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Description  |
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to circuit breaker switches, in general, and to an
actuator for controlling the circuit breaker switch to ensure that no more
than one switch is in its "ON" condition at any given instant, in
particular.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As is well known and understood, many equipments aboard a power driven
recreational boat can be energized from an on-board generator, or from
shore power at dockside. As is also well known, the typical on-board
arrangement utilizes a three-position switch to control the operation
desired. In a first position, for example, the equipments are not
connected to any energizing source (the "OFF" position), while in a second
position (the "GENERATOR" position), the power producing apparatus aboard
ship provides the necessary energization. In the third position of the
switch (the "SHORE" position), the on-board equipments are energized from
an appropriate source at the dock, or pier.
Usually in the form of a rotary switch, it will be appreciated by those
skilled in the art that it is very important that neither the "GENERATOR"
switch nor the "SHORE" switch will be "ON" together, if even for a slight
period of time. As will be appreciated, if such were the case, an
"electrolysis" type of condition could be created, which could create not
only a possibility of damage for the equipment being powered, but could
lead to other dangerous possibilities, as well.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
As will become clear hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present
invention arranges two switches, one above the other, in the manner they
would appear as in a conventional circuit breaker hook-up. The actuator
arms of these switches--which are understood to be disassociated one from
another and actuable independently of one another in usual circuit breaker
configurations--are, according to the invention, interconnected by a
coupling link to ensure that although both can be controlled to a
simultaneous "OFF" condition, only one, or the other, can be controlled to
an "ON" condition at any given time. As will be seen from the following
description, the inter-coupling link is apertured at one end, to hold in
close-fit, the actuator of the upper circuit breaker switch in the
vertical alignment. As will also be seen, the inter-coupling link is
slotted at an opposite end, to receive the actuator arm of the lower
circuit breaker switch, which is free to move within. By arranging the
dimensions of the inter-coupling link with the physical sizes of the
circuit breaker switches, and the extent of rotation of their actuator
arms in moving from "open" or "closed" positions, the inter-coupling link
is effective to control a previously "ON" switch to a definite "OFF"
condition before the other switch can be coctrolled "ON"; this ensures
that the two switches will not be in an "ON" condition simultaneously.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features of the present invention will be more clearly
understood from a consideration of the following description, taken in
connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the actuator of the invention
for a circuit breaker in which the upper-most switch is in an "OFF"
condition and the lower-most switch is in an "ON condition;
FIG. 2 is a side-sectional view of the actuator of FIG. 1, taken along the
line A--A;
FIGS. 3A-3C respectively illustrate front, top, and right-side views of a
"stop" for the inter-coupling link of the actuator;
FIGS. 4-5 show illustrations corresponding to those of FIGS. 1 and 2, but
for the instance where both switches are in their "OFF" mode; and
FIGS. 6-7 are illustrations corresponding to those of FIGS. 1 and 2, but
where the upper-most switch of the circuit breaker is "ON", and where the
lower-most switch is "OFF".
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring to FIGS. 1-2 and 4-7, the upper-most circuit breaker switches are
shown by the reference numeral 10, which are "ganged" together by means of
a rod 12 passing through apertures in the individual switch controls 14
and through finger-grips 16 for grasping. The lower-most switches are
illustrated by the reference numeral 18 with a similar aperture-passing
rod 20 and finger grips 22 for the individual switch controls 24. When
mounted by means of a plurality of screws, or similar means 26 on a
circuit breaker panel board 28, the individual switches 10, 18 are
effective in either "making" or "breaking" connections between their
respective terminals 100, 102.
In accordance with the invention, the "ganged" rods 12, 20 are coupled
together by means of an interconnecting link 40. As is more clearly shown
in FIGS. 2, 5 and 7, the link 40 is apertured at 42, adjacent at its upper
end, and by an amount to receive the "ganged" rod 12 in close-fit. As is
also shown in FIGS. 2, 5 and 7, the link 40 is apertured at 44, towards
the lower end of the link 40, in a "slot-arrangement" in which the
"ganged" rod 20 is arranged to slide. The length of the slot 44 (i.e.
l.sub.1) is selected, according to the invention, so as to cooperate with
the individual switch controls 14, 24, so that the top and bottom limits
of the slot 44 contact the "ganged" rod 20 when the lower-most switch 18
is in its "OFF" and "ON" conditions, respectively.
With the arrangement illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper-most switch 10
will be seen to be in its "OFF" condition, and the lower-most switch 18
will be seen to be in its "ON" condition. This can represent, for example,
one situation in the power-boat switching scheme between "on-board"
powering and "dockside" powering, where the marine equipments are being
energized from the ship's own generator.
FIGS. 4 and 5, on the other hand, represent the situation where both
switches 10 and 18 are each controlled to an "OFF" state. According to the
invention, such could be accomplished merely by lifting up on the
finger-grips 22, thereby rotating the "ganged" arm 20 upwardly within the
slot 44 of the link 40, until the individual switches 24 are brought to
their "OFF" mode. Because of the length l.sub.1 selected for the slot 44
(see FIGS. 2, 5 and 7), the rotation of arm 20 has no effect on the
positioning of the "ganged" arm 12, and the upper-most switch 10, for such
reason, remains in the orientation shown in FIG. 1. With such positioning,
therefore, both sets of switches 10, 18 are in their "OFF" conditions,
and, in the marine equipments context being considered, no energization is
being provided from any electrical source.
Proceeding, now, to FIGS. 6 and 7, where it is intended to control the
circuit breaker switches from the "all OFF" posture of FIGS. 4-5 to the
condition where the upper-most switch 10 is "ON" and the lower-most switch
18 is "OFF", such will be understood to occur by an upwards grasping of
the fingerholds 16 which result in the inter-coupling link 40 being moved
upwardly (FIG. 7, as compared to FIG. 5), which has the corresponding
effect of, in essence, causing the "ganged" arm 20 to slide downwardly
within the slot 44. As there is no constraint on the "ganged" arm 20 until
the upper-most switch 10 has already reached its desired state, such
upward movement of the "ganged" arm 12 has no effect in causing the
"ganged" arm 20 to alter the state of the switch 18. With such position,
the condition can be said to be reached in which the switches, for
example, are connecting "dockside" power to the electrical equipment
aboard the ship's vessel.
As so far described, therefore, the actuator of the invention is effective
in having the lower-most switch 18 "ON" and the upper-most switch 10
"OFF"; or both switches 18 and 10 "OFF"; or the lower-most switch 18 "OFF"
and the upper-most switch 10 "ON". However, in accordance with an object
of the invention, it is of utmost importance that neither switch 18 nor
switch 10 be both "ON" at the same time. With the slotted-actuator link 40
of the invention, though, this is prevented from taking place. Referring
to FIGS. 1 and 2, for example, any tendency to move the upper-most switch
10 "ON" by the lifting of the finger-grips 16 will result in the "ganged"
arm 12 pulling-up on the coupling link 40--the lower end of whose slot 44
would then exert a force upwardly on the "ganged" arm 20 of the lower-most
switch 18, and with the respective dimensionings of the slot 44 being
selected in accordance with the rotational needs of the slotted arm 12 to
change the position of the individual switches 14 being so selected that
the "ganged" arm 20 is effective in controlling the lower-most switch 18
to an "OFF" condition prior to the "ganged" arm 12 being sufficiently
upwardly rotated to turn the upper-most switches 14 "ON". Thus, any
attempt to control the upper switch 10 "ON", when started from its FIG. 1
and FIG. 2 position, is, of necessity, preceded by the automatic
controlling of the lower-most switch 18 "OFF". As will be seen, therefore,
the coupling link 40 thus operates to restrain the upward action on the
"ganged" arm 12 from placing both switches 10, 18 in an "ON" condition at
any given instant of time.
Similar results can be observed when using the arrangements of FIGS. 6-7 as
the starting reference. As previously noted, such illustrations depict the
condition of the circuit breaker switches for the mode where the
upper-most switch 10 is "ON" and the lower-most switch 18 is "OFF". There,
any tendency to move the lower-most switch 18 "ON" by the downward pulling
of the finger-grips 22 will result in the "ganged" arm 20 pulling-down on
the coupling-link 40 against which it is in physical contact at the
time--producing a similar, downwardly directed translational force on the
"ganged" arm 12 of the uppermost switch 18, which is in close-fit with the
link 40 by means of the aperture 42. Again, respective dimensionings of
the coupling link 40, and of the slot 44 are so selected that the rotation
imparted to the "ganged" arm 12 of the upper-most switch 10 is effective
in controlling the upper-most switch 10 "OFF" prior to the lower-most
switch 18 being controlled "ON" by the downward pulling of the
finger-grips 22. With such arrangement, it will then equally be observed
that the coupling link 40 is effective in producing a transistion-over of
one of the switches 10, 18 to an "OFF" condition in initial response to
any attempt to regulate both switches to their "ON" states,
simultaneously.
While applicant does not wish to be limited to any particular use of
dimensions, the following have proved particularly attractive in carrying
out the preferred embodiment of the invention herein described:
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1.sub.1 11/8 inches
1.sub.2 1 11/16 inches
1.sub.3 1/4 inch
1.sub.4 1/8 inch
1.sub.5 1/2 inch
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As illustrated in the drawings--and particularly in the views of FIGS.
3A-3C--the circuit breaker construction of the invention is also provided
with a "stop" 50 to regulate the downward motion of the coupling link 40.
As illustrated, the "stop" 50 is provided with fastener apertures 52 and
with an extending lip 54. As will be understood from the foregoing
description, the location of the "stop" 50 along the panel 28 is of
particular significance in providing the "snap" which gives rise to the
automatic switching "OFF" of a previously "ON" switch, at a time when a
manual attempt is made to control the other switch "ON" at the same time.
Thus, and as indicated quite clearly in FIG. 2, the location of the "stop"
50 provides an "offset" to the "ganged" arm 20 already in a direction as
to control such switch "OFF". By having the dimension l.sub.4 less than
the dimension l.sub.3 (as set-forth above), the lower-most switch is
already "biased" in an "OFF" direction even while the lower-most switch
is "ON"; with this degree of "offset", the "ganged" arm 20 thus requires
less movement to reach its "OFF" controlled condition than is required by
the "ganged" arm 12 in reaching its controlled "ON" state. Thus, the
lower-most switches 18 will be controlled "OFF", for example, before any
upward-lifting of the finger-grips 16 is effective to control the
upper-most switches 10 "ON".
While there has been described what is considered to be a preferred
embodiment of the present invention, it will be readily apparent to those
skilled in the art that modifications can be made without departing from
the scope of the teachings herein. For example, although the invention has
been illustrated in the context of having four individual sections in each
of the upper-most and lower-most switch arrangements, it will be
appreciated that any numbers of individual switches can be utilized, and
the operational description would continue without modification. It will
also be seen, furthermore, that additional banks of circuit-breaker
switches can be added to the vertical alignment, and that by replicating
the coupling link 40 with additional slots constructed similarly to that
identified by reference numeral 44, the control actions described above
can be imparted to such additional configurations, so as to prevent more
than one switch from being controlled "ON" at any interval of switching.
For at least such reasons, therefore, resort should be had to the claims
appended hereto for a correct understanding of the scope of the invention.
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