Electric switch with flexible snap action contact elements

Claim 1

A MULTI CONTACT ELECTRIC SWITCH COMPRISING A BODY, A FIRST SERIES OF SWITCH ELEMENTS MOUNTED IN A CIRCLE ON SAID BODY ABOUT AN AXIS, A SECOND SERIES OF SWITCH ELEMENTS MOUNTED IN A CIRCLE ON SAID BODY ABOUT SAID AXIS AND AXIALLY SPACED FROM SAID FIRST SERIES, EACH SWITCH ELEMENT HAVING A BOWED FLEXING PORTION HAVING TWO POSITIONS OF STABILITY AND A PAIR OF TRIGGER MEMBERS PROJECTING GENERALLY IN THE SAME DIRECTION FROM THE FLEXING PORTION, A PLURALITY OF FIXED ELECTRICAL CONTACTS MOUNTED ON SAID BODY EACH POSITIONED TO BE ENGAGED BY ONE OF SAID FLEXING PORTIONS WHEN SAID FLEXING PORTION IS IN ONE OF ITS TWO SAID POSITIONS OF STABILITY, AND AN OPERATING ELEMENT MOUNTED ON SAID BODY FOR ROTATION ABOUT SAID AXIS, SAID OPERATING ELEMENT HAVING A FIRST ENGAGING PORTION FOR ENGAGING THE TRIGGER MEMBERS OF THE SWITCH ELEMENTS OF SAID FIRST SERIES AND A SECOND ENGAGING PORTION FOR ENGAGING THE TRIGGER MEMBERS OF THE SWITCH ELEMENTS OF SAID SECOND SERIES TO SUCCESSIVELY ENGAGE THE TWO TRIGGER MEMBERS OF EACH SWITCH ELEMENT IN TURN TO CAUSE THE FLEXING PORTIONS OF SAID SWITCH ELEMENTS TO SUCCESSIVELY SNAP FROM ONE POSITION OF STABILITY OF THE OTHER AND BACK AGAIN, THE RELATIVE POSITIONS OF THE SWITCH ELEMENTS OF THE FIRST SERIES AND THE FIRST ENGAGING PORTION AND THE SWITCH ELEMENTS OF THE SECOND SERIES AND THE SECOND ENGAGING PORTION BEING STAGGERED.