Electric switch

Claim 1

AN ELECTRIC SWITCH COMPRISING: (A) A PAIR OF CONTACTS THAT ARE RELATIVELY MOVABLE INTO AND OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH EACH OTHER, (B) MEANS INCLUDING A SWITCH-OPERATING MECHANISM SAID CONTACTS WHEN SAID SWITCH-OPERATING MECHANISM IS OPERATED TO A CLOSED POSITION , (C) ONE OF SAID CONTACTS POPPING OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OTHER OF SAID CONTACTS IN RESPONSE TO MAGNETIC CONTACT-SEPARATING FORCES DEVELOPED WHEN THE INSTANTANEOUS CURRENT FLOWING THROUGH THE CONTACTS EXCEEDS A PREDETERMINED VALUE, (C) MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID SWITCH-OPERATING MECHNIXM IN SAID CLOSED POSITION DURING HIGH CURRENTS THAT CAUSE SAID ONE CONTACT TO POP OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID OTHER CONTACT, (D) SPRING MEANS COUPLED TO SAID ONE CONTACT AND URGING IT TOWARD SAID OTHER CONTACT, SAID SPRING MEANS PERMITTING SAID ONE CONTACT TO MOVE OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID OTHER CONTACT WHILE SAID SWITCHOPERATING MECHANISM IS IN CLOSED POSITION AND FOR FORCING SAID ONE CONTACT BACK INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH OTHER CONTACT, (E) AND MAGNETIC MEANS RESPONSIVE TO CURRENT FLOW THROUGH SAID CONTACTS FOR DELAYING REENGAGEMENT OF SAID ONE CONTACT WITH THE OTHER CONTACT BY SAID SPRING MEANS UNTIL THE CURRENT THROUGH SAID CONTACTS REACHES SUBSTANTIALLY ZERO, (F) SAID SPRING MEANS URGING SAID ONE CONTACT IN A DIRECTION TOWARD SAID OTHER CONTACT IRRESPECTIVE OF THE DISTANCE THAT SAID ONE CONTACT MOVES AWAY FROM THE OTHER CONTACT WHILE SAID SWITCH-OPERATING MECHANISM IS IN ITS CLOSED POSITION, WHEREBY SAID SPRING MEANS CONSISTENTLY RETURNS SAID ONE CONTACT INTO A POSITION OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID OTHER CONTACT AFTER THE FLOW OF HIGH CURRENT THAT CAUSES CONTACT-POPPING.