Arc extinguishing structure with venting passage and deflector means

Claim 1

AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER COMPRISING: (A) AN INSULATING ENCLOSURE, (B) AT LEAST ONE PAIR OF RELATIVELY MOVABLE CONTACTS IN SAID CASING, (C) A PAIR OF SPACED INSULATING SIDE PLATES ADJACENT SAID CONTACTS, (D) A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY STACKED SPACED METALLIC ARC PLATES SUPPORTED BETWEEN SAID SIDE PLATES AND EACH HAVING A GENERALLY V-SHAPED NOTCH CUT THEREIN FROM ONE EDGE THEREOF, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID RELATIVELY MOVABLE CONTACTS BEING MOVABLE ALONG A PATH WITHIN SAID ALIVNED V-SHAPED NOTCHES, (E) SAID SIDE PLATES AND SAID ARC PLATES BEING SPACED AWAY FROM A CORRESPONDING END WALL OF SAID INSULATING ENCLOSURE TO PROVIDE A VERTICALLY EXTENDING ARC VENT PASSAGE, HAVING A TOP END AND A BOTTOM END, (F) A VENT OPENING IN SAID INSULATING CASING ADJACENT SAID TOP END OF SAID ARC PASSAGE, (G) AN ARC DEFLECTOR PLATE EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID SIDE PLATES ADJACENT SAID VENT OPENING FOR PREVENTING REENTRY OF ARC GASES INTO SAID ENCLOSURE AND FOR DIRECTING SAID ARC GASES OUT OF SAID VENT OPENING, (H) THE BOTTOM-MOST ONE OF SAID ARC PLATES BEING EXTENDED TO CLOSE OFF SAID BOTTOM END OF SAID ARC PASSAGE TO PREVENT RE-ENTRY OF SAID ARC GASES INTO SAID ENCLOSURE AND TO ASSIST IN DIRECTING SAID ARC GASES OUT SAID VENT OPENING, (I) SAID BOTTOM-MOST PLATE HAVING A THICKNESS SUBSTANTIALLY TWICE THAT OF THE OTHER OF SAID ARC CHUTE PLATES WHEREBY TO PROVIDE A SUBSTANTIAL HEAT ABSORBING BODY AND (J) A TERMINAL STRAP EXTENDING FROM ONE OF SAID RELATIVELY MOVABLE CONTACTS OUTWARDLY OF SAID INSULATING ENCLOSURE ACROSS THE BOTTOM END OF SAID ARC VENT PASSAGE, (K) SAID BOTTOM-MOST PLATE ALSO SERVING TO SHIELD SAID TERMINAL STRAP FROM SAID ARC GASSES.