Magnetically operated electric circuit control apparatus

Claim 1

ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT CONTROL APPARATUS INCLUDING TWO CONTROL ELEMENTS, ONE OF WHICH IS A REED SWITCH HAVING REED CONTACTS ENCLOSED WITHIN AN ELONGATED TUBE AND EXTENDING IN THE DIRECTION OF THE LONGITUDINAL EXTENT OF THE TUBE, AND THE OTHER OF WHICH IS A GROUP OF HORSESHOE MAGNETS FOR ACTUATING THE SWITCH, EACH HORSESHOE MAGNET HAVING POLE PIECES SPACED FROM ONE ANOTHER BY A GAP ACROSS WHICH THE FLUX PASSES, AND MEANS SUPPORTING ONE OF THE CONTROL ELEMENTS AND MOVABLE TO PRODUCE RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF THE MAGNETS WITH RESPECT TO THE TUBE IN THE DIRECTION OF THE EXTENT OF SAID GAP BETWEEN THE POLE PIECES AND ALONG A PATH HAVING AT LEAST A PORTION OF ITS EXTENT GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL EXTENT OF THE TUBE ALONG AND BEYOND, IN BOTH DIRECTIONS, THE POSITION AT WHICH EACH MAGNET IS MOST EFFECTIVE TO OPERATE THE SWITCH, SAID MAGNETS OF THE GROUP BEING ORIENTED SO THAT ONE POLE PIECE OF EACH MAGNET IS A LEADING POLE PIECE AND THE OTHER IS A TRAILING POLE PIECE AS THE MAGNET MOVES ALONG SAID PATH, THE TRAILING POLE PIECE OF ONE MAGNET BEING OF OPPOSITE POLARITY FROM THE LEADING POLE PIECE OF THE NEXT SUCCESSIVE MAGNET AND SPACED THEREFROM TO LEAVE A GAP FOR A FLUX FIELD BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE MAGNETS.