Circuit breaker

A circuit breaker characterized by its ability to control relatively high electrical loads in a concise size and configuration comprising, in combination, a housing having an access side, an actuator mounted on said housing at said access side pivotal about a first pivot axis for movement between first and second positions, stop means defined on said housing limiting pivotal movement of said actuator at said positions, an over-center link pivotally mounted upon said actuator about a second axis, a bell crank control operator pivotally mounted on said link about a third axis, said first, second and third axes being substantially parallel, said bell crank operator including a first contact spring engagable arm and a second lock lever engagable arm angularly related to said first arm, a lock lever pivotally mounted on said housing having a first arm selectively engagable with said operator second arm and a second arm selectively engagable with a thermal actuator, a thermal actuator within said housing displacable between normal and excess current positions and engagable with said lock lever second arm when in said excess current position, a fixed electrical contact defined in said housing, a resilient deflectable contact spring mounted in said housing having a free end selectively movable toward said fixed contact and a normal resilient bias away from said fixed contact, a second electrical contact mounted on said spring free end for selective engagement with said fixed contact, terminals defined on said housing in electrical communication with said contacts and said thermal actuator, said operator first arm engaging said contact spring to deflect said spring free end toward said first contact to cause said second contact to engage said first contact when said actuator is in its second position and said lock lever first arm is engaged by said operator second arm, pivoting of said actuator to its second position translating said second axis through the common plane in which said first and third axes lie to maintain said actuator in its said second position.