Abstract: The present invention relates to a mercury switch (10) including an outer metal housing (12) having a closed end and an open end. A baffle member (14) is positioned in the housing (12) immediate of the closed and open ends. The baffle member (14) defines a first bore (32), a second bore (34) of increasing diameter in a direction toward the open end of the housing (12), and a third bore (36). An electrode assembly (16) is partially inserted into the open end of the housing (12). The electrode assembly includes a solid electrode (40) having a stem portion (42) and a head portion (44) with a truncated conical configuration of decreasing diameter in a direction toward the closed end of the housing (12). The baffle member (14) and the truncated conical head portion (44) cooperate to provide contact between a first supply of mercury (30a) and the solid electrode (40) at a location removed from an insulating member ( 46).

Abstract: A rack for supporting articles being surface treated includes a device for locating and supporting at least two rows of articles with the articles of one row being in alternating, staggered and partially overlapping relationship with the articles of the other row. Preferably, the article rack is used in high volume manufacturing processes wherein a plurality of articles to be treated are placed on the rack which is immersed in a treating solution. The structure of the rack in combination with solution vibrating means enables the articles to be supported, separated and treated.

Abstract: A pivoting rocking actuator has a first bottom surface, which comprises two spaced portions, resting on an upper surface of a membrane contact switch assembly when the actuator is in its rest position. The actuator has one end of a buckling spring, which is initially buckled in a selected direction, acting against its upper surface with the other end of the spring acting against a key, which is slidably mounted on a frame, of a keyboard. When the key is depressed, the spring catastrophically buckles in the selected direction to cause initial pivoting of the actuator about a forward edge of each of the spaced portions. This causes a curved bottom surface of the actuator to rotate about a pivot point on the bottom curved surface to close a contact switch of the membrane contact switch assembly.

Abstract: Automatic vehicle washer. The washer includes a vehicle washing apparatus, source of electrical power, manual input, code verifier and activator. The manual input allows a driver of a vehicle to transmit a numerical signal to the code verifier. If the code verifier determines that the numerical signal corresponds to a predetermined numerical code, the energizer interconnects the vehicle washing apparatus with the source of electrical power.

Abstract: A holding apparatus for holding dual pin type electronic parts such as DIP type IC etc. when the electronic parts are cleaned or dried. The holding apparatus is used, for example, for cleaning or drying the dual pin type electronic parts automatically in line after the lead pins of the electronic parts are dipped by solder. The holding apparatus has at least one holding rod which holds the electronic parts on a mounting table in order to prevent the electronic parts from dropping off while the mounting table is rotated around a shaft, and the holding rod releases the electronic parts after the cleaning or drying thereof are completed.

Abstract: A plug and socket connector comprises resilient contacts which are adapted to be engaged in bayonet fashion. Electrical contact between each input terminal and a corresponding socket connector-pin is established by coupling two contact studs, one contact stud being carried by a conductive arm rigidly attached to a connector pin, the other being attached to an electrical supply lead. When a plug and socket are disengaged, the contact studs being coupled are positioned in different relative angular positions with respect to the axis of the plug socket. The contact studs are placed into a position of angular coincidence by rotating the plug with respect to the socket. At the end of the rotation of the plug, each arm is subjected to an abrupt pivoting movement in which it is displaced toward an oppositely acting contact stud as a result of a release of the energy stored during the rotation.

Abstract: A conveyor with zigzag travel is formed by two continuous conveyor belts and is particularly useful for processing materials. Each belt has openings along its marginal portions and a set of driven belt sprockets meshing with those openings. Part of the length of each belt is maintained in parallel, spaced relation to part of the length of the other and together form a zigzag path with one or more U-turns. At each U-turn, one belt turns on sprockets and the other turns with its marginal portions sliding around curved guides. The remaining parts of the lengths of both belts are separated from one another and provide places for feeding material to, and removing it from, the conveyor.

Abstract: A trigger operated panic safety switch is provided which has a trigger member and a switch enclosure with spaced apart electrical contact members located in an intermediate portion of the chamber. The trigger member drives a carrier with an interconnect member from an initial portion, through the intermediate portion, to an end portion of the chamber, and back again, in accordance with the pressure applied to its trigger member. The interconnect member enables contact members to be electrically connected to turn on the switch when the carrier is positioned in the intermediate portion of the chamber. The safety switch is also disclosed to have an insulator slide member which has an indentation to receive the interconnect member of the carrier in the end portion of the chamber to prevent electrical connection of the switch, and to be moved by the interconnect member until the carrier is returned to the initial portion of the chamber.

Abstract: This invention relates to an electrical connection device including a male component or plug having a plurality of connection pins extending outwardly therefrom. The electrical connection device also includes a female component or socket body having--(i) a plurality of recesses contained therein;(ii) a plurality of contact members wherein each contact member is associated with a respective recess;(iii) a plurality of connection terminals; and(iv) switching means.The arrangement is such that each connection pin of the male component may be inserted in a mating recess of the female component and thereby engage with an associated contact member wherein after a rotational or pivoting movement of one component relative to the other this may cause movement of the switching means to effect electrical connection between each contact member and an associated connection terminal.

Abstract: A constant load and constant contact force snap-action switch having a normally-closed movable operate contact on a flipper blade which has a compression strip that snaps through an S-curvature to a reverse buckled state to trip the operate contact open. The flipper blade is coupled through an insulating cap to the leaf spring mounted movable alarm contact to close the latter at the same time. A return spring biased reset lever resets the operate contacts on depression down a first amount, opens the operate contact without closing the alarm contacts on depression down a second amount for stop purposes, and trips the operate contacts open on lifting upwards for test purposes. On reset, lost motion in the coupling cap knocks the alarm contact open if welded. A selector is settable to select any of three functions for the reset lever, (1) reset-stop-test, (2) auto reset stop, or (3) reset test.

Abstract: A starter switch arrangement for boats, where the switch may be subjected to water splash or the like. The arrangement includes a key with a gripping component and an insert component to be inserted into an aperture in the switch for opening and locking the switch. The key has a cover component positioned between the gripping and insert components and provided to be sealingly supported against the switch in the inserted position of the key during the utilization of the boat. The cover component will sealing close a portion of the switch around the aperture of the switch.

Abstract: In a propeller for use in a ship of the type comprising 4 or more even number blades, at least one of two adjacent blades is inclined forwardly or rearwardly or one inclined forwardly and the other rearwardly so as to make different the rake angles of the two blades. The pitch angle of the rearwardly inclined blade is made larger than that of the forwardly inclined blade. With this construction the mutual interference between adjacent blades is efficiently utilized to prevent decrease in the efficiency even when operating conditions and the diameter of the propeller vary.

Abstract: A lightbulb socket includes first and second contact members for electrically connecting two conductors and the central and side electrodes on the base of a bulb, and a threaded element for receiving the base of the bulb. The threaded element is held by spring action in a first position in relation to a shell of the socket when the bulb is unscrewed from the threaded element and is movable to a second position in relation to the shell against the spring action when the bulb is screwed into the threaded element. Coupling elements are arranged between the conductors and the contact members to break the contact therebetween when the threaded element is in its first position and to close the circuit to the bulb when the threaded element is brought to its second position. The coupling elements also serve as springs for moving the threaded element to its first position.

Abstract: A switch assembly comprises a push-button switch and a switch operating mechanism including an actuator and a plunger for transmitting the movement of the actuator to the push button to operate the push-button switch. While one end of the plunger is operatively associated with the actuator, the other end of the plunger is rotatably and removably, but axially non-movably, coupled to the free end of the push button. For this purpose, the other end of the plunger is formed with a radially outwardly extending anchor flange while the free end of the push button is formed with a generally U-shaped anchor recess for receiving the anchor flange therein.

Abstract: A pilot lamp wherein a light source and an axially reciprocable switching member are mounted in a housing supporting a switch which is actuatable by the switching member through the medium of a depressible actuator having a tubular section with a conical or pyramidal external surface which tapers in a direction toward the tip of the section and can expand the inner marginal portion of an annular membrane whose outer marginal portion is mounted in the housing. During insertion of the tubular section, its external surface expands the inner marginal portion of the membrane so that the latter sealingly engages the actuator while the actuator moves its section into engagement with the switching member. A shoulder on the switching member intercepts the inner marginal portion of the membrane during insertion of the tubular section to thereby ensure that such inner marginal portion expands during further insertion of the tubular section into the switching member. During extraction of the tubular section, e.g.

Abstract: A printed circuit processing apparatus includes a modular tank arrangement with each of the tanks receiving a printed circuit board to be processed on edge, or in other words vertically, and which guides the printed circuit board through the tank for processing without leaving marks or "tracks" on the sides of the board. The boards are driven by rollers on which the lower edges of the boards rest. The boards are held vertically through the use of a plurality of vertically spaced longitudinally extending wires. Spray nozzles are positioned on opposite sides of the boards and are simultaneously operated to generally equalize the pressure on the opposite sides of the board. The spray nozzles contain the necessary solutions for processing the boards, and the guide wires are small enough so that they don't leave any areas of the board unprocessed, nor do they leave "tracks". The modular tanks permit one or several operations in a continuous path with connecting sections between the modular tanks.

Abstract: A switch for making and breaking a connection between a load circuit and a power line, with two parallelogrammatic linkages terminating in scissorlike contactor pairs, has limitedly swivelable and/or extensible cross-links interconnecting aligned pivotal junctions of the two linkages to provide them with a certain relative mobility. In an operating position, part-cylindrical armatures detachably secured to the two contactor pairs grip respective portions of an elongate countercontact fixedly suspended between a pair of rings attached to the power line, this countercontact comprising a metallic supporting tube also provided with part-cylindrical armatures in the region of the contactor pairs. Each armature may comprise several metallic layers on a base of copper, namely an inner layer of silver, a protective layer of tin on top thereof, and an outer silver layer. The armatures could also be made, at least in part, of a scorchproof material such as silver/cesium oxide.

Abstract: A push button electrical switch assembly including an actuator biased for resilient reciprocation between predetermined axial limits within a housing. A cover on the housing includes a push button movable between predetermined axial limits. The push button contacts and is biased by the actuator to one of its predetermined axial limits. First electrical contacts are fixed to the housing, and second electrical contacts are carried by the actuator. The second electrical contacts, when urged to a contact-engaging position with the first electrical contacts, pivot against the same bias which biases the actuator, to provide a contact-wiping engagement with the first electrical contacts.

Abstract: A matrix in a rotating rotor prevents or inhibits formation of waves in a liquid ring. The matrix may be located in first and/or second channel sections defined by the rotor, liquid passing from the first to the second channel section; and a turbine may have a scoop removing liquid from the second section, proximate ends of barriers defined by the matrix.The matrix includes grooves between the barriers to communicate liquid generally parallel to an axis defined by the rotor. The grooves have end openings and may be closed in a direction toward that axis.

Abstract: Disclosed is an adapter for enabling an actuating switch, which has at least one contact section and an actuating section movably accommodating therein an actuator for actuating the contact section and which is so arranged that a first hollow cylindrical portion constituting a part of the actuating section and axially movably accommodating therein the actuator, can be directly mounted in a first hole having a first predetermined inner diameter and previously formed in a panel, to be mounted through the adapter in a second hole having a second predetermined inner diameter and previously formed in the same or another panel. The adapter comprises a first engaging device for engaging with the actuating section and a second engaging device for engaging with the panel through the second hole.