USRE13856E - Automatic circuit-breaker - Google Patents

Description

E. U. RANEY.

AUTOMATIC CIRCUIT BREAKER.

LAPPLIGATION FILED AUG. 24, 1914.

Reissued Dec. 29, 1914.

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E. G. RANEY.

AUTOMATIC CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 24, 1914.

Reissued Dec.29, 1914. 1 3,856.

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ESTELLE C. BANEY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AUTOMATIC RECLOSING CIRCUIT BREAKER COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHID.

AUTOMATIC CIRCUIT-BREAKER 13,856 Specification of Reissued Letters Patent. fleigsued Dec 29, 1914 Original No. 1,041,161, dated October 15, 1912, Serial No. 674,123. Application for reissue filed August 24, 1914. Serial No. 858,416.

To all whom it may concern: 1 no current is passing through said load cir- 55 Be it known that 1, ESTELLE C. RANEY, a cuit. Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig. 1 with citizen of the United States, and residing at the switchclosed, the heavy lines indicat- Columbus, in the county of Franklin and ing the direction of the normal flow ofcur- State of Ohio, have invented certain new rent through the circuit breaking mechaand useful Improvements in Automatic nism and the load. Fig. 3 is a diagram- 60 Circuit-Breakers, of which the following is matic view showing the flow of current ata specification. the first instance of a short circuit across The present invention relates to improvethe main branch between the circuit breaker ments in a system of electrical distribution, and the load. Fig. 4 is a similar view showin which a main circuit has branched thereing the circuits formed automatically after so from a plurality of load circuits, each load the positioning of the various parts of the circuit being provided with a circuit break- I circuit breaker as illustrated in Fig. .3, doting mechanism which will automatically ted lines showing the final or normal condiclose after being opened by an overload, or tion of the apparatus automatically reby a short circuiting, of the load circuit. turned or restored. The present invention is an improvement Referring to the drawings, the numeral upon the automatic circuit breaker shown in 1 designates a generator, having the feed Patent No. 1,005,57 5 granted to E. C. Raney lines 2 and 3, and connected with the feed 20 and C. E. Simmons of October 10, 1911, the. line 2 is a conductor 4 constituting one of present operating in a somewhat similar the circuit conductors of a motor or other manner and for the same purpose and being load, as in this instance the motors 41 which a much more sensitive apparatus. are shown connected in parallel. The other The distinctive feature of the present incircuit conductor 5 is connected to a con- 25 vention over the one shown in the above tact point 6, which is engaged by a main mentioned patent, is the employment of a switch or bridge connecting device 7 discoil that is in parallel with any short cirposed to span andxconnect the contact points cuit to the loads, the short circuit and coil 6 and 8. The contact point 8 is oonnecte being in series with a resistance. By this by a conductor 9 with an overload. coil 10, 30 arrangement as will later appear, the coil and this overload coil 10 is connected by a being of low resistance, the change of curconductor 11 to the feed line conductor 3. rent in such coil will be much greater for a The main switch or bridging device 7 is given change of the short circuit, than the carried by the core 12 of an operating solechange of current in the coil 25, of the noid or electromagnet 13, whilea conductor 35 above patent, for the same change of resist- 14 is connected to said solenoid or electroance. Therefore, this parallel arrangemagnet 13 and to an arm 15 of the double ment produces a more sensitive circuit arm switch 15. A conductor wire 16 is conbreaker than the one illustrated in the above nected to the magnet or solenoid 13 and to patent. a contact point 1 while the opposite con- 40 With the foregoing and other objects in tact point 18, is connected by a conductor 1%) view which will appear as the description ,to the arm 15" of the switch 15. The reproceeds, the invention resides in the comspective conductors 20 and 21 are connecte bination and arrangement of parts and in to the main line conductors 2 and 3 respecthe details of construction hereinafter detively, and are disposed to be connected to 45 scribed and claimed, it being understood the respective conductor wires 14 and 19 that changes in the precise embodiment of through the medium of the arms 15 and invention herein disclosed can be made 15", respectively, of the switch 15. within the scope of what is claimed without The contact points 17 and 18 are adapted departing from the spirit of the invention. to be bridged or connected through the me- 0 In the drawings- Figure 1 is a diagramdium of the overload switch 22, whose opmatic view of a main generator circuit, crating core 25 carries an abutment 24 10b with a load circuit and circuit breaking apwhich is disposed in the line to be engaged paratus disposed in operable relation thereby the hook of the trigger or lever 23, the to, the switch of the same being open so that purpose of which will presently appear.

B i 13,856 I The core 25 being the core of the overload circuit through the electrom gnet 13 at concoil 10, will under normal load and due to tact points 17 and 18, this action, denergravity, as clearly shown, in Fig. 2, retain gizing the electromagnet or solenoid 13, perthe bridge member or switch 22 into conmits the switch or bridge 7 to fall and thus indicated. inthe heavy lines Fig.2. If an 6 and 8, respectively. It will be noted that overload occurs, the core 25 will be prowhen the core 25 is raised by the overload pelled to raise the switch 22 to assume the current, that the latch 23 will engage the position as shown in Fig. 3. Disposed so abutment 24 and thus hold the circult at as to actuate the latch or hook 23, is a trip 17 and 18 open or until the said latch 23 is coil 26 controlling a core 27 'provided' with by some other means tripped or released. the trip releasing rod 29, Whose upper end It is therefore evident. that the object of is disposed in cooperative relation with the the latch 23 is to hold the bridge or switch free end of the tripping lever or hook 23. 22 open, until the short circuit resistance Branched from the conductor wire 11 is a as been increased to such a volume as to branch conductor 28, in which is mounted prevent-the flow of an overload current, or the resistance coil 28 whose outer terminal removed, and the main circuit is again is connected to the conductor 39 which closed through the contact points 6 and 8 20 leads through the conductor 37 from the and the bridge or switch 7. conductor 5, the said conductor 39 being With, the bridge or switch 22 held open connected to the coil 26. The conductor 30 by the action of the trigger or trip 23, elec is led from the conductor 14 to a contact tromagnet 13 will be denergized and bridge point 31 which with the contact point 32 is or switch 7 will instantly open, after which 25 adapted to be bridged by means of the cross the switch or bridge 33 will slowly descend arm bridgingmember or switch with hooked upper end 33, whic ed to coact with the lower hooked end .36 of allowing current -to flow as indicated in the core 12. The core 34 of the dash pot heavy lines (Fig. 4). .With the parts in so 35 isconnected to and carries the bridging this position, the current will flow from the 95, member .33. A conductor wire 38 is led main conductor 2 to the main conductor 3 from the contact point 32 to theopposite by either of the two circuits as illustrated side of the coil 26 to the w1re39, thus profirst in' Fig. 3 and secondly as illustrated ducing all of the circuit connections of the in Fig. 4, in both instances the heavy lines 35 automatically opening and closing circuit indicating the flow of current. The first breaker herein illustrated. circuit that will be formed, namely that 10 lows: S;upposing the conductors 4 and 5 to '1s only for a short period, but of suflicient v ductors 2 and 3 to the respective -loads.41, rest before the switch or bridge 32 is closed. it is evident that in order to complete-the The fall ofthe switch 7 will permit the. circuit from the conductor 5 to the conducbridge 33 to bridge contacts 31 and 32, to

4.5 tor 3, that the manually operated switch '15 permit the current flowing through the reis closed passing from the position as shown sistance 28, to be divided in the circuit inin Fig. 1 to the position as shown in Fig. 2. eluding conductors l4 and 3 contacts 31 this time the two arms 15' and 15 are and 32, ridge 33, conductor 38, coil 26, 1 connected to the respective short conductors conductor 39, conductor 37, conductor 5,

50 20 and 21 and thereby the electromagnet or short circuit 40 and conductor 4, inversely solenoid 13 will be energized causing the proportionateto their respective resistances. switch 7 to be raisedand make a complete s soon as the short circuit 40 i removed, connection between the contact points 6 and or its resistance is increased to a predeter pon normal conditions the current will mined amount, suflicient current will flow flow as indicated in heavy lines Fig. 2 and through the coil 26 to trip the latch 23. the loads 41 will be properly operated. Upon closing the bridge or switch-33 dur- In order to clearl {demonstrate .the opermg the further movement thereof from Fig.

atlon of the 1m roved circuit. breaking 3 to Fig. 4,.the current will flow from line mechanism we wil 'now suppose that a short 2, conductor 20, arm l'5, conductor 14, concircuit occurs as indicated by full lines at ductor30,.the bridge or switch 33, through 40, Fig. 3, and dotted lines 40, in Fig. 4. In the respect ve points 31 and 32, conductor this instance an excess ve current will now wire 38, the trip coil 26, conductor wire 39,

' thus raising the core 25 which-in turn raises finally through the conductor wire 11 to the .35 the bridge or switch22, thus opening the main line wire 3.. :20

sistance -10. The total current which flowsthrough the resistance 28 is small in comparison to the full load current, and this current will be divided between the above circuits as described, inversely proportional to their resistances, so as long as the'resistance of the short circuit remains very low, there will be very little current flowing in circuits as illustrated in Fig. 4 through the coil 26. However, as soon as the resistance of the short circuit 40 is increased, more current is caused to flow in the coil 26 until a point is reached where the resistance of 40 has increased to a predetermined value and coil 26 will now have enough current flowing in it to raise the core 27, causing the rod 29 to trip latch 23 and thus the circuit through the contact point 17 the switch 22 and contact point 18 is again closed, which in turn causes the main circuit to be again closed between the contact,- points 6 and 8 and the switch 7, whereby the breaker in this manner protects the circuit from excessive current in case of short circuit or overloads, and automatically closes the'circuit upon the removal of said short circuit or overloads.

The use of the dash pot 35 is to provide a time element so that the-breaker will not open and reclose again before the motors 11 have come to a full rest. This is accomplished by having the dash pot so constructed that the plunger is free to rise but retarded in descending. It will also be noted that when the core 12 of the electrolnagnet or solenoid 13 is actuated and moved upwardlyy-that the arm 36 will also carry with it the bridging member or switch 32v thus opening the circuit at points 31 and 32 and cutting out the coil 26, this circuit being held open as long as the bridge or switch 7 is closed. It is also evident that when the bridge or switch 7 is opened by the action of the overload current, as above described, that the said bridge or switch 7 carrying the rod or hook 36 is free to open without causing 33 to close, but that the bridge or switch 33 will now descend slowly against the retarding action of the dash pot 35 which as before stated may be so regulated that the circuit contact points 31 and 32 will not be closed until the motors 41 will have come to a full stop or rest.

This form of circuit breaker is adaptable for use with both alternating and direct currents, and would necessitate only slight and obvious changes.

It will be noted that the conductor 37 plays an important part in this system, that is it makes it possible for a short circuit at 40, to shunt away a portion of the current, whose only path ordinarily would be from the conductor 11, through the conductor 28 and resistance 28, to the conductor 39, thence through the coil 26'and the switch 33, and the conductors 30 and 14, the switch member to the conductor 20.

In the present apparatus the distinctive features of the same over the patent heretofore mentioned are first a substitution of a trip coil 26 and the latch or trip 23 in lieu of the holding coil of said patentand second in, the placing of the dash pot to control the circuit through the coil 26 in stead of the coil or magnet 13 as in the aforementioned patent.

In the present instance the trip coil 26 is in a parallel circuit with the short circuit 10,.and as the coil 26 isa coil of low resistance, the change of current therein will be much greater for a given increase of resistance al-O than the change of current in the coil 25 as illustrated in the aforementioned patent, for the same increase of resistance, hence the'arrangement in the present instance is much more sensitive to changes of short circuit or overload resistance than the arrangement in the beforementioned patent.

From the foregoing description it is therefore evident that this improved construction and arrangement of circuit breaker will automatically close after being opened by an overload, or short circuit, and is a more sensitive apparatus than the apparatus shown in the aforementioned patent.

\Vhile herein is described the invention in detail, and is illustrated acombination embodying various features, which may at times be used to advantage, it is not the desire or intention of claimant to be limited to the particular arrangement shown, or to an arrangement embodying the varlous auxlllary features, except as partlcularly pointed out in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a system of electrical distribution, a generator, a load circuit, a circuit breaker in said load circuit, a circuit in parallel with the generator and closing after opening of the breaker, a limiting resistance in said last circuit, reclosing mechanism, a control for said reclosing mechanism operable by current in said last circuit, and a branch conductor connected. at a point between said resistance and said control and leading to such a point in the load circuit that said branch conductor and any short circuit on the load are in series and together form a shunt to said control.

2. In a system of electrical distribution, a supply circuit, a load circuit, a circuit breaker in said load circuit, a resistance having one terminal connected to the supply side of the breaker, conductors leading from the opposite terminal of said resistance, one completing a shunt around said breaker and the other completing a circuit in parallel with said supply circuit, one of said conductors being in open circuit while said breaker is closed, means whereby the 0 en circuit on the last conductor is closed a or said breaker is opened, reclosing mechanism,

and a control for said reclosing mechanism responsive to a current of definite value in one of said conductors.

3. In a system of electrical distribution, a supply circuit, a load circuit, a circuit breaker in said load circuit, a comparatively high resistance having one terminal connected to the supply side of the breaker,

comparatively low resistance conductors.

leading from the opposite terminal of said resistance, one completing, a shunt around the open circuit on the last conductor is closed'after said breaker is opened, reclosing mechanism, and a control for said reclosing .time interval after opening of the mechanism responsive to-a current of definite value in one of said conductors.

. 4. In a system of electrical distribution, a supply circuit, a load circuit, a circuit breaker in said load circuit, a resistance havin one terminal connected to the supply si e of the breaker, one completing a shunt' around saidbreaker and the other completing a circuit in arallel with said supply circuit, one of sai conductors being 1n open circuit'while said breaker is closed, means ductor is closed after the" said breaker'is opened, reclosing mechanism, a control for said reclosin mechanism responsive to: a current of de nite value in oneof said conductors, and means for producing a ositive reaker and before said control is rendered operative and then rendering said control and reclosing means instantl operative inresponse to the removal 0 the overload.

5.,In a system of electrical distribution, a supply circuit, a load circuit, a circuit breaker in said loadcircuit,,means operative after the opening of said. breaker to con duct the current to the line of opposite polarity but first reducing and subdividing said current and directing onesubdivision through the load, a reclosing mechanism for the-circuit breaker, and a control for said reclosin mechanism responsive to current in one o the subdivisions,

-6 In a system of distribution, asupply circuit, a load. circuit connected thereto, an

electrically, actuated circuit breaker in said load circuit, a c rcuit including said actuatlng mechanism of said circuit breaker, an

overload coil in the load circuit, a switch for the circuit breaker actuating circuit controlled by the overload coil, a shunt around the circuit breaker in the load circuit including a resistance, a reclosing coil for the overload switch connected in an open shunt with the load circuit, and a switch controlled by the circuit breaker for closing the last shunt after a short circuit takes place in the load circuit, whereby the current flowing through the resistance will divide inversely proportional to the resistance of the v reclosing coil and the short circuit.

7. In a system of distribution, a supplycircuit, a load circuit" connected thereto, a circuit breaker ln'said load clrcuit having a maln switch held in closed osition by an operating magnet, an overloa switch in the operating magnet circuit with which an overload coil in the load circuit cooperates,

means for locking said overload switch in open position, a coil and a resistance in a shunt circuit to the supply for tripping said locking means, a switch in said shunt circuit permitted to close by the,opening of the main switch, and a conductor connected to the load side'of the main and to the shunt circuit between the coil and resistance.

8. In a system of distribution a supply circuit, a load .GlIClllt connected thereto,

"an electro-magnetically controlled circuit -breaker for the load circuit, a shunt circuit whereby the open,circuit on the last confrom the suppl' circuit and includin the electromagnet'o the circuit breaker an normally energizing the same to hold the switch isposed in the, load circuit to ing the overload switch'in open position, a lockin device and a vresistance in shunt witht e supply circuit, a switch in said last shuntrcircuitdis osed forclosure' by the openin of the mam switch, and a conductor from. t e loadside of the switch of the circuit breaker and to the last shunt circuit between the lock switch tripping device and the resistance.

' In "testimony thatI claim the foregoing as my own, 1 have hereto afiixed by signature in the presence of two witnesses.

1 I ESTELLE C. RANEY.

. Wi ness HAMBLE'ro I. Srourrmc.

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