Single pole trip and ganged pole closing for multiphase high-voltage power circuit breakers

A high-voltage three-phase circuit breaker for a high-power electrical transmission system;

• said circuit breaker having separate tanks for containing each of the three circuit breaker phases;
• each of said three circuit breaker phases including contact interrupter means disposed within their respective tank and terminal bushings extending through the wall of each tank and connected to a respective contact interrupter means;
• each of said contact interrupter means being movable between a closed position and an open position;
• a respective contact operating mechanism for each of said contact interrupter means;
• each of said contact operating mechanisms of each of said three phases comprising a trip-free linkage connected to their respective said contact interrupter means and being adapted to hold their said respective contact operating mechanism in their said closed position;
• biasing means connected to each of said contact interrupter means to bias each of said contact interrupter means to their said open position;
• respective trip means for each of said trip-free linkages of each of said three phases to enable the individual opening of said contact interrupter means of any of said phases independently of any of the other phases;
• and a single mechanical ganged closing mechanism mechanically connected to each of said trip-free linkages of each of said three phases, and operable to move each of said contact interrupter means to their said closed position in response to the operation of said single closing mechanism with minimum pole spread.