Abstract: A switchgear assembly in which a number of cells housing electrical switching apparatus such as circuit breakers are vertically stacked in a forward compartment has combined arc shield/wire trays between cells for terminating secondary wiring for easy access through front doors on the switchgear assembly and for protecting the secondary wiring from circuit breaker arc gases. The arc gases are deflected by an upwardly and rearwardly inclined panel forming the back wall of the wire tray. A vertical wall forward of the inclined panel mounts a lower horizontal row of terminal blocks forward of an upper row. A wireway has a vertical section in a forward corner of the cabinet beside the vertically stacked cells which communicates with the wire trays, and a horizontal section extending rearward under the top wall of the cabinet. An inclined gutter provides a transition between the top of the vertical section and the forward end of the horizontal section.

Abstract: Power switches are fix mounted in a switchgear cabinet by providing terminal sections on power conductors at the rear face of the switch housing which extend vertically beyond the housing. The power switches slide into cells in the cabinet through a front opening with projections on the sides of the switch engaging slots in mounting panels in the cabinet. The terminal sections of the power conductors are then accessible through the front opening for connection to the buses in the switchgear cabinet. Runbacks secured to the lower power conductors on the bottom power switch extend into a rear compartment in the cabinet for the connection to power cables as the power switch is inserted into the front compartment. A unitary arc shield/wire tray slides into the front compartment above the power switches after connection of the terminal sections to the buses and is removable to provide subsequent access to the power connections.

Abstract: The cross buses extending through side-by-side cabinets in a switchgear assembly are mounted on the metal cabinet frames by supports having a molded body with a bus bar mounting surface laterally spaced from a support mounting surface to form a gap between the bus bar and the metal frame. A planar barrier inserted between the cabinets has a cutout aligned with this gap. The molded support further has a barrier surface which extends across the gap and blocks the cutout. The barrier surfaces of supports mounted on side-by-side cabinets abut and parallel flanges on the molded bodies adjacent the barrier surfaces form grooves in which the planar barrier is clamped.

Abstract: Main circuit breakers and/or tie circuit breakers are connected by upper and lower disconnects to upper and lower sections, respectively, of split risers in a low voltage switchgear assembly. An upper horizontal bus is connected to the upper sections of the split risers while a lower horizontal bus is connected to the lower sections. However, with the main or tie breaker mounted in the "C" position of a switchgear section, the gap between the upper and lower sections of the split risers is positioned vertically such that one of the phase conductors of the lower horizontal bus is above the gap. A unique connector extends downward from this phase conductor and is connected to the corresponding phase of the lower section of the vertical bus through the lower stab which engages the lower disconnect for the main or tie breaker.

Abstract: The interface conductors, stabs and runbacks, which are engaged at first ends by quick disconnects on electrical apparatus in a switchgear assembly, are fabricated from a stacked pair of elongated, flat conductors secured together at the first ends by elongated fasteners which are compressed into countersunk through apertures in the flat conductors to form a joint with no lateral projections. The interface conductors are supported adjacent the disconnects by a first support having a base member with through openings in which the conductors are snugly supported, and rigid projections with planar surfaces extending from the base member toward the quick disconnects alongside the openings and against which the interface conductors are secured adjacent free ends of the projections. A second support spaced rearward of the first support provides additional support for the runbacks. Interphase supports formed by C-channels are provided for the runbacks between the first and second supports.

Abstract: A hinge assembly for an enclosure for electrical apparatus includes a hinge pin non-rotationally fixed to either the door or the door jamb. A hinge housing is secured to the other of the door and the door jamb and clamps the hinge pin with a compression fit. The housing includes an angle member forming an internal corner and a clamping member having clamping flanges forming at least one, and preferably a pair, of spaced apart, external corners with corner recesses smaller in radius than the hinge pin in which the hinge pin is received and wedged into the internal corner of the angle member. Clamp tabs on the clamping flanges are secured to one of the flanges on the angle member such as by rivets to produce the compression fit. An elongated flat body on the clamp member and a mounting flange on the angle member abut and are secured to the other of the door and door jamb by common mounting fasteners.

Abstract: A heater for the middle, bus bar compartment of a switchgear cabinet is inserted from the rear compartment through an opening in a vertical panel at the rear of the middle compartment and is supported within the middle compartment by a bracket cantilevered from the panel. The bracket is U-shaped with a horizontal base and a pair of upstanding side walls forming rails on which the heater slides. The heater includes an inverted U-shaped guard over the heater element forming downwardly facing slots which engage the bracket rails. The guard and the bracket are perforated for convective circulation of air induced by the heater.

Abstract: An enclosure for electrical switching apparatus has a base formed by a planar member which extends horizontally to support the enclosure on a support surface. The planar member is generally rectangular with an upturned flange along at least one edge and preferably along three edges, including the front edge and the adjoining side edges. At least one, and preferably a spaced pair of pry slots are provided in these three edges. The pry slots extend into the planar member and the flanges to provide leverage for pry bars. The flanges are stiffened by inwardly directed lips extending along their free edges. The enclosure includes a front section and a rear section with the planar member forming the base for the front section. The electrical switching apparatus is mounted in the front section so that the center of gravity of the enclosure is located there. Preferably, the pair of pry slots both in the front edge and side edges straddle the center of gravity.

Abstract: An apparatus for latching to any selected one of a family of electrical switching apparatuses having differently located centers of gravity includes a lifting bracket having a plurality of lifting attachment points whereby a crane or other hoisting device may be attached thereto. The lifting bracket with lifting attachment points enables the selected electrical switching apparatus to be lifted while being maintained generally level without excess tilting thereof. The apparatus also includes first and second latches movably connected to opposing ends of the apparatus for securely latching to the electrical switching apparatus being lifted. The lifting bracket of the apparatus also includes a locking flange for engaging the electrical switching apparatus during lifting and securely locking the first and second latches to the electrical switching apparatus.

Abstract: A lifting assembly for lifting an electrical switching apparatus for placement in an electrical cabinet includes a support frame moveable along first and second rail members mounted on the electrical cabinet. The lifting assembly also includes a winch having a spool, and a cable having a first end attached to the winch and a second end for lifting the electrical switching apparatus. The cable passes over a pivotable, rotatable cable support member mounted upon the support frame to provide even distribution of the cable on the spool. A plurality of wheels rotatable about either a horizontal axis or vertical axes are attached to the support frame for movement of the support frame along the rail members.

Abstract: Hollow risers in switchgear are preferably formed by a confronting pair of spaced apart U-channels. Stab conductors for connecting switching apparatus in the switchgear to the risers have a pair of flat members straddling and secured to the two U-channels by mounts which include backing plates bearing against the inner surfaces of the confronting legs of two U-channels and bolts extending through the stab conductors and U-channel legs and engaging threaded apertures in the backing plates. To accommodate a range of current ratings, the confronting channels can have first and second leg thicknesses t.sub.1 and t.sub.2, which can be different but the outer widths of the channels are all the same. The backing plates have a first surface with a third thickness in one section and a fourth thickness in a second section. This first surface bears against the U-channel legs when the legs are of different thicknesses and t.sub.1 plus t.sub.3 is made equal to t.sub.2 plus t.sub.4.

Abstract: A flexible arrangement for providing secondary terminations, such as for switchgear in electric power distribution systems, includes a plurality of molded blocks each having at least one pair of oppositely directed hooks extending from a rear face. The hooks pass through complimentary notches in a mounting slot in a mounting panel, and engage the mounting panel with the molded blocks displaced along the mounting slot so that the hooks are out of registration with the notches. A locking member blocks the realignment of the hooks with the notches. Molded filler blocks without the terminal members can be substituted for one or more molded terminal blocks when fewer terminations are needed. There filler blocks have hand grips such as preferably a longitudinal rib molded on a front face, for inserting and removing the filler block from the slot.

Abstract: Electrical insulation and environmental protection for electrical joints between cables and flat conductors in an electric power distribution system is provided by a flexible, electrically insulative boot which has a pair of shell halves joined by a living hinge. The two shell halves have free edges which mate to form a seam when the shell is closed to form an enclosure around the joint. The flat conductor extends through the seam in the rear face of the shell adjacent the living hinge. Pairs of cable openings in the shell halves are spaced along the front face of the boot. Additional faces at each end of the front face also have pairs of cable openings to accommodate angled mounting of the cables. Slits extend from the free edges of the shell halves to the cable openings to allow installation over assembled joints. The cable openings are serrated to accommodate a range of cable sizes.

Abstract: The neutral cross bus in a switchgear assembly formed from two sets of side-by-side cabinets includes first and second neutral buses for the respective sets of cabinets. Each neutral bus is made up of a stack of flat conductors oriented horizontally in a main section extending across the cabinets of the set and vertically in a terminal section confronting the terminal section of the other neutral bus. The vertically oriented terminal sections are easily bolted together despite their limited accessibility when the two sets of cabinets are installed side-by-side. The flat conductors of the neutral cross bus are supported in their horizontal main sections by spaced supports formed by planar members with spaced horizontal slots set on edge and mounted by end flanges.