Patents by Inventor Melvin A. Carrodus

Melvin A. Carrodus 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).

  • Patent number: 5493265
    Abstract: An apparatus for securing a wire with a longitudinal axis includes a glass filled polyester base having a recess for housing a segment of the wire therein; and a glass filled polyester cover for at least partially covering the segment within the recess, the cover having a resilient finger which is generally transverse to the segment, the segment being generally deformed about the resilient finger within the recess in order that tension on the wire along the longitudinal axis flexes the resilient finger which, in turn, forces a portion of the segment against a side of the recess in order to secure the segment therein. The wires may have a polytetrafluoroethylene insulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1996
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Whipple, Melvin A. Carrodus
  • Patent number: 5483211
    Abstract: A miniature circuit breaker with two thermal-magnetic poles has an electronic trip device providing ground fault, and sputtering arc fault (if desired), protection located entirely in a large central compartment of a molded housing between compartments housing the two mechanical poles. The molded housing is assembled from a top base and top cover forming a compartment for the thermal-magnetic trip device of the first pole, and a bottom cover and a bottom base forming the compartment for the second mechanical pole. A hollow center piece mates with the top and bottom bases to form the single, large electronics compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 9, 1996
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Melvin A. Carrodus, Robert D. Bradley, Michael J. Whipple, Garry B. Theadore
  • Patent number: 5279487
    Abstract: A bolt-on, duplex circuit breaker having an external, integrally formed key member designed with a truncated pyramidal shape. The pyramidal shape is used to discourage tampering aimed at its removal. A panelboard into which bolt-on, duplex circuit breakers are mounted having mounting rails onto which the circuit breakers are disposed. The mounting rails have cooperating, key member accepting notches that act in conjunction with the key member integrally formed upon the circuit breaker for limiting the number of bolt-on, duplex circuit breakers that are insertable within the panelboard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 18, 1994
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Stephen A. Mrenna, Melvin A. Carrodus
  • Patent number: 5134258
    Abstract: The handle of a circuit breaker is controlled manually by sliding a linkage member right, or left, upon a flat surface of the housing of the circuit breaker. The linkage member is at one end pivotally attached through a knurled pin to the handle and, at the other end, a handhold portion is provided with a recess admitting a finger, or thumb, to push or pull the linkage member and actuate the circuit breaker through its handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1992
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventor: Melvin A. Carrodus
  • Patent number: 4963846
    Abstract: A trip interlock assembly trips a circuit breaker any time the circuit breaker is removed from its panel mounting. The trip assembly is adapted to be disposed about a load side terminal and cooperate with the circuit breaker tripping device. In one embodiment, the trip assembly includes a housing and a spring-loaded actuation arm, disposed generally perpendicular to the circuit panel surface. The actuation arm is formed with a cam surface which cooperates with a trip pin adapted to actuate said circuit breaker tripping device. The trip pin acts as a cam follower and rides along the cam surface formed in the actuation arm. When the actuation arm is in an inward position the trip pin is in a normal position. However, when the circuit breaker is removed from the panel, the actuation arm under the influence of a biasing spring moves outwardly. This causes the cam surface on the actuation arm to actuate the trip pin to trip the circuit breaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 16, 1990
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Kurt A. Grunert, Ronald A. Cheski, Robert J. Tedesco, Michael J. Whipple, Melvin A. Carrodus, James G. Maloney
  • Patent number: 4933653
    Abstract: A circuit breaker having a trip mechanism comprising a primary armature which is attracted toward a bimetal by magnetic flux produced by a predetermined overcurrent flowing through the bimetal to unlatch an operating mechanism and open electrical contacts, includes a pivoted supplemental armature which is also attracted toward the bimetal by the overcurrent and which bears against and urges the primary armature toward the bimetal to thereby reduce the predetermined overcurrent at which the breaker opens the electrical contacts. The supplemental armature comprises a flat strip of magnetically permeable material which is bent at one end to form a hook which merely drops into a recess in the breaker housing. Integral flanges on the strip form a magnetic yoke which concentrates the magnetic flux to increase the sensitivity of the magnetic trip function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 12, 1990
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Stephen A. Mrenna, Melvin A. Carrodus, Kurt A. Grunert, Jere L. McKee
  • Patent number: 4928079
    Abstract: A circuit breaker auxiliary switch structure characterized by a contact arm carrying a first contact movable between open and closed positions with a second contact. An auxiliary switch is disposed in the path of movement of the contact arm and operable to open or close an auxiliary circuit associated with a circuit breaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1990
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Andrew J. Male, Melvin A. Carrodus
  • Patent number: 4829278
    Abstract: A trip bar interlock for a circuit breaker characterized by an electrically insulating housing having an apertured bottom wall. A rotatable trip bar is in the housing for releasably holding the circuit breaker in an untripped condition. An actuator is provided for releasing the trip bar when the circuit breaker is dismounted from a mounting surface. The trip bar and the actuator have engaging surfaces and the actuator has an end portion extending through the aperture. The actuator is biased toward the mounting wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1989
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: John K. Livesey, Alfred E. Maier, Melvin A. Carrodus