Operating mechanism for circuit breakers

Claim 1

THE COMBINATION COMPRISING AN OPERATING MECHANISM AND AN ACTUATING MECHANISM OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED THEREWITH; SAID ACTUATING MECHANISM COMPRISNG A RAM, A CONTINUOUS SURFACE PISTON SECURED TO SAID RAM, A CYLINDER WHEREIN SAID PISTON IS DISPOSED, AND CONDUIT MEANS FOR RECEIVING FLUID ACTUATING MEANS FOR MOVING SAID PISTON IN A FIRST DIRECTION FROM A FIRST TO A SECOND POSITION; SAID CYLINDER HAVING PORT MEANS EXTENDING TO THE OUTSIDE OF SAID CYLINDER WHICH ARE OPEN WHEN SAID PISTON IS IN SAID FIRST POSITION AND REMAINS OPEN UNTIL SAID PISTON REACHES A THIRD POSITION INTERMEDIATE SAID FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONS; SAID PORT MEANS BEING ISOLATED FROM SAID CONDUIT MEANS BY SAID PISTON WHEN SAID PISTON IS BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND THIRD POSITIONS, SAID PORT MEANS BEING CLOSED AS SAID PISTON MOVES BETWEEN SAID THIRD AND SAID SECOND POSITIONS THEREBY PERMITTING AN AIR CUSHION TO BE FORMED BETWEEN SAID PISTON AND A FIRST END OF SAID CYLINDER TOWARD WHICH SAID PISTON IS MOVING WHEN TRAVELLING IN SAID FIRST DIRECTION; AND A SECOND PORT MEANS IN SAID FIRST END OF SAID CYLINDER EXTENDING THE OUTSIDE OF SAID CYLINDER; SAID SECOND PORT MEANS HAVING FLAPPER VALVE MEANS EXTENDING THEREACROSS AND ARRANGED FOR CLOSING SAID SECOND PORT MEANS RESPONSIVE TO AN INCREASE IN PRESSURE IN SAID FIRST END OF SAID CYLINDER AND FOR OPENING SAID SECOND PORT MEANS RESPONSIVE TO DECREASE IN PRESSURE IN SAID FIRST END OF SAID CYLINDER.