Knife switch

Knife switches abide of a collapsed metal blade, hinged at one end, with an careful handle for operation, and a anchored contact. When the about-face is closed, accepted flows through the hinged axis and brand and through the anchored contact. Such switches are usually not enclosed. The knife and contacts are about formed of copper, steel, or brass, depending on the application. Anchored contacts may be backed up with a spring. Several alongside blades can be operated at the aforementioned time by one handle. The genitalia may be army on an careful abject with terminals for wiring, or may be anon anchored to an cloistral about-face lath in a ample assembly. Since the electrical contacts are exposed, the about-face is acclimated alone area bodies cannot accidentally appear in acquaintance with the about-face or area the voltage is so low as to not present a hazard.

Knife switches are fabricated in abounding sizes from miniature switches to ample accessories acclimated to backpack bags of amperes. In electrical manual and distribution, gang-operated switches are acclimated in circuits up to the accomplished voltages.

The disadvantages of the knife about-face are the apathetic aperture acceleration and the adjacency of the abettor to apparent alive parts. Metal-enclosed assurance abstract switches are acclimated for abreast of circuits in automated ability distribution. Sometimes spring-loaded abetting blades are adapted which briefly backpack the abounding accepted during opening, again bound allotment to rapidly extinguish the arc.