An electrical switch including a jaw assembly, a housing and a blade assembly. The jaw assembly is electrically connected to a first electrical conductor. The housing assembly is electrically connected to a second electrical conductor. The blade assembly is fixedly attached to said housing assembly at a first end thereof and having an electrically conductive blade contact fixedly attached to a second end distal from said first end. The housing assembly and said blade assembly pivot about a first axis to drive said blade contact into said jaw assembly to close said switch. The blade assembly is operable to rotate about a second axis perpendicular to said first axis only when said distal end of said blade assembly is seated in said jaw assembly.

An electrical switch includes a pivotally supported blade, a toggle mechanism, and an operating mechanism. The operating mechanism is drivable in a first direction to pivot the blade about a first axis and toward a closed blade position. When pivoting toward the closed blade position, the toggle mechanism inhibits the blade from pivoting about a second axis. Upon reaching the closed blade position, continued motion of the operating mechanism in the first direction causes the toggle mechanism to pivot the blade about the second axis toward a closed contact position. In the closed contact position, the blade contacts at least one blade contact to electrically connect the blade and a first electrical terminal.

An electrical switch includes a pivotally supported blade, a toggle mechanism, and an operating mechanism. The operating mechanism is drivable in a first direction to pivot the blade about a first axis and toward a closed blade position. When pivoting toward the closed blade position, the toggle mechanism inhibits the blade from pivoting about a second axis. Upon reaching the closed blade position, continued motion of the operating mechanism in the first direction causes the toggle mechanism to pivot the blade about the second axis toward a closed contact position. In the closed contact position, the blade contacts at least one blade contact to electrically connect the blade and a first electrical terminal.

An electric power distribution switch incorporates a stress-relieving connection structure, a closing guiding structure, a weather shield structure and a contact structure.

An electric power distribution switch incorporates a stress-relieving connection structure, a closing guiding structure, a weather shield structure and a contact structure.

A vacuum interrupter for a high voltage air break switch is disclosed. The interrupter has a plurality of load interrupter contacts enclosed in axially aligned vacuum bottles, each bottle containing a fixed contact and a second contact movable axially away from the fixed contact to open position and toward the fixed contact to closed position. The bottles are positioned in an tubular housing of dielectric material having a top end member and a bottom end member. The vacuum bottles are mechanically coupled to one another in a stack with the top bottle supported by the top end member. At least one air permeable hydrophobic vent member is operatively disposed in the top end member and/or bottom end member and/or tubular housing to prevent condensation in the housing. The stack of vacuum bottles are axially supported at the bottom by a cushion spring assembly keeping the bottles in compression to prevent tension loads on the braze joints of the bottles.

A restraint system is used to restrain a movable switch blade of a disconnect switch in order to prevent accidental closure of the switch blade. In this regard, the restraint system has a sheath that is positioned over an end of the switch blade, and the sheath is tethered to a support structure so that tension in the tether resists movement of the switch blade toward a conductive jaw. Thus, current is prevented from flowing through the disconnect switch until the sheath is manually removed from the switch blade.

An electrical switch including a jaw assembly, a housing and a blade assembly. The jaw assembly is electrically connected to a first electrical conductor. The housing assembly is electrically connected to a second electrical conductor. The blade assembly is fixedly attached to said housing assembly at a first end thereof and having an electrically conductive blade contact fixedly attached to a second end distal from said first end. The housing assembly and said blade assembly pivot about a first axis to drive said blade contact into said jaw assembly to close said switch. The blade assembly is operable to rotate about a second axis perpendicular to said first axis only when said distal end of said blade assembly is seated in said jaw assembly.

An electrical switch including a jaw assembly, a housing and a blade assembly. The jaw assembly is electrically connected to a first electrical conductor. The housing assembly is electrically connected to a second electrical conductor. The blade assembly is fixedly attached to said housing assembly at a first end thereof and having an electrically conductive blade contact fixedly attached to a second end distal from said first end. The housing assembly and said blade assembly pivot about a first axis to drive said blade contact into said jaw assembly to close said switch. The blade assembly is operable to rotate about a second axis perpendicular to said first axis only when said distal end of said blade assembly is seated in said jaw assembly.

An electrical switch includes a pivotally supported blade, a toggle mechanism, and an operating mechanism. The operating mechanism is drivable in a first direction to pivot the blade about a first axis and toward a closed blade position. When pivoting toward the closed blade position, the toggle mechanism inhibits the blade from pivoting about a second axis. Upon reaching the closed blade position, continued motion of the operating mechanism in the first direction causes the toggle mechanism to pivot the blade about the second axis toward a closed contact position. In the closed contact position, the blade contacts at least one blade contact to electrically connect the blade and a first electrical terminal.