W blade thermostat with free-ended moment arm

Claim 1

A HEAT-SENSITIVE, OVER-CENTER SWITCHING ELEMENT FORMED OF A SHEET OF RESILIENT METAL HAVING HIGH AND LOW HEAT-EXPANSIVE SIDES, THE ELEMENAT HAVING A MIDDLE LEG ADAPTED TO CARRY AN ELECTRICAL CONTACT FOR MAKING AND BREAKING A CIRCUIT AND FIRST AND SECOND OUTER LEGS EACH HAVING ONE END PORTION CONNECTED TO THE SAME END OF THE MIDDLE LEG, EACH BY AN INTEGRAL LOOP, THE OPPOSITE END PORTIONS OF SAID OUTER LEGS BEING FREE FROM EACH OTHER AND EACH HAVING A MOUNTING PART MEANS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AN INWARD EXTERNAL FORCE TO RESILIENTLY PRESS TO OUTER LEGS TOWARDS EACH OTHER GENERALLY IN THE PLANE OF THE SHEET TO CURVE THE SURFACES OF SAID LOOPS AND OUTER LEGS, THE ELEMENT INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE FREE-ENDED MOMENT ARM LYING SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE PLANE OF THE ELEMENT, SAID MOMENT ARM BEING INTEGRAL WITH AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY FORM A LONGITUDINAL EDGE OF SAID FIRST OUTER LEG AT A LOCATION SPACED FROM THE JUNCTURE OF SAID FIRST OUTER LEG WITH ITS LOOP, SAID MOMENT ARM POSITIONED TO RECEIVE A FORCE IN A DIRECTION AT AN ANGLE TO THE PLANE OF THE ELEMENT TO COOPERATE WITH AN OPPOSITE REACTION FORCE ACTING ON SAID FIRST OUTER LEG TO PRODUCE A TORQUE ESSENTIALLY ABOUT THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID FIRST OUTER LEG WHEREBY THE TEMPERATURE OF ACTUATION OF SAID SWITCHING ELEMENT, WHEN EMPLOYED IN A THERMOSTAT, CAN BE ADJUSTED WHILE MAINTAINING A LOW TEMPERATURE DIFFERENTIAL.