Abstract: An electronic instrument is provided with a shielding system consisting of two metallic shields press fitted into plastic instrument case parts without the need for any additional parts to provide electrical and mechanical attachment. In one embodiment, a bottom shield is press fitted onto protuberances inside of a lower case part and electrically connected to a common jack base on a circuit board within the instrument by a vee spring on the bottom shield. A top shield is press fitted into a capturing region of a switch support case part and includes an extension arm and extension ring that is mechanically held by case screws and guides already required by the plastic case. In that position, the extension ring is held in electrical contact with a common pad on the circuit board, the common pad being in electrical contact with a common trace, a common area, and the common jack base.

Abstract: An actutator for a multiple-position electrical switch includes an actuator member having a cam surface formed on its undersurface along each edge. Two pairs of cam followers formed at the end of respective resilient beams slide along the cam surface. The cam surface is formed with a series of ridges and indentations corresponding to the actuator switch positions. Thus, the actuator member can be moved between adjacent switch positions only by exerting sufficient force to lift each of the cam followers over a ridge from one indentation to the adjacent indentation. An additional cam follower is resiliently biased against an additional cam surface formed on the underside of the actuator member when the actuator member is moved to one switch position. As a result, the forces required to move the actuator member to one switch position is greater than the force required to move the actuator member between other switch positions.

Abstract: A flexible stand permits an instrument housing or holster to which it is attached to be supported on a horizontal surface at any of a number of different viewing angles, to be hooked to a pipe or conduit, or to be suspended from a nail or the like. The stand comprises a skeletal member that is formed of a pair of annealed cartridge brass wires separated from each other and maintained parallel by a pair of plastic bridge members. The skeletal member is coated with thermoplastic polyester material, to form an assembly that is flexible, is non-brittle and exhibits substantially no mechanical memory so that it retains the shape to which the stand is manually formed by the user. One end of the stand is pivotally attached to the meter housing or holster, and an abutment member on the stand contacts a portion of the housing or holster to prevent further pivoting when the stand is pivoted to a particular angle.