Snap action electric switch

Claim 1

IN AN ELECTRIC SWITCH INCLUDING A HOUSING HAVING INNER WALLS, A PLURALITY OF SUPPORT MEANS, AT LEAST ONE OF WHICH FORMS A STATIONARY CONTACT, AN ELONGATED MOVABLE CONTACT MEMBER HAVING A FREE END ADJACENT SAID STATIONARY CONTACT AND ADAPTED TO MOVE INTO SURFACE CONTACT THEREWITH, MEANS FOR PIVOTALLY SUPPORTING THE OTHER END OF SAID ELONGATED CONTACT MEMBER TO MOVE THE SAME THROUGH A PREDETERMINED PATH OF TRAVEL, RESILIENT MEANS SUPPORTED BETWEEN THE INNER WALLS OF SAID HOUSING AND SAID FREE END OF SAID ELONGATED CONTACT MEMBER FOR URGING THE OTHER END OF SAID ELONGATED CONTACT MEMBER INTO OPERABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SUPPORTING MEANS, AND MEANS CARRIED BY THE ELECTRIC SWITCH POSITION TO COOPERATE WITH SAID SUPPORTING MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID SUPPORTING MEANS SO THAT SAID OTHER SUPPORTED END OF SAID ELONGATED CONTACT MEMBER MOVES THROUGH SAID PREDETERMINED PATH OF TRAVEL, SAID OTHER SUPPORTED END OF SAID CONTACT MEMBER TRAVERSES THE WORKING AXIS OF SAID RESILIENT MEANS AT AN ACUTE ANGLE, AND SAID RESILIENT MEANS APPLIES A FORCE COMPONENT IN A LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF SAID ELONGATED CONTACT MEMBER SO THAT A WIPING ACTION OCCURS WHEN SAID STATIONARY CONTACT AND SAID ELONGATED MOVABLE CONTACT MEMBER ARE IN SURFACE CONTACT AND AT LEAST DURING SUCH TIME WHEN SWITCHING OCCURS.