AU2006100852A4

AU2006100852A4 - Dual-lock hookstick operator for outdoor switchgear

Info

Publication number: AU2006100852A4
Application number: AU2006100852A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Wolfgang Rebholz
Original assignee: POWER SOLUTIONS Pty Ltd AK
Current assignee: AK POWER SOLUTIONS Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2006-09-22
Filing date: 2006-09-22
Publication date: 2006-11-09
Anticipated expiration: 2014-09-22

Description

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AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT DUAL-LOCK HOOKSTICK OPERATOR FOR OUTDOOR SWITCHGEAR The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: IP Australia 2 2 SEP 2006

P&S

DUAL-LOCK HOOKSTICK OPERATOR FOR OUTDOOR a

SWITCHGEAR

For many years air-break and gas switches designed to isolate parts of an electricity distribution network have consisted of a pad-locked manual 00oO operating handle at ground level which allowed a user, whether authorised or unauthorised, to access and operate the air-break or gas switch once the pad-lock was removed. The fact that the operating handle was, until Snow, at or near ground level and secured by a simple pad-lock system has C meant that authorised and unauthorised users have easily accessed the operating handle and have subjected themselves to the possibility of severe injuries from resultant electric shock, and have caused electricity infrastructure damage and interruption and outage to electricity services.

This invention has been specifically devised in order to provide improved safety and security with respect to the accessibility of the operating handle and, thereby, air-break and gas switches in order to minimise potential damage and injury to authorised and unauthorised users and the electricity network.

A dual-lock hookstick operator for outdoor switchgear, in accordance with this invention, is the device which an air-break or gas switch operator must utilise in order to activate and deactivate an air-break or gas switch to isolate a particular part of an electricity distribution network and comprises a dual-locking mechanism housed within a rectangular operator mould.

The operator mould is fastened to wooden street polls by two bolts and to other structures by a bandit strap at a height of at least 3.6 metres where no earthing is required and where access by unauthorised users is minimised considerably.

A dual-lock hookstick operator for outdoor switchgear, in accordance with this invention, is attached to air-break and gas switches by an insulated downrod and is only functional via the use of an insulated operating handle, which is only accessible to authorised users. The insulated operating handle and downrod eliminaie the likelihood of personal injury c to users.

C The dual-locking mechanism housed within the operator mould is made oO up of a spring-loaded primary male-female interlocking key device and a hook and latch lever secondary locking device both of which must be disengaged by a user in order to allow the movement of a paddle-shaped swing arm which thereafter activates the relevant air-break or gas switch.

The primary lock is a key lock made up of a male and female member.

The female member sits within an opening at the base of the operator mould and is surrounded by a guide cone which protrudes at the base of the operator mould.

Within the operator mould, the female member is connected to an interlock cam, by a spring pin, a spring, and two washers on either side of such spring.

The male member of the primary lock is attached to the top of an insulated operating handle and is independent of the main operator mould. The guide cone assists the user to join the male and female members. The male member is pushed upward against the female member and rotated 900 clockwise and the interlock cam also rotates 900 clockwise and the primary lock is disengaged.

The secondary locking device is comprised of a latch lever within the operator mould and a hook lever substantially within, with a small section which protrudes the front side of, the operator mould. The secondary locking device is disengaged when the hook lever rests upon the latch lever.

The hook and latch levers are individually attached to the operator mould by a nut and bolt and are centred within the operator mould by a spring 0 on one side of each lever and a spacer on the other. The spacer rests upon the bolt and is not otherwise fastened to the operator mould whilst N the spring also rests upon the bolt and is connected to the operator mould by a bolt. The hook lever sits within the operator mould N horizontally, from front to the rear, whilst the latch lever hangs vertically 00 within, and toward the rear of, the operator mould. The springs which sit upon the respective bolts and which are connected to the operator mould ensure that the hook and latch levers are centred and in their operational O 10 position at all times.

Whilst the primary lock is engaged, the hook lever is restricted in its downward movement by the interlock cam within the operator mould.

When the primary lock is disengaged and the interlock cam has been rotated out of the way of the hook lever, the interlock cam no longer restricts the movement of the hook lever which is thereafter held in a horizontal position by the interplay of the nut and bolt upon which it is suspended and the tension of the spring upon such bolt. At such point, with the primary lock disengaged, the hook lever has sufficient space to move downward at the front of operator mould whilst being suspended about the nut and bolt toward the rear of the operator mould. Such movement is only possible via the application of force to the protruding section of the hook lever. Force is required as the hook lever is otherwise held in a horizontal position by the tension of the spring over the nut and bolt which hold the hook lever in its operational position.

On the outer front side of the operator mould, the section of the hook lever which protrudes the front side of the operator mould is surrounded by a v-shaped guide which is welded to the front side of the operator mould.

The secondary lock is disengaged by the user placing the operating head N attachment of the insulated operating handle within the v-shaped guide and pulling down on the protruding section of the hook lever causing the opposite side of the hook lever to catch and sit on the lower section of the latch lever.

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Whilst the secondary lock is engaged, a paddle shaped swing arm Icentred and mounted on the outer front side of the operator mould is restricted in its movement by the horizontal hook lever. Once the secondary lock is disengaged, the protruding section of the hook lever is no longer horizontal as it has been moved downward and it no longer obstructs the movement of the swing arm.

The swing arm has incisions at the end of each arm and an insulated downrod is attached to one arm between its centre and the incision. The operating head attachment of the insulated operating handle is placed by the user within the incision in the raised section of the swing arm and the raised section of the swing arm is pulled downward so that it is lowered and the opposite side is raised. As one side of the swing arm is moved from the raised position to the lowered position, the insulated downrod moves in an upward or downward direction, dependant on which side of the swing arm the insulated downrod is attached. As the insulated downrod moves, it either engages or disengages the air-break or gasswitch.

A cam, within the operator mould, is attached to the swing arm, the same being separated by the operator mould, so that each time the swing arm is moved from one position to the opposite position, the cam rotates. The spring over the nut and bolt, upon which the latch lever rests, holds the lower middle section of the latch lever up against the cam at all times so that when the swing arm is moved and the cam rotates, the cam pushes against the latch lever moving its lower section away from the hook lever.

N As the latch lever is moved, the hook and latch levers are unattached, the protruding front side of the hook lever moves upward to its resting horizontal position. The horizontal hook lever once again restricts the movement of the swing arm and the latch lever is repositioned in its 00 vertical position. Both levers are returned to their operational positions via _the interplay of the spring and spacer on their respective supporting nut Iand bolt. The secondary locking device is reengaged.

A user must disengage the secondary lock before the swing arm, and therefore the air-break or gas switch, is moved again.

Once the final position of the air-break or gas switch is determined, the secondary lock will have been automatically engaged after the previous movement of the swing arm and the user is simply required to engage the primary lock using the male member of the operating key attachment of the insulated operating handle, pushing up against the female member and turning ninety degrees anti-clockwise.

The dual-lock hookstick operator is preferably made from galvanised or stainless steel, however other materials can also be used. The guide cone is preferably made from polypropylene, however other materials can also be used. The operating handle and downrod are made of any insulated material.

The invention may be better understood with reference to the illustrations of embodiments of the invention which: Figure 1 is a plan view of the dual-lock hookstick operator for outdoor switchgear.

6 0 Figure 2 is elevation 1 of the dual-lock hookstick operator for outdoor N switchgear in accordance with the plan view.

Figure 3 is elevation 2 of the dual-lock hookstick operator for outdoor I 5 switchgear in accordance with the plan view.

00 0 0 Figure 4 is elevation 3 of the dual-lock hookstick operator for outdoor \0 switchgear in accordance with the plan view.

c 10 Figure 5 is elevation 4 of the dual-lock hookstick operator for outdoor switchgear in accordance with the plan view.

Figure 6 is sectional elevation AA of the dual-lock hookstick operator for outdoor switchgear in accordance with the plan view.

Figure 7 is sectional elevation BB of the dual-lock hookstick operator for outdoor switchgear in accordance with the plan view.

Figure 8 is an elevation of the dual-lock hookstick operator for outdoor switchgear and insulated downrod as positioned on power pole.

Figures 9 is an elevation of the operating handle for dual-lock hookstick operator for outdoor switchgear.

The dual-lock hookstick operator for outdoor switchgear has a hookstick N guide cone attached by two bolts to the operator mould (28) at its base.

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00o 5 The spring-loaded primary locking device sits within the hookstick guide cone and is comprised of a female member key lock connected NOto an interlock cam by a spring pin a spring and two Swashers on either side The primary lock device is affixed to the operator mould (28) by a bolt The hook lever is attached to the! operator mould (28) by a nut (13) and bolt and remains centred within the operator mould (28) by a spacer (12) and a spring (14) placed either side of the hook lever over the bolt The spring (14) is fastened to the operator mould (28) by, and remains taught due to, the bolt (22) and ensures that the hook lever remains horizontal whilst the secdndary lock is engaged and returns the hook lever to the horizontal position when the secondary lock is re-engaged.

In the locked position, the latch lever hangs freely and remains positioned within the operator mould l(28) by the nut (31) and bolt (32) and remains centred by a spacer (34) and a spring (33) placed either side of the latch lever over the bolt (321. The spring (33) is fastened to the operator mould (28) by, and remains taught due to, the bolt (21) and ensures that the latch lever rest against the cam at all times.

When both the primary and secondary locking devices are engaged, within the operator mould the hook lever is restricted in its movement and locked into position by the interlock cam and, outside the operator mould the swing arm is immoveable as a c section of the hook lever which protrudes the operator mould (28), obstructs such movement.

The swing arm outside the operator mould is attached to the 00 5 cam within the operator mould and held to the operator mould (28) by two washers and and a nut (11) so that when the IDswing arm is moved, the cam oscillates.

SThe male member operating key (27) attached to the insulated operating handle (26) is employed by a user to unlock the primary locking device by pushing the operating key (27) upward against the spring pin (24) and female key lock (30) and turning the operating key (27) 900 in the clockwise direction.

The action of turning the female key lock (30) 900 in the clockwise direction rotates the interlock cam (18) 900 clockwise and the hook lever is no longer obstructed by the interlock cam The primary locking device is now disengaged. The bolt restricts any over-rotation of the interlock cam (18) and female key lock The user then places the operating head attached to the insulated operating handle (26) in the v-shaped guide (35) which is welded to the operator mould (28) on the exterior front side of the operator mould (28) and the user pulls down on the section of the hook lever which protrudes outside operator mould (28).

Upon pulling down on the protruding section of the hook lever the opposite side of the hook lever moves upward from its horizontal position, whilst being held in place by the bolt and nut until its edge sits on the latch lever which thereafter prevents the hook lever from returning to its original, horizontal and locked position. The secondary locking device is now disengaged.

Whilst the hook lever sits on the latch lever the protruding section of the hook lever which sits outside the operator mould has been moved downward and no longer restricts the movement of the 00O 0 swing arm as the swing arm has, thereby, been afforded space so as to move.

IND

The user then places the operating head (25) attached to the insulated operating handle (26) in the incision (37) in the section of the swing arm which is raised and pulls downward.

An insulated downrod (29) is attached to one side of the swing arm in the opening (36) and as the swing arm is moved from the raised position to the lowered section or vice versa, the insulated downrod (29) moves in an upward or downward direction and the air-break or gas switch is either engaged or disengaged.

Upon pulling down on the swing arm the cam oscillates and pushes up against the latch lever which is moved away from the swing arm and causes the hook lever to fall from the edge of the latch lever and return to its original, horizontal and locked position obstructing the movement of the swing arm As such, each time the swing arm is moved from one position to the other, the secondary locking device is reengaged and the user must once again disengage it by placing the operating head (25) attached to the insulated operating handle (26) within the v-shaped guide (35) and pulling downward on the protruding section of the hook lever to disengage the secondary locking device before moving the swing arm again.

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S11 The spring (33) and spacer (34) ersure that each time the cam (9) Spushes against the latch lever ard moves the latch lever away from the hook lever that the latch lever is re-centred and correctly positioned. Likewise, the spring (14) land spacer (12) ensure that each In 5 time the hook lever falls away fron the latch lever that the hook O lever is re-centred and correctly positioned. The bolts and (22)) Sensure the springs and (14) respectively) do not over-rotate.

O Once the user has completed works related to- the air-break or gas switch, or associated electricity distribution lines, and decided on the final position for the air-break or gas switch, the secondary lock will have been automatically engaged after the previ 6 us movement of the swing arm and the user is simply required to engage the primary lock using the male member of the operating key (27) attached to the insulated operating handle (26) pushing up against the female member (30) and turning 900 in an anti-clockwise direction.

By doing so, the interlock cam (18) is epositioned beneath the hook lever and the hook lever is thereby Ilocked from movement and locked into position by the interlock cam and a user is unable to disengage the secondary locking device as the operating head (25) attached to the insulated operating handle (26) is unpble to pull downward on the hook lever

Claims

1. A dual-lock hookstick operator for outdoor switchgear comprises a In 5 dual locking mechanism made up of a spring-loaded primary male- oO 0 female key locking device and a hook and latch lever secondary Slocking device. \O S2. A dual-lock hookstick operator for outdoor switchgear is positioned at a height of 3.6 metres above ground level which negates the need for earthing.

3. A dual-lock hookstick operator for outdoor switchgear in accordance with claim 1 must have both of the spring-loaded primary male-female key locking device and the hook and latch lever secondary locking device disengaged prior to the swing arm, which operates the air-break or gas switch, being operational.

4. A dual-lock hookstick operator for outdoor switchgear in accordance with claims 1 and 2, where both of the spring-loaded primary male-female key locking device and the hook and latch lever secondary locking device require the use of an insulated operating handle to be disengaged. A dual-lock hookstick operator for outdoor switchgear substantially as herein before described with reference to figures 1-9 of the accompanying drawings. AK POWER SOLUTIONS PTY LTD 11 SEPTEMBER 2006