Encapsulated rotary switches

Claim 1

A LONG-LIFE ROTARY SWITCH COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING AN END WALL AND A SHAFT JOURNALED IN THE END WALL, AN ANNULAR CAPSULE CONTACT ASSEMBLY WITHIN THE HOUSING, MEANS HOLDING SAID CAPSULE CONTACT ASSEMBLY IN FIXED SPACED RELATION WITH SAID END WALL, SAID CAPSULE CONTACT ASSEMBLY HELD SOLELY AT ITS OUTER EDGE, SAID CAPSULE CONTACT ASSEMBLY COMPRISING (1) A RIGID ANNULAR NON-PLANAR CONDUCTIVE SWITCH DISK HAVING A PLURALITY OF CONDUCTIVE SWITCH SEGMENTS ON ONE FACE THEREOF, AND (2) A FLEXURAL ANNULAR CONTACT LAMINATE OVERLYING ONE SIDE OF SAID SWITCH DISK IN PARALLEL SPACED RELATION TO THE SAID SWITCH SEGMENTS, MEANS SECURING THE INNER AND OUTER EDGES OF SAID CONTACT LAMINATE TO THE CORRESPONDING EDGES OF SAID SWITCH EDGE, SAID CONTACT LAMINATE COMPRISING CONDUCTIVE INNER LAYER AND A RESILIENT NON-CONDUCTIVE OUTER LAYER, A PLURALITY OF TERMINALS ON THE OUTSIDE OF SAID HOUSING, A PLURALITY OF LEADS DISPOSED IN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID CAPSULE CONTACT ASSEMBLY AND SAID END WALL, SAID LEADS EACH CONNECTED AT ONE END TO ONE OF SAID SWITCH SEGMENTS AND AT THE OTHER END TO ONE OF SAID TERMINALS AN ADDITIONAL LEAD CONNECTED AT ONE END TO SAID INNER CONDUCTIVE LAYER OF SAID CONTACT LAMINATE AND AT THE OTHER END TO ANOTHER OF SAID TERMINALS, SAID ADDITIONAL LEAD ALSO DISPOSED IN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID CAPSULE CONTACT ASSEMBLY AND SAID END WALL, AND A PRESSURE PIECE ATTACHED TO SAID SHAFT AND ROTATABLE THEREWITH, SAID PRESSURE PIECE HAVING A PORTION ENGAGING SAID OUTER NON-CONDUCTIVE LAYER OF SAID CONTACT LAMINATE AND MOVEABLE RELATIVE THERETO FOR CAUSING SAID CONTACT LAMINATE TO ENGAGE EACH SWITCH SEGMENT IN TURN AS SAID SHAFT ROTATES.