Two-step pushbutton switch

Claim 1

A TWO-STEP PUSHBUTTON SWITCH, COMPRISING CONTACTS MOVABLE BETWEEN TWO SWITCHING POSITIONS, A PUSHBUTTON SLIDER DISPLACEABLE FROM A NORMAL TO A DEPRESSED POSITION, A RETURN SPRING BIASING SAID SLIDER TO NORMAL POSITION, MEANS ON SAID SLIDER FOR MOVING SAID CONTACTS FROM ONE TO THE OTHER OF SAID SWTICHING POSITIONS BY DEPRESSING MOVEMENT OF SAID SLIDER, A LATCH PIN MOUNTED ON SAID SLIDER FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH, A LATCH PLATE MEMBER, MEANS MOVABLE MOUNTING SAID LATCH PLATE MEMBER FOR MOVEMENT TRANSVERSELY OF THE DISPLACEMENT DIRECTION OF SAID SLIDER, SAID LATCH PLATE MEMBER HAVING A GROOVE ENGAGED BY SAID LATCH PIN, SAID GROOVE HAVING A CLOSED-LOOP SHAPE IN A PLANE PARALLEL TO SAID DISPLACEMENT DIRECTION AND FORMING A STOP SHOULDER FOR LATCHING SAID PIN IN DEPRESSED POSITION OF SAID SLIDER, SPRING MEANS BIASING SAID LATCH PLATE MEMBER TO A GIVEN START POSITION OF SAID GROOVE RELATIVE TO SAID PIN, SAID LATCH PLATE MEMBER HAVING OPPOSITE SAID SHOULDER A SLOPING GROOVE WALL GUIDINGLY ENGAGEABLE BY SAID PIN UPON REPEATED DEPRESSION OF SAID SLIDER TO THEN RELEASE SAID PIN FOR RETURN OF SAID SLIDER TO NORMAL POSITION, AND SAID LATCH PLATE MEMBER HAVING RESPECTIVE MATING COUPLING MEANS ON OPPOSITE LATERAL SIDES TO PERMIT JOINING SAID LATCH PLATE MEMBER WITH THE CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF AN ADJACENT SWITCH.