Push button switch assembly and ferrule therefor

Claim 1

A FERRULE FOR PERIPHERALLY ENCLOSING THE PUSH BOTTON OF A PUSH BOTTOM SWITCH AND COMPRISING AN ANNULAR BODY OF RELATIVELY RIGID, SLIGHTLY DEFLECTABLE, SELF-RESTORING, SYNTHETIC PLASTIC, SAID BODY HAVING A CENTRAL AXIAL PASSAGE ADAPTED TO ACCOMODATE A PUSH BOTTOM IN COAXIAL RELATION WITH OPERATING CLEARANCE, AND HAVING A PERIPHERAL WALL SURROUNDING THE PASSAGE, SAID PERIPHERAL WALL HAVING A FIRST PERIPHERALLY EXTENDING EXTERNAL LEDGE MEANS SPACED FROM THE ENDS OF THE BODY AND FACING ONE END, AND HAVING A SECOND PERIPHERALLY EXTENDING EXTERNAL LEDGE MEANS SPACED, TOWARD SAID ONE END, FROM THE FIRST LEDGE MEANS AXIALLY OF THE BODY AND FACING TOWARD THE OTHER END OF THE BODY, AND SAID SECOND LEDGE MEANS HAVING A RIM DISPOSED OUTWARDLY, TRANSVERSELY OF THE FERRULE, FROM THE FIRST LEDGE MEANS, THE RIM HAVING A FREE MARGINAL PORTION WHICH IS THIN IN CROSS SECTION RELATIVE TO THE WALL THICKNESS OF THE BODY AND EXTENDS TOWARD THE FIRST LEDGE MEANS, SAID FIRST LEDGE MEANS BEING INTERRUPTED PERIPHERALLY OF THE BODY, THE ENDS OF THE INTERRUPTED PORTIONS BEING OF EQUAL WIDTH PERIPHERALLY OF THE BODY, THE PERIPHERAL SPACES BETWEEN THE INTERRUPTIONS BEING OF EQUAL WIDTH PERIPHERALLY OF THE BODY, AND THE WIDTH OF EACH PERIPHERAL SPACE BEING EQUAL TO THE PERIPHERAL WIDTH OF EACH INTERRUPTION PORTION.