Actuating means for a hermetically sealed switch or the like

Claim 1

A HERMETICALLY SEALED SWITCH ASSEMBLY, COMPRISING A CASING ADAPTED TO BE HERMETICALLY SEALED, A SWITCHACTUATING MEMBER AND A PRESSURE COMPENSATING MEMBER EACH EXTENDING INTO AN OPENING IN SAID CASING, A FLEXIBLE SEAL MOVABLY SUPPORTING EACH OF SAID MEMBERS IN THE OPENING THROUGH WHICH EACH EXTENDS AND HERMETICALLY SEALING THAT OPENING FROM AMBIENT PRESSURE, SAID FLEXIBLE SEAL PERMITTING AXIAL MOVEMENT OF EACH MEMBER IN THE OPENING THROUGH WHICH EACH EXTENDS, SAID SWITCH ACTUATING MEMBER EXTENDING OUTWARD FROM SAID CASING AND BEING EXPOSED FOR ACTUATING ENGAGEMENT, AND A LINKAGE MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID CASING AND NORMALLY ENGAGED BY SAID SWITCH-ACTUATING MEMBER AND SAID PRESSURE COMPENSATING MEMBER, SAID LINKAGE MEANS BEING SO CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED THAT MOVEMENT OF THE SWITCH-ACUTATING MEMBER IN ONE DIRECTION RELATIVE TO THE CASING MOVES THE LINKAGE MEANS IN FIRST DIRECTION AND MOVEMENT OF THE PRESSURE COMPENSATING MEMBER IN SAID ONE DIRECTION RELATIVE TO THE CASING MOVES THE LINKAGE MEANS IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE SAID FIRST DIRECTION, AND SAID LINKAGE MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AND ACTUATE A SWITCH MOUNTED IN SAID CASING UPON SAID LINKAGE MEANS BEING MOVED A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE BY SAID SWITCH ACTUATING MEMBER.