Pressure gas operated electrical switch with two stationary main contacts and a movable bridging contact basket

Claim 1

IN A PRESSURE GAS OPERATED ELECTRICAL SWITCH, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A PAIR OF CO-AXIALLY ALIGNED MAIN CONTACT MEMBERS ARRANGED WITH THEIR ENDS IN CONFRONTING SPACED RELATION WITHIN A SWITCHNG CHAMBER TO WHICH A PRESSURIZED GAS IS INTRODUCED DURING ELECTRICAL DISCONNECTION OF SAID MAIN CONTACT MEMBERS, ONE OF SAID MAIN CONTACT MEMBERS BEING IN THE FORM OF A NOZZLED TUBULAR MEMBER THROUGH WHICH THE PRESSURIZED GAS FLOWS DURING A CONTACT DISCONNECTION, A MOVABLE BRIDGING CONTACT ASSEMBLY ARRANGED FOR SLIDING MOVEMENT UPON SAID TUBULAR NOZZLED CONTACT MEMBER TO ENGAGE AND BE DISENGAGED FROM THE OTHER MAIN CONTACT MEMBER, SAID BRIDGING CONTACT ASSEMBLY BEING COMPRISED OF A CONTACT BASKET OF ELECTRICALLY INSULATING MATERIAL IN WHICH A CIRCULAR ARRAY OF CONTACT FINGERS ARE LOCATED, SAID BASKET SERVING ALSO AS A PISTON WHICH IS SLIDABLY ACTUATED UPON INTRODUCTION OF PRESSURIZED GAS INTO SAID SWITCHING CHAMBER THEREBY TO DISENGAGE SAID CONTACT FINGERS FROM SAID OTHER MAIN CONTACT MEMBER, A LOADING SPRING FOR SAID CONTACT BASKET TO RETURN THE SAME TO A POSITION WHEREIN SAID CONTACT FINGERS RE-ENGAGE SAID OTHER MAIN CONTACT MEMBER WHEN THE PRESSURIZED GAS FLOW TO SAID SWITCHING CHAMBER IS CUT OFF, AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE CYLINDRICAL CONNECTOR MEMBER SURROUNDING SAID CONTACT BASKET AND FORMING A CYLINDER FOR THE SLIDING MOVEMENT THEREOF, SAID CONNECTOR MEMBER ASLO INCLUDING A LATERALLY EXTENDING LUG TO WHICH ONE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION IS MADE TO THE SWITCH, AT LEAST ONE OF ONLY THOSE CONTACT FINGERS LOCATED AT THE SAME SIDE OF SAID CYLINDRICAL CONNECTOR MEMBER AS IS LOCATED SAID CONNECTION LUG BEING LONGER THAN THE REMAINING CONTACT FINGERS THEREBY TO SERVE AS THE LAST TO DISENGAGE FROM SAID OTHER MAIN CONTACT MEMBER, AND SAID CYLINDRICAL CONNECTOR MEMBER ALSO INCLUDING AN INVERTED U-SHAPED YOKE OF HIGHLY CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL EMBEDDED THEREIN AT THE SIDE OF WHICH SAID CONNECTION LUG IS LOCATED AND WHICH SURROUNDS SAID LONGER CONTACT FINGER, SAID YOKE SERVING IN PART TO ESTABLISH TWO CLOSELY PARALLEL CURRENT FLOW PATHS OF OPPOSITE DIRECTION BETWEEN SAID CONNECTION LUG AND THE ADJACENT SIDE OF SAID CYLINDRICAL CONNECTOR MEMBER AND SAID OTHER MAIN CONTACT MEMBER SUBSEQUENT TO DISENGAGEMENT OF SAID REMAINING CONTACT FINGERS BUT PRIOR TO DISENGAGEMENT OF SAID LONGER CONTACT FINGER, ONE OF SAID CURRENT FLOW PATHS BEING THROUGH SAID LONGER CONTACT FINGER THEREBY TO ESTABLISH THEREON AN ELECTRODYNAMICALLY DERIVED FORCE ACTING IN A RADIALLY INWARD DIRECTION TO INCREASE THE PRESSURE OF SAID LONGER CONTACT FINGER ON SAID OTHER MAIN CONTACT MEMBER AND THEREAFTER MOVE TO CONTACT DISCONNECTION ARC TOWARD THE CENTER OF SAID NOZZLED TUBULAR CONTACT MEMBER.