Celebrity Inventors
Mark Twain (Samuel L. Clemens) received Patent No. 121,992 for "An Improvement in Adjustable and Detachable Straps for Garments." He later received two more patents: one for a self-pasting scrapbook and one for a game to help players remember important historical dates.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7317264 | Method and apparatus to independently control contactors in a multiple contactor configuration A method and apparatus to independently control the closing or making of contactors in a modular contactor assembly is disclosed. The apparatus includes a contactor assembly having multiple contactors such that each contactor is separately controlled such that one c... | 01/08/2008 |
| 7196434 | Modular contactor assembly having independently controllable contractors The present invention provides an electrical isolation apparatus having independently controllable contactors. The isolation apparatus includes a contactor for each phase or pole of an electrical device as well as each phase or pole of a load. Each contactor is cons... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7138892 | Method and apparatus for soft-fault tolerant circuit interruption In accordance with one embodiment, the present technique provides a circuit interrupter. The exemplary circuit interrupter includes conductive spanner that completes an electrical pathway between first and second electrical conductors. To facilitate a good electrica... | 11/21/2006 |
| 7105764 | Monolithic stationary conductor and current limiting power switch incorporating same A current limiting power switch has a monolithic stationary conductor with a conductor section that mounts fixed contacts that engage moving contacts on moving contact fingers to form a reverse current loop with the contacts closed. A terminal section projects trans... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7057311 | Isolation contactor assembly having independently controllable contactors The present invention provides an electrical isolation apparatus having independently controllable contactors. The isolation apparatus includes a contactor for each phase or pole of an electrical device as well as each phase or pole of a load. Each contactor is cons... | 06/06/2006 |
| 6956728 | Method and apparatus to control modular asynchronous contactors A modular asynchronous contactor assembly includes a contactor for each phase or pole of an electrical device. The contactor assembly is applicable as both a switching device and an isolation or load protection device. As such, each contactor is constructed so that ... | 10/18/2005 |
| 6919785 | Pressure sensitive trip mechanism for a rotary breaker A pressure sensitive trip mechanism for actuating a circuit breaker operating mechanism to trip a circuit breaker includes a trip lever and a trip bar. The trip lever is rotatable about a first pivot. The trip bar is positioned proximate the trip lever. The trip bar... | 07/19/2005 |
| 6630640 | Electrical switch An electrical switch for electrical tools having an electric motor operated by a DC voltage. The switch comprises a contact system including a stationary contact and a switching contact, an operating element which acts on the switching contact to initiate... | 10/07/2003 |
| 6414255 | Switch A switch device for switching an electrical connection between two connection parts is disclosed. Conventional switch devices comprise a contact lever having a switch contact, the flow of current taking place by way of the contact lever when the switch de... | 07/02/2002 |
| 6265685 | Switchgear apparatus contact assembly including slot and ferromagnetic insert for enhancing arc extinguishing characteristics A switch comprises a long, slender stationary contact means and a movable contact means moving between an open position and a closed position. The contact zone of the contact means is separated from the electrical connection zone by a slot which opens out... | 07/24/2001 |
| 6229413 | Support of stationary conductors for a circuit breaker A circuit breaker having at least one cassette for receiving a conductive path. The conductive path is partially looped upon itself so that a first portion and a second portion of the conductive path are in a facially spaced relationship and the portions ... | 05/08/2001 |
| 6121560 | Switching contact system for a low voltage power switch with flexible conductors A switching contact system of a low-voltage circuit breaker has a bus with cord-like flexible conductors attached thereto. The flexible conductors are accommodated between a connecting surface (30) of the bus (26) and an end piece (27), which is in contac... | 09/19/2000 |
| 6025568 | Electric switch An electric switch (1), in particular for electric hand tools having an electric motor operated by means of direct current. The switch (1) possesses a contact system (9) consisting of a fixed contact (10) and of a switching contact (11), an actuating memb... | 02/15/2000 |
| 5898148 | Coil shaped terminal for an electrodynamically operated circuit breaker A switch has at least one fixed and one moving contact located on a contact arm. The fixed contact is connected to a loop-shaped conductor segment, such that when current flows through the conductor segment, there is an electrodynamic magnetic force which... | 04/27/1999 |
| 5866996 | Contact arm with internal in-line spring A circuit breaker contact arm (56) contains a straight elongate through-slot (112) that runs generally lengthwise of the contact arm and is closed at both lengthwise ends. Adjacent each slot, a respective side wall (106, 108) of a cross bar (58) contains ... | 02/02/1999 |
| 5837953 | DC circuit breaking device A DC circuit breaking device is provided for interrupting the transmission of direct currents to an electric power system by making external changes to an arc generated upon contacting or separation of contacts 11 and 12 in order to rapidly extend and vib... | 11/17/1998 |
| 5834723 | Apparatus for retaining a movable contact in a circuit interrupter An apparatus for retaining a movable contact in a circuit interrupter includes a movable element that is displaced by gas pressure within the interrupter housing resulting from arcs generated during initial displacement of the movable element. The movable... | 11/10/1998 |
| 5818003 | Electric switch with arc chute, radially converging arc splitter plates, and movable and stationary arc runners A contactor for switching electric current has a stationary contact and a movable contact which when driven by a solenoid moves into and away from abutment with the stationary contact. An arc chute includes a plurality of splitter plates which extend radi... | 10/06/1998 |
| 5514844 | Switch A switch for use in electric power includes a fixed contact, a moving contact performing a switching operation with respect to the fixed contact, a cylinder working with the moving contact, a piston slidably provided in the cylinder, a buffer chamber whic... | 05/07/1996 |
| 5493091 | High voltage circuit breaker contact structure including ionization slot and secondary arcing features An electromechanical switch of the contactor or circuit-breaker type with adjacent contacts, which are provided on respective mobile and fixed contact parts. This arrangement defines a narrow ionization slot which is maintained at the start of contact ope... | 02/20/1996 |
| 5464956 | Rotating arc interrupter for loadbreak switch A loadbreak switch is provided that utilizes a pivotally mounted movable jaw contact and a main stationary contact that is positioned in the middle of an arc runner. For operation at voltages 15 kV and above, the switch utilizes a shunt contact that bridg... | 11/07/1995 |
| 5430420 | Contact arrangement for a circuit breaker using magnetic attraction for high current trip A contact arrangement for a circuit breaker utilizes magnetic attraction between parallel conductors in the movable contacts to open the contacts during a short circuit, high current condition. An elongated, pivotable, main contact arm includes a movable ... | 07/04/1995 |
| 5373130 | Self-extinguishing expansion switch or circuit breaker A self-extinguishing expansion switch or circuit breaker, including an extinguishing chamber and an expansion chamber connected by a duct. The extinguishing chamber is positioned above the expansion chamber. An axially movable tube supports a movable arci... | 12/13/1994 |
| 5373273 | Electric circuit-breaker of the magnetic arc extinction type An electric circuit-breaker of the magnetic arc extinction type includes a fixed contact member comprising two electrically insulative parts. An auxiliary part of the fixed contact member is connected to an auxiliary terminal and includes an arc deflector... | 12/13/1994 |
| 5351024 | Electrical contactor and interrupter employing a rotary disc An electrical power switching device employing a rotary disc driven by an actuation means whose position is selected by a control means where disc contacts engage and disengage stationary contacts where the stationary contacts are deflected away from the ... | 09/27/1994 |
| 5073764 | Current limiting apparatus In a twin-contact type current limiting apparatus in which two contacts are electrically connected in series with each other, each of movable contact arms (23a, 23b) is extended in substantially parallel with and along each of stationary contact arms (21a... | 12/17/1991 |
| 5072203 | Method and device for protecting starters from fault currents An apparatus for protecting the fault current intolerant elements of a motor starter circuit or the like is comprised of a protective shunt which bypasses the fault current intolerant elements in response to the detection of high fault currents. The prote... | 12/10/1991 |
| 4933519 | Contact structure for grounding switch A grounding switch device for a metal-clad switchgear is adapted to be inserted into a standard circuit breaker cell allows the bus and line conductors within the switchgear assembly to be grounded for maintenance. A plurality of fixed and selectable test... | 06/12/1990 |
| 4685019 | Controlled electrical contacts for electrical switchgear Most contacts that are used in electrical switchgear are prone to erosion due to electrical arcs that are developed at the make and break of a circuit. Arcing is one of the major problems that can cause catastrophic failure of switchgear. In accordance wi... | 08/04/1987 |
| 4635012 | Contactor structure of circuit breaker Individual movable contactors of a circuit breaker are made up of a pair of conductors. The first conductor has one end bifurcated to form a pair of legs separated by a slit. At the open end each leg has a curved inner portion the opposed curved portions ... | 01/06/1987 |
| 4611106 | Circuit breaker contact structure A circuit breaker contact configuration reduces the occurrence of contact bounce by providing a reverse force to the contacts during contact closure. This reduces the contact closing shock energy, while keeping the contact bias force constant. In one embo... | 09/09/1986 |
| 4516004 | Vacuum switching tube with a helical current path A vacuum switching tube having an evacuated housing in which contacts are disposed movable relative to each other and an improved current lead for such a vacuum tube are disclosed. The current lead comprises a core and a jacket surrounding the core. The c... | 05/07/1985 |
| 4511774 | Current limiting contact arrangement Current limiting stationary (2) and movable (6) contacts are arranged to provide spaced, parallel oppositely directed current paths therein whereby fault currents generate electromagnetic forces for repelling the movable contact (6) from the stationary co... | 04/16/1985 |
| 4485283 | Current limiter unit A current limiter unit employs both a magnetic repulsion field and a gas pressure force to direct arcs to within the high voltage region of an arc chute. The unit confines the evolved gas pressure in all directions except in the direction of the arc plate... | 11/27/1984 |
| 4421963 | Magnetic extinction of arcs in switches The arc formed during circuit-breaking is lengthened to extinction. In order to achieve this, the magnetic flux density, the arc current intensity, and the gas pressure, adjacent the cathodic spot 11, are chosen to be such that the cathodic spot 11 is dis... | 12/20/1983 |
| 4401870 | Modular suction-gas-cooled magnetic blast circuit breaker A gas-cooled magnetic blast circuit breaker made up of a plurality of identical modules. Each module is a flat body made of electrically non-conductive air-permeable material and is formed with an upper and a lower arc breaking chamber, the chambers being... | 08/30/1983 |
| 4371765 | Electrical switch for large currents An electrical switch for large currents is disclosed in which an electric arc generated during separation of contact members is exposed to blow-out by a magnetic field generated by current flow in a looped-region of one of the contact members. The switch ... | 02/01/1983 |
| 4355219 | Electrical switchgear In a contacts closed position of a circuit breaker, a main body portion of a contact arm engages a main contact. Upon movement of the contacts towards an open position, an end portion of the contact arm moves into engagement with a tubular arcing electrod... | 10/19/1982 |
| 4355220 | Electrical switchgear of the rotating arc, double-break type Electrical switchgear comprises a pair of contact arms which, in a contacts closed position, engage the ends of a main contact bar. Upon movement of the electrical switchgear towards a contacts open position, the contact bar disengages from the contact ar... | 10/19/1982 |
| 4329552 | Wire formed interleaved spring contact structure A contact structure for a circuit interrupter consists of a cylindrical cluster of spring wire members, each having a U shape with axially inwardly reentrantly bent tips at the base of the U shapes. Alternate members in the cylindrical cluster have their ... | 05/11/1982 |
