Protectors for electric circuits

Claim 1

A THERMALLY-RESPONSIVE CIRCUIT-BREAKING DEVICE THAT COMPRISES: (A) A HOUSING OF INSULATING MATERIAL, (B) A CONTACT OF HIGHLY-CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HOUSING, (C) SAID CONTACT HAVING A GENERALLY-FLAT UPPER SURFACE, (D) A SECOND CONTACT OF HIGHLY-CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HOUSING, (E) SAID SECOND CONTACT HAVING A GENERALLY-FLAT UPPER SURFACE, (F) SAID SECOND CONTACT BEING SPACED FROM THE FIRST SAID CONTACT, (G) SAID CONTACTS BEING FIXEDLY SECURED TO SAID HOUSING, (H) A BRIDGING CONTACT THAT IS GENERALLY FLAT AND THAT HAS THE ENDS THEREOF OVERLYING AND BEING COEXTENSIVE WITH PORTIONS OF SAID GENERALLY-FLAT UPPER SURFACES OF SAID FIXED CONTACTS, (I) SAID ENDS OF SAID BRIDGING CONTACT DIRECTLY ENGAGING SAID PORTIONS OF SAID GENERALLY-FLAT UPPER SURFACES OF SAID FIXED CONTACTS TO PROVIDE TWO SPACEDAPART SURFACE-TO-SURFACE AREAS OF DIRECT ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN SAID BRIDGING CONTACT AND SAID GENERALLYFLAT UPPER SURFACES OF SAID FIXED CONTACTS, (J) MEANS BIASING SAID ENDS OF SAID BRIDGING CONTACT AWAY FROM SAID PORTIONS OF SAID GENERALLY-FLAT UPPER SURFACES OF SAID FIXED CONTACTS, AND (K) SMALL QUANTITIES OF ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE HEATSOFTENABLE MATERIAL THAT DIRECTLY ENGAGES SAID ENDS OF SAID BRIDGING CONTACT AND SAID PORTIONS OF SAID GENERALLY-FLAT UPPER SURFACES OF SAID FIXED CONTACTS TO NORMALLY HOLD SAID ENDS OF SAID BRIDGING CONTACT AND SAID PORTIONS OF SAID GENERALLY-FLAT UPPER SURFACES OF SAID FIXED CONTACTS IN SAID DIRECT ENGAGEMENT AND AGAINST RELATIVE MOVEMENT AND THAT ELECTRICALLY BOND SAID ENDS OF SAID BRIDGING CONTACT TO SAID PORTIONS OF SAID GENERALLY-FLAT UPPER SURFACES OF SAID FIXED CONTACTS, (L) SAID FIXED CONTACTS AND SAID BRIDGING CONTACT NORMALLY BEING HELD IN ASSEMBLED RELATION TO DEFINE A HIGHLY-CONDUCTIVE PATH WHICH HAS ONLY TWO FILMLIKE PORTIONS OF HEAT-SOFTENABLE MATERIAL, (M) WHEREBY SAID THERMALLY-RESPONSIVE CIRCUIT-BREAKING DEVICE CAN RESPOND ALMOST WHOLLY TO EXTERNALLYAPPLIED HEAT AND IS SUBSTANTIALLY INSENSITIVE TO THE HEAT GENERATED BY THE CURRENT PASSING THROUGH IT, (N) SAID BRIDGING CONTACT BEING STIFF AND REMAINING SUBSTANTIALLY UNBENT DESPITE THE FORCES APPLIED THERETO BY SAID BIASING MEANS WHILE SAID SMALL QUANTITIES OF HEAT-SOFTENABLE MATERIAL HOLD SAID ENDS OF SAID BRIDGING CONTACT IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID PORTIONS OF SAID GENERALLY-FLAT UPPER SURFACES OF SAID FIXED CONTACTS, (O) SAID BRIDGING CONTACT EXPERIENCING SUBSTANTIALLY NO CHANGE IN THE SHAPE OR CONFIGURATION THEREOF AS SAID BRIDGING CONTACT RESPONDS TO SAID BIASING MEANS TO MOVE AWAY FROM SAID PORTIONS OF SAID GENERALLYFLAT UPPER SURFACES OF SAID FIXED CONTACTS AS SAID SMALL QUANTITIES OF HEAT-SOFTENABLE MATERIAL SOFTEN.