US3026384A - Circuit breaker with timing control - Google Patents

Description

RE 7-5zf March 20, 1962 W. M. POSCHMAN ll CIRCUIT BREAKER WITH TIMING. CONTROL 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 18, 1959 I 7 G. 7 I

. INVENTOR.

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CIRCUITBREAKER WITH TIMING CONTROL Filed Sept. 18, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII/IIIII/IIIIIIIIIIII 4 I I 4 7 'I/III/I/lx I'll/1111114 \I 42 40 t' 66 0 IVENTOR.

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Arrows) United. States Patent 3,026,384 CIRCUIT BREAKER WITH TIMING CONTROL William M. Poschman II, North Las Vegas, Nev. Vegas Valley Elect, 1123 Western, Las Vegas, Nev.)

Filed Sept. 18, 1959, Ser. No. 840,914

8 Claims. (Cl. 20038) This invention relates to an electrical circuit breaker and it particularly relates to a time clock controlled type of circuit breaker.

Although timing controls for circuit breakers have been well known heretofore, all these prior devices have been generally bulky and unduly complex. They not only required an inordinately large amount of space but were difficult to install and expensive to manufacture and maintain. Consequently, they never attained the public appeal and acceptance which they would otherwise have deserved. V I

i It is one object of the present invention to overcome the above and other difiiculties of prior devices ofthis type by providing a timed circuit breaker device'which is install and maintain,

timed circuit breaker device of the aforesaid type which relatively simple. in construction and relatively easy to 3,826,384 Patented'Mar. 20, 1962 "ice tween the forwardly extending end flanges 40 and 42 of a longitudinally movable bar 44 movably mounted on the adjacent wall of the compartment 16. This bar is longitudinally movable between limits fixed by a stop member or collar 46, connected at its upper and lower ends to the compartment wall and positioned to engage with either of the flanges 40 or 42 upon longitudinal movement of bar 44.

Between the flanges 40 and 42 there is provided a cam 48 mounted on the shaft 50 of the time clock motor 30. This cam 48 is retained against the face of a time clock control and time setting wheel 52, mounted loosely but coaxially therewith on the shaft 50, by means of a spring 54 and spring keeper 56. The wheel 52 is operatively connected to a standard five wheel twenty-four hour single motion time clock movement generally indicated at 58 by a clutch mechanism hereinafter described.

The main gear 60 of the time clock movement'58 is provided with two pins 62 extending forwardly from the face thereof and releasably engaging in corresponding openings in the wheel 52. The spring 54 releasably and is of relatively small bulk and which is accommodated in an ordinary circuit breaker panel.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an improved timed circuit breaker device, of the character described, that is easily and economically produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which is highly efficient in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combina tion of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away, of a device embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG. 1, showing the lever in the off position.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 1, but showing the lever in the on position.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view, similar to FIG. 3, but showing an alternative embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram showing the electrical power circuit used in the control mechanism of the embodiment of FIG. 6.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts, there is shown a timed circuit breaker assembly, generally designated 10, which comprises a housing or cabinet 12 having two compartments 14 and 16. In compartment 14 is provided a circuit breaker 18, of generally the standard type, while in compartment 16 is provided the timing and control mechanism 20. Each of the compartments 14 and 16 has an aperture aligned for use with a standard bus clip, as at 22 and 24 respectively to receive a bus bar 23 and 25 from a source of electrical energy. The clip 22 is electrically connected by wire 26 to the circuit breaker 18 while the clip 24 is connected by wire 28 to the time clock motor 30.

Pivotally connected to the control switch of the circuit breaker 18, as at 32, is a control lever 34. This lever 34 isalso pivoted to the housing, as at 36, and is provided at its lower end with a finger 38. This lever 34 depends down into compartment 16 and finger 38 is positioned beresiliently holds the pins 62 in engagement with thecorresponding openings in the-wheel 52 so that these pins 62act as clutch means to retain the wheel 52in operative. engagement with the clock movement 58. This type of construction permits simple adjustment of the wheel 52 bymerely' pullingit back against the spring 54 to disengage the pins 62, then rotating the wheel 52 to the de-i sired position and then releasing it to permit the pins 62 to reengage therewith.

The wheel 52 is provided on its periphery with an adjustable finger 64. This finger 64 is adapted to engage against a lever 66 rockably mounted at 68 on a bracket 70 fixed to the wall of the compartment. The lever 66 overlies a switch-opening bar 72 underlying the standard overload circuit opening bar 74 of the circuit breaker 18. The bar 72 is pivoted at 76 to bracket members 78 (see FIG. 5 and is biased into the position shown.

The control wheel 52 is calibrated with twenty-four hour markings and with intermediate fifteen minute marks. It is also preferably colored white on the 6:00 to 6:00 daylight hour side and black on the 6:00 to 6:00 night hour side.

In operation, as the control wheel 52 rotates, it rotates the cam 48 which, as it moves into the position of FIG. 2, engages flange 42 and pulls back the bar 44. This engages the flange 40 with finger 38 causing the lever 34 to rock into the on position shown in FIG. 2. In this on position, the control switch, connected at 32 to the lever 34, interposes the circuit breaker 18, which is otherwise by-passed, into the circuit leading from bus bar 23. With the flow of electrical energy now passing through the circuit breaker 18, as the wheel 52 continues to rotate through its cycle, it causes the finger 64 to engage lever 66 which, in turn, depresses the outer end of bar 72. This causes bar 72 to rock on its pivot 76 which forces the opposite end of the bar 72 to push up on the overload circuit at a pre-set time opening bar 74 at a pre-set time, thereby opening the circuit. This is a momentary action, however, since, as the wheel 52 continues to turn, the finger 64 is disengaged from the lever 66 which then returns to its normal position wherein the circuit breaker 18 is retained in the circuit ready to open in the standard manner under overload. In this manner, the protective action of the breaker is maintained.

As the Wheel 52 continues to rotate, the cam 48 is eventually rotated into the position wherein it engages flange 40 and moves the lever 34 to open the switch connected to it at 32 so as to remove the circuit breaker 18 from the circuit.

In FIGS. 6 and 7 is shown a modified form of the device wherein the lever is similar to lever 34 and 3 is pivotally mounted at 102. The lower portion of the lever 100, however, consists of an extension 104 having an otfset end 106 provided with a slot 108. In this slot 108 is provided a pivot pin 110 to one end of which is connected a rocker arm 112 having a head 114 at its end. This rocker arm 112 is a core extending through a coil 116 forming a solenoid. The coil 116 is connected into the electrical circuit inthe manner shown in FIG. 7.

The circuit shown in FIG. 7 comprises the motor 118 connected to the source of electrical energy through lines 120 and 122, and alsoin circuit with the coil 116 through lines 124 and 126. 'A'momentary contact normally open line voltage switch 128 is provided in line 12 6. i

In operation, when the coil 11.6 is energized, the thrust of the rocker arm 112 to theright :(as viewed in FIG. 6) pulls the offset and 106 to the right. the lever 100 around its pivot 102 into the on position. The slot 108 provides sufiicient play or slippage to maintain the thermal or magnetic protective features of the circuit breaker. The coil 116 is energized by a cam similar to cam 48. This cam would engage the energizing switch 128 during one part of its rotation and would be disengaged therefrom during the remainder of its rotation.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is tobe determined as claimed. Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

1. An electrical circuit breaker devicecomprising a This acts to rock.

means comprising a plurality of pins adapted to engage with said Wheel, spring means on said drive shaft normally forcing said wheel into engagement with said pins,

' a circuit opening means in said other compartment oper housing having at least two compartments separated by a vertical wall, a circuit breaker in one compartment and .a control mechanism in the other compartment, switch 2. The device of claim 1 wherein said timing means includes an electric motor having a drive shaft extending therefrom, said cam means being mounted on said drive shaft. 1

atively associated with said circuit breaker, and means on the periphery of said wheel for' actuating said circuit opening means during rotation of said wheel.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said control means, comprises a longitudinally reciprocable bar having flanges at its opposite ends for engagement by said cam means.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said control means comprises a rocker arm connected to an oifset end of said control lever, said rocker arm extending through an electrically energized coil to form the core of a solenoid in conjunction with said coil.

.6, In an electrical circuit breakerdevice, an energizing switch operatively connected to a control lever which is, in turn, operatively associated with a cam, said cam being rotated'by an electrical timing mechanism including a drive motor, and a circuit opening switch lever operatively connected to said circuit breaker device, said c ircuit opening switch lever being .actuatable by an engagement means positioned at one portion of the periphery of a wheel operatively and selectively connected to said timing mechanism by a releasable clutch mechanism.

7; The device of claim 6 wherein said cam is operaand said motor, said solenoid coil encompassing a rocker.

arm operatively connected to said control lever.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,578,632 Miller Dec. 11, 1951 2,614,182 Wells Oct. 14, 1952 2,674,664 Clubb et a1. Apr. 6, 1954 2,825,770 Helsper Mar. 4, 1958

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