For protecting wildlife from electrocution by high voltage components, dielectric covers are used to cover fuse cutouts, insulators, or other high voltage components. The cover includes through-holes for receiving retaining pins to secure the cover in place. The holes are the weak link in flashover prevention since the holes form an air gap, which has a breakdown voltage lower than that of the cover material. To prevent a bird's wing or a squirrel's tail from directly covering the hole in the surface of the cover, an arched or tubular hood is formed around each hole to block the bird or squirrel from directly covering the hole, reducing the risk of a flashover through the hole. The hoods extend out about 1-1.5 inches to essentially add a 1-1.5 inch air gap between the animal and the hole without enlarging the cover.

A fuse cutout cover is disclosed that allows a lineman to engage a metal hook assembly and pull ring of the cutout with a loadbreak tool. The cutout also includes a wire connector and a metal top connector that leads from the wire connector to the top of the fuse. A front opening in the cover allows easy access by a loadbreak tool over a wide range of angles. A roof of the cover extends beyond the sidewalls of the opening and covers an end of the top connector. An inner vertical wall of the cover has a bottom edge that rests on the top surface of the top connector to space the roof from the top connector to provide additional vertical clearance when positioning the loadbreak tool to engage the cutout. The wall also blocks access to the enlarged open to prevent birds from nesting in the opening.

A switch for a medium voltage or high voltage switchgear includes: a first fixed contact; a second fixed contact; a moveable contact; at least one flexible link; and a contact drive. In an on state of the switch, the moveable contact is in a position that connects the first fixed contact to the second fixed contact. In an off state of the switch, the moveable contact is in a position where the first fixed contact is not connected to the second fixed contact. The at least one flexible link is connected to the moveable contact. The at least one flexible link engages with the contact drive. The contact drive pulls the moveable contact via the at least one flexible link and pushes the moveable contact via the at least one flexible link. Activation of the contact drive in a first mode moves the moveable contact.

A circuit breaker apparatus has a housing, electrical power inlet, electrical power outlet, a main circuit breaker, a grounding switch, and a mechanical linkage. The main circuit breaker and the grounding switch each have a pair of contactors therein. The mechanical linkage is movable between a pair of positions in which one of the positions causes the pair of contactors of the main circuit breaker to close and the pair of contactors of the grounding switch to open and another position in which the pair of contactors of the main circuit breaker are open and such that the pair of contactors of the grounding switch are closed. The housing has an interior that is filled with air. The main circuit breaker and the grounding switch are in non-longitudinal alignment.

A device for actuating a rotating shaft selected from a plurality of parallel rotating shafts, comprising a driving shaft supported and actuated by corresponding rotation means, which is provided with a driving gear for the transmission of torque, a plurality of driven shafts each one of which is provided with a corresponding driven gear that is designed to be meshed with the driving gear, the driven gears being arranged on the respective driven shaft in an axial position that is offset with respect to the other driven gears, the driving gear being capable of performing a translational movement axially with means of translational motion for alternate meshing with one of the driven gears, the device further comprising means of prevention of rotation for the driven shafts whose driven gear is not meshed with the driving gear.

A switch including a housing, a first contact arrangement having a first commutation contact element and a first contact, a second contact arrangement having a second commutation contact element and a second contact, and also a nominal contact arrangement. The first commutation contact element and the second commutation contact element form a snap-action connection with one another in the closed position of the commutation contact element. When the switch is closed, a distance between the first contact and the second contact is smaller than a distance between the first commutation contact element and the second commutation contact element in the direction of the axis.

A fast earthing switch device for HV applications which includes a gas-tight casing, a movable contact connectable to and unconnectable from a fixed contact. The movable contact is linearly movable between an open position and a closed position. The device further includes an operating mechanism for the movable contact and is characterized in that the operating mechanism includes an actuating spring actuating a closing operation of the movable contact from the open position to the closed position, at least a driving lever mounted on an operating shaft actuating an opening operation of the movable contact from the closed position to the open position, the driving lever also partially reloading the actuating spring during the opening operation, the operating mechanism further includes coupling means operatively coupling the driving lever to the movable contact.

A metal-clad compliant grounding/earthing switch device configured for use within conventional switchgear is described. The device is equipped with adequate and compliant insulation of all bus connections, and is configured to close during maintenance outages grounding the live parts of the circuit feed by a particular breaker. The device enables electricians to perform maintenance and repairs in the event of an outage safely, and without the need to manually install a temporary Ground-and-Test Device. An insulated clam shell is present to limit fault propagation from live components until components are confirmed as grounded prior to maintenance of the switchgear.

A fuse cutout cover is disclosed that allows a lineman to engage a metal hook assembly and pull ring of the cutout with a loadbreak tool at a wide range of angles, while the cover still prevents electrocution of wildlife. A first portion of the cover has a vertical opening for receiving the wire. A second portion has a substantially flat roof portion that covers the top portion of the fuse, the hook assembly, and the pull ring. The hook assembly and pull ring are laterally exposed by the cover to allow the loadbreak tool to engage the hook assembly and pull ring at a wide range of angles. Another feature of the cover is multiple sets of through-holes for securing pins so that the pin locations can be optimized for ceramic insulators and narrower polymer insulators.

For protecting wildlife from high voltage conductors proximate to a utility pole, dielectric covers are used to cover fuse cutouts, bushings, or other connections to insulators. Such covers include a vertical slot for receiving an energized wire so the cover can be installed using a hot-stick while the wire is energized. To eliminate leakage currents flowing across the cover under high voltage conditions, which previously led to localized melting of the cover, inner walls of the cover are molded that are laterally separated from the outer walls of the cover. The double wall design eliminates leakage currents due to the extra dielectric wall and air gap, and the inner wall is not subject to contamination from conductive pollutants. The double wall design also increases the insulating properties of the cover.