Spring detent and terminal structure in a slide switch

Claim 1

A SLIDE SWITCH FOR USE IN ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS HAVING A BODY WITH A TERMINAL BOARD MOUNTED THEREON, COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF TERMINALS MOUNTED ON SAID TERMINAL BOARD, SAID TERMINALS COMPRISING THIN, FLAT ELONGATED MEMBERS OF CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL AND HAVING FASTENING MEANS FORMED INTERMEDIATE THEIR ENDS INCLUDING PIERCING SURFACES FORMED ON EACH SIDE OF SAID TERMINALS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM AND NORMAL TO ONE FACE OF SAID TERMINALS, SAID SURFACES BEING ADAPTED TO PIERCE THE TERMINAL BOARD AND MAINTAIN SSAID TERMINALS THEREON; MEANS FOR LIMITING THE TRAVEL OF THE TERMINALS THROUGH THE TERMINAL BOARD INCLUDING A PAIR OF SHOULDERS POSITIONED ABOVE SAID PIERCING SURFACES AND ONLY SLIGHTLY OUTWARDLY PROJECTING FROM EACH SIDE OF THE MEMBER; A MOVABLE SWITCH MEMBER FOR OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SELECTED PAIRS OF TERMINALS, SAID SWITCH MEMBER COMPRISING A GENERALLY USHAPED MEMBER HAVING A RELATIVELY WIDE FLAT BASE WITH TWO PAIRS OF MUTUALLY COOPERATING DOWNWARDLY PROJECTING EARS, SAID PAIRS OF EARS BEING BENT CLOSELY ADJACENT EACH OTHER AND HAVING FLARED ENDS TO PERMIT SAID SWITCH MEMBER TO SEAT IN SLIDING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE TERMINAL ENDS; SWITCH CARRIER MEANS HAVING THE SWITCH MEMBER MOUNTED THEREON, SAID SWITCH CARRIER MEANS INCLUDING A MANUALLY ENGAGEABLE SURFACE, SAID SWITCH CARRIER MEANS HAVING DOWNWARDLY FACING U-SHAPED CHANNELS FOR RECEIVING SAID SWITCH MEMBERS SAID POSITIONING SAID SWITCH MEMBERS IN ELECTRICAL CONTACT WITH SELECTED PAIRS OF TERMINALS; COVER MEANS FOR HOLDING THE SWITCH CARRIER MEANS IN SAID BODY, A SLOT FORMED IN SAID COVER MEANS FOR ALLOWING LINEAR TRAVEL OF SAID MANUALLY ENGAGEABLE SURFACE, SAID SLOT INCLUDING A PAIR OF SPRINGS FORMED CONTIGUOUS WITH SAID SLOT AND ALONG THE LONGITUDINAL EXTENT THEREOF, EACH SPRING HAVING A LOCKING SURFACE FORMED INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF AND EXTENDING DOWNWARD RELATIVE TO SAID COVER TO BEAR AGAINST SAID SWITCH CARRIER MEANS TO URGE THE SWITCH MEMBER INTO ELECTRICAL CONTACT WITH THE TERMINAL; AND A PAIR OF DETENT SURFACES FROMED ON SAID SWITCH CARRIER MEANS EACH SIDE OF SAID MANUALLY ENGAGEABLE SURFACE, SAID DETENT SURFACES OPERABLY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID SPRING MEANS LOCKING PORTION TO MAINTAIN SWITCH CARRIER IN A PRESELECT POSITION.