Ratchet mechanism for charging a closing spring in an electric circuit breaker

Claim 1

IN AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT BREAKER: A PAIR OF SEPARABLE SWITCH CONTACTS; A MOVABLE SWITCH ARM DISPOSED TO MOVE ONE OF THE SWITCH CONTACTS FROM AN OPEN CIRCUIT POSITION TO A CLOSED CIRCUIT POSITION; STORED ENERGY ACTUATING MEANS FOR THE SWITCH ARM COMPRISING A SPRING AND AN ARCUATELY MOVABLE SPRING RETAINING MEMBER ASSOCIATED THEREWITH, SAID MEMBER BEING OPERATIVELY COUPLED TO THE SWITCH ARM FOR ACTUATING THE SWITCH ARM IN RESPONSE TO RELEASE OF ENERGY STORED IN THE SPRING; AND A RATCHET MECHANISM FOR CHARGING THE STORED ENERGY ACTUATING MEANS COMPRISING A ROTATABLE RATCHET WHEEL HAVING AN ECCENTRIC OUTPUT ELEMENT ORBITALLY MOVABLE IN A PLANE WHICH INTERSECTS THE PLANE OF ARCUATE MOVEMENT OF THE SPRING RETAINING MEMBER, SAID OUTPUT ELEMENT BEING CONNECTED TO SAID SPRING RETAINING MEMBER BY MEANS INCLUDING A BEARING HAVING A SPHERICAL CAMMING SURFACE, WHEREBY THE SPRING RETAINING MEMBER IS MOVED AND ENERGY IS STORED IN THE SPRING IN RESPONSE TO ROTATION OF THE WHEEL, SAID MECHANISM INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE PAWL FOR ROTATING THE RATCHET WHEEL AND AN OSCILLATORY OPERATING MEMBER FOR THE PAWL.