High voltage grounding switch requiring low operating effort

A high voltage grounding switch comprising, in combination:

• a support base;
• a rotatable switch blade consisting of first and second elongated blade sections pivotally connected to one another at adjacent ones of their ends;
• a fixed jaw contact spaced from said support base by a fixed distance;
• the opposite end of said first blade section being rotatably mounted on said support base;
• a telescoping contact means connected to the opposite end of said second blade section and adapted to slidingly axially engage and disengage said jaw contact when said rotatable switch blade is operated between an engaged and disengaged position;
• blade rotating means connected to said first blade section for rotating said blade between an engaged and disengaged position relative to said fixed jaw contact;
• stop means connected to said first and second blade sections to define a minimum included angle between their axes of less than about 170.degree. and more than about 120.degree.;
• second stop means on said jaw contact for receiving and stopping the angular movement of said blade as said blade approaches said fixed jaw contact;
• and biasing means connected between said first and second blade sections for holding said blade sections in a collapsed-toggle position relative to one another.