Electrical switchgear

Electrical switchgear is formed by a pair of main electrodes 7, 17 and a pair of arcing electrodes 8, 18, one electrode 17, 18 of each pair being mounted on a movable assembly 14 and the other being fixed. The fixed 7, 8 and movable 17, 18 electrodes are respectively electrically connected to each other, The movable assembly 14 moves, eg pivotally or linearly, from an ON position where the main electrodes 7, 17 are in contact and the arcing electrodes 8, 18 are not, through an intermediate position where the main electrodes and the arcing electrodes are in contact to an OFF position where none of the electrodes are in contact. In moving from the intermediate position to the OFF position the main electrodes 7, 17 separate before the arcing electrodes 8, 18. The assembly 14 may be moved to an earthing position wherein an earthing electrode 19 electrically connected to the movable electrodes 17, 18 is engaged with a fixed earthing electrode. One of the arcing electrodes may be tubular having an inwardly projecting portion (Fig 4) which is engageable with an outwardly projecting portion on an elongate electrode movable through the tubular electrode.