US3254190A - Conducting structure and electric switch with resilient conducting means - Google Patents

Description

R. J. SPISAK ETAL CONDUCTING STRUCTURE AND ELECTRIC SWITCH May 31, 1966 WITH RESILIENT CONDUCTING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 12, 1962 Fig.|.

y 1966 R. J. SPISAK ETAL 3,254,190

CONDUCTING STRUCTURE AND ELECTRIC SWITCH WITH RESILIENT CONDUCTING MEANS Filed Dec. 12, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet z 11 III Fig.5.

United States Patent 3' 254 190 CONDUCTING STRIJCTURE AND ELECTRIC SWITCH WITH RESILIENT CONDUCTING MEANS Raymond J. Spisak, Chalfont Boro, and Victor F. Sabol,

Monroeville, Pa., assiguors to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvauia Filed Dec. 12, 1962, Ser. No. 244,163 10 Claims. (Cl. 200-170) This invention relates generally to an improved conducting structure and, more particularly, to an improved hinge-type conducting structure having particular utility in electrical control apparatus such, for example, as disconnecting switches.

A general object of this invention is to provide improved means for transmitting current between relatively movable conductors.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved hinge-type conducting structure.

In many hinge-type conducting structures used, for example, in disconnecting switches, the current passes through relatively movable contacting surfaces where mechanical external loads are applied, which-loads tend to vary the contact pressure between the relatively movable contacting surfaces. Moreover, in many of these hinge-type constructions, because the mechanical loads are applied through relatively movable contacting surfaces that are in the current path, different types of construction are required for vertical, horizontal and inverted mountings.

Accordingly, another object of this invention is to provide an improved hinge-type conducting structure wherein the primary current path doesnot pass through relatively movable'contacting surfaces that carry the mechanical loads.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel hinge-type conducting structure having a simplified construction, which structure is relatively easy to assemble and reliable in operation.

Another object of this'invention is to provide an improved electrical control structure comprising novel current transfer means.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved switch structure comprising a cantilever-type contact arm supported by means of an improved hingetype conducting structure.

. The novel features that are considered characteristic of the invention are set forth-in particular in the appended claims. The invention, both as to structure and operation, together with additional objects and advantages FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the conducting struc-.

ture seen in FIGS. 3 and 4;

FIG. 6 is a topplan view of the conducting structure seen in FIG. 5;

a FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line VIIVII l of FIG 5; and I ice FIG. 8 is an elevational view of a modified form of one of the spring-pin contactors seen in FIG. 5.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown therein a disconnecting switch 3 comprising a base 5 and two support members 7 secured. to the base 5. Two insulating support structures 9 and 11 are rotatably supported on the support members 7 in a manner well known in the art. Two hinge- type conducting structures 13 and 15 are rigidly secured to the insulating supports 9 and 11 respectively. A cantilevertype contact arm 17, having a contact 19 at the free end .thereof, will be best understood from the following thereof, is secured to the hinge-type conducting structure 13 by means of two bolts 21 (FIG. 2) that fasten the contact arm 17 between an upper clamp 23 and a lower clamp 24. The lower clamp 24 is formed as an integral part of a U-shaped conducting support member 25.

A cantilever-type movable contact arm 27, having a contact structure 29 at the free end thereof, is secured to the hinge-type conducting structure 15 in the same manner as the contact arm 17 is secured to the hinge-type conducting structure 13.

Since the hinge- type conducting structures 13 and 15 are of identical construction, the reference characters for the parts thereof are the same, and only the hinge-type conducting structure 15 will be herein specifically described. A I

Referring to FIG. 3, the U-shaped conducting support 25 is provided with an opening 27 in the upper leg thereof and a tapped opening 29 in the lower leg thereof. A conducting hinge-pin 31 is provided with a lower threaded extension 33 that is screwed into the tapped opening 29.- The hinge-pin 31 is placed in position by being passed through the opening 27 in the upper leg of the conductingsupport'25. The upper part 35 of the hinge-pin 31 is provided with a plurality of slots'37 that divide the upper part into a plurality of sections. A tapped opening 39 is provided in the upper part 35 of the hinge pin 31. A threaded plug 41 is screwed into the opening 39 to spread the plurality of sections of the upper part 35 against the side walls of the opening 27 in the upper leg of the support 25 to thereby rigidly secure ,the upper part 35 of the hinge-pin31 to the support 25.

The hinge-type conducting structure 15 also comprises a conducting hinge member 43 comprising a tubular part 45 that is disposed over the hinge-pin 31 and is rotatably supported between the upper and lower legs of the U- shaped conducting support 25 by means of two bearings 47. Each of the bearings-47 comprises a ring-shapedmember of bronze metal that is provided with a thin outer coating of a resin such, for example, as polytetrafiuoroethylene. For example, the resin sold under thev proprietary name of Teflon can be used. A plurality of O-rings '49 are provided to seal off the internal parts ofthe hinge-type conducting structure. The conducting hinge member 43 is provided with a terminal arm portion 51 having openings 53 therein to enable connection of the hinge-type conducting structure to a conducting cable or. bus bar. 7

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, it will be seen that the tubular conductor 45 .and the hinge-pin conductor 31' are constructed and arranged such that an annular space exists between these members. Electric current is conducted f-rom one to the other of these members by means! of a conducting structure 57 (FIGS. .5 and 6). The conducting structure 57 comprises two ring-shaped supports 59. Four spring-pin conductors 61 are supported between the ring-shaped supports 59 by means of rivets 63. As can be seen in FIG. 7, each of the spring-pin conductors 61 comprises a flat sheet-metal-type resilient conductor that is wrapped or rolled around the rivet 63 a plurality of times. Each of the spring-pin conductors:

is spiraled as seen in FIG. 7. The spring-pin conductors 61 are in a charged condition when they are placed within the annular space between the hinge-pin conductor 31 and the tubular conductor 45 so that, as these resilient members tend to become unrolled or unwrapped, a contact surface on one side of each member is biased against the hinge-pin conductor 31 and a contact surface on the same side of each member is biased against the tubular conduct-or 45. The sheet metal plates forming the spring-pin contactors comprise members having high conductivity and good mechanical stiffness or spring characteristics. For example, each of the members 61 could comprise a sheet of a zirconium copper alloy of the type sold under the trade name Amzirc and having high conductivity (96% International Annealed Copper Standard) and a high modulus of elasticity (18.7)( p.s.i.). As can be seen in FIG. 4, there are four springpin contactors 61 in the embodiment shown therein. It can be understood, however, that the invention will work with either more or less of the eontactors 61.

Referring to FIG. 3, the circuit through the hinge-type conducting structure passes from the cont-act arm 27 through the clamp 24 and into the U-shaped conducting support 25. The current through the top leg of the conducting support 25 passes through the top part 3-5 of the hinge-pin 31, the hinge-pin 31, the spring-pin contactors 61, the tubular part 45 of the hinge member 43, the terminal 51, to a conducting cable or bus bar that would be attached to the terminal 51 at the switch installation. The current path through the bottom leg of the conducting support 25 passes through the threaded extension 33 of the hinge-pin 31, the hinge-pin 31, the springpin contactors 61, the tubular part'45 of the hinge member 43, the terminal 51 to the conducting cable or bus bar. The current can pass between the contact arm 27 and terminal 51 in either direction.

During operation of the switch, the movable contact arm 27, conducting support 25, and hinge-pin 31 are rotated as a unit relative to the hinge member 43. The mechanical loads, due to the weight of the hinge member 43 and the cable or bus bar that would be attached to the terminal part 51 of the hinge member 43, are transmitted through the tubular conductor 45 to the lower and upper bearings 47. Part of the load through the lower bearing 47 is transmitted directly to the lower arm of the conducting support 25 and the other part is transmitted through the hinge-pin 31 and the threaded extension 33 of the hinge-pin 31 to the lower arm of the conducting support 25. Part of the load through the upper bearing 47 is transmitted directly to the upper arm of the conducting support 25 and the other part is transmitted through the top part 35 of the hinge-pin 33 to the upper arm of the conducting support 25. It is to be noted that the mechanical loads are not transmitted through any contacting and relatively movable surfaces that are in the main current path. Thus, the contacting and relatively movable surfaces that are in the main current path are less likely to be deformed or otherwise rendered less effective because of strains or stresses that might otherwise have been applied to these surfaces.

Referring to FIG. 1, the disconnecting switch 3 is shown therein the closed position. When it is desired to open the switch, a lever 69 (FIG. 2) is operated to rotate the insulating support structure 11 in a counterclockwise (FIG. =2) direction. The insulating support structure 11 is operatively connected to the insulating support structure 9 by means of an elongated connecting arm 71. The connecting arm 71 is pivot-ally connected to the insulating support structure 9 by means of a lever 73 and to the insulating support structure 1-1 by means of a lever 75. Counterclockwise rotation of the insulating support structure 11 effects clockwise rotation of the insulating support structure 9. As the supports 9 and 11 are rotated, the contact arms27 and 17 are rotated coun-, terclockwise and clockwise, respectively, to the open po- 4 sit-ion seen in FIG. 2. When it is desired to close the switch, the actuating lever 69 is operated to rotate the contact arms 27 and -17 in a clockwise and counterclockwise direction respectively, to the closed position seen in FIG. 1.

The spring pin conductors 61 are wrapped or rolled relatively tightly when they are placed in position between the conductors 31 and 45. Thus, upon the occurrence of momentary fault cur-rents, good contact is retained because the forces tending to blow the conductors 61 away from the tubular conductor are offset by the forces tending to blow the conductors 61 away from the hinge-pin conductor 31.

A modified form of the invention is seen in FIG. 8 where a spring-pin conductor 79 similar to the conductors 61 is provided with a plurality of staggered openings 81 therein so that along each line of contact between the spring-pin conductor 79 and either the tubular structure 45 or the hinge-pin 41 there will be a plurality of different contacting surfaces which are movable, to some extent, relative to each other. In some cases this modified form of the invention will provide for more effective contact between the spring-pin conductors and the conducting members 45, 31. It is to be understood that a plurality of the conductors 79 could be used in the hingetype conducting structures 13 and 15 in the same manner as that hereinbefore described with respect to the conductors 61.

From the foregoing, it can be understood that there is provided by this invention improved means for transmitting current between relatively movable conductors. The improved spring-pin conductors are used in a hingetype conducting structure that is relatively simple in construction, easy to assemble and reliable in operation. The contacting and relatively movable surfaces, of the hingetype conducting structures, that are in the main current path do not carry the mechanical loads so that these surfaces are less likely to be deformed or otherwise rendered less effective because of strains or stresses that might otherwise have been applied to these surfaces. This advantageous feature also permits the construction of an improved switch that can be mounted in a vertical, horizontal or inverted position, where the mechanical loads are differently applied, without requiring any significant reconstruction of the switch.

While the invention has been disclosed in accordance with the provisions of the patent statues, it is to be understood that various changes in the structural details and arrangement of parts thereof may be made without departing from some of the essential features of the invention. It is desired, therefore, that the language of the appended claims be given in as reasonably broad an interpretation as the prior art permits.

We claim as our invention:

1. In combination, a first and a second conductor, at

' least one of said conductors being movable relative to the other, said conductors being constructed and arranged such that there is a generally annular space between them, a resilient sheet material conducting member rolled about an axis such that a radius extending from said axis will pass through a plurality of layers of said member, said member being disposed in said annular space such that the surfaces of said first and second conductors restrain said member from unrolling whereby at least a part of dinally therethrough, said third conductor comprising a resilient member positioned in said annular space such that said centerline is disposed within said annular space and is generally parallel to the axis of said generally cylindrical conductor, said third conductor being disposed in Said annular space in a charged condition whereby as said third conductor tends to become unrolled a part of said third conductor is biased against said tubular conductor and a part of said third conductor is biased against said cylindrical conductor, and said third conductor transmitting current between said tubular conductor and said cylindrical conductor.

7 3. In combination, a tubular conductor, a generally cylindrical conductor disposed within said tubular conductor such that a generally annular space exists between said conductors, at least one of said conductors being rotatably movable and being movable relative to the other, a third conductor comprising a flat member of conducting material having a plurality of openings therein and rolled around itself to form an elongated member having an imaginary ceuterline passing longitudinally therethrough, said third conductor comprising a resilient member positioned in said annular space such that said centerline is disposed within said annular space and is generally parallel to the axisof said generally cylindrical conductor, said third conductor being disposed in said annual space in a charged condition whereby as said third conductor tends to become unrolled a part of said third conductor is biased against said tubular conductor to engage said tubular conductor with a line-type contact and a part of said third conductor is biased against said cylindrical conductor to engage said cylindrical conductor with a line-type contact, said plurality of openings being provided so that each of said line-type contacts comprises a plurality of spaced contacts, and said third conductor conducting current between said tubular conductor and said cylindrical conductor.

4. In combination, a tubular conductor, an elongated conductor disposed within said tubular conductor such that a generally annular space exists between said conductors, a plurality of support pins disposed within said annular space each with its axis generally parallel to the axis of said bar-shaped conductor, a sheet metal type resilient con'ductor wrapped around each of said support pins and disposed in said annular space in a charged condition whereby as each of said sheet metal type conductors tends to unwrap a part thereof engages said tubular conductor and a part thereof engages said elongated conductor, and said sheet metal type conductors conducting current between said tubular conductor and said elongated conductor.

5. In combination, a tubular conductor, an elongated conductor disposed within said tubular conductor such that a generally annular space exists between said conductors, a plurality of support pins disposed within said annular space each with its axis generally parallel to the axis of said bar-shaped conductor, a sheet metal conductor having a plurality of openings therein and being wrapped around each of said support pins, each of said sheet metal conductors being resilient whereby as each sheet metal conductor tends to unwrap a plurality of surfaces thereof resiliently engagesaid tubular conductor and a plurality of surfaces thereof resiliently engage said elongated conductor, and said sheet metal type conductors conducting current between said tubular conductor and said elongated conductor.

6. An electrical switch comprising, in combination, a tubular conductor, a second conductor disposed within said tubular conductor, such that an annular space exists between said conductors, at least one of said conductors being pivotally movable relative to the other to open and close an electric circuit, a spring-pin contactor comprising a resilient sheet metal type spiraled conducting member disposed within said annular space in a charged condition whereby as said sheet metal type conducting member tends to become unspiraled at least a part thereof engages said tubular conductor and at least a part thereof engages said second conductor, and said sheet metal type conducting member electrically connecting said tubular conductor and said second conductor.

7. An electric switch comprising, in combination, a first conductor and a second conductor, said conductors being constructed and arranged such that a space between them is in the general form of an annulus, at least one of said conductors being movable relative to the other to open and close an electric circuit, a plurality of spring-pin conductors each comprising a sheet metal type resilient member wound around itself to form an elongated member having an imaginary ceuterline extending longitudinally thereth-rough, each of said elongated members being disposed within said annular space with its ceuterline being generally parallel to the axis of said tubular conductor, each of said spring-pin conductors being disposed within said annular space in a charged condition whereby as eachspring-pin conductor tends to become unwound a part thereof is biased against said tubular conductor and a part thereof is biased against said second conductor, and said spring-pin conductors electrically connecting said tubular conductor with said second conductor.

'8. An electric switch comprising, in combination, an elongated contact arm pivotally movable to open and close an electric circuit, a hinge-type conducting structure supporting said contact arm and comprising a generally U-shaped support member, a tubular conductor supported between the legs of said U-shaped support member, a bearing at each end of said tubular conductor disposed between the tubular conductor and the associated leg of said U-shaped support member, a conducting hinge-pin disposed within said tubular conductor and fixedly connected to each of the legs of said generally U-shaped support member, said hinge-pin and said tubular conductor being positioned such that an annular space exists therebetween, and a spring-pin conductor comprising a sheet metal type resilient conducting member rolled about itself in the general form of a cylinder and disposed within said annular space such that as said member tends to unroll a part thereof is biased against said tubular conductor and a part thereof is biased against said hinge-pin, and said sheet metal type conductor electrically connecting said tubular conductor and said conducting hinge-pin.

9. An electric switch comprising, in combination, an elongated movable contact arm structure movable to open and close an electric circuit, a hinge-type conducting structure' supporting said elongated contact arm structure for pivotal movement, said hinge-type conducting structure comprising a U-shapedconducting support member, a conducting hinge-pin disposed between and connected to the legs of said U-shaped support member, a tubular conductor disposed over said conducting hinge-pin and supported between the legs of said U-shaped support member, said tubular conductor and said conducting hingepin being positioned such that a generally annular space exists between them, a bearing at each of the opposite ends of said tubular conductor disposed between the associated end of said tubular conductor and the associated leg of said U-shaped support, and a plurality of conducting members each comprising a rolled-up resilient sheet metal con-ductor, each of said conducting members being disposed in said annular space in a charged condition whereby as said conducting members tends to unwrap they each engage both said hinge-pin and said tubular conductor with contact pressure, and said conducting members transmitting current between said hinge-pin and said tubular conductor.

10. An electric switch comprising, in combination, an elongated movable contact arm structure, a hinge-type conducting structure supporting said elongated movable contact arm structure and comprising a generally U-shaped conducting support member, a conducting hinge-pin dis- 7 posed between and fixedly connected to the legs of said generally U-shaped support member, a tubular conductor disposed over said hinge-pin and rotatably supported betweenthe legs of said generally U-shaped support member, bearing means disposed between said tubular conductor and the legs of said generally U-shapedsupport member, said conducting hinge-pin and said tubular conductor being so arranged that an annular space exists therebetween, a plurality of support pins disposed in said annular space each with its axis generally parallel to the axis ofsaid hinge-pin, a sheet metal type conductor around each of said support pins and positioned within said annular space in a charged condition whereby as each of said sheet metal type conductors tends to uncharge at least a part of one sheet metal side thereof en- References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,193,122 3/1940 Crabbs -c 200170 X 2,473,705 6/1949 George 339-5 3,053,956 9/1962 Clavel 200l66 KATHLEEN H. CLAFFY, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT K. SCI-IAEFER, BERNARD A. GILHEANY,

Examiners.

Claims (1)

1. IN COMBINATION, A FIRST AND A SECOND CONDUCTOR, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID CONDUCTORD BEING MOVABLE RELATIVE TO THE OTHER, SAID CONDUCTORS BEING CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED SUCH THAT THERE IS A GENERALLY ANNULAR SPACE BETWEEN THEM, A RESILIENT SHEET MATERIAL CONDUCTING MEMBER ROLLED ABOUT AN AXIS SUCH THAT A RADIUS EXTENIDNG FROM SAID AXIS WILL PASS THROUGH A PLURALITY OF LAYERS OF SAID MEMBER, SAID MEMBER BEING DISPOSED IN SAID ANNULAR SPACE SUCH THAT THE SURFACES OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONDUCTORS RESTRAIN SAID MEMBER FROM UNROLLING WHEREBY AT LEAST A PART OF SAID MEMBER IS BIASED AGAINST SAID FIRST CONDUCTOR AND A LEAST A PART OF SAID MEMBER IS BIASED AGAINST SAID SECOND CONDUCTOR, AND SAID MEMBER CARRYING CURRENT FROM ONE TO THE OTHER OF SAID CONDUCTORS.

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