Sealed rotary switch having fixed supports

Claim 1

IN A ROTARY SWITCH: AN ELONGATED, ROTATABLE STEM PROVIDED WITH A RETAINER AT ONE END THEREOF; A MOUNTING MEMBER HAVING AN OPENING THERETHROUGH RECEIVING THE STEM AND PROVIDED WITH ELECTRICAL CONTACT MEANS; A SUPPORT BETWEEN THE MEMBER AND THE RETAINER, ABUTTING THE LATTER AND ENGAGED BY THE MEMBER, AND HAVING AN APERTURE THERETHROUGH RECEIVING SAID STEM; A SWITCH ELEMENT ON THE STEM SHIFTABLE LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF AND ROTATABLE THEREWITH, SAID ELEMENT BEING DISPOSED FOR SELECTIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID CONTACT MEANS UPON ROTATION OF THE STEM; AND YIELDABLE MEANS COUPLED WITH THE OTHER END OF SAID STEM, ENGAGING SAID ELEMENT AND BIASING THE RETAINER AND THE MEMBER TOWARD THE SUPPORT, WHEREBY TO CLAMP THE SUPPORT BETWEEN THE MEMBER AND THE RETAINER WHILE PERMITTING ROTATION OF THE STEM TO OPERATE THE SWITCH; SAID MEMBER BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN THE SUPPORT AND THE ELEMENT AND COMPRISING A PLATE HAVING A PAIR OF OPPOSED EDGES, SAID SUPPORT COMPRISING STRUCTURE PROVIDED WITH A PAIR OF SPACED, ELONGATED RIBS PROJECTING FROM THE STRUCTURE, SAID PLATE BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN THE RIBS WITH THE LATTER ENGAGING CORRESPONDING EDGES OF THE PLATE TO PREVENT ROTATION THEREOF DURING OPERATION OF THE SWITCH, WHEREBY THE RIBS AND THE YIELDABLE MEANS COOPERATE TO FORM THE STEM, PLATE, SUPPORT, AND ELEMENT INTO AN INTEGRATED, OPERATIONAL ASSEMBLY.