Patents by Inventor Paul A. Colbaugh

Paul A. Colbaugh 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: 7473116
    Abstract: A maintenance-free electrical bus assembly is provided for a switchgear cabinet. The maintenance-free electrical bus assembly is coupled to a switchgear device in the cabinet, and includes electrical bus members, at least one bus joint comprising an electrical connection of two or more electrical bus members, and a fastener assembly fastening the bus joint and maintaining the electrical connection between the electrical bus members thereof. The fastener assembly includes at least one first fastening element having a plurality of first threads, and at least one second fastening element having a plurality of second threads. The second threads threadably engage the first threads of a corresponding first fastening element, in order to perpetually secure the first threads and the corresponding first fastening element, and to resist undesirable loosening of the bus joint once the fastener assembly has been fastened. Thus, inaccessible bus joints within the cabinet do not need to be inspected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Tejal N. Dudhwala, Paul K. Parker, Timothy G. Robirds, James E. Smith, Paul A. Colbaugh, Marcy D. Scialabba, Ronald A. Carder
  • Patent number: 7440260
    Abstract: An electrical bus member mounting system is provided for an electrical enclosure including a housing having a front, a back and a plurality of sides, a plurality of sections disposed between the sides, at least one electrical apparatus disposed within a first one of the sections, and an electrical bus assembly electrically connected to the electrical apparatus. The electrical bus member mounting system includes a mounting assembly having a first portion and a second portion. A plurality of electrical bus members are coupled to the first portion and the second portion is coupled at or about at least one of the sides of the housing within a second one of the sections thereof. Accordingly, the electrical bus member mounting system consolidates a substantial portion of the electrical bus assembly at a single location within the second one of the sections of the housing, in order to facilitate access thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Paul K. Parker, James E. Smith, Paul A. Colbaugh, Marcy D. Scialabba, Ronald A. Carder
  • Publication number: 20080062620
    Abstract: An electrical bus member mounting system is provided for an electrical enclosure including a housing having a front, a back and a plurality of sides, a plurality of sections disposed between the sides, at least one electrical apparatus disposed within a first one of the sections, and an electrical bus assembly electrically connected to the electrical apparatus. The electrical bus member mounting system includes a mounting assembly having a first portion and a second portion. A plurality of electrical bus members are coupled to the first portion and the second portion is coupled at or about at least one of the sides of the housing within a second one of the sections thereof. Accordingly, the electrical bus member mounting system consolidates a substantial portion of the electrical bus assembly at a single location within the second one of the sections of the housing, in order to facilitate access thereto.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2006
    Publication date: March 13, 2008
    Inventors: Paul K. Parker, James E. Smith, Paul A. Colbaugh, Marcy D. Scialabba, Ronald A. Carder
  • Publication number: 20080038949
    Abstract: A maintenance-free electrical bus assembly is provided for a switchgear cabinet. The maintenance-free electrical bus assembly is coupled to a switchgear device in the cabinet, and includes electrical bus members, at least one bus joint comprising an electrical connection of two or more electrical bus members, and a fastener assembly fastening the bus joint and maintaining the electrical connection between the electrical bus members thereof. The fastener assembly includes at least one first fastening element having a plurality of first threads, and at least one second fastening element having a plurality of second threads. The second threads threadably engage the first threads of a corresponding first fastening element, in order to perpetually secure the first threads and the corresponding first fastening element, and to resist undesirable loosening of the bus joint once the fastener assembly has been fastened. Thus, inaccessible bus joints within the cabinet do not need to be inspected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2006
    Publication date: February 14, 2008
    Inventors: Tejal N. Dudhwala, Paul K. Parker, Timothy G. Robirds, James E. Smith, Paul A. Colbaugh, Marcy D. Scialabba, Ronald A. Carder
  • Patent number: 7053321
    Abstract: The movable conductors of a three phase isolation switch are incorporated into the electrically insulative molded shaft, thereby mechanically supporting them and isolating them from the metal axle of the shaft. Movable contacts on the ends of each movable conductor are angularly spaced by ? degrees, where ? is less than 180° and is 90° in the exemplary embodiment. A common fixed load contact is located angularly between, and spaced ? degrees from, both the fixed line and ground contacts so that the shaft is rotated only ? degrees between a first, closed position, in which the movable conductors connect the fixed load contact for each phase to the corresponding fixed line contact, and a second, grounded position, where the fixed load contact of each phase is connected by the movable conductor to the corresponding fixed ground contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Brad R. Leccia, Paul A. Colbaugh
  • Publication number: 20040201285
    Abstract: The movable conductors of a three phase isolation switch are incorporated into the electrically insulative molded shaft, thereby mechanically supporting them and isolating them from the metal axle of the shaft. Movable contacts on the ends of each movable conductor are angularly spaced by &agr; degrees, where &agr; is less than 180° and is 90° in the exemplary embodiment. A common fixed load contact is located angularly between, and spaced &agr; degrees from, both the fixed line and ground contacts so that the shaft is rotated only &agr; degrees between a first, closed position, in which the movable conductors connect the fixed load contact for each phase to the corresponding fixed line contact, and a second, grounded position, where the fixed load contact of each phase is connected by the movable conductor to the corresponding fixed ground contact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2003
    Publication date: October 14, 2004
    Inventors: Brad R. Leccia, Paul A. Colbaugh
  • Patent number: 6516955
    Abstract: An improved frame for a switchgear cabinet includes a plurality of rails that are connected together with a plurality of connectors. The rails are generally of two different cross-sectional configurations, both of which are cooperable with a single type of connector to enable the rails and connectors to be configured into numerous different types of cabinet frames to which panels can be mounted to form switchgear cabinets. The rails and connectors are modular in nature and are specifically configured to be easily connected with one another. During assembly of the connectors and the rails, portions of a coating on the rails become ruptured, thereby electrically conductively connecting together the rails and the connectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Tejal Dudhwala, Richard Trussler, Paul Colbaugh, Ronald Carder
  • Patent number: 5505630
    Abstract: A busway system having several parallel bus bars arranged in a housing with a plug-in opening in a front wall of the housing employs a cover assembly with a plug-in unit over the plug-in opening. The cover assembly has a brick mounted onto the front wall of the housing, and a shutter attached to the brick. The brick has a plurality of cavities each of which receive a stab of one of the bus bars, and has a guide opening along its bottom wall on opposed ends. The shutter extends across the front of the brick, is positionable over the several cavities of the brick, and has a configuration corresponding to the arrangement of the cavities. A cam-linkage assembly located on opposed sidewalls of the brick is spring biased and allows the shutter to be moved along tracks of the brick for opening and closing the cavities. The plug-in unit has guide probes which enter the guide openings along the bottom of the brick as the plug-in unit is being installed onto the busway system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1996
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: John D. Petrisko, Paul A. Colbaugh