GB2027994A

GB2027994A - Handle fastening device for an electrical circuit breaker

Info

Publication number: GB2027994A
Application number: GB7913993A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Merlin Gerin SA
Current assignee: Merlin Gerin SA
Priority date: 1978-04-24
Filing date: 1979-04-23
Publication date: 1980-02-27
Also published as: GB2027994B; DE2914088A1; IT7967788A0; ES479762A1; DE2914088C2; FR2424619B1; IT1118478B; FR2424619A1

Abstract

The fastening device comprises a pin-shaped locking member 38 with free ends 40, 42 bended outwardly at right angles which in the locked position are inserted into aligned openings 24, 26 arranged in the side walls 20, 22 surrounding the aperture 18 through which the handle 16 extends outwardly. A slide member 34 may clamp the locking pin in the locked position, and a padlock 52 inserted into the loop 48 of pin locks said slide member 34. The fastening device may be used for a molded casing circuit breaker. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Handle fastening device for an electric circuit breaker The invention relates to a manual operating handle fastening device, more particularly of a molded casing circuit breaker, for locking the handle in any one of two operative end positions thereof, corresponding respectively to the opened-circuit position and the closed-circuit position of the circuit breaker, said casing including openings receiving a locking member which interferes with the pivotable movement of the handle.

The French patent application No. 77 38711, filed on December 15, 1977, describes such a mentioned fastening device in which the locking member is secured to the operating handle by means of a biting element. Most circuit breakers are provided with a handle extending through an aperture having open ingsforthe reception of a sealing wire which interferes with the pivoting displacement of the handle. A simplified fastening device according to the present invention may be used thanks to the presence of these openings.

The fastening device is characterized by the fact that the hair-pin shaped locking member includes leg portions having free ends bended outwardly at right angles, which may be inserted into said openings after separation of the leg portions of pin in the locked position, said openings being arranged on the middle portion of the side walls surrounding the aperture through which the handle extends outwardly, so as to prevent the displacement of this latter towards said middle portion.

The fastening device is particularly simple and is fixed in existing openings of the molded casing without any risk of damage of the casing or the handle. In the locked position, the pin is clamped by the displacement of a slide member and the insertion of a padlock so as to prevent any withdrawal of the pin. The shackle of the padlock is inserted between the loop-shaped part of the pin and the slide member being in clamping position so as to prevent any displacement of the slide member towards the unlocked position of pin, and it is easy to understand that the padlocking may be realized by any othertype of padlocks on condition that the diameter of shackle is smaller than the space between the leg portions of the locking pin.

The length of locking pin is adapted to extend outwardly of the circuit breaker front face so as to lock simultaneously the front plate or the door of the enclosure containing the circuit breaker. The two ends must have a particular shape which prohibits the pivotal movement of pin. Most circuit breakers have a decentred handle on the front face of the molded casing, and the length of the locking pin is adapted to lock simultaneously the front plate which covers a circuit breaker with the handle in the ON position, and to release the front plate when the circuit breaker is in the opened-circuit position.

Other advantages and characteristics will becomme apparent from the following description of an embodiment of the invention, given by way of illustration and not of limitation and shown in the accompanying drawings in which: Figure I is a schematic elevation view of a fastening device according to the invention, secured to a circuit-breaker, the slide member being shown in section; Figure 2 is a similar view to Figure 1, showing the fastening device in the locked position; Figure 3 is a side view of Figure 2..

Referring to the figures, a molded case circuit breaker 10 has a pivotable operating handle 16 arranged on the front face 12 of a protruding flange 14. The handle 16 extends outwardly of the front face 12 through a suitable aperture 18, and may occupy two operative OFF and ON end positions corresponding respectively to the opened-circuit and closed-circuit positions of the circuit breaker. A pair of openings 24,26 are provided in the middle portion of the side walls 20, 22 surrounding the aperture 18, and a sealing wire extends usually through the openings 24, 26 so as to interfere with the pivoting displacement of the handle 16. The aligned openings permit the reception of a sealing wire or a locking member, the handle being in any one of the two operative OFF and ON end positions.A manual closing or opening operation of the circuit breaker 10 is then prevented by the presence of the sealing wire or the locking member.

We shall not give a detailed description of such well-known circuit breakers.

The handle fastening device 28 includes a locking member having a hair-pin 38 shape provided with free ends 40, 42 bended outwardly at right angles.

The hair-pin 38, made of elastic material, for example a stainless steel, urges the leg portions 44,46 towards a spaced position. The hair-pin is formed by an elastic wire having a diameter which is smaller than the diameter of the openings, and the total length of the bended ends, 40,42 is smaller than the width ofthe aperture 18 so asto allow the insertion into said aperture 18 of the leg portions 44, 46 being in a pinched position, and the penetration of the ends 40, 42 into the openings 24, 26 after releasing said leg portions 44,46.

A slide member 34 is slidably mounted upon the pin 38. The slide member 34 surrounding outwardly the pin is formed for example from folded sheet, or made of molded plastic material, and includes a front locking strip 36 arranged between the leg portions 44,46 of the pin. In the inactive position of slide member 34 shown in Figure 1, the strip 36 is lodged in the loop portion of pin 38 so as to allow the putting together of the leg portions 44,46 for the attachment of pin to the circuit breaker 10. In the active position shown in Figure 2, of slide member 34 surrounding pin 38, the locking strip 36 is arranged between the ends 40, 42 of leg portions 44, 46 which are clamped in the spaced position.

The sliding motion of the slide member 34 towards the inactive position is stopped by the strip 36 which abuts against the loop of pin 38, and the inverse sliding motion towards the active position is limited by the bended ends 40,42 keeping backthe enclosure of slide member 34. The length "1" of slide member 34 is smaller than the length of pin 38, and in the clamped position, shown in Figure 2, the loop of pin 38 and the back side of slide member define an orifice 48 for the insertion of the shackle 50 of a padlock 52.

The handle locking device operates as follows: The handle 16 is shown in the ON upward position where the circuit breaker is closed. In the attaching of the handle locking device, the slide member 44 is siipped towards the inactive position, and the two leg portions 44,46 are pinched together (as indicated by arrows F, F' in Figure 1) so as to allow the insertion of the bended ends 40,42 into aperture 18.

When leg portions 44,46 are released, the elasticity of pin 38 urges the bended end portions 40,42 into the openings 24, 26. The pin 38 is then secured to the housing of circuit breaker 10, and the parallel leg portions 44,46 occupy a part of the aperture 18 so as to prevent the handle 16 displacement towards the opened-circuit position of circuit breaker 10. The clamping of pin 38 in the locked position of strip 36 occurs after slipping of slide member 34 over the leg portions of pin 38, the strip 36 being then in the position shown in Figure 2. Strip 36 prevents any pinching of the leg portions 44,46 which would allow the withdrawal of pin 38 out of the openings 24,26.The pin is thus clamped in the locked position, and the padlock 52 may be secured in place by inserting the shackle 50 through the space arranged between the slide member 34, and the loop portion of pin 38. The presence of shackle 50 prevents the sliding of slide member 34 towards the unlocked position so as to clamp the handle 16 in the closed-circuit position of the circuit breaker. It is easy to see that shackle 50 of the padlock 52 may have different diameters which must be smaller than the space between the leg portions 44, 46 of pin 38.

The same fastening device 28 may of course be used to clamp the handle 16 in the other OFF downward position where the circuit breaker is opened. The pin 38 is then disposed on the opposite upward side and prevents any raising of handle 16.

The fastening device 28 does not increase the width of circuit breaker 10, and may be secured on joined side by side circuit breakers.

This fastening device 28 may be arranged to clamp simultaneously the front plate or the door of the enclosure containing the circuit breaker 10, the protruding flange 14 extending through an opening arranged in the front plate or in the door (not shown). The length of pin 38 is then adapted to project over flange 14 as shown in the figures, so as to prevent the opening of the front plate or the door, and the ends of pin have a particular shape (not shown) which prohibits the pivotal movement of pin 38. As shown in the figures, pin 38 locks the front plate in handle clamping position when the circuit breaker is closed, but this pin does not lock the front plate when disposed in the opposite downward handle clamping position corresponding to the opening of the circuit breaker.

The fastening device may be secured to different types of circuit breakers having aligned openings 24, 26. The device is particularly simple and has a minor manufacture cost.

Claims

1. A manual operating handle fastening device, more particularly of a molded casing circuit breaker, for locking the handle in any one of two operative end positions thereof, corresponding respectively to the opened-circuit position and the closed-circuit position of the circuit breaker, said casing including openings receiving a locking member which interferes with the pivotable movement of the handle, characterized by the fact that the hair-pin shaped locking member includes leg portions having free ends bended outwardly at right angles, which may be inserted into said openings after separation of the leg portions of pin in the locked position, said openings being arranged on the middle portion of the side walls surrounding the aperture through which the handle extends outwardly, so as to prevent the displacement of this latter towards said middle portion.

2. Afastening device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that said locking member is made of elastic material so as to urge said leg portions of pin towards a spaced position.

3. A fastening device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the fact that it comprises clamping means cooperating with said locking member so as to occupy selectively two positions, an active clamping position of said pin being in the spaced position to lock the handle, and an inactive position allowing the pinching of the leg portions of said pin for the attachment or the withdrawal of this latter in/from said openings.

4. Afastening device according to claim 3, characterized by the fact that said clamping means include a slide member comprising a locking strip which may be inserted between the two spaced leg portions of said pin in the active clamping position.

5. Afastening device according to claim 4, characterized by the fact that said slide member is slidably mounted upon said pin, and is arranged to define in the clamping position a free portion in the loop-shaped back part of said pin for the insertion of the shackle of a padlock.

6. A fastening device according to any one of the previous claims, for a circuit breaker having a front face extending outwardly of an aperture arranged in a front plate or a door, characterized by the fact that the length of said pin is adapted to project out of said aperture to lock simultaneously said front plate.

7. A fastening device according to claim 6, for a circuit breaker having a handle which is decentred on said front face, characterized by the fact that in the clamping position said pin is arranged to lock said front plate in one of the two positions of the handle, and to release said front plate in the other position of the handle.

8. Afastening device, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. Any novel feature or combination of features described herein.