Abstract: An appliance timer includes a disc-shaped program wheel. The distal ends of a plurality of resilient wire switches include a plurality of followers which extend into grooves provided in the program wheel. The bottoms of the grooves provide surfaces for controlling operation of the switches to control the appliance. The proximal ends of the switches are mounted in a terminal block in the appliance timer housing. The proximal ends of the switch components are rigidly mounted in the terminal block. The terminal block also includes longitudinally extending channels in which the various movable switch components rest. The channels provide for limited free travel of the movable switch components during their operation.

Abstract: An escapement mechanism for an appliance timer includes a cylindrically shaped driving member which is concentric with the axis of the appliance timer program wheel. One or more cam lobes providing camming surfaces are formed on an interior cylindrical wall of the driving member. A ratchet wheel is disposed for rotation within the driving member. The ratchet wheel is drivingly connected to the program wheel. A pawl having a ratchet wheel engaging tooth at one end and a cam follower at the other end is actuated by the camming surfaces on the driving member to cause the pawl to move a predetermined distance in a first direction, engage the ratchet wheel, and then return the same distance in the opposite direction to advance the ratchet wheel and the program wheel in response to rotation of the driving member.