Means for controlling phase relationship between flux and current in a vacuum interrupter

Claim 1

AN ALTERNATING-CURRENT CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER OF THE VACUUM TYPE THAT IS ADAPTED TO INTERRUPT ARCING CURRENTS HAVING A PREDETERMINED MAXIMUM INSTANTANEOUS VALUE COMPRISING: (A) A HIGHLY EVACUATED ENVELOPE, (A) A PAIR OF RELATIVELY MOVABLE CONTACTS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID ENVELOPE AND SEPARABLE TO ESTABLISH A GAP THEREBETWEEN ACROSS WHICH AN ARC IS ADAPTED TO BE FORMED, (C) FIELD-PRODUCING MEANS FOR DEVELOPING ACROSS SAID GAP AN AXIAL MAGNETIC FIELD THAT HAS ITS LINES OF FORCE EXTENDING ACROSS SAID GAP GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID ARC, (D) MEANS FOR CAUSING SAID FIELD-PRODUCING MEANS TO BE ENERGIZED BY A CURRENT THAT VARIES DIRECTLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ARCING CURRENT, (E) MEANS INCLUDING A SATURABLE CORE OF MAGNETIC MATERIAL SPACED FROM SAID ARCING GAP AND MAGNETICALLY IN PARALLEL WITH SAID GAP FOR SHUNTING A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF THE FLUX DEVELOPED BY SAID FIELD-PRODUCING MEANS THROUGH A PATH REMOTE FROM AND BYPASSING SAID GAP DURING LOW ARCING CURRENTS, (F) SAID SATURABLE CORE SATURATING WHEN SAID ARCING CURRENT REACHES A PREDETERMINED LEVEL THAT IS SUBSTANTIALLY BENEATH SAID MAXIMUM INSTANTANEOUS VALUE SO THAT FLUX RESULTING FROM ARCING CURRENT IN EXCESS OF SAID PREDETERMINED LEVEL OF CURRENT IS AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE SAID AXIAL MAGNETIC FIELD ACROSS SAID GAP.