Synchronous switching device

Claim 1

AN AC CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER DEVICE COMPRISING A MOVABLE CONTACT MOVABLE INTO AND OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH A COOPERATING CONTACT; SAID MOVABLE CONTACT AND COOPERATING CONTACT CONNECTED IN SERIES WITH AC CONDUCTOR MEANS CONNECTABLE TO AN AC CIRCUIT; BIASING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID MOVABLE CONTACT AND BIASING SAID MOVABLE CONTACT OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID COOPERATING CONTACT; LATCH MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID MOVABLE CONTACT AND HAVING A LATCHING POSITION AND A LATCH RELEASE POSITION; SAID LATCH MEANS LATCHING SAID MOVABLE CONTACT ENGAGED AGAINST THE BIASING FORCE OF SAID BIASING MEANS WHEN SAID LATCH IS IN ITS SAID LATCHING POSITION; AN ELECTRICALLY OPERABLE LATCH RELEASE MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID LATCH MEANS FOR MOVING SAID LATCH MEANS TO ITS SAID LATCH RELEASE POSITION RESPONSIVE TO ENERGIZATION OF SAID LATCH RELEASE MEANS; A WINDING AND A SIGNAL GENERATING MEANS CONNECTED IN SERIES WITH SAID MOVABLE CONTACT AND SAID AC CONDUCTOR; A MOVABLE BODY OF MAGNETIC MATERIAL POSITIONED IN PROXIMITY TO SAID WINDING TO BE MOVED IN ACCORDANCE WAITH THE CURRENT MAGNITUDE THROUGH SAID WINDING; SAID SIGNAL GENERATING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID ELECTRICALLY OPERABLE LATCH RELAESE MEANS; SAID MOVABLE BODY CONNECTED DIRECTLY TO SAID MOVABLE CONTACT AND BEING MOVED IN A DIRECTION TO HOLD SAID MOVABLE CONTACT IN ITS SAID ENGAGED POSITION WHEN THE CURRENT THROUGH SAID WINDING EXCEEDS A PREDETERMINED VALUE; A LOST MOTION MEANS; A NORMALLY CLOSED AUXILIARY CONTACT AND A RECTIFIER; SAID AUXILIARY CONTACT AND RECTIFIER CONNECTED IN SERIES WITH ONE ANOTHER AND IN PARALLEL WITH SAID MOVABLE CONTACT; SAID LOST MOTION MEANS CONNECTING SAID MOVABLE BODY TO SAID AUXILIARY CONTACT AFTER SAID MOVABLE CONTACT IS OPENED TO SUBSEQUENTLY MOVE SAID AUXILIARY CONTACT TO A DISENGAGED POSITION; SAID SIGNAL GENERATING MEANS GENERATING AND OUTPUT SIGNAL ONLY WHEN THE CURRENT THROUGH SAID MOVABLE CONTACT BEGINS TO RISE IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION, THEREBY TO ENERGIZE SAID LATCH RELEASE MEANS; SAID LATCH RELEASE MEANS MOVING TO ITS SAID LATCH RELEASE POSITION BY THE TIME THE CURRENT THROUGH SAID WINDING IS SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO APPLY A HOLDING FORCE FROM SAID MOVABLE BODY TO HOLD SAID MOVABLE CONTACT CLOSED AGAINST THE FORCE OF SAID BIASING MEANS; SAID MOVABLE CONTACT OPENING WHEN SAID CURRENT THROUGH SAID WINDING DECREASES IN THE LATER PART OF SAID POSITION CYCLE TO BELOW SAID PREDETERMINED CURRENT WHEREBY THE INSTANTANEOUS CURRENT THROUGH SAID MOVABLE CONTACT IS SHIFTED TO SAID PARALLEL CONNECTED AUXILIARY CONTACT AND RECTIFIER IN THE FORWARD CONDUCTION DIRECTION OF SAID RECTIFIER; SAID AUXILIARY CONTACT OPENING PRIOR TO THE REVERSAL OF SAID CURRENT IN A NEGATIVE DIRECTION THROUGH SAID LOST MOTION MECHANISM.