Arc-extinguishing circuit-breakers

Claim 1

ARC-EXTINGUISHING CIRCUIT-BREAKER, COMPRISING: A CLOSED HOUSING; AN ARC-EXTINGUISHING MEDIUM WITHIN SAID HOUSING; AND HAVING WITHIN SAID HOUSING: A FIRST STATIONARY CYLINDER OPEN AT EITHER END; STATIONARY FIRST ELECTRICAL CONTACT MEANS LOCATED INTERIORLY OF SAID FIRST STATIONARY CYLINDER; A MOVABLE CYLINDER FOR SLIDING ON THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID FIRST STATIONARY CYLINDER, AND DEFINING FIRST AND SECOND ENDS, SAID SECOND END BEING REMOTE FROM SAID FIRST ELECTRICAL CONTACT MEANS; A PISTON MEANS, SURROUNDED BY SAID MOVABLE CYLINDER, IN SLIDABLE, SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID FIRST STATIONARY CYLINDER, AND HAVING FIRST AND SECOND ENDS, SAID SECOND END BEING REMOTE FROM SAID FIRST ELECTRICAL CONTACTS; SECOND ELECTRICAL CONTACT MEANS, RIGID WITH SAID PISTON MEANS, FOR CONTACTING SAID STATIONARY ELECTRICAL CONTACT MEANS; A PUMP PISTON MEANS, RIGID WITH SAID MOVABLE CYLINDER AT SAID SECOND END, FOR SUPPORTING SAID PISTON MEANS AT SAID SECOND END OF THE LATTER, SAID PISTON MEANS, MOVABLE CYLINDER, AND PUMP PISTON MEANS THUS MOVING AS A UNIT BETWEEN A FIRST END POSITION, WHEREIN THE CIRCUIT IS CLOSED, AND A SECOND END POSITION, WHEREIN THE CIRCUIT IS OPEN AND SAID PISTON MEANS AND MOVABLE CYLINDER ARE MOVED OUT OF CONTACT WITH SAID FIRST STATIONARY CYLINDER; A SECOND STATIONARY CYLINDER OPEN AT ONE END FOR SLIDABLY RECEIVING SAID PUMP PISTON MEANS, WHEREBY SAID SECOND STATIONARY CYLINDER, IN COOPERATION WITH THE PUMP PISTON MEANS AND THE SECOND END OF THE PISTON MEANS, FORMS A CHAMBER; ONE-WAY VALVE MEANS, LOCATED IN A WALL OF SAID SECOND STATIONARY CYLINDER, FOR ADMITTING SAID MEDIUM FROM SAID HOUSING INTO SAID CHAMBER; PORT MEANS IN SAID PUMP PISTON MEANS FOR VENTING SAID CHAMBER TO THE REGION BETWEEN SAID PISTON MEANS AND SAID MOVABLE CYLINDER; SAID PISTON MEANS, FIRST STATIONARY CYLINDER, AND SECOND ELECTRICAL CONTACT MEANS BEING OF SUCH RELATIVE LENGTHS THAT CONTACT BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND ELECTRICAL CONTACT MEANS IS BROKEN FIRST; CONTACT BETWEEN THE PISTON MEANS AND THE FIRST STATIONARY CYLINDER BROKEN SECOND; AND CONTACT BETWEEN THE FIRST STATIONARY AND MOVABLE CYLINDERS BROKEN LASTLY, TO FORM, BEFORE REACHING THE SECOND END POSITION, A SPACING BETWEEN THE RESPECTIVE CONFRONTING ENDS OF SAID FIRST STATIONARY CYLINDER AND THE MOVABLE CYLINDER, WHICH SPACING IS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY FILLED WITH SAID MEDIUM; WHEREBY WHEN SAID PISTON MEANS IS MOVED TOWARDS THE SECOND END POSITION, THE MEDIUM COMPRESSED IN SAID CHAMBER IS FIRST FORCED THROUGH SAID PORT MEANS INTO ONE END OF THE FIRST STATIONARY CYLINDER, THROUGH THE CYLINDER, WHERE IT COMPLETELY SURROUNDS THE FIRST AND SECOND ELECTRICAL CONTACT MEANS AND QUENCHES THE ARC, AND OUT THE OTHER END INTO SAID HOUSING, AND THEN IS FORCED THROUGH SAID SPACING INTO SAID HOUSING.