Circuit interrupter provided with main and auxiliary contacts in parallel sequentially operable to open the circuit first at the main contacts followed by the auxiliary contacts

Claim 1

A CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A PLURALITY OF PAIRS OF SEPARABLE MAIN CONTACTS CONNECTED IN SERIES CIRCUIT RELATION, A PLURALITY OF PAIRS OF SEPARABLE AUXILIARY CONTACTS CONNECTED IN SERIES CIRCUIT RELATION, CIRCUIT MEANS DIRECTLY AND UNINTERRUPTEDLY CONNECTING EACH PAIR OF MAIN CONTACTS IN PARALLEL CIRCUIT RELATION WITH A PAIR OF AUXILIARY CONTACTS, VOLTAGE DIVIDING RESISTANCE MEANS DIRECTLY AND UNINTERRUPTEDLY CONNECTED IN PARALLEL CIRCUIT RELATION WITH EACH PAIR OF PARALLEL CONNECTED MAIN AND AUXILIARY CONTACTS WHEREBY THE DIVISION OF VOLTAGE ACROSS EACH PAIR DURING CIRCUIT OPENING AND IN OPEN POSITION IS INDIVIDUALLY CONTROLLED; AND MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY OPENING SAID MAIN CONTACTS TO TRANSFER THE CURRENT FLOW TO SAID AUXILIARY CONTACTS AND SUBSEQUENTLY SIMULTANEOUSLY OPENING SAID AUXILIARY CONTACTS TO EFFECT CIRCUIT INTERRUPTION BY SAID AUXILIARY CONTACTS, SAID MEANS INCLUDING AN