Mechanical Interlock for Contactors

Mechanical interlocks for contactors have been known heretofore. For example, A. F. Kolb and J. J. Gilmore U.S. Pat. No. 3,824,510, dated July 16, 1974, shows a thermoplastic interlock member that mechanically interlocks the operation of a pair of electrical relays. This interlock member is a compact one piece member comprising a frame, anchorage means for anchoring the frame between two relay assemblies, each relay assembly having a respective armature, and an interlock element, suspended within the frame by an integral flexible link for movement laterally of the frame, to prevent simultaneous actuation of the relay contacts. The interlock element has inclined surfaces extending laterally of the frame and into the paths of movement of the two armatures so that the interlock element is laterally displaced to obstruct the path of movement of one armature to prevent closure of the associated contacts whenever the other armature engages the inclined surface thereof.

While mechanical interlocks known in the prior art as represented by the interlock member of the aforementioned patent have been useful for their intended purposes, this invention relates to improvements thereover.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanical interlock for contactors that prevents concurrent closure of the contacts thereof.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a mechanical interlock for a pair of contactors that additionally provides a strong and rigid upper connection between the housings of the contactors.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanical interlock for contactors that requires minimum contactor operating motion to perform the interlocking function.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide a mechanical interlock for contactors that is subjected to minimum wear in operation and thus will last through a large number of operations of the order of ten million or the like.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide a mechanical interlock for contactors that is easy to assemble onto the contactors and holds them firmly together.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide a mechanical interlock for contactors with improved means that essentially eliminates lost motion between the contact operating mechanisms of the contactors and the interlock.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide a mechanical interlock for contactors with improved means that provides positive interlocking stop action without significant wear over a large number of operations.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide a mechanical interlock for contactors that is simple and economical in construction consistent with a long useful life.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear.

FIG. 1 is a partial front elevational view of a pair of contactors with the mechanical interlock mounted therebetween.

FIG. 2 is a partial top view of the pair of contactors and mechanical interlock of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view of one of the contactors taken substantially along line 3--3 of FIG. 1, showing the aperture and switch actuating member therein.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the mechanical interlock of FIG. 1 taken substantially along line 4--4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the mechanical interlock of FIG. 4 with the cover-panel broken away to show the pawl therebelow.

FIG. 6 is a right end view of the mechanical interlock of FIGS. 4 and 5.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view, with the pawl and its bias spring removed, of the mechanical interlock frame taken substantially along line 7--7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of the pawl used in the mechanical interlock of FIGS. 4-6.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the two contactors of FIG. 1 showing the lower portion of the interlock therebetween with the pawl in operative position.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a mechanical interlock coupled between a pair of contactors according to the invention. The purpose of the interlock is to prevent simultaneous actuation of the switch actuating members of both of the contactors in a pair of adjacently mounted contactors thereby to prevent concurrent closure of the contacts. A typical usage of contactors of this type is to connect motor windings of a reversible motor across the power lines and, consequently, means must be provided to prevent simultaneous closing of the two contactors and thereby prevent energization of the motor in both the forward and reverse direction at the same time. For this reason, it is necessary that such contactors be positively interlocked to prevent the closing of a circuit through more than one of the contactors at any given instant.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a fragmentary portion of each of a pair of contactors 2 and 4 with a mechanical interlock 6 coupled therebetween. As shown in FIG. 3, each of the contactors of FIG. 1 such as contactor 2, for example, has a generally flat wall 2a including a rectangular aperture 2b substantially centrally thereof. This aperture provides access for the pawl of the mechanical interlock into the interior contact operating mechanism of the contactor.

As will be apparent, a contactor is an electromagnetic switching device having an insulating housing within which is endlosed an electromagnet and contacts, The stationary contacts are normally mounted on the housing and the movable contacts are normally mounted on a switch actuating member such as an insulating contact carrier 8. As shown in FIG. 3, the contact carrier or switch actuating member 8 is partially visible through aperture 2b and is provided with a generally rectangular projection 8a the outer end of which is substantially flush with the side surface of the flat wall 2a of the contactor and which engages the mechanical interlock 6 as hereinafter more fully described.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, contactors 2 and 4 are mounted in spaced side by side relation on a mounting panel 10 or other supporting means such as a snap in rail or the like. For securing the two contactors onto the mounting panel, for example, the contactors are provided with base plates 12 and 14 made of steel, plastic or the like. These base plates may be rigidly secured to the bottom surfaces of the insulating housings of the contactors in any one of a number of different ways, for example, a snap-in means having hooks and a spring-biased catch, screws or the like. The base plate is then attached by screws or the like to mounting panel 10.

Contactors 2 and 4 and mechanical interlock 6 are provided with means for snap-in mounting the mechanical interlock onto and between the two contactors to rigidly fix them and maintain them in spaced apart relation as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. For this purpose, each contactor is provided at the upper portion of each of its sidewalls such as sidewall 2a shown in FIG. 3 with a pair of "false-front" upper left and right corners 2c and 2d. Each of these corners 2c and 2d has a vertical outer edge and a thickness which is complementary to the mounting hooks on the frame 16 of mechanical interlock 6 hereinafter described.

As shown in FIGS. 4-6, frame 16 of the mechanical interlock 6 is a generally T-shaped molded member having a first pair of hooks 16a and 16b on one side at the ends of its arms for hooking onto corners 2c and 2d of a first contactor 2 and a second pair of hooks 16c and 16d for hooking onto similar upper corners of contactor 4 as shown in FIG. 2. To complete the snap-in means, frame 16 of the mechanical interlock has lug means such as a pair of lugs 16e on one side and another like pair of lugs 16f on the other side as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6. To assemble the mechanical interlock frame onto a contactor, the mechanical interlock is placed against flat wall 2a of the contactor such that hooks 16a and 16b are above corners 2c and 2d and the mechanical interlock is then slid downwards. As a result corners 2c and 2d enter into hooks 16a and 16b and as the hooks slide down along these corners, these hooks are stressed a certain amount because lugs 16f abut the wall of the contactor above aperture 2b so that the mechanical interlock is at a slight angle with respect to the wall of the contactor. As the hooks 16a and 16b reach the lower ends of the vertical edges of corners 2c and 2d, lugs 16f snap into the upper corners of aperture 2b, relieving the stress on the hooks previously mentioned. As a result, the hooks 16a and 16b will hold the mechanical interlock frame 16 tightly against wall 2a of the contactor. At the same time one wing 18e of the pawl 18, hereinafter described, snaps below projection 8a of the contact carrier so that when the contact carrier is therafter actuated downwardly as seen in FIG. 3, the pawl is rocked into interlocking position as hereinafter more fully described and shown in FIG. 9.

In a similar manner the mechanical interlock frame 16 is coupled to the other contactor 4. For this purpose, hooks 16c and 16d are slid down similar corners of contactor 4, wing 18f of pawl 18 snaps below projection 8a' and lugs 16e snap into the aperture in the flat wall of that contactor.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the mechanical interlock also has a pawl 18 having an helical compression spring 20 mounted thereon. For this purpose, pawl 18 made of molded plastic has a generally vertically elongated or rectangular hole 18a therethrough as shown in FIG. 8 with an integrally molded lug 18b at the top of this hole and an integrally molded lug 18c at the bottom of this hole which enter into the upper and lower ends of compression spring 20 to retain it in place as shown in FIG. 6. This pawl 18 as shown in FIG. 8 is also provided with a tapered or pointed toe 18d at its lower end and a pair of wings 18e and 18f extending in opposite lateral directions. Wings 18e and 18f have upper surfaces 18g and 18h as shown in FIG. 8 that extend not only outwardly in opposite directions but also at a predetermined small angle upwardly so that when lug 8a of the contact carrier presses down thereon and rocks the pawl, the pawl will remain in solid contact with the contact carrier throughout its stroke of operation. Frame 16 has a hole in its right-hand side as seen in FIG. 6 large enough for insertion of pawl 18 therewithin. Frame 16 also has a relatively smaller opening 16g in its other side as shown in FIG. 4 through which a wing 18f of pawl 18 extends when the pawl is first inserted within the frame. As also shown in FIG. 4, a snap-down slot 16h of slightly narrower width than the wing of the pawl extends down from opening 16g and then continues into a wider opening 16j in which the wing of pawl 18 can freely move up and down. In a similar manner, the larger opening on the right-hand side of frame 16 as viewed in FIG. 6 has a snap-down slot like slot 16h which then continues into a similar slightly wider opening similar to opening 16j for allowing free vertical movement of the other wing of pawl 18. From the above it will be apparent that when pawl 18 is inserted into frame 16 it is then forced down so that the wings of the pawl snap down through snap-down slot 16h and a similar snap-down slot on the other side down into openings 16j and a similar opening on the other side to be retained therein so that the rounded tip of toe 18d is poised above the center point of a double-incline bump 16k at the bottom of frame 16 as shown in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 7, frame 16 also has a pair of lugs 16m and 16n internally so that the opposite peripheral portions of the bottom end of compression spring 20 abut thereagainst, causing compression of the spring whenever one wing of the pawl is depressed and also causes restoration of the pawl into its upper center position with toe 18d poised above the middle point of double-incline bump 16k when the pawl is released.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that when mechanical interlock 6 is assembled onto contactor 2 as hereinbefore descried, wing 18e of pawl 18 will initially slide down on projection 8a. of the contact carrier 8 and will snap below projection 8a into aperture 2b at the same time as lugs 16f snap into the upper corners of aperture 2b. When the other contactor 4 is coupled to the mechanical interlock, the other wing 18f of pawl 18 will snap in a similar manner below the projection 8a' of the contact carrier of that contactor. Therefore, all that is required to assemble the mechanical interlock onto a pair of contactors is to place its hooks above the upper corners of the contactor and to slide it down until it snaps into place. In this assembly, the corresponding wing of the interlocking pawl will automatically go into its proper position under the projection of the contact carrier. Also, to remove the mechanical interlock from the contactor, it is only necessary to pull the lower portion of the mechanical interlock outwardly, stressing the two hooks, so that the lugs such as 16e or 16f as the case may be, clear the upper corner surface of aperture 2b whereupon the mechanical interlock may be lifted directly upwardly off of the contactor.

The mechanical interlock is also provided with means for preventing dirt or other extraneous matter from falling into frame 16 into the area where pawl 18 must rock. For this purpose, frame 16 has integrally molded thereon a panel 16p as shown in FIG. 7 having its lower end free. At the other side of frame 16 a similar panel 16q is integrally molded with frame 16 except that it has an integral thin hinge 16r at its lower end as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 and its upper end is initially connected to frame 16 by a narrow, breakable strip 16s shown in FIG. 4. After pawl 18 with spring 20 mounted thereon has been inserted into frame 16 and snapped down into its operating position, panel 16q is pressed inwardly so as to break strip 16s and bend it at its hinge horizontally so that its upper end snaps below the lower end of panel 16p as shown in FIG. 6, thus forming a cover over the pocket that retains pawl 18 and preventing at least any large particles of dirt or extraneous matter from falling thereinto.

When one of the contactors such as 4 is actuated as shown in FIG. 9, its contact carrier 8' moves down carrying with it projection 8a' that presses down on wing 18f of pawl 18. This causes pawl 18 to rock within frame 16 and to move down, compressing spring 20, so that its toe 18d slides down one of the inclines of double-incline bump 16k and stops in the pocket at the lower end of such incline after the contacts close as shown in FIG. 9. As a result, pawl 18 becomes rigidly fixed within frame 16 and the other wing 18e of pawl 18 remains in or near contact with the like projection 8a on the contact carrier 8 of the other contactor 2 so that the other contactor cannot be operated at the same time. When the operated contactor is restored to normal position, its contact carrier including projection 8a' moves back upwardly to the position shown in FIG. 3, releasing pawl 18. As a result, spring 20 restores pawl 18 to its normal position shown in FIG. 6 with its toe 18d poised over the center point of double-incline bump 16k.

While the apparatus hereinbefore described is effectively adapted to fulfill the objects stated, it is to be understood that the invention is not intended to be confined to the particular preferred embodiment of mechanical interlock for contactors disclosed, inasmuch as it is susceptible of various modifications without departing from the scope of the appended claims.