Multipole slide-type disconnect switch having multi-linkage operating means and shutter member

Claim 2

A multipole disconnect switch comprising: a. a plurality of stationary and movable electrical contacts, a surface of each of said stationary contacts being aligned with and positioned adjacent to a surface of a corresponding one of said movable contacts to form a contact set; b. a stationary contact carrier for supporting said stationary contacts; c. a movable contact carrier for supporting said movable contacts; d. means for mounting said stationary and movable contact carriers to a supporting structure, said mounting means being comprised of: i. a first member supporting said stationary contact carrier, said first member including a main section having a window therein for exposing said stationary contacts to said movable contacts; ii. a second member for supporting said movable contact carrier, said second member including a first section having an opening therethrough for enabling said movable contacts to extend therethrough towards said stationary contacts, and a second section contiguous with and extending from said first section; and iii. means for fastening said first and second members together; e. an operating handle movable between a first and a second position; and f. means responsive to the movement of said handle between the first and second positions for moving said movable contact carrier toward and away from said stationary contact carrier to close all contact sets when said handle is moved to the first position, and open all contact sets when said handle is moved to the second position.

Claim 3

A multipole disconnect switch according to claim 1, wherein said second section of said second member is at a substantially right angle to said first section and extends away from said first member, said second section having an elongated slot therethrough, the longitudinal axis of said slot being substantially perpendicular to the plane of the planar surfaces of said stationary and movable contact carriers.

Claim 4

A multipole disconnect switch according to claim 2, wherein said responsive means is comprised of: a. means fastened to said second section of said second member for holding said movable contact carrier within the opening in said first section of said second member; and b. actuating means mechanically coupled to said handle and said holding means for causing said holding means to move said movable contact carrier towards said stationary contact carrier when said handle is moved to the first position, and for causing said holding means to move said movable contact carrier away from said stationary contact carrier when said handle is moved to the second position.

Claim 5

A multipole disconnect switch according to claim 3, wherein said holding means is comprised of: a. first and second linkage brackets, each of said linkage brackets having one respective end thereof pivotally connected to said second section of said second member; b. third and fourth linkage brackets, one end of each of said third and fourth linkage brackets being pivotally connected to said movable contact carrier; c. a critical linkage pin having a first and second portion, said second portion extending through said slot in said second section of said second member and mechanically coupled to said actuating means; and d. fifth and sixth linkage brackets, each of said fifth and sixth linkage brackets having one end thereof pivotally connected together by said first portion of said critical linkage pin, the other ends of said first, third and fifth linkage brackets being pivotally connected together, and the other ends of said second, fourth and sixth linkage brackets being pivotally connected together, whereby when said handle is moved to the first position, said actuating means causes said critical linkage pin to move towards said stationary contact carrier, thereby causing said other end of all of said linkage brackets to move away from said slot in said second section of said second member so as to force said one ends of said third and fourth linkage brackets towards said stationary carrier and each of said movable contacts into engagement with a respective one of said stationary contacts, and when said handle is moved to the second position, said actuating means causes said critical linkage pin tO move away from said stationary carrier, thereby causing said other ends of all of said linkage brackets to move toward said slot in said second section of said second member so as to force said one ends of said third and fourth linkage brackets to pull said movable contact carrier away from said stationary carrier and each of said movable contacts out of engagement with a respective one of said stationary contacts.

Claim 6

A multipole disconnect switch comprising: a. a plurality of stationary and movable electrical contacts, a surface of each of said stationary contacts being aligned with and positioned adjacent to a surface of a corresponding one of said movable contacts to form a contact set; b. a stationary contact carrier for supporting said stationary contacts; c. a movable contact carrier for supporting said movable contacts; d. means for mounting said stationary and movable contact carriers to a supporting structure; e. an operating handle movable between a first and a second position; f. means responsive to the movement of said handle between the first and second positions for moving said movable contact carrier toward and away from said stationary contact carrier to close all contact sets when said handle is moved to the first position, and open all contact sets when said handle is moved to the second position; and g. means for aligning each of said movable contacts with a respective one of said stationary contacts during final assembly and prior to operation of said disconnect switch, said aligning means being comprised of: i. a plate having a plurality of holes therein, each of said holes being aligned with a respective one of said stationary contacts; ii. a shutter disposed between said stationary contact carrier and said plate, said shutter having a plurality of holes therein for allowing each of said movable contacts to pass therethrough and into engagement with a respective one of said stationary contacts, said shutter being initially positioned immediately prior to final assembly of said disconnect switch so that the holes therein are out of alignment with said stationary contacts to prevent said movable contacts from passing therethrough; and iii. means for moving said shutter during final assembly of said disconnect switch until the holes in said shutter are in alignment with the holes in said plate when each of the movable contacts is in proper alignment with a respective one of said stationary contacts.

Claim 7

A multipole disconnect switch comprising: a. a plurality of stationary and movable electrical contacts, a surface of each of said stationary contacts being aligned with and positioned adjacent to a surface of a corresponding one of said movable contacts to form a contact set; b. a stationary contact carrier for supporting said stationary contacts; c. a movable contact carrier for supporting said movable contacts; d. means for mounting said stationary and movable contact carriers to a supporting structure; e. an operating handle movable between a first and a second position; f. means responsive to the movement of said handle between the first and second positions for moving said movable contact carrier toward and away from said stationary contact carrier to close all contact sets when said handle is moved to the first position, and open all contact sets when said handle is moved to the second position; and g. means for aligning each of said movable contacts with a respective one of said stationary contacts during final assembly and prior to operation of said disconnect switch, said aligning means being comprised of: i. a plate having a plurality of holes therein, each of said holes being aligned with a respective one of said stationary contacts; ii. a shutter disposed between said stationary contact carrier and said plate, said shutter having a plurality of holes therein for allowing each of said movable contacts to pass therethrough and into engagement with a respective one of said stationary contacts, said shutter being initially positioned immediately prior to final assembly of said disconnect switch so that the holes therein are out of alignment with said stationary contacts to prevent said movable contacts from passing therethrough; and iii. means for moving said shutter during final assembly of said disconnect switch until the holes in said shutter are in alignment with the holes in said plate when each of the movable contacts is in proper alignment with a respective one of said stationary contacts.

Claim 8

A multipole disconnect switch according to claim 5, wherein said shutter moving means is comprised of: a. a cam bracket attached to said first section of said second member and extending in the direction of said stationary contact carrier, said main section of said first member having a hole therein for allowing said cam bracket to pass therethrough; and b. a cam receiving plate attached to said shutter having a slot therein positioned to receive said cam, bracket to force said shutter to move to a position such that the holes in said shutter are in alignment with said stationary contacts when each of said movable contacts is in proper alignment with a respective one of said stationary contacts.

Claim 9

A multipole disconnect switch comprising: a. a plurality of stationary and movable electrical contacts, a surface of each of said stationary contacts being aligned with and positioned adjacent to a surface of a corresponding one of said movable contacts to form a contact set; b. a movable contact carrier for supporting said movable contacts; c. a stationary contact carrier for supporting said stationary contacts, said stationary contact carrier having a plurality of recessed sections extending from and adjacent a planar surface thereof, the surface of each of said stationary contacts being positioned within a corresponding one of said recessed sections; d. means for mounting said stationary and movable contact carriers to a supporting structure; e. an operating hAndle movable between a first and a second position; and f. means responsive to the movement of said handle between the first and second positions for moving said movable contact carrier toward and away from said stationary contact carrier to close all contact sets when said handle is moved to the first position, and open all contact sets when said handle is moved to the second position, whereby a surface of each of said corresponding movable contacts protrudes into a corresponding one of said recessed sections to engage a corresponding one of said stationary contacts when all of said contact sets are closed.

Claim 10

A multipole disconnect switch comprising: a. a plurality of stationary and movable electrical contacts, a surface of each of said stationary contacts being aligned with and positioned adjacent to a surface of a corresponding one of said movable contacts to form a contact set; b. a movable contact carrier for supporting said movable contacts; c. a stationary contact carrier for supporting said stationary contacts, said stationary contact carrier having a plurality of recessed sections extending from and adjacent a planar surface thereof, the surface of each of said stationary contacts being positioned within a corresponding one of said recessed sections; d. means for mounting said stationary and movable contact carriers to a supporting structure; e. an operating hAndle movable between a first and a second position; and f. means responsive to the movement of said handle between the first and second positions for moving said movable contact carrier toward and away from said stationary contact carrier to close all contact sets when said handle is moved to the first position, and open all contact sets when said handle is moved to the second position, whereby a surface of each of said corresponding movable contacts protrudes into a corresponding one of said recessed sections to engage a corresponding one of said stationary contacts when all of said contact sets are closed.

Claim 11

A multipole disconnect switch comprising: a. a plurality of stationary and movable electrical contacts, a surface of each of said stationary contacts being aligned with and positioned adjacent to a surface of a corresponding one of said movable contacts to form a contact set; b. a stationary contact carrier for supporting said stationary contacts; c. a movable contact carrier for supporting said movable contacts, said movable contact carrier having first and second holes extending therethrough, said first hole being positioned adjacent one end of said movable contact carrier, and said second hole being positioned adjacent another end opposite said one end of said movable contact carrier; d. means for mounting said stationary and movable contact carriers to a supporting structure; e. an operating handle movable between a first and a second position; f. means responsive to the movement of said handle between the first and second positions for moving said movable contact carrier toward and away from said stationary contact carrier to close all contact sets when said handle is moved to the first position, and open all contact sets when said handle is moved to the second position; g. first and second guide pins attached to said stationary contact carrier axially aligned with and passing through said respective first and second holes in said movable contact carrier; and h. first and second spacer members attached to said respective first and second guide pins, one side of each of said spacer members positioned parallel to the planar surface of said stationary contact carrier, and the opposite side of each of said spacer members abutting the planar surface of said movable contact carrier after all the contact sets have been closed, whereby to insure that the planar surfaces of said movable and stationary carriers are maintained parallel with respect to each other when all the contact sets are closed.

Claim 12

A multipole disconnect switch comprising: a. a plurality of stationary and movable electrical contacts, a surface of each of said stationary contacts being aligned with and positioned adjacent to a surface of a corresponding one of said movable contacts to form a contact set; b. a stationary contact carrier for supporting said stationary contacts; c. a movable contact carrier for supporting said movable contacts, said movable contact carrier having first and second holes extending therethrough, said first hole being positioned adjacent one end of said movable contact carrier, and said second hole being positioned adjacent another end opposite said one end of said movable contact carrier; d. means for mounting said stationary and movable contact carriers to a supporting structure; e. an operating handle movable between a first and a second position; f. means responsive to the movement of said handle between the first and second positions for moving said movable contact carrier toward and away from said stationary contact carrier to close all contact sets when said handle is moved to the first position, and open all contact sets when said handle is moved to the second position; g. first and second guide pins attached to said stationary contact carrier axially aligned with and passing through said respective first and second holes in said movable contact carrier; and h. first and second spacer members attached to said respective first and second guide pins, one side of each of said spacer members positioned parallel to the planar surface of said stationary contact carrier, and the opposite side of each of said spacer members abutting the planar surface of said movable contact carrier after all the contact sets have been closed, whereby to insure that the planar surfaces of said movable and stationary carriers are maintained parallel with respect to each other when all the contact sets are closed.