Actuating system for simultaneously engaging or disengaging the contacts of multiple circuit breakers

Claim 1

AN ACTUATING SYSTEM FOR AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT BREAKER OF THE TYPE INCLUDING AT LEAST TWO STATIONARY CONTACT MEMBERS, AT LEAST TWO CONTACT MEMBERS MOVABLE EACH RELATIVE TO ONE OF THE STATIONARY CONTACT MEMBERS BETWEEN CLOSED AND OPENED POSITIONS, AND ELASTIC MEANS ARRANGED TO URGE CONSTANTLY EACH MOVABLE CONTACT MEMBER TOWARDS THE OPENED POSITION, SAID ACTUATING SYSTEM INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF SINGLE ACTING FLUID PRESSURE ACTUATORS, THERE BEING ONE ACTUATOR FOR EACH TWO MOVABLE CONTACT MEMBERS, EACH ACTUATOR INCLUDING A CYLINDER, A PISTON SLIDABLE IN THE CYLINDER THROUGH A LIMITED STROKE EXTENDING BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION OF THE PISTON CORRESPONDING TO THE CLOSED POSITION OF THE CORRELATED MOVABLE CONTACT MEMBERS AND A SECOND POSITION OF THE PISTON CORRESPONDING TO THE OPENED POSITION OF THE CORRELATED MOVABLE CONTACT MEMBERS, MEANS INCLUDING A SUPPLY LINE INTERCONNECTING THE INTERIOR OF THE CYLINDERS BEHIND THE PISTONS FOR SUPPLYING PRESSURE FLUID TO THE INTERIOR OF ALL OF THE CYLINDERS, TRANSMISSION MEANS OPERABLY RELATING EACH MOVABLE CONTACT MEMBER WITH THE CORRESPONDING PISTON FOR MOVING THE MOVABLE CONTACT MEMBERS TO THE CLOSED POSITION AGAINST THE ACTION OF THE ELASTIC MEANS AS THE PISTONS ARE MOVED TO THE FIRST POSITION UNDER THE APPLICATION OF PRESSURE FLUID AND FOR MOVING THE PISTONS UPON PRESSURE FLUID RELEASE TO THE SECOND POSITION UNDER THE ACTION OF THE ELASTIC MEANS, SAID TRANSMISSION MEANS INCLUDING A TUBULAR PILLAR OF INSULATING MATERIAL SUPPORTED BY THE CYLINDER OF EACH FLUID PRESSURE ACTUATOR, AN INSULATOR ROD EXTENDING THROUGH THE PILLAR AND CONNECTED TO THE PISTON OF THE ASSOCIATED CYLINDER AND ROCKING LEVER MEANS BETWEEN THE INSULATOR ROD AND THE MOVABLE CONTACT MEMBERS FOR EQUALIZING THE STRESS COMMUNICATED TO THE MOVABLE CONTACT MEMBERS BY THE INSULATOR ROD, AND MEANS CONTROLLED BY EACH PISTON FOR RELEASING AUTOMATICALLY THE PRESSURE FLUID IN THE INTERIOR OF THE CYLINDERS WHEN ONE OF THE PISTONS MOVES PAST THE FIRST POSITION AWAY FROM THE SECOND POSITION.