Electrical switch with interlocking mechanism

Claim 1

A SAFETY SWITCH COMPRISING AN OPEN-FRONT BOX HAVING A REAR WALL AND A PAIR OF OPPOSED FIRST AND SECOND SIDE WALLS, AN OPENABLE COVER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID FIRST SIDE WALL AND NORMALLY CLOSING THE OPEN FRONT OF SAID BOX, A STATIONARY CONTACT MEMBER MOUNTED IN SAID BOX, A BLADE ACTUATOR MOVABLY MOUNTED IN SAID BOX, A SWITCH BLADE MOUNTED IN SAID BOX AND MOVABLE BY SAID BLADE ACTUATOR BETWEEN AN OPEN POSITION IN WHICH IT IS ELECTRICALLY DISCONNECTED FROM SAID STATIONARY CONTACT MEMBER AND A CLOSED POSITION IN WHICH IT IS ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO SAID STATIONARY CONTACT MEMBER, AN OPERATING HANDLE PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID SECOND SIDE WALL FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN OFF AND ON POSITIONS CORRESPONDING RESPECTIVELY TO SAID OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS OF SAID SWITCH BLADE, A RELEASABLE LATCH MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID SECOND SIDE WALL AND DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID HANDLE AND SAID FIRST SIDE WALL, SAID LATCH MEMBER PROJECTING FORWARDLY BEYOND A FRONT SURFACE OF SAID COVER WHEN SAID COVER IS IN CLOSED POSITION AND HAVING A LATCHING PORTION NORMALLY OVERLAPPING SAID FRONT SURFACE OF SAID COVER TO LATCH SAID COVER IN CLOSED POSITION, THE OUTER END PORTION OF SAID LATCH MEMBER BEING MOVABLE IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID FIRST SIDE WALL WHEN SAID HANDLE IS IN SAID OFF POSITION AND SAID SWITCH BLADE IS IN SAID OPEN POSITION TO MOVE SAID LATCHING PORTION OUT OF LATCHING RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID COVER, AN OPERATING CAM PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID SECOND SIDE WALL, FIRST LOST MOTION CONNECTED MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID HANDLE AND CAM, SECOND LOST MOTION CONNECTION MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID CAM AND BLADE ACTUATOR, A PAIR OF SPACED STOP MEANS IN SAID BOX RESPECTIVELY ENGAGEABLE BY SAID CAM AND RESPECTIVELY LIMITING PIVOTAL MOVEMENT THEREOF IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, AN OVER-CENTER CAM-BIASING SPRING, AND MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID CAM-BIASING SPRING AND SAID CAM, SAID CAM-BIASING SPRING SELECTIVELY BIASING SAID CAM IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS INTO ENGAGEMENT RESPECTIVELY WITH SAID STOP MEANS, SAID CAM AND LATCH MEMBER HAVING PORTIONS WHICH INTERLOCK AND PREVENT MOVEMENT OF SAID OUTER END PORTION OF SAID LATCH MEMBER IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID FIRST SIDE WALL AND MOVEMENT OF SAID LATCHING PORTION OUT OF LATCHING RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID COVER WHEN SAID SWITCH BLADE IS IN SAID CLOSED POSITION AND SAID HANDLE IS IN SAID ON POSITION AND SAID CAM IS BIASED INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAID STOP MEANS BY SAID CAM-BIASING SPRING, AND SAID CAM BEING PIVOTABLE AGAINST THE FORCE OF SAID SPRING OUT OF INTERLOCKING RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID LATCH MEMBER TO A PREDETERMINED POSITION BETWEEN SAID STOP MEANS WITHOUT SHIFTING THE LINE OF ACTION OF SAID CAM-BIASING SPRING OVER THE PIVOTAL AXIS OF SAID CAM, THEREBY TO PERMIT SAID OUTER END PORTION OF SAID LATCH MEMBER TO BE MOVED IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID FIRST SIDE WALL AND SAID LATCHING PORTION TO BE MOVED OUT OF LATCHING RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID COVER AND SAID COVER TO BE OPENED WHILE SAID SWITCH BLADE IS IN SAID CLOSED POSITION AND SAID HANDLE IS IN SAID ON POSITION.