Abstract: A penetrating contact design that decreases the time needed to move the male and female contacts of a circuit interrupter from a closed circuit position to an open circuit position. The penetrating contact has a grip-enhancing member that can be located on either the male or female contact. The grip-enhancing member of the penetrating contact maintains physical contact between a male contact and a female contact, while the penetrating contact is in the closed circuit condition. The grip-enhancing member creates a relatively high resistance to separation of the male and female contacts. This separation resistance enhances the separation acceleration of the male and female when they are separated by the circuit interrupter. When an operator initiates a disconnect procedure, this separation resistance will maintain the male contact and female contact in the closed circuit position for a longer time as the interrupter's separation mechanism is energized.

Abstract: A rotary double-break circuit breaker includes a case defining a circuit breaker enclosure with a rotatable bridge and contact arm arrangement. The contact arm having movable contacts which is rotatable between a closed position and an open position. A pair of stationary contacts cooperate with the movable contacts, and a conductor is operatively connected to each of the stationary contacts for current input thereto. Each of the movable contacts includes a heel portion and a toe portion, the heel portion contacting one of the stationary contacts and the toe portion spaced from the stationary contact when the contact bridge is in closed position, the movable contact being angled or curved relative to the stationary contact such that upon the contact bridge rotating to disengage the movable contacts from the stationary contacts, an electric arc formed between the movable contact and the stationary contact runs to the toe portion of the movable contact thereby protecting the heel portion from substantial damage.

Abstract: A current interrupting apparatus including a battery terminal adapted to be attached to a battery, a load conductor wire adapted to be connected to a load, a connecting member electrically connecting the load conductor wire and the battery terminal, and a cutting device configured to cut the connecting member when an interruption control signal is input thereto. The cutting of the connecting member by the cutting device interrupts the supply of electric current from the battery to the load by way of the battery terminal and the load conductor wire.

Abstract: A composite switch utilizing a single button to perform two or more switching functions including a rotational direction switch operation and a push-button switch operation. Rotational movement of the button elastically deforms a first contact spring by a rotation of a cam fixed to the button via a button shaft so as to connect the contact spring to a first electrode. Axial movement (push-button operation) elastically deforms a second contact spring provided at a lower end portion of the button shaft in response to a pressing down operation of the button so as to connect the second contact spring to a second electrode. A rotational direction returning spring and a pressing down direction returning spring are provided in an inner portion of the button for biasing the button in a neutral position and automatically returning the button to the neutral position. A waterproof packing is slidably disposed between the button shaft and a case in which the switches and button shaft are disposed.

Abstract: A contact pin is operationally connected through racks and pinions to a movable mating contact arrangement in such a way that it executes a movement counter thereto. Through two spokes through which the racks are guided, it bears a contact ring which surrounds it coaxially at a distance and preferably has a radius which is four to eight times as large. In a groove on its outer side, the contact ring bears a circumferential spiral contact which forms with the inner side of a contact tube, which finishes in a fixed nominal-current contact, a sliding contact arrangement having good current transfer in conjunction with a short length.

Abstract: An installation comprises at least one electrical switchgear apparatus a movable mechanism which is interlocked with a device such as an access door by a kinematic transmission cable comprising a flexible sheath and a core designed to slide in the sheath. The ends of the sheath and of the core are respectively fixed to a fixed part of the apparatus and to the movable mechanism by fixing apparatus comprising an end-piece operating in conjunction with the corresponding part of the cable, a housing designed to receive the end-piece, and a locking device with dead point passage designed to oppose insertion of the end-piece in the housing when the force exerted on the locking device in an insertion direction remains lower than an insertion threshold and to enable insertion of the end-piece in the housing when the force exerted on the device means in an insertion direction is greater than the insertion threshold.

Abstract: A gimbal mounted multifunction button has a selector button that can selectively actuate one or more microswitches in response to a biasing force. The multifunction button has a selector button mounted to a gimbal contained in a plate. The selector button has a plurality of protruding actuators that pass through the plate and align with a plurality of microswitches mounted to a printed circuit board. The selector button may be biased to selectively cause one of the of actuators to actuate a corresponding switch, or alternately selectively cause an adjacent pair of actuators to actuate a corresponding pair of adjacent switches.

Abstract: An arc quenching chamber for low-voltage circuit breakers has a quenching chamber enclosure and a quenching chamber cover, which is detachably attached to the quenching chamber enclosure by fastening elements. Opposite a hollow extension the quenching chamber enclosure has a nose which may be gripped by a claw-like extension of the quenching chamber cover. Another method of fastening the quenching chamber cover involves lateral nose-like webs on the quenching chamber enclosure and projections on both sides of the quenching chamber cover to grip the noses.

Abstract: A combination switch device having lever switch units mounted to a circuit board having an electronic control unit. The lever switch units each include a casing on which a lever is movably mounted, and a housing containing switch side terminals which communicate with switch contacts on the casing. The combination switch device includes a body formed with fitting parts on which the lever switch units are mounted. Circuit board side terminals are provided on the fitting parts so as to contact the switch side terminals upon engagement of the lever switch units with the body. The casing and housing have a pair of parallel fitting faces and a pair of parallel flexible support plates, respectively, a locking hole provided on either the fitting faces or the support plates, and a locking projection for inserting in the locking hole. The locking projection is smaller than the locking hole to be movably undetachable, so that the switch side terminals and the housings are movably fitted to the casings.

Abstract: An electrical arc extinguishing chamber designed to be placed facing separable contacts of a switchgear apparatus and to extinguish the arc generated by separation of the contacts comprises two side walls facing one another and a plurality of spaced apart plates arranged between the side walls and secured by the side walls. The side walls have a stratified composite structure with at least two layers. The layers comprise a polyamide fabric impregnated with thermosetting resin. The chamber thus obtained has advantageous breaking strength properties. The edges of the side walls do not present any dielectric weakness points. The chamber is particularly suitable for low-voltage switchgear of high power ratings.

Abstract: A modular electrical substation for erection at a prepared site has a horizontal steel base formed of interconnected longitudinal and transverse beams and is set on the prepared site. An open top oil containment pan is centrally supported on the base and receives an electrical transformer therein. A pair of vertically extending frameworks formed of steel columns and connecting cross members are mounted on opposite ends of the base. One or more bays of circuit breakers and disconnect switches are supported on the base and frameworks. Incoming and outgoing conductors are dead ended on one or both of the frameworks which are connected by guy wires extending therebetween to distribute the conductor tension among the two frameworks. The central location of the transformer maintains the base in position on the prepared site avoiding the need for additional anchoring and/or foundations enabling the substation to be removable and reusable.

Abstract: A compliant, bistable mechanism has a plurality of segments coupled end-to-end in a series to form a continuous chain of segments. The plurality of segments includes at least two rigid segments and at least one relatively flexible and resilient segment. Adjacent rigid segments are coupled by flexible joints or pin joints. The flexible and resilient segment is coupled to adjacent segments either fixedly or by pin joints. There are at least four pin joints, flexible joints, and/or flexible and resilient segments. The joints allow relative movement of the segments while the flexible and resilient segment resists movement and biases the segments. The segments move between first and second stable equilibrium positions. The segments have a pseudo-rigid-body model resembling a four-bar linkage. The segments and flexible joints may be integrally formed. First and second electrical contacts may be coupled to the segments to form an electrical connection as the segments move to one of the positions.

Abstract: In a power switch, power-switch fingers of a rated-current switching arrangement, as well as contact fingers (25) of a tulip contact and a switching pin (14) of an arcing switch arrangement, or other parts, each comprise a base body (26, 28) which, at sections which are subjected to high thermal loads by the arc formation, bears a protective layer (27, 29) which is resistant to contact erosion and has been applied to the base body (27, 28) by plasma spraying in vacuum. This enables even complex and flexible parts to be made resistant to contact erosion. The protective layer (27, 29) which is preferably used is a mixture of at least 10% (by weight), in particular at least 50% (by weight) of high-melting metal, such as W, Mo, Ir, and lower-melting metal, such as Cu, Ag, Ti, Fe, e.g. 80% (by weight) W and 20% (by weight) Cu, while the base body used is preferably made from Cu, Ag. Fe, steel, Al or a flexible copper alloy, such as CuBe, CuCr or CuCrZr.

Abstract: An arcing chamber system having one or more chamber bodies connected in series, wherein one or more arcing chamber modules, are arranged in each chamber body is present. A plurality of arcing chamber modules may be employed to achieve for various contact ratings. This allows the arcing chamber system of the present invention to be adapted, in simple fashion, to a variety of working voltages and a variety of contact ratings.

Abstract: The invention relates to a compressed gas switch with two contact pieces, a contact element by-passing the contact pieces when in the on position, and two isolating distances connected to each other in series. The second contact piece opposing the first isolating distance is arranged axially by an annular piston to be displaceable forming a switching chamber. The switching chamber is separated from the heating chamber by a bulkhead partition having a current-dependent valve, and the second isolating distance is produced after opening of a blowing hole located between the second contact piece and the contact element.

Abstract: A magnetic switch includes a switch case 109, a molded cap 108 fastened to the switch case by crimped portions, two fixed terminals 107 having fixed contact shafts and fixed contacts, and a movable contact 5, wherein the crimped portions are disposed between the fixed terminals and coil terminal conductors in the vicinity of an open end portion of the molded cap to form four crimped portions 109d engaging the molded cap by crimping at positions radially further inwards than the inside diameter of the switch case. The outside diameter of the molded cap may be equal to or greater than the outside diameter of the switch case. The cross-sectional shape of the fixed contacts is an octagon and two sides thereof are approximately parallel to the outer circumferential surface of the molded cap.

Abstract: A closure resistor assembly for high voltage electrical gear. The assembly includes a multiplicity of resistive electrical components aligned in a row along an axis, and a mechanism which exerts a compression force on the electrical components along the axis so as to maintain electrical contact between them. The mechanism for exerting the compression force includes a rigid tube within which the electrical components are stacked, and an energy-storing floating structure placed inside the tube at one end of the row of electrical components. The floating structure is constituted by a first piece disposed between the end of the row of electrical components and a second piece that is mounted in a fixed manner inside the tube, together with a spring that is kept in compression between the first and second pieces. The first piece is also mounted so as to be semi-moving between two abutments that are spaced-apart along the axis D.

Abstract: A single-axis or multi-axis joystick assembly which is operative with a minimal amount of input force or displacement. As such, the joystick assembly is especially suited for those with severe motor handicaps who have limited movement in their extremities. The joystick assembly includes a housing and a handle operatively mounted to the housing for movement relative thereto. The handle operatively engages a sensor which generates an output signal when an input force is applied to the handle. The output signal is proportional to the input force. Preferably, the sensor is a piezoelectric pressure transducer.

Abstract: An appliance controller and its control shaft as well as a method for attaching a control knob to a control shaft are presented. The controller includes a control shaft body having a central bore and including at its forward end two cantilevers having outwardly facing detents. These detents are adapted to engage an engagement slot of a control knob. The control shaft body also includes at its rearward end two slots forming rear cantilevers having positioning detents. A locking rod is positioned within the bore of the control shaft body. It has a forward end adapted to prevent inward deflection of the forward cantilevers when it is in a locked position. This forward end is further adapted to preclude outward deflection of these cantilevers during insertion. The rearward end of the locking rod includes radially extending tabs which prevent the locking rod from being removed from the housing of the controller.

Abstract: A multi-phase circuit breaker assembly 10 includes a circuit breaker 12 having a housing 13 containing circuit breaker operating components and having a gas venting chamber 22 associated with each phase of the circuit breaker. The circuit breaker has a plurality of line wiring terminals 26 at a first end 14 of the housing. Each line wiring terminal corresponds to a phase of the circuit breaker. A terminal cover 30 is removably coupled to the first end of the housing so as to cover the line wiring terminals and prevent access to the line wiring terminals when coupled to the first end of the housing, and to gain access to the line wiring terminals only when removed from the first end of the housing. The terminal cover 30 includes a plurality of vent structures 38 integrally formed therewith.