Abstract: The switch comprises two contactors movable along two rows of four contacts, to an "OFF" position in which each contactor bridges the second and third contacts in each row, a first "ON" position in which each contactor bridges the first and third contacts in each row, and a second "ON" position in which each contactor bridges the second and fourth contacts in each row. An inner crossover conductor extends between the first contact in the first row and the fourth contact in the second row and is disposed between the first and second rows. A second crossover conductor is on the outer side of the contact supporting board and is connected between the second contact in the first row and the third contact in the second row. A flat Z-shaped insulating member is held captive between the board and the inner crossover conductor.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electric switch having a mechanism comprising an actuator, a contact member capable of being moved along a path by the actuator and two spaced apart electric contacts arranged along said path; wherein one of said contacts functions, in use, as a fulcrum and wherein said member is so shaped and the switch is constructed and arranged such that said member is moveable, from a first position in which it is in contact with said contacts, slideably with respect to said contacts and in so doing initially rotates in one direction and thereafter pivots about the fulcrum in a rotation of opposite direction whereby to come out of contact with the other of said contacts.The above can be applied to a host of switches including those with arcuately, linearly and rotary moveable actuators.

Abstract: A multiple-position slide switch having a detent member operative side-wise with respect to the path of movement of the sliding contact carrier of the switch to hold the carrier in a selected position. The detent member which is formed of material, preferably such as moldable plastic, having the power of recovering its initially produced durable or static shape when a deforming force or pressure causing it to be temporarily deformed is removed, is in the form of a flat member having a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending flexible struts which embrace therebetween an upwardly projecting knob of the slidable carrier, the inner edges of the struts and the outer surfaces of the carrier knob being complementally shaped to provide coacting surfaces which coact upon deflection of the struts to snap the carrier into its selected position.

Abstract: The disclosed combined fluid power and electrical control device comprises a casing having an operating lever extending through an opening in the casing between the front and rear sides thereof, means at the rear of the casing pivotally supporting the rear portion of the lever so that it is swingable in the opening, the lever having a front manually operable portion at the front of the casing, and fluid power and electrical control means in the casing and operatively connected to the lever for operation in response to swinging movement thereof. Preferably, the control device includes a carriage movable in the casing, mechanical coupling means between the lever and the carriage for moving the carriage in response to swinging movement of the lever, electrical switching means operable by movement of the carriage, and fluid power control valve means operable by the carriage. The switching means may include fixed electrical contact means mounted on the rear wall of a lamp housing secured within the casing.

Abstract: A cross connect panel having a switchable slider assembly for positive engagement and disengagement of the loads to the supply buses. A resilient detent mechanism is provided for positive indexing of the slider assembly in alignment position with the various supply buses. The parallel supply buses are held in place by a system of bus holders and interlocking spacers and the bus bar assembly is held together by bolts through the interlocking spacers, thereby avoiding the necessity of drilling bolt holes in the bus bars and providing proper insulation therefor.

Abstract: Miniature electrical switches having a sliding cleaning action, and utilizing a U-shaped bridging element with a detent projection for engagement in between and in contact with adjacent terminals and simultaneously providing electrical connection and detent action. The bridging element may have a curved bottom; it tilts backwardly as the bottom slides forwardly over a terminal, and subsequently is tilted forwardly by the recess trailing wall. An alternative element has a rounded off leading corner, rocks over a terminal, engages the adjacent terminal, and subsequently is tilted backwardly. The limiting position is unstable and the "on" position provides a cleaner interface.

Abstract: This invention relates to an electrical switch actuated by a longitudinally reciprocatable contact carrier and such reciprocation being brought about by tilting of a rocker actuator by means of a push button effect.

Abstract: A combined electrical switch and fluid control device, in which the switch comprises a casing having an insulating wall, a slider movable in the casing and carrying a contactor having first and second contact points, and first and second contact bars mounted on the insulating wall opposite the contactor, the first bar being engageable by the first contact point, the first and second bars having first and second segments projecting laterally therefrom for successive engagement by the second contact point, the first and second segments having a narrow gap therebetween of less width than the width of the second contact point, whereby such point wll ride between such segments without engaging the insulating wall to avoid burning of such wall and to avoid contamination of the second contact point by such wall.

Abstract: A cross connect panel includes a base supply section and a plurality of load-connector modules mounted transverse the base supply section. The base supply section comprises a plurality of bus bars arranged side-by-side in spaced, parallel, mutually insulated relationship within a channel formed by approximately parallel side support members. Each of the transverse modules includes one or more slider assemblies adapted to interconnect, through electrical contacts, a bus bar with an external load. The length of the base section is determined solely by the number of transverse modules desired in the system and the length of the transverse modules is determined by the number of supply bus bars included in the system. The slider assemblies are self-contained, and when mounted, are captive in vertical, horizontal and lateral directions. Moreover, these assemblies are capable of effecting an "off" mode at any transverse location with respect to the bus bars.

Abstract: A four-way lever switch which can occupy four different switching positions by moving the shift lever and which upon release of the shift lever, it and its apertaining parts at once return to their neutral positions. In the switch, a block carrying movable contacts moves on stationary contacts arranged on the base of the housing and its movements are guided by a plate mounted on the block. The guide plate is provided with an oblong aperture in which a hollow cube formed integrally with the block is movably inserted. The block moves laterally along the oblong aperture while the guide plate remains stationary. The guide plate moves only when the block is shifted in the direction perpendicular to the oblong aperture. By means of the guide plate, the movements of the contact carrying block are correctly conducted and no disturbance in the relative positions between the stationary and the movable contacts occurs.

Abstract: A plunger actuated, electrical switch uses a lost motion mechanism to prevent the switch from making and breaking contact more than once for each plunger depression. The plunger drives a contact element from a rest position to a contact position where electrical communication between two terminals is established and remains established until the plunger has retreated a fixed amount through a range of lost motion, whereupon it re-engages the contact element and drives it toward the rest position, breaking electrical communication between the terminals.

Abstract: A miniature electrical switch including a housing having a cover and a base plate and a switching assembly within the housing. The switching assembly includes a switch actuator, a ball contactor and a spring, together with a contact assembly. A plurality of contacts are engageable by the ball contactor to electrically interconnect contacts connected to a circuit. The contacts are arranged to enable the switch to be used in single-pole double-throw, double-pole double-throw or multiple-pole double-throw modes.

Abstract: A control lever extends through a cruciform opening in a control box and inside of the box fixed electrical contacts surround its inner end in an array corresponding to the shape of the cruciform opening. A common electrical contact is connected to the lever. Selective movement of the lever into the guideways provided by the cruciform opening selectively completes electrical contact of the common contact with the fixed electrical contacts to energize a desired electrical circuit. The lever is spring biased so that, when the operating force is removed, the lever returns to a neutral position out of engagement with all fixed contacts. A solenoid is selectively engageable with the lever to restrict movement thereof from the neutral position.

Abstract: Electrical switches are disclosed which are of the type having a slidable contactor which is movable along a predetermined path in a casing. The contactor is engageable with a plurality of electrical contacts disposed along said path. To provide for selective engagement between the contactor and the contacts, at least one fixed cam element is provided along the path of the contactor and is engageable by one or more follower elements on the contactor to lift the contactor away from at least one of said contacts in at least one position of said contactor. In certain embodiments, the contactor is preferably formed with a slot which is adapted to receive an insulating projection on the carriage, so that the contactor is caused to move in a precise manner along with the carriage.

Abstract: A grooved contact roller is movable in a housing between two switching poions determined by an elastic positioning element which defines an intermediate position in which the contact roller is in a state of unstable equilibrium. The positioning element is engaged in the groove of the roller and the latter is disposed flat against the bottom of the housing. A slidable cover for the housing constitutes an actuating member for the switch and has a journal which extends toward the bottom of the housing and is engaged with clearance in a central aperture of the roller.

Abstract: The plug-switch includes a pair of terminal blades projecting outwardly of a housing for insertion in an electrical socket, and first and second pairs of contacts. A carrier member, which is movable within the housing between first and second positions, is normally biased to its first position by spring means and is movable from its first position to its second position by engagement with a member associated with an electrical socket. A pair of contact members, which are carried by the carrier member, serve to bridge either the terminal blades and one pair of the contacts or the terminal blades and the other pair of the contacts.

Abstract: A multi-position selector switch of the sliding bridging contact type having a molded plastic base and a metal cover closing the open top of the base and also serving to pivot the operating lever. A plurality of similar one-piece stationary contact-terminals are inserted through holes in the bottom of the base and are held in place by a plastic liner that is dropped in to hug the walls of the base and is clamped down by the cover. The stationary contact-terminals have pairs of wings recessed in the bottom of the base whereby they are held in place by the plastic liner. A movable bridging contact is spring-biased on a reciprocal actuator block that is detented to the cover. The inner end of the operating lever extends into a slot in the actuator block whereby the latter is moved over the stationary contacts from one detent to another. The switch parts are designed for simplicity and east of manufacture and automated assembly.

Abstract: A bank of PC board mounted low-power electric switches applicable to variety of functions is packaged in a common enclosure. The switches have a common matrix but are controlled independently of each other by respective sliders displaceable due to space limitations by pointed objects.

Abstract: According to the invention, there are a plurality of insulatedly separated fixed contact means for connection to external circuits, movable contact means for selectively interconnecting predetermined ones of the fixed contact means, armature means movable in first and second opposed directions for coacting with the movable contact means for establishing a predetermined interconnecting relationship among the fixed contact means, and means coupling the movable contact means to the armature means responsive to movement of the armature means in the first and second directions for establishing first and second different interconnecting relationships, respectively, among the fixed contact means.

Abstract: A heavy duty push-button switch for the direct closing and opening of a high-current electrical circuit, such as the starter motor circuit for an internal combustion engine, comprising a casing containing at least two contact points engageable by a contactor disk mounted on a movable carriage member. The contactor disk is freely rotatable on the carriage member when the contactor disk is in transit between the contact points and a backstop. The contact points are preferably made of a silver alloy. Moreover, at least the surface portion of the contactor disk, presented to the contact points, is made of a silver alloy. The transfer of silver is equalized in both directions between the disk and the contact points. The switch preferably includes first spring means for biasing the contactor disk against the backstop.

Abstract: A multiple contact switch including an elongate contact member mounted for sliding movement. A pair of contact posts are positioned beneath the sliding contact member and a contact ball is arranged between the contact posts with the sliding contact member resting on the ball and moving the ball into contacting relation with the two posts. A third contact post has a cam surface and a sliding contact member has a cam surface adapted to cooperate with the cam surface of the post to lift the sliding contact member out of contact with the ball as the sliding contact member makes contact with the contact post having the cam surface.