Vacuum type circuit interrupter

Claim 1

A VACUUM-TYPE CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER COMPRISING AN ENCLOSED ENVELOPE DEFINING AN EVACUATED VACUUM CHAMBER, A PAIR OF RELATIVELY MOVABLE ELECTRODES LOCATED WITHIN SAID CHAMBER HAVING ARC-RUNNING SURFACES, MEANS FOR MOVING ONE OF SAID ELECTRODES RELATIVE TO THE OTHER OF SAID ELECTRODES TO PROVIDE AN ARCING GAP BETWEEN SAID ARCRUNNING SURFACES ACROSS WHICH CIRCUIT INTERRUPTING ARCS EXTENDING GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE DIRECTION OF ELECTRODE MOVEMENT ARE DEVELOPED, SAID ARCS BEING MAINTAINED IN SAID GENERALLY PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP UNTIL EXTINGUISHED, A CONDUCTIVE SUPPORT FOR ONE OF SAID ELECTRODES PROJECTING INTO SAID VACUUM CHAMBER AND CONTAINING A RECESS EXTENDING ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID SUPPORT TO A LOCATION NEAR SAID ARCING GAP, SAID RECESS BEING LOCATED OUTSIDE OF SAID VACUUM CHAMBER, AND MAGNET MEANS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID RECESS FOR PRODUCING A RADIAL MAGNETIC FIELD TRAVERSING SAID ARCING GAP ALONG SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF SAID GAP FOR DRIVING ARCS ALONG SAID ARC-RUNNING SURFACE, THE ARC-INITIATING PORTIONS OF SAID ELECTRODES BEING SO DISPOSED THAT SAID ARCS ARE INITIATED IN A REGION TRAVERSED BY SAID MAGNETIC FIELD.