Multiple pushbutton switch with selective latching mechanism

Claim 1

A MULTIPLE PUSHBUTTON SWITCH COMPRISING A HOUSING INCLUDING A BASE, A PLURALITY OF PUSHRODS MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING FOR RESPECTIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN OUTER AND DEPRESSED POSITIONS IN RELATION TO SAID HOUSING A PLURALITY OF RECIPROCATING SLIDERS CARRIED BY SAID HOUSING AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID PUSHRODS, SAID PUSHRODS ENGAGING SAID SLIDERS TO EFFECT AN AXIAL MOVEMENT THEREOF, SWITCH MEANS SUPPORTED BY SAID HOUSING AND INCLUDING AT LEAST SWITCH ELEMENT ACTUATED BY SAID SLIDERS, ONE OF SAID SLIDERS HAVING AN INCLINED EDGE ENGAGING ONE OF SAID PUSHRODS TO CAUSE SAID SLIDER T MOVE IN RESPONSE TO DEPRESSION OF SAID ONE PUSHROD, SLIDER CONTROL MEANS INCLUDING A DRIVING LUNGER MOVABLE BETWEEN AN INNER POSITION A LATCHED INTERMEDIATE POSITION, AND AN EXTENDED POSITION, MEANS BIASING SAID PLUNGER TOWARD SAID EXTENDED POSITION, MEANS ON SAID SLIDER ENGAGING SAID PLUNGER SO THAT SAID SLIDER MOVES SAID PLUNGER TO ITS INNER POSITION WHEN SAID SLIDER IS SHIFTED BY THE DEPRESSION OF SAID PUSHROD AND SAID PLUNGER RETURNS SAID SLIDER TOWARD ITS INTITIAL POSITION WHEN SAID PUSHROD IS RELEASED, AND A RATCHET MECHANISM ENGAGING SAID PLUNGER AND LATCHING SAID PLUNGER IN ITS INTERMEDIATE POSITION FOLLOWING EVERY SECOND ACTUATION OF SAID SLIDER BY SAID PUSHROD, WHEREBY SAID SLIDER IS ALSO RETURNED ONLY TO AN INTERMEDIATE POSITION FOLLOWING EVERY SECOND DEPRESSION OF SAID PUSHROD, AND A SURFACE ON SAID SLIDER ENGAGING SAID SWITCHING MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID SWITCHING ELEMENT TO A PREDETERMINED POSITION DEPENDING UPON THE POSITION OF SAID SLIDER.