Electric switching device having segmented non-welding contact assembly

Claim 1

AN ELECTRIC SWITCHING DEVICE COMPRISING: (A) A PAIR OF DISCRETE MOVBLE CONTACTS; (B) A PAIR OF DISCRETE STATIONARY CONTACTS; (C) MEANS CONNECTING SAID MOVABLE CONTACTS ELECTRICALLY IN COMMON; (D) MEANS CONNECTING SAID STATIONARY CONTACTS ELECTRICALLY IN COMMON; (E) MEANS FOR MOVING SAID MOVABLE CONTACTS IN RECIPROCATING FASHION BETWEEN A CLOSED CIRCUIT POSITION IN WHICH AT LEAST ONE OF SAID MOVABLE CONTACTS IS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH A CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAID STATIONARY CONTACTS AND AN OPEN CIRCUIT POSITION IN WHICH SAID MOVABLE CONTACTS ARE SPACED AWAY FROM SAID STATIONARY CONTACTS; (F) MEANS RIGIDLY CONNECTING SAID MOVABLE CONTACTS TO EACH OTHER AND PREVENTING MOVEMENT OF SAID MOVABLE CONTACTS RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER, (G) MEANS RIGIDLY CONNECTING SAID STATIONARY CONTACTS TO EACH OTHER AND PRVENTING MOVEMENT OF SAID STATIONARY CONTACTS RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER; SAID MEANS FOR MOVING SAID MOVABLE CONTACTS BETWEEN SAID CLOSED CIRCUIT POSITION AND SAID OPEN CIRCUIT POSITION COMPRISING MEANS CONSTRAINING SAID CONTACTS TO SIMULTANEOUS MOVEMENT ALONG PATHS EXTENDING PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER AT ALL TIMES;