US3109899A

US3109899A - Handle lock

Info

Publication number: US3109899A
Application number: US63418A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alexander J Pastene
Original assignee: Cutler Hammer Inc
Current assignee: Cutler Hammer Inc
Priority date: 1960-10-18
Filing date: 1960-10-18
Publication date: 1963-11-05
Anticipated expiration: 1980-11-05

Description

Nov. 5, 1963 v J,PA$TENE 3,109,899

HANDLE LOCK Filed Oct. 18, 1960 3,109,899 HANDLE LOCK Alexander I. Pastene, Milwaukee, 'Wis assignor to Cutler-Hammer, Inc., Milwaukee, Wis, a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 18, 1960, Ser. No. 63,418 8 Claims. (Cl. 266-42) This invention relates to a locking device and more particularly to a device for locking a switch operating handle in a selected one of a plurality of operating positions.

While not limited thereto, the invention is especially applicable to maintenance of the operating handle of a circuit breaker of the thermal and magnetic trip type in either its on or off position.

A plurality of circuit breakers are often mounted in abutting relation in rows or columns on a panelboard. These breakers have an operating handle whereby they can be manually turned on and off to close and open the electrical circuit controlled thereby. These breakers are of the thermal and magnetic trip type whereby they respond to a continuous small overload current or to a large overload current to interrupt and thereby protect the associated circuit. Moreover, the mechanism thereof is of the trip-free-of-the-handle type so that the breaker responds to an overload current to open its contacts even if the operaing handle thereof is held in its on position.

It is often desirable to be able to set certain ones of such breakers in their on position, because of the circuits controlled thereby, so that the concerned breakers will not be turned off accidentally or by unauthorized personnel. It is also desirable at times to be able to set certain breakers in their off position and the concerned breakers should not be turned on accidentally. The breakers which should not be turned and those which should not be turned on are not readily discernible in a large bank thereof. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a locking device for maintaining the operating handle of the breaker in the desired position. Such locking device should be readily insertable in the selected position and readily removable therefrom so that the attendant can manually operate the breaker when necessary.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide improved means for locking a manually operablehandle in a selected operating position.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a locking device of the aforementioned type which is readily insertable in locking position and readily removable therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide a locking device of the aforementioned type which is simple in construction, durable and efiicient in function.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear.

.While the device hereinafter described is effectively adapted to fulfill the objects stated, I do not intend to confine my invention to the particular preferred embodiment thereof disclosed, inasmuch as it is susceptible of various modifications without departing from the scope of the appended claims. i

The invention is hereinafter described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a locking device constructed in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation view of a circuit breaker and a front elevation view of the locking device assembled in locking position on the breaker.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a locking member 2 comprising a substantially rectangular piece of spring sheet metal formed along its major axis into a substantially semi-cylindrical or U-shaped configuration at its 3,139,899 Patented Nov. 5, 1963 mid-portion 4. The opposite free ends 61thereof are bent upwardly in opposite directions to lie in a common plane. The corresponding side of each end 6 is provided with a projection 8 formed integrally therewith as by cutting off the remainder of the end portion thereof.

As shown in FIG. 2, the circuit breaker is provided with a molded insulating housing 10 having a cavity 12 therein for accommodating the operating mechanism, not shown. The upper wall of housing It is provided with an opening or aperture 14 through which extends an operating handle 16 by which the breaker isturned on and 01-. Operating handle 16 is rotatably mounted in housing It and a complementary cover, not shown, which closes the open side of the housing and aperture 14. Aperture 14 which is formed by the housingand cover is of an elongated size to permit reciprocal movement of the operating handle a predetermined angular amount.

The rear vertical inner wall 18 of aperture 14 is provided adjacent each horizontal end thereof with a depression 20. The cover is provided with a pair of similar depressions (not shown) in axial alinement with depressions 20 in the housing. In a breaker of this type, it may be assumed that the electrical contacts thereof are open when the operating handle is in its extreme clockwise position as shown in FIG. 2, and that such contacts are closed when the handle is pivoted to its extreme counterclockwise position. It will be apparent from FIG. 2 that when the operating handle is in the off position shown, the left-hand depression 2% and the corresponding depression in the cover are uncovered by the operating handle. Also, the right-hand depression 20 and the corresponding depression in the cover are uncovered by the operating handle when the latter is in its on position.

Locking member 2 is constructed so that the linear distance between the extremities of projections 8 is equal to or preferably slightly longer than the linear distance from the bottom of depression 20 to the bottom of the corresponding depression in the cover. Locking member 2 may be assembled on the breaker by squeezing the resilient U-shaped portion 4 thereof to bring projections 8 toward one another and then inserting the same into aperture 14 so that the projections 8 aline with depression 2%) and the corresponding depression in the cover and thereafter releasing the same to permit the projections to snap into the depressions. In this position as shown in FIG. 2, the left side of U-shaped portion 4 abuts the left end wall of aperture 14 and the right sides of the bent ends 6 of the locking member rest against the corners of the operating handle at 22. As projections 8 are confined in their accommodating depressions, member 2 rigidly holds the operating handle 16 immobile in its off position as shown. Due to the linear dimensions aforementioned locking member 2 remains slightly under stress whereby it is firmly held in this position.

Member 2 may be readily removed by squeezing the same as aforementioned until projections 8 clear the depressions and bodily lifting the same from aperture 14.

Member 2 may be similarly assembled to lock the opertaing handle in its on position. When the handle is pivoted to its extreme counterclockwise on position, turning locking member 2 one-hundred and eight degrees affords insertion thereof on the right side of handle 16 wherein projections 8 are received in the right-hand depression 20 and the corresponding depression in the cover to lock the operating handle.

An essential feature of the invention is to provide a readily insertable and removable locking device for the operating handle of a circuit breaker which is economical to manufacture and which may be employed to rigidly hold the operating handle in either its on or oil position.

I claim:

1. In a circuit breaker having a housing and an operating handle extending through an opening to the exterior of the housing and being reciprocably movable to a plurality of operating positions, means for locking the operating handle in a selected operating position comprising a locking device partiallyinsertable in the handle opening in the housing in abutting relation to the operating handle, and cooperating portions on said device and on the housing at the sides of said handle opening which parallel the general direction of reciprocatory movement of said handle, said cooperating portions being effective to securely retain said device in such opening thereby to prevent movement of the operating handle, said locking device comprising a resilient member normally uninsertable in the handle opening and being strainable to allow insertion of at least a portion thereof in the opening, release of said member when so inserted effecting engagement of said cooperating portions.

2. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said resilient member is provided with one side for abutting a Wall of the handle opening and another side for abutting the handle when inserted in such opening.

3. In a circuit breaker having a housing and an operating handle extending through an opening to the exterior of the housing and being reciprocably movable to a plurality of operating positions, inner side walls formed in said housing on opposite sides of said opening in said housing parallel to'the direction of reciprocatory movement of said operating handle, means for locking the operating handle in a selected operating position comprising a locking device partially insertable in the handle opening in the housing in abutting relation to the operating handle, and cooperating portions on said device and on the housing for securely retaining said device in such opening thereby to prevent movement of the operating handle, said locking device comprising a preformed resilient spring member, and said cooperating portions comprising projecting portions on said member for engaging portions of said opposite inner side walls of the handle opening.

4. A handle locking device for an electric switch comprising a semicylindrical resilient member having at its free ends lateral projections extending in opposite directions in a substantially common plane, said member being partially and readily insertable when flexed in the handle opening in the switch housing in abutting relation to the handle and an inner wall of the handle opening wherein when released said projections securely engage corresponding recesses in the side walls of said handle opening which parallel the general direction of reciprocatory movement of said handle, and said resilient member being readily removable from the handle opening when flexed.

5. In a circuit breaker, in combination, an insulating housing having a base provided with an open side, an insulating cover closing said open side, an operating handle opening in said base and cover, an operating handle rotatably journaled in said base and cover and extending to the exterior thereof, said opening being elongated to afford reciprocal movement of said handle to turn the breaker to its on and off operating positions, opposed recesses in said base and cover adjacent one end of said opening, a handle locking device comprising a resilient member having alined projections extending in opposite directions, the normal distance between the extremities of said projections being greater than the distance between the walls of said opening immediately adjacent said recesses, squeezing of said resilient member causing reduction of said normal distance to allow insertion of said member in said opening clear of said walls thereof, and release of said member allowing the bias therein to cause spreading thereof to effect engagement of said projections in said recesses, said member when so inserted engaging a wall of said opening and said handle to lock the latter in one operating position.

6. The invention defined in claim 5, together with opposed recesses in said base and cover adjacent the other end of said opening for receiving said projections on said resilient member thereby to lock said handle in its other operating position.

7. In a circuit breaker having a housing and an operating handle extending through an opening to the exterior of the housing, the opening being elongated to afford reciprocal movement of the operating handle to on and off positions, the improvement comprising a pair of opposed recesses adjacent each end of the opening in the opposite inner walls thereof, a handle locking device for locking the operating handle in either its on" or off position, said device comprising a resilient U-shaped member made of spring metal, the ends of said member being bent outwardly into a common plane and each having a projection thereon, said member being resiliently deformable to clear the inner Walls of the opening and being thus partially insertable in the latter with said projections in alinement with one pair of said recesses when the operating handle is in its on position and in alinement with the other pair of said recesses when the operating handle is in its 01f position, the operating handle covering one pair of said recesses in each position thereof to permit insertion of said member only in the correct position, and the bias of said resilient member when released causing said projections to spring in the selected pair of recesses to lock the operating handle in the selected position.

8. The invention defined in claim 7, wherein said projections are adjacent one side of said member and such side engages an end wall of the handle opening, and the other side of said member extends from the' opening in overlying relation to the operating handle and the bent ends at the other side thereof engage the operating handle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,192,060 Wise Feb. 27, 1940 2,484,424 Rosing Oct. 11, 1949 2,625,617 Ballou Ian. 13, 1953 2,937,248 Michetti May 17, 1960

Claims

1. IN A CIRCUIT BREAKER HAVING A HOUSING AND AN OPERATING HANDLE EXTENDING THROUGH AN OPENING TO THE EXTERIOR OF THE HOUSING AND BEING RECIPROCABLY MOVABLE TO A PLURALITY OF OPERATING POSITIONS, MEANS FOR LOCKING THE OPERATING HANDLE IN A SELECTED OPERATING POSITION COMPRISING A LOCKING DEVICE PARTIALLY INSERTABLE IN THE HANDLE OPENING IN THE HOUSING IN ABUTTING RELATION TO THE OPERATING HANDLE, AND COOPERATING PORTIONS ON SAID DEVICE AND ON THE HOUSING AT THE SIDES OF SAID HANDLE OPENING WHICH PARALLEL THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF RECIPROCATORY MOVEMENT OF SAID HANDLE, SAID COOPERATING PORTIONS BEING EFFECTIVE TO SECURELY RETAIN SAID DEVICE IN SUCH OPENING THEREBY TO PREVENT MOVEMENT OF THE OPERATING HANDLE, SAID LOCKING DEVICE COMPRISING A RESILIENT MEMBER NORMALLY UNINSERTABLE IN THE HANDLE OPENING AND BEING STRAINABLE TO ALLOW INSERTION OF AT LEAST A PORTION THEREOF IN THE OPENING, RELEASE OF SAID MEMBER WHEN SO INSERTED EFFECTING ENGAGEMENT OF SAID COOPERATING PORTIONS.