignee: Gould, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert M. Pimpis, Richard T. Oakes, Michael D. Ellery, Edward J. Knapp, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4944084
    Abstract: A fuse comprising a fuse element made by fixing a low-melting-point metal chip to a high-melting-point metal conductor, in which oxidatoin of the portions of the metal chip that are in contact with the metal conductor is prevented by [either partially fusing or soldered the metal chip to the metal conductor, or by] forming a layer of oxidation resistant material over the metal chip and then partially fusing the metal chip to the metal conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 31, 1990
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Kinya Horibe, Hirohiko Fujimaki
  • Patent number: 4945333
    Abstract: A fuse assembly for an electrical cutout is provided with capability for rapid arc extinction by a capsule of pressurized insulating gas being located within a fuse tube above the fusible element so that when the fusible element melts and an arc is produced, gas is released from the gas cylinder that quenches and cools the arc and also assists a spring loaded flipper mechanism in expelling a lower conductor from the fuse tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 31, 1990
    Assignee: Asea Brown Boveri Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas J. Stroud, Andrew S. Sweetana, Jr., Frederick J. Brown, Thomas P. Basa
  • Patent number: 4942381
    Abstract: Driving element (1) comprising a thin part (2) provided with a zone, ductile in the direction of its thickness in such a way as to occupy at least two positions, in at least one of which said zone is arc-shaped, at least one tab (3, 4) fixed at one end to a face of said ductile zone and extending towards the central part of the zone in such a way that, when the zone is molded, the free end (8, 9) of said tab moves away from or towards the face (5) of said thin part, the resulting amplitude of the movement of the free end of the tab being greater than the amplitude of ductility of the thin piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 17, 1990
    Assignee: Delta Concept S.A.
    Inventor: Jean C. Cambien
  • Patent number: 4940958
    Abstract: The polarized electromagnetic apparatus consists of a stationary core assembly and a movable core assembly. The movable core assembly is made up of a movable core spindle and one movable core plate attached to one end surface thereof. Since the movable core assembly has only one movable core plate as opposed to two movable core plates in the conventional apparatus, the complete movable core assembly can be installed into the electromagnetic coil, facilitating the assembly work. A pole piece is mounted to the inner surface of the stationary cores on the side of the other end surface of the movable core spindle. The second end surface of the movable core spindle is inserted into the pole piece, so that an additional attractive force can be obtained. This construction makes the overall attractive force greater than can be obtained with the conventional apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 10, 1990
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shigeharu Ootsuka
  • Patent number: 4939495
    Abstract: A circuit breaker is shown having movable contacts carried by an operating member which moves between a circuit breaker contacts closed position and a circuit breaker contacts open position. An auxiliary switch has electrically conductive, flexible contact members adapted to engage an electrically conductive bridging shaft element carried by the operating member when the operating member is in one of its two positions to provide means for indicating the status of the circuit breaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 3, 1990
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Robert W. Peterson, Jacques Chammas
  • Patent number: 4937549
    Abstract: A condition responsive switching apparatus with an alarm feature for use in refrigeration appliances, such as freezers or the like. The switching apparatus includes a contact operator which moves between first, second, and third positions in response to the pressure changes of a bellows. The bellows pressure increases and decreases in response to changes in temperature sensed at the appliance. The apparatus includes a first set of control contacts to provide energization of a compressor and a second set of alarm contacts to provide energization of an alarm circuit. The contact operator has a first dog which opens and closes the control set of contacts as the operator moves through a snap action increment of travel between the first and second positions. An alarm spring opposes the travel of a second dog of the contact operator beyond the second position with a preload force until the excess of the snap action energy of the operator is dissipated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 26, 1990
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ronald W. Kelly, Kennett R. Fuller
  • Patent number: 4937548
    Abstract: A circuit breaker characterized by its ability to qualify for controlling high electrical capacity in a concise configuration employing two sets of contacts separated by a dielectric barrier having anti-arcing features to minimize arcing in a minimal size circuit breaker. Control of the contact movement is through a pivoted actuator and over-center linkage in conjunction with a bell crank lever operating a spring mounted contact moving through a short radius.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 26, 1990
    Assignee: Mechanical Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Bruce C. Sdunek