Abstract: A switch for making and breaking a connection between a load circuit and a power line includes a stationary metal bar mechanically and conductively connected to the power line and a scissorlike contactor pair gripping the bar in a closure position. The bar is flanked by two metallic guard elements in the shape of elastic rods that are first engaged by the contactors upon closure and last disengaged from them upon opening of the switch. In the closure position, in which the contactors also engage the bar, the two rods are connected to that bar through a circuit breaker formed by two metallic spurs which separate during a disconnect operation after the contactors have disengaged the bar but while they are still in engagement with the rods whereby any arcing will occur only between scorchproof contact zones of these spurs.

Abstract: An electric switch of the push-push type in which a first pushing actuation of a pushbutton assembly moves a switch rocker to a first switching position and a subsequent pushing actuation of the pushbutton plunger assembly moves the switch to an alternate switching position.

Abstract: In a mercury switch composed of a closed tubular glass envelope and at least one pair of electrodes extending through one end of the envelope and presenting terminals located within the region enclosed by the envelope and adjacent the one end thereof, the envelope is formed to have two indentations located opposite one another, spaced from the ends of the envelope, and spaced at a greater distance than the terminals from the one end, the indentations projecting toward one another to define, within the region enclosed by the envelope, a gap for the passage of mercury between the ends of such region.

Abstract: A conductive adhesive for use in membrane switch and printed circuit technologies consists essentially of a resin modified copolymer of butadiene and styrene and a conductive element. The conductive element is preferably a material such as acetylene black and is more than two percent and less than 40 percent by weight of the adhesive. The conductive adhesive may be used to secure the membrane and substrate of a membrane-type switch thereby providing a conductive path between the membrane and substrate. The adhesive may also be used to attach a membrane switch tail to an associated printed circuit board or the like, again with the conductive properties of the adhesive providing a current path as well as the conventional adhesion between the two parts.

Abstract: An electrical receptacle has a stationary terminal bracket at each blade opening and a spring loaded center contact pressure element which deflects as the blades of a plug are inserted. A push button snap switch is mounted to the back of the receptacle and is operated by the contact pressure element as a plug is inserted or removed from the receptacle. The spring loaded biasing of the center cntact pressure element is non-conductive and isolated from the electrical circuit of the receptacle.

Abstract: An oral hygiene appliance is of the kind which includes a supply of liquid, a pump and a hand-held tip for directing the liquid where desired. A housing defines a cavity which has a surrounding wall closed by opposing end walls, the pump being seated within the cavity. A reservoir is closed at one end and has a shape in conformity with the housing to telescope thereover in covering relationship. Defined in one end of the reservoir is a valve seat which cooperates with a valve that closes during removal of the reservoir from the housing. On that end of the reservoir also is a coupling element which cooperates with a coupling member disposed in the surrounding wall of the housing. When that coupling relationship is established, the reservoir is seated on top of a side surface of the housing which, in turn, is lying on a table or the like. An outlet in the housing communicates with the hand-held tip and the pump is connected between that outlet and the coupling member.

Abstract: In a push-on switch comprising a moving contact 6 of partial-hemisphere-face-shaped resilient metal diaphragm which is disposed with its periphery on a pair of peripheral fixed contacts 2b,2b in a contacting manner and at its central part apart above a central fixed contact 2a in an isolated manner at normal state,the improvement is made such that the metal diaphragm moving contact 6 has an opening 6a having at least a protrusion 6b with respect to the opening 6a;so that the opening 6a allows air to pass at inversing and restoring motions of the central principal part of the moving contact 6, thereby preventing drafting of dust onto the central fixed contact 2a, and that the protrusion 6b slides on and cleans the surface of the central fixed contact 2a at each pushing down of the central part of the moving contact 6.

Abstract: An electric contact arrangement has a plurality of movable contact elements which are biased oppositely with respect to a like plurality of associated stationary contact elements by spring elements comprised of elastic plastic. The plastic spring elements may be formed on a contact carrier for use of the contacts as bridge contacts having a high degree of voltage stability.

Abstract: A screw-switch assembly for use in place of present Dual-Inline-Package (DIP) slide-or snap-action switch assemblies is disclosed. An insulative body is molded to form a strip of joined segments arranged side-by-side, each segment constituting a single, independent switch having two poles and a single bridging contact member in the form of a screw head. The segments provide two passageways opening to both the top surface and the bottom surface of the segment and a socket opening to at least the top surface of the segment adjacent alternating passageways in sequential segments. A headed stake is inserted through the passageway of each segment adjacent the socket and a bent stake is inserted through the other passageway of each segment. The top portions of the stakes of each segment are formed to provide electrical contact surfaces adjacent the socket of that segment. The bottom portions of the stakes extend beyond the bottom surface of the segment for mounting in a printed circuit board.

Abstract: An emergency switch for preventing an accident in a mechanism employing a control cable, comprising a casing having a pair of contacts at opposite inner side surfaces thereof, and an insulator member having a movable contact, the insulator member being slidably and axially moved within the casing in connection with tensile force of inner cables, and when the inner cables become unoperable by trouble, the movable contact being touched to the contacts provided on the inner side surfaces of the casing to detect a trouble or to stop the movement of the mechanism.

Abstract: An electrical interlock comprising a switch operated by a rotatable cam member coupled to the movable switch contacts by a longitudinally movable slider. Rotation of the cam member, which is contained within the same housing as the switch contacts, is caused by engagement, in slots in the periphery of the cam member, of an actuator mounted for movement relative to the switch housing.

Abstract: A large area button in an electrical keyboard is prevented from jamming by being stabilized against tilt which results from depressive forces being applied remotely from the center of the button, the stabilization being achieved by the provision of two anti-roll bars attaching the button to the body of the keyboard and each preventing deviation of one of two axes of the button from being orthogonal both to one another and to the direction of depression of the button.

Abstract: A miniaturized locking type push-button switch capable of being assembled easily, and consisting of an operating unit, a spring urging the operating unit in a direction opposite to the direction in which the operating unit is pressed, a slide element holding movable contact members therein, having a heart-shaped groove and slidingly moved in accordance with the displacement of the operating unit on a member to which fixed contact members are attached, a single-acting pin moving along the heart-shaped groove in accordance with an amount of displacement of the operating unit, and an enclosure in which the above parts are housed. This push-button switch is characterized by a single-acting pin supporting element consisting of a one-piece resilient plate having an inwardly extending tongue in the central portion thereof. The single-acting pin is oscillatably supported on the supporting element to form a single-acting block, which is inserted in the enclosure to be fixed therein.

Abstract: A plastic rocker is pivotally mounted in a plastic switch case and operates a conventional movable contact. The rocker has depending sides or legs which resiliently bend inwardly as a result of contacting abutments on the inside walls of the switch case providing a more positive action to hold the rocker and movable contact more securely in the various switch positions.

Abstract: An electric switch mechanism for portable electric motor drive type tools having a reciprocable contact carrier and a movable electrically conductive bridging contact carried by the contact carrier for making and breaking electrical contact with coacting stationary contacts in the switch mechanism. The bridging contact has a protuberance at each point of contact with the contact carrier to ensure that such contact therebetween at each such point is always at the same spot(s) on the bridging contact when the bridging contact is reciprocated by the contact carrier in either direction.

Abstract: A double-domed elastomeric keyboard element is disclosed in which a solid contact disc is connected to the junction of the domes of the keyboard element housing. The inner dome is provided on its inside with a downwardly extending projection which engages the contact disc when the keyboard element is depressed to press the disc against a pair of conductors on a printed circuit board below the element. Because of the non-positive connection between the key plunger and the conductors, the contact pressure is almost equal to the operating force.

Abstract: An electrical multilayer contact, specifically for relays, comprises the following layers disposed upon each other on a contact support member:a first layer of a copper-nickel alloy for mechanically and electrically connecting the further layers to the support member,a second layer consisting of silver or having a very high silver content for adhering the further layers to the first layer,a third layer of a silver-tin oxide composition,a fourth layer of silver or a silver alloy, anda fifth layer of gold or an alloy having a high gold content.This multilayer structure is preferably used for both, the fixed contact member and the movable contact member of a relay contact couple. In this case, the upper surface of the multilayer contact structure disposed on the fixed contact is plane, while that on the movable contact is curved in one direction to cooperate with the opposite plane surface in forming a line contact.