Manual electric switch having automatic overload release means

Claim 1

AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT BREAKER COMPRISING A HOUSING, A STATIONARY ELECTRICAL CONTACT MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING, A CARRIER ARM ELEMENT PIVOTALLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID HOUSING, A MOVABLE ELECTRICAL CONTACT MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIER ARM ELEMENT FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH AND DISENGAGEMENT FROM SAID STATIONARY ELECTRICAL CONTACT, FIRST SPRING MEANS NORMALLY BIASING SAID CARRIER ARM ELEMENT IN SUCH DIRECTION AS TO EFFECT DISENGAGEMENT BETWEEN SAID STATIONARY AND MOVABLE CONTACTS, A MANUALLY OPERABLE SWITCH LEVER ELEMENT PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING, A MEMBER INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID CARRIER ARM AND SWITCH LEVER ELEMENTS AND ACTUATABLE BY SAID SWITCH LEVER ELEMENT FOR DEPRESSING SAID CARRIER ARM ELEMENT AND COMPRESSING SAID SPRING MEANS TO EFFECT ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN SAID STATIONARY AND MOVABLE CONTACTS, SAID CARRIER ARM DEPRESSING MEMBER BEING PERMANENTLY PIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT ONE END THEREOF TO ONE OF SAID ELEMENTS AND BEING RELEASABLY ENGAGED AT THE OTHER END THEREOF WITH THE OTHER OF SAID ELEMENTS, SECOND SPRING MEANS BIASING SAID CARRIER ARM DEPRESSING MEMBER TO THE ENGAGING POSITION WITH SAID OTHER ELEMENT AND MEANS INCLUDING CURRENT OVERLOAD RESPONSIVE MEANS MOUNTED WITHIN SAID HOUSING AND OPERABLE UPON AN OVERLOAD CURRENT PASSING THROUGH SAID CONTACTS WHEN ENGAGED FOR ACTUATING SAID CARRIER ARM DEPRESSING MEMBER TO DISENGAGE THE SAME FROM SAID OTHER ELEMENT AND THEREBY RELEASE SAID CARRIER ARM TO EFFECT DISENGAGEMENT OF SAID CONTACTS, SAID SECOND SPRING MEANS EFFECTING A RE-ENGAGEMENT OF SAID CARRIER ARM DEPRESSING MEMBER WITH SAID OTHER ELEMENT SUBSEQUENT TO DISENGAGEMENT OF SAID CONTACTS.