Vehicle ignition switch and lock therefor

Claim 1

A VEHICLE IGNITION SWITCH AND LOCK THEREFOR COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (A) A CASING, (B) A PLURALITY OF CONCENTRIC, INDIVIDUALLY ROTATABLE, TELESCOPICALLY ARRANGED SHAFTS EXTENDING INTO SAID CASING, (C) JUXTAPOSED, AXIALLY ALIGNED, INDICATING OPERATING KNOBS CARRIED AT ONE LOCATION RESPECTIVELY BY THE JUXTAPOSED ENDS OF SAID SHAFTS TO TURN THEIR RESPECTIVE SHAFTS AND INDICATE THE ROTATIVE POSITION THEREOF, (D) A SINGLE INDICATING DIAL DISPOSED BEHIND SAID KNOB, TO WHICH ALL OF SAID KNOBS ARE REFERENCED TO ENABLE ACCURATE POSITIONING TO BE EFFECTED WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, (E) A PLURALITY OF MULTI-POSITIONED, ROTARY SELECTOR SWITCHING DEVICES DISPOSED WITHIN THE SAID CASING, (F) SPACER MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID SWITCH DEVICES IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP WITHIN SAID CASING, (G) SAID SWITCHING DEVICES INCLUDING A DECK PLATE AND A ROTARY MEANS, (H) SAID ROTARY MEANS OF THE RESPECTIVE SWITCH DEVICES BEING CARRIED RESPECTIVELY ON THE REMAINING ENDS OF SAID SHAFTS IN AXIALLY SAPCED RELATIONSHIP SO AS TO BE INDEPENDENTLY ACTUATED THEREBY, EACH OF SAID ROTARY MEANS OF SAID SWITCH DEVICES HAVING MEANS FOR EFFECTING THE CLOSED SWITCHING CIRCUIT FOR ONLY ONE OF ITS ROTATIVE POSITIONS AND EFFECTING AN OPEN SWITCHING CIRCUIT FOR ALL OTHER ROTATIVE POSITIONS THEREOF, SAID MEANS FOR CLOSING THE SWITCHING CIRCUIT IN SAID ONE POSITION ONLY INCLUDING A SMALL CONTACT SURFACE FORMED INTEGRAL WITH SAID ROTARY MEANS AND A PAIR OF CONTACTS MOUNTED ON SAID DECK PLATE FOR ENGAGING SAID SECTOR IN SAID ONE POSITION ONLY, (I) MOUNTING MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID CASING ON AN INSTRUMENT PANEL WITH THE KBOBS AT THE FRONT THEREOF, NJ) A RELATIVELY STRONG ROTARY RATCHET TYPE DETENT DEVICE OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE ROTARY MEANS OF EACH OF THE RESPECTIVE SWITCHING DEVICES T FIX THE VARIOUS OPERATIVE OPENED AND CLOSED CIRCUIT POSITIONS OF THE RESPECTIVE ROTARY MEANS AND TO HOLD THE LATTER IN ANY OF THE SAME AGAINST DISLODGEMENT BY JARRING, VIBRATION AND ACCIDENT, (K) CIRCUIT MEANS CONNECTING THE SWITCH DEVICES IN SERIES WHEREBY EACH SUCH DEVICE MUST BE IN ONLY ONE GIVEN ROTATIVE POSITION CORRESPONDING TO ITS CLOSED CIRCUIT CONDITION TO EFFECT THE CONTINUITY THROUGH SAID CURCIT MEANS, AND (L) AN ALARM SYSTEM ENERGIZED IN ALL SAID OTHER POSITIONS OF SAID SWITCHING DEVICES, (M) SAID ALARM SYSTEM INCLUDING A RELATIVELY LARGE CONTACT SECTOR CONNECTED TO THE ROTOR OF ECH OF THE RESPECTIVE SWITCHING DEVICES, (N) AND A SECOND PAIR OF CONTACTS MOUNTED ON ITS RESPECTIVE DECK PLATE AND ANGULARLY SAPCED FROM SAID FIRST PAIR OF CONTACTS FOR ENGAGING THE SAID LARGE CONTACT SECTOR, (O) SAID SECTORS BEING ARRANGED SO THAT THE CONTACTS ASSOCIATE WITH SAID LARGE SECTOR CONTACT THEREWITH ONLY WHEN THE SMALL SECTOR IS OUT OF CONTACT WITH THE CONTACTS ASSOCIATED THEREWITH.