Electrical switchgear with electro-dynamic strengthening of the contactpressure

Claim 1

IN AN ELECTRICAL LOAD SWITCH, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING MEANS ESTABLISHING IN SAID SWITCH TWO CURRENT PATHS ELECTRICALLY AND SPACIALLY IN PARALLEL AND WITH A SMALL SPACIAL GAP THEREBETWEEN, EACH SAID CURRENT PATH BEING CONSTITUTED BY ELONGATED CONDUCTOR PIECES IN ALIGNMENT AND HAVING END PORTIONS ARRANGED IN CONFRONTING SPACED RELATION AND INCLUDING A CONTACT BRIDGE ADAPTED TO BE ENGAGED WITH AND DISENGAGED FROM THE END PORTIONS OF SAID CONDUCTOR PIECES, THE PRESSURE CONTACT POSITIONS OF SAID CONTACT BRIDGES WITH RESPECT TO THE END PORTIONS OF THE CONDUCTOR PIECES BEING LOCATED ON THE SAME SIDES OF SAID BRIDGES, MEANS MOUNTING THE ELONGATED CONDUCTOR PIECES CONSTITUTING A FIRST ONE OF SAID CURRENT PATHS SUCH THAT SAID CONDUCTOR PIECES AND THE CONFRONTING END PORTIONS THEREOF ARE SUBSTANTIALLY IMMOVABLE, AN ACTUATING MEMBER FOR SAID CONTACT BRIDGES, MEANS INCLUDING SPRING MEANS MOUNTING A FIRST ONE OF SAID CONTACT BRIDGES ON SAID ACTUATING MEMBER, SAID SPRING MEANS SERVING TO LOAD SAID CONTACT BRIDGE INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SUBSTANTIALLY IMMOVABLE END PORTIONS OF THE CONDUCTOR PIECES FORMING SAID FIRST CURRENT PATH, MEANS MOUNTING THE SECOND OF SAID CONTACT BRIDGES RIGIDLY ON SAID ACTUATING MEMBER, AND MEANS INCLUDING SPRING MEANS MOUNTING THE ELONGATED CONDUCTOR PIECES CONSTITUTING THE SECOND OF SAID CURRENT PATHS SUCH THAT SAID CONDUCTOR PIECES AND THE CONFRONTING END PORTIONS THEREOF ARE LOADED INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SECOND AND RIGIDLY MOUNTED CONTACT BRIDGE, THE DIRECTIONS OF THE SPRING LOADING FORCES ASSOCIATED RESPECTIVELY WITH SAID FIRST CONTACT BRIDGE AND WITH THE CONDUCTOR PIECES CONSTITUTING SAID SECOND CURRENT PATH BEING IN OPPOSITION TO ONE ANOTHER.