Multi-pole circuit breaker with multiple trip bars

A multi pole circuit interrupter device, comprising:

• a housing;
• operating mechanism means disposed within said housing;
• multi pole separable contact means disposed within said housing in cooperation with said operating mechanism means for being opened by said operating mechanism means, one of said poles conducting ground current, another of said poles conducting load current;
• trip unit means disposed within said housing in cooperation with said operating mechanism means for actuating said operating mechanism means for opening said separable contact means;
• ground current trip bar means disposed within said trip unit means for moving in a first direction in response to the flow of a predetermined ground current in said one pole conducting ground current;
• load current movable trip bar means disposed within said trip unit means for moving in said first direction in response to the flow of a predetermined current in said another pole of said multi pole separable contact means;
• and
• said ground current trip bar means and said load current trip bar means abutting for causing said load current trip bar means to be moved by the movement of said ground current trip bar means in said first direction, but not for causing said ground current trip bar means to be moved by the movement of said load current trip bar means in said first direction.

A multi pole circuit interrupter device, comprising:

• a housing;
• an operating mechanism disposed within said housing;
• multi pole separable contacts disposed within said housing in cooperation with said operating mechanism for being opened by said operating mechanism;
• a trip unit means within said housing in cooperation with said operating mechanism for actuating said operating mechanism for opening said multi pole separable contacts;
• a first movable trip bar means disposed within said trip unit for moving in a first direction in response to the flow of a predetermined current in one pole of said multi pole separable contacts;
• a second movable trip bar disposed within said trip unit for moving in said first direction in response to the flow of a predetermined current in another pole of said multi pole separable contacts;
• and
• said first movable trip bar and said second movable trip bar abutting for causing said second movable trip bar to be moved by the movement of said first movable trip bar in said first direction, but not for causing said first movable trip bar to be moved by the movement of said second movable trip bar in said first direction.