Single or multiple pole overload protective circuit breaker having an

Abstract

A single pole or multi-pole, manually or thermally operable overload protective circuit breaker contains in its main switching chamber an elbow lever which consists of an actuating arm and a main contact arm, and functions as active connection between an actuating element and a contact bridge member. The ends of the actuating arm and the main contact arm, which face away from the elbow joint, are articulatedly connected with a pressure button or the like actuating element and the contact bridge member, respectively. In any positions of swivelling from a folded, i.e. the circuit-breaking, to a stretched, i.e., an arrested circuit making position, of the elbow lever, the centers of the swivel joints are located on the central longitudinal axis of the circuit breaker, which axis extends toward the depth of an insulating housing of the latter. In the stretched position of the elbow lever, its actuating arm exerts pressure by means of a tripping projection, provided on the arm end near the swivel joint therefor, on a double-arm signal contact lever. This lever has a trip lever arm projecting into the main switch chamber, and another arm being lodged in an attachment casing mounted on the insulating housing and containing a signal contact point. This other arm can act upon a signal contact spring and can thereby make or break contact at the auxiliary or signal contact point provided by the contact spring and a fixed contact.