Electrical switching device

Claim 1

AN ELECTRICAL SWITCHING DEVICE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL JUXTAPOSED CONTACT SPRING SETS, EACH SAID SET COMPRISING AT LEAST A FIXED SPRING CONTACT AND A COOPERATING SPRING CONTACT MOVABLE INTO AND OUT OF ELECTRICAL CONTACT ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FIXED CONTACT, A LIKE PLURALITY OF ELONGATED ACTUATING MEMBERS, ONE OF SAID ACTUATING MEMBERS BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO EACH MOVABLE SPRING CONTACT OF EACH OF SAID SPRING SETS AND EACH OF SAID ACTUATING MEMBERS BEING MOUNTED FOR LIMITED LONGITUDINAL DISPLACEMENT SUFFICIENT TO SO MOVE THE MOVABLE SPRING CONTACT CONNECTED THERETO, ROTATABLE CAM MEANS EXTENDING ACROSS AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO ALL OF SAID ACTUATING MEMBERS AT POINTS INTERMEDIATE THEIR ENDS TO IMPART CONTACT MOVING LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT TO SAID ACTUATING MEMBERS IN A PREDETERMINED SEQUENCE AS SAID CAM MEANS IS ROTATED, DRIVE MEANS FOR IMPARTING ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT TO SAID CAM MEANS; SAID DRIVE MEANS COMPRISING AN ELECTROMAGNET, AN ARMATURE OPERABLY CONNECTED TO SAID ELECTROMAGNET, A RATCHET WHEEL ATTACHED TO SAID CAM MEANS AND A PAWL ATTACHED TO SAID ARMATURE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID RATCHET WHEEL; A CONTROL MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE ACTUATED BY SAID ARMATURE, A CONTACT ADAPTED TO BE ACTUATED BY SAID CONTROL MEMBER, SAID CONTROL MEMBER BEING SO DESIGNED AND ARRANGED IN RELATION TO SAID ARMATURE THAT UPON MOVEMENT OF THE ARMATURE BETWEEN ITS RELEASED POSITION AND ITS ATTRACTED POSITION THE CONTROL MEMBER IS NOT ACTUATED BY THE ARMATURE UNTIL THE ARMATURE HAS PERFORMED A PART OF ITS MOTION, SAID ARMATURE BEING PROVIDED WITH AN ARM WHICH IS SO ARRANGED THAT WHEN THE ARMATURE MOVES IN ONE DIRECTION THE ARM COMES INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE PART OF SAID CONTROL MEMBER AND WHEN THE ARMATURE MOVES IN THE OTHER DIRECTION SAID ARM COMES INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH ANOTHER PART OF SAID CONTROL MEMBER, SAID TWO PARTS OF SAID CONTROL MEMBER BEING SO POSITIONED IN RELATION TO EACH OTHER AND TO SAID ARM THAT THE ARM CAN MOVE A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE FROM ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ONE PART BEFORE IT COMES INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID OTHER PART.