Importance

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Abstract

A ground fault interrupter is adapted to be connected to a circuit having a supply current and a return current. The interrupter has a detection mechanism, including one or more than one cores, for detecting one or more than one ground fault currents. The core is composed of a metal alloy which is at least about 90 percent glassy and which consists essentially of a composition having the formula Co.sub.a Fe.sub.b Ni.sub.c M.sub.d B.sub.e Si.sub.f where M is at least one selected from a group consisting of Cr, Mo, Mn and Nb, the quantity a, b, c, d, e and f are in atom percent and the sum (a+b+c+d+e+f) is equal to 100 where 'a' ranges from about 66 to 71, 'b' ranges from about 2.5 to 4.5, 'c' ranges from about 0 to 3, 'd' ranges from about 0 to 2 except when M=Mn in which case 'd' ranges from about 0 to 4, 'e' ranges from about 6 to 24 and 'f' ranges from about 0 to 19, with the proviso that the sum of 'a', 'b' and 'c' ranges from about 72 to 76 and the sum of 'e' and 'f' ranges from about 25 to 27, said alloy having the form of a ribbon and having been heat-treated to induce Perminvar-like characteristics thereof. An interruption mechanism operates in response to a signal or more than one signals from the detecting mechanism to interrupt the supply current or currents.

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