Patent ID: 8618430

Claim:
A spring operated actuator for an electrical switching apparatus, the spring operated actuator comprising: a rotary drive main shaft arranged to transmit an actuating movement to the switching apparatus, an opening spring device, and a closing spring device, wherein said opening spring device includes at least one opening torsion spring, defining an opening spring axis and an external opening spring diameter, wherein said closing spring device includes at least one closing torsion spring, defining a closing spring axis, which axes extend in the same direction, each of said opening torsion spring and said closing torsion spring defining a respective winding direction and an unwinding direction, and each of said opening torsion spring and said closing torsion spring is arranged to be charged with mechanical energy in the unwinding direction and to discharge mechanical energy in the winding direction, and in that the axes extend at a distance from each other that is smaller than 20% of the external opening spring diameter.