Circuit breaker

A contact system for a circuit breaker comprising a pair of first electrical contacts which are disposed in spaced relation to each other in a common plane, and an electrically conductive contact arm having bifurcations at one end which are spaced apart along a line to be simultaneously engaged with the respective first contacts, said arm having an intermediate arm portion which extends parallel to said line to electrically connect the bifurcations to each other at a location closely adjacent to said one arm end, said arm having an additional portion extending from said intermediate arm portion to an opposite end of the arm, and said arm having said opposite end pivotally mounted on an axis which extends parallel to said line for pivoting the bifurcations in a first arc around said axis in side-by-side relation to each other and for pivoting said intermediate arm portion around said axis in a second arc spaced radially inward from the first arc, said arm being pivotable for moving the bifurcations between a closed circuit position in which the bifurcations lie in said plane engaging the first contacts and an open circuit position in which the bifurcations are moved out of said plane away from the respective first contacts, and said intermediate arm portion being located so that said intermediate arm portion is disposed in said plane at one side and radially inward from said line closely adjacent to said first contacts as the arm is moved into and out of said closed circuit position and so that electrical current flowing in said bifurcations and in said intermediate arm portion during said circuit opening and closing deflects electrical arcs formed between the bifurcations and contacts during said circuit opening and closing in a direction away from the contacts and away from the contact arm.