Multiple leaf spring electromagnetic switch

Claim 1

IN AN ELECTROMAGNETIC DEVICE, A SUPPORT UNIT COMPRISING A BASE AND AN UPSTANDING PARTITION CARRIED BY AND POSITIONED INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF THE BASE, THE PART OF THE BASE TO ONE SIDE OF THE PARTITION BEING PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF SPACED SLOTS; AN ELECTROMAGNET UNIT MOUNTED ON THE SUPPORT UNIT TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PARTITION AND COMPRISING A FRAME, AN ELECTROMAGNET COIL SECURED TO THE FRAME, A CORE MEMBER EXTENDING THROUGH THE COIL AND A POLE PIECE AT ONE END OF THE CORE MEMBER; AN ARMATURE UNIT MOUNTED FOR ROCKING MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO THE ELECTROMAGNET UNIT AND COMPRISING AN ARMATURE DISPOSED TO SAID OTHER SIDE OF THE PARTITION AND COOPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE POLE PIECE AND ACTUATOR MEANS CARRIED BY THE ARMATURE; A RETAINER UNIT DISPOSED TO SAID OTHER SIDE OF THE PARTITION AND INCLUDING A RESILIENT ARM WHICH BEARS AGAINST THE ARMATURE UNIT; A CONTACT ASSEMBLY DISPOSED TO SAID ONE SIDE OF THE PARTITION AND COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SPACED CONTACT MEMBERS EXTENDING THROUGH CORRESPONDING SLOTS IN THE BASE, ELECTRICALLY NON-CONDUCTIVE MEANS INSULATING THE CONTACT MEMBERS FROM EACH OTHER, A PLURALITY OF RESILIENT STATIONARY CONTACT ARMS IN INTIMATE CONTACT WITH CORRESPONDING CONTACT MEMBERS AND AT LEAST ONE MOVABLE CONTACT ARM IN INTIMATE CONTACT WITH ONE OF THE CONTACT MEMBERS; AND CONNECTOR MEANS AFFIXING THE ELECTROMAGNET UNIT, THE RETAINER UNIT AND THE CONTACT ASSEMBLY TO THE SUPPORT UNIT, SAID CONNECTOR MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH OPENINGS DEFINED BY THE CONTACT ASSEMBLY, THE PARTITION, THE RETAINER UNIT AND THE ARMATURE UNIT AND BEING SECURED TO THE FRAME OF THE ELECTROMAGNET UNIT, THE ABOVE-MENTIONED PARTS BEING SO CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED THAT THE ARM OF THE RETAINER UNIT NORMALLY AND YIELDINGLY IMPARTS ROCKING MOVEMENT TO THE ARMATURE UNIT IN ONE DIRECTION RELATIVE TO THE ELECTROMAGNET UNIT WHEREBY THE ARMATURE IS POSITIONED AWAY FROM THE POLE PIECE AND THE ACTUATOR MEANS IS DISPOSED IN A PREDETERMINED POSITION RELATIVE TO THE MOVABLE CONTACT ARM, SAID ARMATURE UNIT, UPON ENERGIZATION OF THE COIL, BEING ROCKED IN A REVERSE DIRECTION AGAINST THE ACTION OF THE ARM OF THE RETAINER UNIT DUE TO THE ARMATURE BEING ATTRACTED TO THE POLE PIECE WHEREBY THE ACTUATOR MEANS ENGAGES AND MOVES THE MOVABLE CONTACT ARM RELATIVE TO A CORRESPONDING STATIONARY CONTACT ARM.