Abstract: A reed switch comprising a first reed of conductive magnetic material and a second reed of conductive non-magnetic material mounted in cooperating spaced relation to said first reed and a cooperating pair of magnetic operators mounted in spaced relation to said first and second reeds and said reeds being positioned between said pair of operators, and including a third operator cooperating with the pair of operators to influence one or the other of said operators to shift said first reed into a first mode or a second mode and latch said first reed in said mode.

Abstract: A reed switch which comprises a first reed of conductive material and a second reed of conductive non-magnetic material mounted in cooperating spaced relation to said first reed. The first reed comprises a body of conductive material having a contact section, an intermediate spring section and a support section, with the intermediate section being foil thin and the contact section being substantially rigid and non-flexible and being substantially thicker than said intermediate section. The intermediate section comprises a leaf spring having a flexibility permitting one end of said leaf spring to flex a substantial distance through an arc with respect to the other end of said leaf spring without exceeding the elastic limits of said spring.

Abstract: A sealed switch includes C-shaped control and follower magnets disposed along an axis with poles thereof in facing relationship, a set of electrical switch contacts coupled to be selectively opened or closed in dependence upon the position of the follower magnet, and a housing enclosing the set of electrical contacts and the follower magnet, the housing having a nonmagnetic wall extending between the facing poles of the control and follower magnets to provide hermetic isolation of the contacts. In accordance with particularly selected configurations, the control magnet may be mounted for alternatively pushbutton type axial motion or rotational motion within different selected limits and the follower magnet may be mounted for either axial or rotational motion within predetermined limits or both. The magnets may be resiliently biased toward predetermined position limits in some configurations.

Abstract: A sealed switch includes C-shaped control and follower magnets disposed along an axis with poles thereof in facing relationship, a set of electrical switch contacts coupled to be selectively opened or closed in dependence upon the position of the follower magnet, and a housing enclosing the set of electrical contacts and the follower magnet, the housing having a nonmagnetic wall extending between the facing poles of the control and follower magnets to provide hermetic isolation of the contacts. In accordance with particularly selected configurations, the control magnet may be mounted for alternatively pushbutton type axial motion or rotational motion within different selected limits and the follower magnet may be mounted for either axial or rotational motion within predetermined limits or both. The magnets may be resiliently biased toward predetermined position limits in some configurations.

Abstract: A velocity responsive lighting system for a vehicle provides a plurality of warning light means which are periodically illuminated in sequence for a period determined by the velocity of the vehicle. The system includes a plurality of magnetically responsive switch means and a plurality of magnetic field generating means, one of the pluralities being mounted on a rotatable member of the vehicle and the other being mounted adjacent thereto so that upon rotation of the member each of the plurality of magnetic field generating means is placed within the vicinity of one of the magnetically responsive switch means to cause the latter to be energized and thereby periodically energize each of the light means in sequence for a period determined by the velocity of the rotatable member. The system can further include battery means or electrical current generating means, or both with circuit means for alternatively switching therebetween, for energizing the light means.

Abstract: A pushbutton switch is described in which a pair of contact cartridges containing magnetically operated sealed switches are mounted to an actuator section. The linear motion of the pushbutton is converted to rotary motion by a cam structure mounted in each cartridge and a magnet mounted therein between two switches is thus rotated about a switch axis. By properly polarizing the magnet and by using a magnetic shield, the switches are made to operate as the magnet is rotated to provide a number of possible modes of operation.

Abstract: A pressure insensitive counter for a towed array deployed underwater provs accurate readings of the deployment of the array from a winch. Several magnets are carried on the side of a fairlead sheeve to actuate associated reed switches as the magnets pass by them. The reed switches are oriented with respect to one another to provide binary coded decimal (BCD) signals which are fed to an electronic counter circuit carried inside of a pressurized hull. Mounting the reed switches inside of fluid filled conduits assures that the BCD signals are generated reliably. The electronic counter circuit assures a positive indication of how much of the array has been deployed.

Abstract: A pan detector for an induction heating apparatus of the type having an induction heating coil adapted to electromagnetically couple to a cooking vessel comprises a first, vertically movable magnet and a second, fixed magnet spaced therefrom and a reed switch disposed between the first and second magnets. Upon the placement of a cooking vessel of magnetic metal in overlying relation to the heating coil, the first magnet moves upwardy by attraction between the bottom wall of the cooking vessel and the first magnet to result in a change in magnetic flux level in the neighborhood of the reed switch. The reed switch operates in response to the change in magnetic flux level to permit and prevent, respectively, energization of the heating coil. The first and second magnets have their poles oriented in opposition to each other to provide repulsion therebetwen to increase the attraction.

Abstract: A switch operator is provided which has an elongated element magnetically attracted to yieldably assume predetermined static or neutral position within an elongated passage formed in a stationary base. The element is adapted to be manually moved longitudinally in either of two directions from the static position thereby causing the switch to be actuated. Upon the element being released it will automatically return to its static position.

Abstract: The invention contemplates position-indicating means particularly applicable to producing an electrical indication of liquid level and employing one or more magnetic-reed switches at a selected one or more fixed positions or levels to be monitored. The switches may be in longitudinally spaced array within a single elongate housing, for proximity response to the field of a magnetized actuator element as it assumes various longitudinal positions external to and along the housing. At each switch station, a magnetic-latch element, which is the means of magnetically actuating the switch contacts, has limited freedom of longitudinal displacement into and out of its region of switch actuation.

Abstract: A nonexplosive pressure-responsive switch has a housing containing a chamber which is exposed to a source of pressure and a second chamber containing switch elements. A partition separates the two chambers. The chamber connected to the pressure to be monitored has a longitudinal collapsible bellows mounted inside with a first magnet mounted on its end. In an unpressured condition the magnet will normally touch the partition between the chambers. The second chamber containing the switch elements also contains a second magnet which is mounted in an adjustable cylinder. A third magnet is mounted between the adjustable magnet and the switch contacts. When the first magnet is against the partition, the first magnet pulls the movable magnet in the second chamber against the switch contacts, and when the first magnet moves away from the partition, the adjustable magnet attracts the movable magnet, breaking the switch contacts. A second set of switch contacts can be carried by the adjustable magnet's housing.

Abstract: The invention relates to magnetically operated electric switches of the kind comprising a magnet which is pivotally mounted and is arranged to rock to and fro with a snap action under the influence of an adjacent relatively movable magnetic actuator, and at least one switch contact which is moved between two end positions relatively to one or more complementary switch contacts upon rocking of the magnet. The magnet is a bar magnet fixed in a pivoted carrier which forms one link of an over center spring toggle acting on a flexible leaf which carries the movable contact or contacts.

Abstract: An improved dual threshold switch is actuated by magnetic fields in the sch's proximity. An elongate glass envelope contains a pair of reed contacts. The contacts are biased by a piece of donut-shaped magnetic material circumscribing the envelope to be switched to a closed position at one magnetic threshold or an open position at another magnetic threshold. Both magnetic thresholds are induced in the contacts by external actuating magnets and the thresholds can be changed by physically moving the donut along the elongate glass envelope. A coil is provided and encompasses the envelope and magnetic donut to provide an electro-magnetic field which shifts the biasing field induced by the donut. When the electro-magnetic shifting field is turned on the thresholds established by the biasing field are shifted so that the contacts would be actuated from external actuation fields at different magnetic thresholds.

Abstract: Apparatus for attachment to a standard typewriter for selectively actuating one or more of a plurality of magnetically actuated switches in electrical circuits that are connected to recording means through an electrical matrix circuit. A switch and actuating lever are provided for each of the unique keys of the typewriter so that signals identifying the corresponding character or function can be produced. The apparatus is compact and can be easily installed beneath the keyboard under the typewrter. Pivotable actuating levers having magnets thereon move into close proximity to the magnetically actuated switches in response to striking of the typewriter keys. The apparatus also includes magnetic shielding for preventing a lever from actuating more than one switch, even though the switches can be in extremely close proximity to one another.

Abstract: A miniature type hermetically sealed electrical switch that provides snap-action contact reversal with magnetic contact holding. The only moving part of the switch is a mechanically unattached permanent magnet button-contactor member that reciprocally moves under the influence of an external permanent magnet actuator member to cause reversal snap-action contact of a previous magnetically-maintained contact condition.

Abstract: A key operated switch device in which any one of a set of different keys may be utilized to operate a particular combination of sets of electrical contacts unique to that key, the sets of electrical contacts being provided by reed switches located adjacent a keyway adapted to receive any one of the keys in said set, and the keys incorporating different arrangements of magnets or magnetized zones adapted to actuate different combinations of said reed switches.

Abstract: An alarm system is constructed to energize when the bottom window or the top window of a three-element window assembly is opened, so long as the third element (usually a screen) is not in its closed position in front of the window being opened or if the third element is removed from its mounting slides.The switching functions are performed by magnetic reed switches imbedded in the window frame and responsive to permanent magnets in the peripheral frame of the respective elements.

Abstract: An apparatus for switching an alarm-signalling device which is connectable to a protective circuit so as to signal an alarm when a door or the like is displaced from its closed position in a jamb or the like by an intruder, in which the switching apparatus is mounted in the door and jamb or the like. The switching apparatus includes a switch which is connectable to the protective circuit, which is mounted in a housing which is installable so as to be recessed in the jamb, and a magnet which is magnetized such that opposite faces thereof define poles of opposite polarity, which is mounted in a housing which is installable so as to be recessed in the side of the door and disposed opposite the switch when the door is closed in the jamb.

Abstract: Disclosed is a switch housing having a cylindrically shaped cavity therein. An armature within the housing has a generally cylindrical shape and is movable with respect to the housing between two stable or quiescent positions. One end of the armature has a substantially hemispherical depression and forms, in combination with a matching depression in the base, a substantially spheroid portion of a chamber. Extending radially from the segment of the sphere within the base are two frusto-pyramidal depressions which extend downwardly to and in tangency with the spheroid segment in the base. Electrical conductors are adjacent the frusto ends of the pyramids and extend out of the base. Mercury is placed in the spheroid portion of the chamber. The armature has a collar of steel extending axially. A toroidal magnet is placed about the exterior of the cylindrical housing. A magnetically responsive keeper is secured to the housing top. The magnet is held by the metal keeper secured to the top of the housing.