Multipole circuit breaker

Claim 1

A MULTIPOLE CIRCUIT BREAKER COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF TRIP-FREE CIRCUIT BREAKING MECHANISMS ARRANGED SIDE BY SIDE EACH OF WHICH INCLUDES A FIXED CONTACT, A MOVABLE CONTACT MEMBER INCLUDING A MOVABLE CONTACT ADAPTED FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FIXED CONTACT, SAID MEMBER BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION IN WHICH SAID CONTACTS ARE SEPARATED AND A SECOND POSITION IN WHICH SAID CONTACTS ARE IN CONDUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT, BIASING MEANS URGING SAID CONTACT MEMBER TOWARD SAID FIRST POSITION, A DISPLACEABLE REACTION FORCE BEARING MEMBER, A LATCH FOR RESTRAINING MOVEMENT OF SAID REACTION MEMBER, CURRENT RESPONSIVE MEANS FOR RELEASING SAID LATCH UPON PASSAGE THROUGH SAID CONTACTS OF A CURRENT GREATER THAN A PREDETERMINED LEVEL, AND A DRIVING MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE DRIVEN AGAINST SAID REACTION MEMBER THEREBY TO MOVE SAID CONTACT MEMBER TO SAID SECOND POSITION WHEN SAID REACTION MEMBER IS RESTRAINED BY SAID LATCH, THE FORCE OF SAID BIASING MEANS BEING TRANSMITTED THROUGH SAID DRIVING MEMBER TO SAID LATCH; AND A SLIDE OPERATIVE BETWEEN EACH PAIR OF ADJACENT BREAKER MECHANISMS, EACH BEING SLIDABLE GENERALLY TRANSVERSELY OF THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID DRIVING MEMBERS WHICH MOVES SAID CONTACT MEMBERS TO SAID SECOND POSITIONS, EACH SAID SLIDE HAVING FIRST SURFACE MEANS ENGAGEABLE BY AND RESPONSIVE TO MOVEMENT OF EITHER OF THE RESPECTIVE DRIVING MEMBERS UPON TRIPPING OF THE RESPECTIVE MECHANISM AND SECOND SURFACE MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH EITHER OF THE RESPECTIVE LATCHES FOR TRANSMITTING MOVEMENT FROM THE DRIVING MEMBER OF A TRIPPED ONE OF SAID MECHANISMS TO THE LATCH OF ANY UNTRIPPED ADJACENT MECHANISM THEREBY TO TRIP SUCH UNTRIPPED MECHANISM, THE POSITION OF THE CONTACT MEMBER WHICH PRODUCES TRIPPING OF ADJACENT MECHANISMS CONSTITUTING A POINT OF CROSS TRIPPING FOR THE MEMBER, SAID BIASING MEANS HAVING RATE CHARACTERISTICS PROVIDING A CONTACT OPENING FORCE AT SAID POINT WHICH IS GREATER THAN 18/30 OF THE FORCE EXERTED WHEN THE CONTACTS ARE CLOSED WHEREBY, IF SAID DRIVING MEMBERS ARE DRIVEN AGAINST THE RESPECTIVE BEARING MEMBERS WHILE ONE MECHANISM IS STILL IN TRIPPED CONDITION FOLLOWING AN OVERLOAD, THE SPRING MEANS OF SAID ONE MECHANISM WILL POSSESS SUFFICIENT FORCE TO PERMIT THE RESPECTIVE DRIVING MEMBER TO TRIP ALL ADJACENT MECHANISMS SUBSTANTIALLY SIMULTANEOUSLY THEREBY PREVENTING CLOSING OF ANY OF THE MECHANISMS UNTIL ALL OF THEM CAN BE CLOSED.