Abstract: An outdoor grounding section switch has a female contact and a male contact at the end of a grounding blade that can be driven. The female contact is constituted by at least one hollow tubular thimble (11, 15), housed inside a vertical tubular insulator (3) that is closed at its top end and open at a bottom end. The male contact (25) is a vertical cylinder penetrating into the insulator (3) and the thimble during closing. The open end of the insulator (3) is equipped with a metal part (14), the inside of which is provided with a plurality of radially-directed lugs (14A), facing the periphery of the male contact vertical cylinder and stopping short of the vertical cylinder to break ice accumulating off the end of the male contact during section switch closure.

Abstract: A high-voltage circuit-breaker comprises a first insulative support column carrying a first current terminal and a pivoting cut-off arm provided with a first contact. An insulative column rotates to maneuver the cut-off arm. A second insulative support column carries a second current terminal and a jaw-type second contact cooperating with the first contact when the circuit-breaker is closed. The pivoting arm rotates about its axis through 90.degree. at the start of an opening maneuver or at the end of a closing maneuver to close the jaw on opening the circuit-breaker and to open the jaw on closing the circuit-breaker. The cut-off arm is extended by a cylindrical assembly containing a resistance and comprising a metal exterior tubular portion connected electrically to the resistance.