Safety switch

Claim 1

SAFETY CONTROL MECHANISM FOR A SWITCH COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: AN ELONGATED HOUSING HAVING REMOTELY ARRANGED OPPOSITE ENDS AT SUCH DISTANCE FROM EACH OTHER AS TO REQUIRE A HUMAN OPERATOR TO SPREAD HIS ARMS TO REACH SUCH ENDS, TWO SHAFT SECTIONS DISPOSED IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT AND ROTATABLY SUPPORTED IN THE HOUSING WITH THE INNER ENDS OF SAID SECTIONS LYING IN SPACED APART RELATION AND THE OUTER ENDS OF THE SHAFT SECTIONS PROJECTING OUT OF SAID OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE HOUSING AND PROVIDED WITH RELATIVELY SHORT HANDLE PORTIONS DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID ENDS OF THE HOUSING AND LYING SUBSTANTIALLY WHOLLY WITHIN THE TRANSVERSE WIDTH OF THE HOUSING FOR MANUAL ENGAGEMENT ONE BY EACH HAND OF AN OPERATOR OF THE MECHANISM, EACH SHAFT SECTION BEING INDEPENDENTLY ROTATABLE IN RESPONSE TO MANUAL PRESSURE ON SAID HANDLE PORTION, A LATERALLY PROJECTING LEVER ARM WITHIN THE HOUSING FIXEDLY SECURED TO EACH OF SAID SHAFT SECTIONS ADJACENT THE INNER END THEREOF, A SWITCH CONTROL PLUNGER SUPPORTED IN THE HOUSING FOR RECIPROCATION IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE SPACE BETWEEN THE INNER ENDS OF SAID SHAFT SECTIONS AND TENSIONED TOWARD SAID INNER ENDS, SAID PLUNGER HAVING A BIFURCATED END ADJACENT SAID SHAFT SECTIONS, A PLATE PIVOTALLY MOUNTED WITHIN THE BIFURCATED END OF THE PLUNGER AND HAVING OPPOSITE END PORTIONS DISPOSED LATERALLY OF THE PLUNGER ON OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF IN THE PATH OF SWINGABLE MOVEMENT OF SAID LEVER ARMS ON SAID SHAFT SECTIONS TO BE ACTUATED THEREBY UPON ROTATION OF THE SHAFT SECTION, AND SPRING MEANS TENSIONING SAID PLATE TO A POSITION NORMAL TO THE PLUNGER, SAID PLUNGER RESPONSIVE IN RECIPROCABLE MOVEMENT TO ACTUATE THE SWITCH WHEN THE END PORTIONS OF THE PLATE ARE ACTED UPON SIMULTANEOUSLY BY THE LEVER ARMS OF THE TWO SHAFT SECTIONS, SAID PLATE RESPONSIVE TO TILT INEFFECTIVELY ABOUT ITS PIVOT WITHOUT SHIFTING SAID PLUNGER WHEN ONLY ONE OF SAID END PORTIONS OF THE PLATE IS ACTED UPON BY THE LEVER ARM OF ONE SHAFT SECTION, THE OTHER END OF THE PLATE BEING TILTED OUT OF THE PATH OF ACTUATING MOVEMENT OF THE LEVER ARM OF THE OTHER SHAFT SECTION CAUSING FREE IDLE MOVEMENT OF THE LATTER LEVER ARM ALONG ITS PATH.