Patent ID: 7633031

Claim:
An operating mechanism closing assembly for an electrical switching apparatus, said electrical switching apparatus having a housing assembly and at least one pair of contacts having a fixed contact and a movable contact disposed in said housing assembly, said movable contact structured to move between a first, open position, wherein said contacts are separated, and a second, closed position, wherein said contacts contact each other and are in electrical communication, said operating mechanism closing assembly comprising: a pole shaft rotatably disposed in said housing assembly and coupled to said at least one pair of contacts, wherein said pole shaft rotates between a first position, wherein said movable contact is in said first, open position and a second position, wherein said movable contact is in said second, closed position; a toggle assembly having a first link and a second link, each link having a first, outer end and a second, inner end, said first link and said second link rotatably coupled together at said first link inner end and said second link inner end thereby forming a toggle joint, said toggle assembly structured to move between a first, collapsed configuration and a second, over-toggle configuration; said second link outer end rotatably coupled to said pole shaft wherein when said toggle assembly is in said first, collapsed configuration, said pole shaft is in said first position, and when said toggle assembly is in said second, over-toggle configuration said pole shaft is in said second position; a ram assembly disposed adjacent to said toggle assembly and having at least one compression spring, a guide assembly, and a ram body; said ram body movably coupled to said guide assembly and structured to move between a first, retracted position and a second, extended position; said guide assembly structured to limit the motion of said ram body to a defined path of travel; said ram assembly spring structured to engage said ram body and to move said ram body from said first, retracted position to said second, extended position; a charging assembly, said charging assembly selectively coupleable to said ram assembly and structured to move said ram body from said second, extended position to said first, retracted position; and wherein, when said ram body moves from said first, retracted position to said second, extended position, said ram body engages said toggle assembly causing said toggle assembly to move from said first, collapsed configuration to said second, over-toggle configuration, thereby causing said contacts to move from said first, open position to said second, closed position.