High voltage electric circuit breaker with means for precisely coordinating the operation of widely spaced components

Claim 1

AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT BREAKER COMPRISING: (A) A PLURALITY OF TANKS ADAPTED TO BE AT A HIGH VOLTAGE WITH RESPECT TO GROUND, (B) A PLURALITY OF SWITCHES RESPECTIVELY LOCATED WITHIN SAID TANKS, (C) EACH OF SAID SWITCHES COMPRISING A PAIR OF SEPARABLE CONTACTS, ONE OF WHICH IS MOVABLE, (D) A PAIR OF MAIN BIASING MEANS FOR THE RESPECTIVE SWITCHES LOCATED AT THE RESPECTIVE TANKS FOR BIASING THE MOVABLE CONTACT OF THE ASSOCIATED SWITCH TOWARD ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OTHER CONTACT WHEN THE SWITCH IS OPEN, (E) A FIRST LINKAGE COUPLED TO THE MAIN BIASING MEANS OF ONE OF SAID SWITCHES AND EXTENDING FROM SAID BIASING MEANS TO A POINT AT SUBSTANTIALLY GROUND POTENTIAL, (F) A SECOND LINKAGE COUPLED TO THE MAIN BIASING MEANS OF THE OTHER OF SAID SWITCHES AND EXTENDING FROM SAID BIASING MEANS TO A POINT AT SUBSTANTIALLY GROUND POTENTIAL, (G) MEANS MECHANICALLY CONNECTING SAID TWO LINKAGES TOGETHER, (H) MEANS INCLUDING A RELEASABLE LATCH FOR SAID TWO LINKAGES FOR PREVENTING SAID MAIN BIASING MEANS FROM OPERATING TO DRIVE THEIR RESPECTIVE MOVABLE CONTACTS INTO CLOSED POSITION UNTIL SAID LATCH IS RELEASED, (I) MEANS FOR RELEASING SAID LATCH TO PERMIT AND MAIN BIASING MEANS TO DRIVE THEIR RESPECTIVE MOVABLE CONTACTS TOWARD CLOSED POSITION, (J) AND MEANS FOR REDUCING THE STRAIN ENERGY STORED IN SAID LINKAGES WHEN HELD OPEN COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF AUXILIARY BIASING MEANS FOR THE RESPECTIVE LINKAGES APPLYING A SWITCH-CLOSING FORCE TO ITS ASSOCIATED LINKAGE AT AN INTERMEDIATE POINT LOCATED BETWEEN SAID MAIN BIASING MEANS AND SAID LATCH, (K) SAID MAIN AND AUXILIARY BIASING MEANS LOADING ITS ASSOCIATED LINKAGE PRIMARILY IN TENSION.