US3728504A

US3728504A - High voltage circuit breaker

Info

Publication number: US3728504A
Application number: US00223637A
Authority: US
Inventors: H Beier
Original assignee: Siemens AG
Current assignee: Siemens AG
Priority date: 1971-02-17
Filing date: 1972-02-04
Publication date: 1973-04-17
Anticipated expiration: 1990-04-17
Also published as: US3786216A; DE2108265C3; DE2108265B2; DE2108265A1; CH533899A

Abstract

The invention proposes a high voltage circuit breaker, which contains a switching arrangement in a metal housing, which in the past included structural support for the switching arrangement in the housing. The present proposal does away with the structural support by including impedance elements into the housing which have sufficient rigidity so as to act as a mechanical support and thus obviate the use of other structural elements.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Beier Apr. 17, 1973 [5 HIGH VOLTAGE CIRCUIT BREAKER 3,075,060 1/1963 Strom ..200/148 D 3,160,727 12/1964 Colclaser, Jr. et al.. ....200/l44 AP [75] Inventor Helm Germany 3,446,928 5/1969 Harper et al. ..200/144 AP [73] Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Munich,

Germany Primary ExaminerRobert S. Macon [22] Filed: Feb. 4 Att0rney-Arthur Wilfond et a1.

[2]] Appl. No.: 223,637 [57] ABSTRACT The invention proposes a high voltage circuit breaker, [30] Forelg Apphcauo Pnonty Data which contains a switching arrangement in a metal Feb. 17, 1971 Germany ..P 21 08 265.5 housing, which in the P included Structural Support for the switching arrangement in the housing. The [52] US. Cl. ..200/144 AP, 200/ 148 D present proposal does away with the structural support [51] Int. Cl. ..HOlh 33/16 by including impedance elements into the housing [58] Field of Search ..200/148 R, 144 AP, which have sufficient rigidity so as to act as a 200/l48 D mechanical support and thus obviate the use of other structural elements. [56] References Cited 7 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,052,783 9/1962 Buron ..200/144 AP BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1 Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to a rotary meat slicing knife for severing a slice of meat from a larger piece upon one revolution thereof.

2. Description of the Prior Art Slices of meat, such as steaks, chops or slices of ham, have been commonly cut from a larger piece of meat, such as a loin or whole ham, by a meat cutting band saw, appreciable operator time being required for cutting a quantity of such slices. A production meat slicing machine has been introduced which automatically feeds a large piece of meat to a rotating, eccentric knife blade which severs one piece of meat from the larger piece upon each revolution of the blade. The knife blade employed in that machine is generally crescent-shaped with a convexly curved cutting edge, the blade being mounted for eccentric rotation adjacent one of its ends and the cutting edge having serrations formed therein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A rotary meat slicing knife comprising a blade having opposite sides and a convexly curved, uninterrupted, sharpened cutting edge extending continuously between opposite extremities. Means are provided for mounting the blade for eccentric rotation in a given direction about an axis normal to the blade sides with the leading one of the cutting edge extremities being more closely spaced from the axis of rotation than the trailing one of the extremities. One side of the blade has a plurality of circumferentially contiguous segments formed thereon adjacent said cutting edge and extending between the cutting edge extremities. Each of the segments comprises a surface which smoothly tapers away from the cutting edge and which also smoothly tapers in thedirection of rotation toward the other side of the blade to the adjacent segment thus forming a compound wedge configuration pointing toward the cutting edge and in the direction of rotation for separating a slice of meat from a larger piece upon one revolution of the blade.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an improved rotary meat slicing knife.

The above-mentioned and other features and objects of this invention and the manner of attaining them will become more apparent and the invention itself will be best understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view in perspective, partly broken away, illustrating a meat slicing machine incorporating the improved rotary meat slicing knife of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the rotary meat slicing knife of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the knife of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along the line 5-5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an end view as viewed generally along the line 6-6 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken generally along the line 7-7 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8.is a fragmentary view in perspective further illustrating the wedge segments of the knife of the previous figures; and

FIG. 9 is another side view of the knife of the inven- 0 tion illustrating its slicing action.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a portion of a meat slicing machine, generally indicated at 10, having a meat loading and feeding bin 12, a slice-receiving bin 14, and the improved rotary meat slicing knife 16 of the invention mounted for rotation between bins l2 and 14 within'guard l8. Knife 16 is driven by a suitable motor (not shown) through gear box 20. Suitable meat feeding mechanism 22, which does not form a part of the present invention, is actuated by lead screw 24 driven by gear box 20, and incrementally feeds the piece of meat in bin 12 forwardly under knife 16 in response to each revolution thereof thereby to slice off one slice of the desired thickness.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 through 7 of the drawings, knife 16 comprises generally crescent-shaped blade 26 having

opposite ends

28, 30 and convexly curved, uninterrupted, sharpened cutting edge 32 having its opposite extremities 34, 36 terminating at

blade ends

28, 30. In the illustrated and preferred embodiment, cutting edge 32 is accurately curved having the center of its radius of curvature located as shown at 38 in FIG. 2.

Back-up plate 38 engages side 40 of blade 26, mounting hub 42 engages back-up plate 38, and mounting hub 44 engages side 46 of blade 26, blade 26, back-up plate 38 and mounting hubs 42, 44 being held in assembled relation by suitable screws 48. Back-up plate 38 has beveled edges 39 facing cutting edge 32. Sleeve 50 extends through openings in blade 26, backup plate 38 and mounting hubs 42, 44 and is secured thereto by suitable screws, one of which is shown at 52. Knife 16 is adapted to be mounted on the output shaft (not shown) of gear box 20 by means of sleeve 50 which has a keyway 54 therein for keying knife 16 to the output shaft. Cap 56 covers one end of sleeve 50 and is secured to mounting hub 42, as be welding.

It will now be seen that knife 16 is adapted to be mounted for eccentric rotation about axis 58 adjacent end 28 of blade 26. Knife 16 is rotated by the motor and gear box 20 in the direction shown by arrow 60, extremity 34 of cutting edge 32 thus being the leading extremity and being more closely spaced from axis of rotation 58 than the trailing extremity 36.

In accordance with the invention, side 40 of blade 26 has a plurality of circumferentially' contiguous segments 60, 62 formed thereon adjacent cutting edge 32 and extending between extremities 34, 36. Each segment 62 is formed by surface 64 which, as viewed in transverse cross-section as seen in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, tapers smoothly away from cutting edge 32 and, as viewed in longitudinal cross-section as shown in FIG. 7, also tapers smoothly in the direction of rotation 60 toward side 46 of the blade to the'adjacent segment 62.

Side 46 of plate 26 is substantially flat and, by virtue of the taper of surface 64 in direction of rotation 60, each segment 62 is joined to the adjacent segment by a discrete trailing edge 66 which extends inwardly from cutting edge 32 and is preferably slightly inclined in direction of rotation 60, as best seen in FIG. 2. Tapered surface 64 of each segment 62 thus forms a compound wedge configuration which points toward cutting edge 32 and in the direction of rotation 60. Blade 26 may be formed of any suitable metal and in a specific embodiment is formed of D-2 air hardened tool steel.

Referring now to FIG. 9 of the drawings, the relationship of knife 16 to loading and feeding bin 12 is shown as viewed generally in the direction shown by the arrow 9 in FIG. 1, guard 18 being eliminated. A piece of meat 68 having bone 70 therein, such as a beef loin from which steaks are to be sliced, is shown positioned in bin 12. With knife 16 continuously rotating in direction 60, and with knife 16 generally in the position shown in FIG. 1, feeding mechanism 22 pushes piece 68 of meat forwardly the requisite distance so that upon the next revolution of knife 16, a slice of the desired thickness will be cut-off. In a specific embodiment, a 1,750 r.p.m. motor is employed with gear box 20 providing a to 1 speed reduction thus driving knife 16 at 175 r.p.m. so as to provide 175 slices per minute.

The position of cutting edge 32 immediately prior to beginning a slicing operation is shown in dashed lines at 32-1, and intermediate positions during the slicing operation are shown in dashed lines at 32-2 and in solid lines in FIG. 9. Considering now point 72 on cutting edge 32, the path of movement of point 72 about axis 58 is shown by arrow 74. The path of movement 74 of point 72 can be vectorially resolved into component 76 normal to cutting edge 32 and component 78 tangent to cutting edge 32, it being observed that the compound wedge configuration formed by the tapered surface 64 of the respective segment 62 is likewise tapered or pointed in directions 76, 78. It will further be seen that the wedges formed by surfaces 64 of the segments 62 progressing toward trailing extremity 36 are moving at progressively higher linear rates of speed. Thus, the cumulative effect of the slicing action of the flying" wedges formed by tapered surfaces 64 is smoothly to separate the slice of meat from piece 68, wedges 64 and tapered edges 39 of back-up plate 38 ejecting the resulting slice into receiving bin 14.

The improved slicing knife 16 of the invention provides smoother, easier and faster cutting with less power than prior art machines.

While the flying wedge cutting edge configuration of the invention is particularly applicable to rotary meat slicing knives, as described above, it is also applicable to other types of slicing knives.

While there have been described above the principles of this invention in connection with specific ap paratus, it is to be clearly understood that this descripsaid blade for eccentric rotation in a iven direction about an axis normal to said sides with e leading one of said cutting edge extremities being more closely spaced from said axis than the trailing one of said extremities, one side of said blade having a plurality of circumferentially contiguous segments formed thereon adjacent said cutting edge and extending between said extremities, each of said segments comprising a surface which smoothly tapers away from said cutting edge and which also smoothly tapers in said direction toward the other side of said blade to the adjacent segment thereby forming a compound wedge configuration pointing toward said cutting and in said direction for separating a slice of meat from a larger piece upon one rotation of said blade.

2. The knife of claim 1 wherein said segments respectively have substantially the same size and configuration.

3. The knife of claim 1 wherein said other side of said blade is substantially flat.

4. The knife of claim -1 wherein said cutting edge is arcuate with the center of its radius of curvature spaced from said axis.

5. The knife of claim 1 wherein each of said segments is joined to the adjacent segment by a discrete trailing edge.

6. The knife of claim 1 wherein said blade is generally crescent-shaped and has opposite ends, said cutting edge extremities being respectively at said ends, said axis being adjacent one of said ends.

7. The knife of claim 6 wherein said segments have substantially the same size and configuration, said other side of said blade being substantially flat, said cutting edge being arcuate with the center of its radius of curvature spaced from said axis, each of said segments being joined to the adjacent segment by a discrete trailing edge.

8. A slicing blade having opposite sides and an uninterrupted, sharpened cutting edge extending continuously between opposite extremities, one side of said blade having a plurality of contiguous segments formed thereon adjacent said cutting edge and extending between said extremities, each of said segments comprising a surface which smoothly tapers away from said cutting edge and which also smoothly tapers toward one of said extremities and the other side of said blade to the adjacent segment thereby forming a compound wedge configuration pointing toward said cutting edge and said one extremity.

UNITED STATES PA'IENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,72@'3,5o) Dat April 1.7, 1973 Inventor(s) Helmet Beier It is certified that error appears in the aboveidentified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Cancel columns 1 thr-u L1, of. the printed patent and substitute the attached columns 1 thru L Signed and sealed this 30th day of April 197R.

(SEAL) Attes EDWARD l-'i.FLETGIIER,JR. C MARSHALL DANE Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents FORM PO-IOSO (10-69) USCOMM'DC GOS'IS-Pfi ".5. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: "C! 0Ji-334.

I '1 HIGH voLTAcE" CIRCUIT BREAKER The invention relates to a high voltage circuit breaker with a switching arrangement disposed in a metal housing and insulated therefrom. The arrangeand is similarly disposed in the metal housing. As a rule, in such circuit breakers, the so-called switching chamber tube has been provided in the form of an insulating material tube, which encloses'both of the switching pieces, as well as the sliding contact and provides for the mechanical support of the switching l5 arrangement. In place of the switching chamber tube, insulating material rods are used, as known from the US. Pat. No. 3,160,727, wherein a circuit breaker has been described, in which, in addition to nozzle 2 exceed the weight of the stationary switch pieces and the stresses occurring during the coaction of the stationary with the movable pieces. The stresses due to the inertia of the movable switch pieces are completely balanced out due to the symmetrical arrangement, so that the impedances, used as supporting insulating elements, may be of a size which is particularly advantageous.

For the purpose of a better explantion of the invention, an exemplified embodiment will be described in connection with the accompanying FIGURE. A heavy-duty switch breaker will be described here comprising a metal encapsulated high voltage circuit breaker arrangement with sulfahexafluoride as a quenching and insulating gas using a potential of 220 or more kV.

The circuit breaker includes a grounded metal housing 1, which consists of a cylindrical portion 2 having three tubular pipe sockets 3, 4 and 5. The

bodies for the guidance of a quenching gas stream. insulating material rods are used which are at least provided on opposite sides of. the circuit'breaker arrangement, whereby a mechanically stabilized ladder-formed structure is obtained.

It is an object of the invention to provide a further simplificatiorfof high voltag circuit breakers of the type described. The invention consists in that the impedance at high voltage potential provides the only rigid mechanical connection between the stationary switching piece and the sliding contact.

In accordance with the invention, the impedance whose function it is to facilitate the disconnect or connect of the high potential circuit breaker or to act as a control impedance for the control of the voltage 3 distribution, particularly in circuit breakers with multiple interruption, simultaneously functions also as a mechanical construction element. 'As a result, the usual switching chamber tube or corresponding insulating rods may be dispensed with.

are disposed about the switching unit and slide contact, preferably in a symmetrical manner. The mechanical stresses on the individual elements are thereby reduced, while the costs may not have to be significantly higher when, by using equal impedances for different circuit breakers, an advantageously greater number of pieces may be provided.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention for circuit breakers with two switching arrangements connnected in series, the switching arrangements are carried by a single support. This support engages in the middle of the structure at the ends of the switches facing each other. The other ends, which face away from each other, to which electrical connections have been made without imposing mechanical stresses thereon, are connected mechanically to the support only through the impedances in parallel with the switches. In this arrangement, the control impedances are free of all mechanical stresses, which from ends of the cylindrical portion 2 are closed by means of covers 6 and 7.

Two equal, electrically in series connected switch includes two

stationary electrodes

13 and 15, .which are hollow and function as jet nozzles. During the connect position, the electrodes are connected through a hollow movable switching pin 14. The circuit then comprises the electrode 13, which is to be considered as a stationary portion, over the switching pin 14 to the electrode 15, which, acting as a sliding contact, conducts the current from the switching pin 14 to a stationary metal housing 16, disposed in the center between the two switching arrangements 11 and 12. A hollow supporting insulator 20 consisting of cast resin engages the metal housing 16. The insulator 20 is rigidly. connected with the metal housing 16 at its high potential end. The grounded end of the O insulator, extending into the socket 4, is rigidly semotion of an insulating material driving rod 24 in the' direction of the axis of the insulator 20 which is guided through the metal housing 16 as at 25. Two angle levers 26 and 27,:movable in counteraction, are thereby set into motion and are coupled with the movable switching pins 14 of the switching arrangements 11 and 12 through rods 28. Therods 28 are further connected with a blast cylinder 30 which, during disconnect, is pulled over a stationary blast piston 31, whereby by means of sulfahexafluoride, which is subject to compression thereby and which streams through the

hollow switch pieces

13 and 14, a quenching of the electric arc is effected.

Arounded metal cap'33 is secured to the end of the respective switching arrangements 11 and 12, which are remote from the support 20, whereon the stationary switch piece 13 is supported. This metal cap is connected with the metal housing 16 over the control condensers 35, which are connected in parallel to the switching arrangements 11 and 12, and which serve to provide an even distribution of the potential on both of the switching arrangrnents. The control condensers, with the aid of cast resin, are made such that tliey are not only self-supporting, but are also capable of taking up mechanical stresses. Individually, they are considered as partial impedances, which are arranged in spatial symmetry with respect to the switching arrangments 1 1 and 12. Although the racial caps 33 are connected through the plug contact connection 36 with the conductor 37 of an inlet 38, the conical insulating bodies of which are referred to at 39, the plug contact connection 36, however, is not capable of transmitting mechanical stresses, since it is comprised of two sphere-like thickened conductor ends 41 and 42 which are electrically connected through contact laminations 43. The contact laminations are subject to the action of leaf springs 44 which are supported at a cylindrical housing 45. Thus, a freely movable and electrically well conducting connection is available so that mechanical stresses are not capable of being transmitted from the switching units to their inlets. Thus, the only rigid mechanical connection between the metal cap 33, which supports the stationary switch piece 13 and the sliding contact 15, associated with the metal housing 16, is provided by the impedances 35. It is thus possible to get along in this circuit breaker, in accordance with the invention, with a few simple insulating material parts, which are protected against weathering by means of the metal housing 1.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in high voltage circuit breaker, it is, nevertheless, not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

it is claimed:

1. A high voltage circuit breaker comprising a metal housing, at least one switch arrangement disposed in said housing and electrically insulated therefrom; said switch arrangement including a stationary switch portion and a movable switch pin disposed for coaction therewith, and a stationary sliding contact for guiding said pin; an impedance disposed in said housing for controlling the high voltage switching forming the only rigid'mechanical connection between said stationary switch portion and said sliding contact.

2. The circuit breaker according to claim 1, wherein said impedance comprises a condenser made of cast resin.

3. The circuit breaker according to claim 1, wherein said impedance consists of two or more partial impedances arranged for distribution about said stationary switch portion and said slide contact.

4. The circuit breaker according to claim 3, wherein said distribution is symmetrical.

5. The circuit breaker according to claim 1, wherein there are included two series connected switching arrangements each having two ends, one end being adjacent to and facing and the other end being remote and facing away from that of the other switch arrangement, means for supporting said switching arrangements disposed adjacent said facing ends, electrical connecting means connected to each of said remote ends, and means in said housing forming an inlet each for each of said electrical connecting means.

6. The circuit breaker according to claim 5, further including means for mechanically linking said remote ends to said supporting means comprising solely said impedances disposed in parallel to said switching arrangements.

7. The circuit breaker according to claim 6, wherein said electrical connecting means, together with said inlet means, comprise plug contacts, consisting of two coaxial conductors with sphere-like ends, and include a coupling contact piece encompassing said sphere-like ends.

Claims

1. A high voltage circuit breaker comprising a metal housing, at least one switch arrangement disposed in said housing and electrically insulated therefrom; said switch arrangement including a stationary switch portion and a movable switch pin disposed for coaction therewith, and a stationary sliding contact for guiding said pin; an impedance disposed in said housing for controlling the high voltage switching forming the only rigid mechanical connection between said stationary switch portion and said sliding contact.