Abstract: Provided in the present disclosure is an arc compression-based arc-extinguishing lightning-protection gap device. The device comprises a lightning protector main body and an arc-striking electrode. The arc-striking electrode is fixedly mounted at one end of the main body. The other end of the main body is fixedly mounted, by means of a link fitting, to a crossarm or one end of an insulator string. The lightning protector main body is provided with an arc-extinguishing path consisting of several arc-extinguishing channels in a repeated Z-shaped arrangement. An arc-extinguishing tube at an inlet of a first arc-extinguishing channel of the arc-extinguishing path is connected to the arc-striking electrode via an arc-guiding rod, and an arc-extinguishing tube at an outlet of a last arc-extinguishing channel is connected to the link fitting.

Abstract: A trip device for a circuit breaker includes: a crossbar rotatably installed to perform the trigger function; and bimetal that is curved upon the occurrence of an abnormal current and presses and rotates the crossbar by means of a gap adjustment member. The crossbar is movable in the direction of a rotating shaft of the crossbar, and the gap adjustment member is attached to and detached from either the crossbar or the bimetal at varying angles so that a contact surface is parallel or at an angle to the direction of movement of the crossbar.

Abstract: A shunt tab assembly is for an electrical switching apparatus, such as a circuit breaker. The electrical switching apparatus includes a housing, separable contacts enclosed by the housing, an operating mechanism for opening and closing the separable contacts, and a number of shunts. The operating mechanism includes a trip unit. The shunt tab assembly includes a shunt tab structured to be electrically connected to the shunts, a biasing element structured to bias the shunt tab toward a predetermined position with respect to the housing, and a fastener structured to mechanically couple and electrically connect the trip unit to the shunt tab.

Abstract: A gas-insulated measurement transformer for measuring high voltages has a plurality of transformer arrays arranged in a fluid-tight housing for transforming a high voltage to a measurement voltage. Each of the arrays has an active part, a high voltage contact guided through the housing, a fixed contact that is electrically connected to the active part, a movable contact that is electrically connected to the fixed contact, and a separating device, which can be operated from outside the housing, for establishing or separating a connection between the movable contacts and the high voltage contacts. The separating device has a connecting element connecting the movable contacts to one another, and an adjustment device for moving the connecting element in an actuating direction, wherein the fixed contact is configured as a guiding device for the movable contact in an actuating direction.

Abstract: Circuit breakers with handles having a handle bearing sleeve that contacts an upper end portion of a moving arm and allows the arm to rotate to “OFF”, “ON” and “TRIP” positions, typically with about 90 degrees of rotation.

Abstract: Embodiments provide a low-profile, electronic circuit breaker. The electronic circuit breaker includes a housing containing first and second electrical branches coupled to respective first and second load terminals, and an electronic processing circuit within the housing adapted to monitor an electrical condition of the first and second electrical branches, wherein a maximum transverse width (Wt) of the housing is limited to occupy only a single standard breaker panelboard location. Circuit breakers including triggering mechanisms and tripping units are also disclosed. System and method aspects are provided, as are other aspects.

Abstract: A shunt separator is provided for an electrical switching apparatus including a housing, separable contacts enclosed within the housing, an operating assembly including a trip bar, and a trip assembly. The trip assembly cooperates with the trip bar to trip open the separable contacts in response to a fault condition. The trip assembly includes a number of shunts. The shunt separator includes a molded projection, which extends outwardly from the housing of the electrical switching apparatus. The molded projection at least partially surrounds a portion of the trip bar, thereby separating the number of shunts from the trip bar.

Abstract: A fault interrupter and load break switch includes a trip assembly configured to automatically open a transformer circuit electrically coupled to stationary contacts of the switch upon the occurrence of a fault condition. The fault condition causes a Curie metal element electrically coupled to at least one of the stationary contacts to release a magnetic latch. The release causes a trip rotor of the trip assembly to rotate a rotor assembly. This rotation causes ends of a movable contact of the rotor assembly to electrically disengage the stationary contacts, thereby opening the circuit. The switch also includes a handle for manually opening and closing the electrical circuit in fault and non-fault conditions. Actuation of the handle coupled to the rotor assembly via a spring-loaded rotor causes the movable contact ends to selectively engage or disengage the stationary contacts.

Abstract: In line circuit breakers with a combined overcurrent/short-circuit current tripping device, tripping should take place in a well defined manner in the case of an overcurrent and in the case of a short-circuit current. For this purpose, gaps (A, B) need to be set precisely. If the housing is made from a cost-effective housing material such as thermosetting plastic it is subject to shrinkage. As a result, the mentioned gaps may change. An armature (24) is mounted in such a way that it changes its rest rotary position in the event of shrinkage of the housing. A magnet yoke (28) as part of the overcurrent/short-circuit current tripping device is mounted and shaped in such a way that the rotation is compensated for precisely, so that the mentioned gaps do not change despite the shrinkage.

Abstract: A circuit interrupter includes a housing, separable contacts, and an operating mechanism including a latch. The operating mechanism opens the contacts responsive to actuation of the latch. A trip mechanism cooperates with the latch to trip open the contacts. The trip mechanism includes a thermal overload mechanism actuating the latch responsive to a thermal fault caused by current flowing through the contacts, a solenoid cooperating with the thermal overload mechanism to actuate the latch responsive to the electromagnetic device being energized, and a processor repetitively determining a value of the current flowing through the contacts, determining if the value exceeds a predetermined value for a number of occurrences, and responsively energizing the solenoid, in order to actuate the latch contemporaneous with actuation of the latch by the thermal overload mechanism, in order to decrease the time to trip open the contacts.

Abstract: A thermal trip device in which a bimetal (2) is heated by overcurrent and performs trip operation of a circuit by curvature of the heated bimetal (2), wherein at least one part of the surface of the bimetal (2) is made to be black or matte black (7). Thereby, temperature of the bimetal (2) can be highly accurately measured using a no-contact thermometer. Furthermore, a temperature measurement part (8) of the bimetal is provided with a bending part (11), and the surface of the bending part is made to be matte black.

Abstract: Certain exemplary embodiments comprise a device comprising: a trip mechanism adapted to engage an operating mechanism of an alternating current circuit breaker, said trip mechanism comprising: a bi-metal element arranged lengthwise into a first end zone, a central zone, and a second end zone, a load bus coupled to said first zone, said second end zone adapted to engage an armature latch that is adapted to trip on operating mechanism of the circuit breaker; and an electromagnetic element coupled to the load bus.

Abstract: An oil-immersed and high-pressure tripping switch structure comprises an operational apparatus, an arc-extinguishing cylinder, and an oil-shortage automatic tripping safety device wherein a sensory device detecting a fault current will trip open to displace a spring rebound pivoting-point, permitting a main spring to simultaneously actuate the release of contact points and the rotation of an operational handle therewith so that the operational handle is rotated to recover its primary angle so as to indicate the tripped/off status of the switch, facilitating the judgment and operation of workers. In addition, via a buoyant tube combined with an oil-retaining tank, the buoyant tube in case of oil-shortage can generate a sufficient downward pressure to activate the release of a tripping device so as to ensure the safety of the present invention in operation. Furthermore, a complex arc-interruption mechanism is applied so that the arc-extinguishing cylinder can efficiently break higher fault current thereby.

Abstract: An adjustable magnetic trip unit for a circuit breaker (1) is equipped with a magnet yoke (16), an armature element (18) that works therewith to actuate a trip shaft (14), and an adjusting bar (23) that can be tilted about the axis (15) of the trip shaft (14) for adjusting the distance (L) between the magnet yoke (16) and the armature element (18). This magnetic trip unit can be used in a circuit breaker (1) having a plurality of breaker cassettes (30) arranged adjacent to one another wherein the adjusting bar (23) extends parallel to the axis (15) of the tripping shaft (14) and on which are arranged a plurality of adjusting arms (24) corresponding to the number of breaker cassettes (30).

Abstract: A solenoid type magnetic trip assembly for a molded case circuit breaker includes an armature biased against an adjustable stop by a tension spring to set the initial gap for the magnetic trip, so that the spring bias remains constant for the full range of the initial gap. The armature includes an elongated magnetically permeable member mounted by a frame to slide longitudinally along a pair of guide rails. The frame defines a trip surface axially aligned with the elongated magnetically permeable member which engages a trip arm on a trip bar to trip the circuit breaker in response to a predetermined level of overcurrent. A bimetal providing a thermal trip function is cantilevered from a support spaced from the trip bar by the armature, but has a terminal portion at the free end projecting toward the trip bar and through which the elongated magnetically permeable member of the armature extends.

Abstract: A residential circuit breaker electromagnetic trip unit facilitates the assembly of the trip unit components by use of a pair of braid connectors for connection between the trip unit magnet and the circuit breaker contact arm. The trip unit bimetal is directly welded to the trip unit magnet and the braid connectors for reduction in material and labor costs. The contact arm and the magnet are shaped to present a parallel path connection between the contact arm and the magnet for close fit tolerance. The front surface of the magnet is configured to prevent magnetic adhesion between the magnet and the trip unit armature under intense short circuit overcurrent conditions.

Abstract: The stray inductance created by the loop formed by voltage sensing conductors connected to opposite ends of the bimetal in a miniature circuit breaker for determining load current is reduced by joining a voltage sense bar to the free end of the bimetal. The voltage sense bar extends beside the bimetal toward the fixed end of the bimetal where an insulated wire connected to the free end of the sense bar forms a twisted pair with an insulated wire secured to the fixed end of the bimetal.

Abstract: A molded case thermal-magnetic circuit breaker having improved low current magnetic trip response interfaces an intermediate armature between the circuit breaker latching element and the magnet assembly within the circuit breaker thermal-magnetic trip system. The intermediate armature optimizes the magnetic trip forces applied to both the intermediate armature and the latching element to enhance low current magnetic trip response.

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.

Abstract: A sensor-tripper apparatus for tripping the trip lever of a circuit interrupter in a power distribution circuit, the apparatus including a trip rod mounted in a tube and supported on a frame, a thermally responsive member having a predetermined curie temperature connected in the primary circuit, a magnet assembly mounted for axial movement on the tube and operatively connected to the trip rod, the magnet assembly being attracted to the thermally responsive member and holding a spring in compression whereby on release of the magnet assembly from the thermally responsive member the spring will move the magnet assembly and trip rod to trip the trip lever and a magnetic disk assembly operatively connected to the trip rod and being responsive to a high fault current in the primary circuit to move the trip rod independently of the magnet assembly to trip the trip lever.

Abstract: An underoil primary circuit breaker having a fixed contact assembly and a rod contact, a trip-free latch mechanism for moving the rod contact toward and away from the fixed contact, a temperature responsive magnetically controlled trip assembly for releasing the latch mechanism, and cross blast car interrupter for extinguishing the arc produced between the rod contact and fixed contact assembly, the interrupter including a core formed from an arc extinguishing material and defining within a reinforced case a pressure chamber, a pressure relief chamber, an arc passage connected to the pressure chamber and a vent passage connected to the vent chamber; high and low pressure exhaust ports are provided between the arc passage and the vent passage and a throttling tube is provided in the pressure relief chamber to vent gases into the transformer.

Abstract: A low oil lock-out and/or trip apparatus for a submersible transformer circuit breaker of the type having a manually operated crank shaft assembly for opening and closing the circuit breaker and a fault trip assembly for opening the circuit breaker under fault current conditions, the apparatus including a float assembly which is responsive to changes in oil level in said transformer and a rod carried by said float for blocking the movement of the crankshaft and a trip member for tripping the trip assembly when the oil level drops below a predetermined level in the transformer.

Abstract: A temperature-responsive trip assembly for a primary circuit breaker, the assembly including a permanent magnet member biased to a circuit opening position and pertinent to engage a thermally-responsive metallic element having a predetermined Curie temperature, the element being formed of a nickel-iron alloy having approximately 32% nickel and being arranged in edge-abutting relation to the magnet.

Abstract: A circuit breaker having an automatically adjusting magnetic armature is provided. The magnetic armature includes a spring-biasing means to automatically maintain one end of the armature in the contact with the electromagnet and the other end away from an adjacent electromagnet. The magnetic armature includes a pair of slightly curved arms which are disposed about a pivot guide post. When current through the circuit breaker exceeds a predetermined amount, the end of the armature normally biased away from the adjacent electromagnet is suddenly attracted to the electromagnet. The force from the spring-biasing means is overcome, and the slightly curved arms of the armature pivot about the pivot guide post so that the armature contacts the adjacent electromagnet. A latch holder at the end of the armature becomes disengaged from a latch means to cause the circuit breaker to open.

Abstract: A circuit breaker having an overload mechanism including an elongated bimetallic element having one end pivotally mounted in the circuit breaker housing and the other end pivotally positioned at one end of an armature element. The armature element has a latching surface engaging a trip arm to hold it in a set position. An overload current causes the bimetallic element to bend. Since the ends of the bimetallic element are constrained, its central portion moves causing the armature element to pivot disengaging its latching surface from the trip arm. The released trip arm pivots to a tripped position causing the breaker contacts to be opened.

Abstract: A primary circuit breaker for fluid filled transformers, the circuit breaker being immersible in the fluid in the transformer and including a circuit interrupter assembly, an externally actuatable latch mechanism for reclosing the interrupter assembly and a magnetically controlled trip assembly for releasing the interrupter assembly from the latch mechanism in response to predetermined electrical and thermal conditions in the transformer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to circuit breakers of a particular class, namely, the type in which a toggle is manually erected to drive a "heart" as a unit for closing the circuit breaker. The "heart" includes a contact arm, an actuator, and overcurrent releasable latch means which collectively form a normally latched unit. Under excess-current conditions, the latch means releases the actuator, and contact arm then opens the circuit.The latch means includes a conventional bimetal fixed at one end to the contact arm. The bimetal carries a pivoted latch lever, and is surrounded by a core-and-armature unit adjacent its secured end, for operating the latch lever in response to high overcurrents. High magnetic trip sensitivity is achieved in a construction wherein the whole electromagnet moves with the contact arm, without resort to a current-carrying coil for the electromagnet.

Abstract: An electrical overload circuit breaker utilizes as the current-responsive tripping mechanism a solenoid, the coil of which is constituted by a helical spring of shape memory effect material and which mechanically acts on the armature. There is a non-SME spring which also acts on the armature but in a direction opposing the SME spring. The current is passed through the SME spring and, when it becomes excessive, the armature is urged both mechanically and electromagnetically in a tripping direction.

Abstract: A circuit breaker is provided with a thermally responsive latching member connected in circuit between a load terminal and a movable contact. A mounting member, holding a portion of the latching member adjacent one end thereof, is pivotally mounted in the circuit breaker housing. A U-shaped field piece is affixed to the mounting member with legs of the piece extending at both sides and toward the latching member, and toward an armature spaced on the opposite side of the latching member. The armature has its associated armature spring provided with an annular boss which is adapted to fit within a locating hole in the latching member. The field piece is adapted to intercept lines of flux of a magnetic field created by a predetermined amount of current flowing through the latching member to attract the armature to rotate the latching member thereby disengaging a latching surface of the latching member from a trip arm, releasing the trip arm for movement to a tripped position.

Abstract: A circuit breaker having a magnetic trip mechanism pivotally mounted on the bimetal actuating assembly. First and second flanges extend from the bimetal element and respectively include first and second co-axially aligned apertures. A magnetic trip arm is pivotally mounted in the first and second apertures and includes a first portion disposed in proximity to the bimetal element to be drawn thereto in response to a high overload current flowing therethrough and a second portion which engages a latch, upon movement of the magnetic trip arm, thereby tripping open the contacts of the circuit breaker.

Abstract: The method of making color separations from masked colored transparencies which involves exposure of the transparency from separate light sources each having different colored light outputs with limited spectral band widths and from light sources which approach in size the physical size of the transparency to significantly reduce the power requirements for the light sources. The improved apparatus includes means for mounting a plurality of such light sources within a copy holder or associated therewith to selectively direct light having energy emission over the limited spectral band width onto the masked transparencies for exposing the films sequentially in the making of color separations.

Abstract: Ground fault circuit breaker structure characterized by an insulating integral housing having a pair of side-by-side compartments that are separated by a partition wall. A circuit breaker is located in one compartment and a ground fault detector is located in the other compartment and isolated from the circuit breaker. The ground fault detector comprises a differential transformer comprising a current monitoring core, a plurality of primary windings on the core, each being one of a line and a neutral conductor of an A.C. electrical distribution system, a secondary winding sensing current unbalance between the primary windings, means responsive to a predetermined sensing signal to open the line conductor; and the line conductor extending between the circuit breaker trip means and through aperture means in the partition wall and through the magnetic core and back through the aperture means to the load terminal.

Abstract: A single-pole circuit breaker or a plural-pole circuit breaker of the type having a common trip bar extending between poles whereby any pole tripping acts therethrough to trip the other pole or poles. The breaker is provided with an improved trip mechanism comprising a subassembly for each pole wherein all of the thermal and magnetic trip elements are mounted on a breaker terminal plate that acts as a base therefor and which is secured to the breaker housing.

Abstract: A circuit interrupter having a magnetic trip element which is integral with the latch. The disclosed circuit interrupter is provided with a bimetal and a magnetic trip element directly connected to the latch of the circuit interrupter which is drawn towards the bimetal, unlatching the circuit interrupter when current flow therethrough exceeds a high overload level. The disclosed circuit interrupter is particularly adaptable for use on a distribution transformer. A movable bridging contact for completing a series circuit between two stationary contacts is provided. The movable bridging contact is spring biased towards an open position separated from the stationary contacts, but with the circuit interrupter in the normally closed position is held in engagement with the stationary contacts by a latching mechanism which is responsive to the bimetal or magnetic trip element to allow the circuit breaker to trip open during overload conditions.

Abstract: An improved circuit breaker comprises a thermal trip that comprises a current carrying bimetal, and a magnetic trip that comprises a magnetic yoke and armature supported on the bimetal with a multi-turn energizing coil supported on the yoke to enhance the magnetic tripping action.

Abstract: A circuit breaker comprises improved thermal and electromagnetic trip means comprising a currrent carrying bimetal operable upon the occurrence of lesser overloads to effect time-delay thermal tripping operations, and electromagnetic means energized by the current in said bimetal which electromagnetic means is operable upon the occurrence of more severe overloads to effect instantaneous electromagnetic tripping operations.