High voltage switching instrument

Claim 1

A HIGH VOLTAGE ROTARY STEPPING SWITCH COMPRISING: A HOUSING BODY; A PLURALITY OF SWITCHING CHAMBERS DISPOSED ALONG A CIRCLE AND EACH SEPARATED FROM AN ADJACENT ONE BY A SOLID DIELECTRIC INCLINED RAMP BARRIER; A PLURALITY OF HIGH VOLTAGE, STATIONARY CONTACTING MEANS DISPOSED ONE EACH IN SAID SWITCHING CHAMBERS AND DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY IN A PLANE PERPENDICULAR TO THE AXIS OF SAID CIRCLE, THE SURFACES OF SAID RAMP BARRIERS DEFINING AN EXTENDED TORTOUS PATH AS THE SHORTEST DISTANCE THEREOVER BETWEEN THE HIGH VOLTAGE STATIONARY CONTACT MEANS OF ADJACENT ONES OF SAID SWITCHING CHAMBERS; A ROTARY ARMATURE ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A RADIALLY EXTENDED MEMBER HAVING MOVABLE CONTACTING MEANS CARRIED THEREON, SAID MOVABLE CONTACTING MEANS BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID STATIONARY CONTACTING MEANS; FORCE BIASING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID ARMATURE ASSEMBLY FOR URGING SAID MOVABLE CONTACTING MEANS AGAINST SAID STATIONARY CONTACTING MEANS; MOTIVATION MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID ARMATURE ASSEMBLY ABOUT SAID AXIS AND URGING SAID MOVABLE CONTACTING MEANS; MOTIVATION MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID OF SAID STATIONARY CONTACTING MEANS TO AN ADJACENT ONE, SAID DIELECTRIC RAMP BARRIER INCLUDING SURFACES ENGAGEABLE SLIDABLY WITH THE SURFACES ON SAID ROTARY ARMATURE ASSEMBLY WHEREBY THE MOTION OF SAID MOVABLE CONTACTING MEANS BETWEEN ADJACENT STATIONARY CONTACTING MEANS INCLUDES A COMPONENT OF ACTION IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO SAID AXIS THEREBY LIFTING SAID EXTENDED MEMBER AND MOVABLE CONTACTING MEANS OF SAID ARMATURE ASSEMBLY IN OPPOSITION TO SAID FORCE BIASING MEANS AND AWAY FROM ITS PREVIOUS CONTACT WITH ONE OF SAID STATIONARY CONTACTING MEANS, CARRYING IT WITHOUT FRICTIONAL CONTACT BY SAID MOVABLE CONTACTING MEANS, AND THEN DROPPING IT INTO CONTACT WITH THE STATIONARY CONTACTING MEANS OF THE ADJACENT CHAMBER.