Electric control device with electromagnetic contact-biasing means

Claim 1

A MULTI-POLE SWITCH FOR CONTROLLING A MULTI-PHASE ELECTRIC CIRCUIT, EACH OF SAID POLES COMPRISING A STATIONARY CONTACT AND A SWITCH ARMS STRUCTURE, EACH OF SAID SWITCH ARM STRUCTURES COMPRISING A MOVABLE CONTACT, A TIE BAR COMMON TO ALL OF SAID POLES, EACH OF SAID SWITCH ARM STRUCTURES BEING SUPPORTED AT ONE END THEROF ON SAID TIE BAR AND COMPRISING A CONTACT IN PROXIMITY TO THE OTHER END THEREOF, A NON-AUTOMATIC OPERATING STRUCTURE MANUALLY OPERABLE TO MOVE SAID TIE BAR TO THEREBY MOVE ALL OF SAID SWITCH ARM STRUCTURES INTO AND OUT OF BUTTING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID STATIONARY CONTACTS, ELECTROMAGNETIC MEANS FOR EACH POLE COMPRISING A STATIONARY MAGNETIC MEMBER SUPPORTED IN PROXIMITY TO THE ASSOCIATED STATIONARY CONTACT, SEPARATE RESILIENT MEANS IN EACH POLE BIASING THE ASSOCIATED STATIONARY CONTACT AND STATIONARY MAGNETIC MEMBERS GENERALLY TOWARD THE ASSOCIATED MOVABLE CONTACT TO PROVIDE CONTACT PRESSURE IN THE CLOSED POSITION, EACH OF SAID ELECTROMAGNETIC MEANS COMPRISING A MOVABLE MAGNETIC MEMBER SUPPORTED ON THE ASSOCIATED SWITCH ARM, IN EACH POLE SAID STATIONARY AND MOVABLE MAGNETIC MEMBERS BEING DISPOSED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE ASSOCIATED CLOSED CONTACTS, EACH OF SAID ELECTROMAGNETIC MEANS OPERATING WHEN SAID SWITCH IS CLOSED ON AN OVERLOAD TO OFFSET MAGNETIC BLOW-OFF FORCES AND TO OFFSET CONTACT REBOUND FORCES WHICH FORCES TEND TO SEPARATE SAID CONTACTS WHEREBY WHEN SAID SWITCH IS CLOSED ON AN OVERLOAD SAID CONTACTS ARE MORE FIRMLY HELD IN THE CLOSED POSITON WHILE SAID OVERLOAD PERSISTS.