Circuit breaker with thermal tripping means

Claim 1

A CIRCUIT BREAKER COMPRISING, SEPARABLE CONTACTS AND MEANS RELEASABLE TO EFFECT AUTOMATIC SEPARATION OF SAID CONTACTS, A TRIP DEVICE FOR EFFECTING RELEASE OF SAID RELEASABLE MEANS, SAID TRIP DEVICE COMPRISING A CORE MEMBER COMPRISING A GENERALLY U-SHAPED STRUCTURE OF MAGNETIC MATERIAL AND A TOP PART OF MAGNETIC MATERIAL, MEANS REMOVABLY MOUNTING SAID TOP PART ON THE FREE ENDS OF SAID U-SHAPED STRUCTURE WHEREBY SAID TOP PART AND SAID USHAPED STRUCTURE ENCOMPASS AN OPENING, A CONDUCTOR CONNECTED IN ELECTRICAL SERIES WITH SAID CONTACTS AND PASSING THROUGH SAID OPENING, AN ELONGATED BIMETALLIC MEMBER SUPPORTED AT ONE END THEREOF ON SAID TOP PART IN A HEAT CONDUCTING RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID TOP PART AND THE OTHER END THEREOF EXTENDING AWAY FROM SAID CORE MEMBER IN THE DIRECTION OF THE EXTENSION OF THE LEGS OF SAID U-SHAPED STRUCTURE, SAID TOP PART BEING ADAPTED TO BE HEATED BY HYSTERESIS AND EDDY CURRENT LOSSES THEREIN WHEN SAID CONDUCTOR IS ENERGIZED BY AN ALTERNATING CURRENT, SAID HEAT IN SAID TOP PART BEING CONDUCTED TO SAID BIMETALLIC MEMBER TO HEAT SAID BIMETALLIC MEMBER, AND SAID BIMETALLIC MEMBER WHEN HEATED A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT BENDING TO EFFECT RELEASE OF SAID RELEASABLE MEANS.