Thermally responsive electrical control device

Claim 1

AN ELECTRICAL CONTROL DEVICE COMPRISING A STATIONARY CONTACT, A MOVABLE CONTACT SUPPORTED FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ABOUT A FIRST AXIS, MEANS COMPRISING AN OVERCENTER SPRING OPERABLE TO PIVOTALLY MOVE SAID MOVABLE CONTACT BETWEEN AN OPEN POSITION OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID STATIONARY CONTACT AND A CLOSED POSITION IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID STATIONARY CONTACT, A COMPENSATING BIMETAL DISPOSED TO OPERATE SAID OVERCENTER SPRING, A PLURALITY OF POLE UNITS, EACH POLE UNIT COMPRISING AN ACTUATING BIMETAL AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO CURRENT FLOW TO EFFECT HEATING OF SAID ACTUATING BIMETAL, AN ACTUATING BAR COMMON TO ALL OF SAID POLE UNITS, MEANS SUPPORTING SAID COMMON ACTUATING BAR FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ABOUT A SECOND AXIS DIFFERENT FROM SAID FIRST AXIS, AND UPON THE OCCURRENCE OF A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF CURRENT IN ANY OF SAID POLE UNITS THE ASSOCIATED CURRENT-FLOW RESPONSIVE MEANS OPERATING TO HEAT THE ASSOCIATED ACTUATING BIMETAL SUCH THAT THE ASSOCIATED ACTUATING BIMETAL FLEXES TO PIVOTALLY MOVE SAID COMMON ACTUATING BAR WHEREUPON SAID COMMON ACTUATING BAR OPERATES SAID COMPENSATING BIMETAL TO EFFECT OPERATION OF SAID OVERCENTER SPRING TO PIVOTALLY MOVE SAID MOVABLE CONTACT FROM ONE OF SAID POSITIONS TO THE OTHER OF SAID POSITIONS.