Programmable control devices

Claim 1

IN A PROGRAMMABLE ELECTRICAL CONTROL DEVICE, THE COMBINATION OF A PROGRAM BOARD PRESENTING A MAJOR SURFACE; A PLURALITY OF ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE MEANS SECURED TO SAID BOARD AND EACH OCCUPYING A DIFFERENT EXPOSED POSITION, EACH OF SAID CONDUCTIVE MEANS DEFINING A PREDETERMINED PATH OVER SAID MAJOR SURFACE, SAID CONDUCTIVE MEANS BEING ELECTRICALLY INSULATED FROM EACH OTHER, SAID BOARD BEING PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF GROUPS OF APERTURES WITH EACH OF SAID GROUPS APERTURES BEING SPACED ALONG A DIFFERENT ONE OF SAID CONDUCTIVE MEANS; MEANS FOR CONNECTING A SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL POWER TO SAID CONDUCTIVE MEANS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF CONNECTOR UNITS EACH INCLUDING A PIN INSERTABLE IN ONE OF SAID APERTURES, SAID CONNECTOR UNITS AND SAID CONDUCTIVE MEANS COACTING, WHEN SAID PINS ARE SLECTIVELY INSERTED IN SAID APERTURES, TO OPERATIVELY CONNECT THE SOURCE OF POWER TO PORTIONS OF SAID CONDUCTIVE MEANS WITH SAID POSITIONS BEING PREDETERMINED BY THE SELECTIVE INSERTION OF SAID PINS IN SAID APERTURES; A PLURALITY OF CONTACTS TO BE CONNECTED TO ELECTRICAL MEANS TO BE CONTROLLED; MEANS SUPPORTING SAID CONTACTS IN PREDETERMINED POSITIONS RELATIVE TO SAID BOARD SUCH THAT SELECTED ONES OF SAID CONTACTS OCCUPY POSITIONS ON THE PREDETERMINED PATHS BY CORRESPONDING ONES OF SAID CONDUCTIVE MEANS; AND DRIVE MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO PROVIDE RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID CONTACTS AND SAID BOARD TO CAUSE SAID CONTACTS TO TRAVERSE THE RESPECTIVE PATHS DEFINED BY SAID CONDUCTIVE MEANS.