US3582594A — Actuator useable for electric switches and the li…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 213 words

An actuator apparatus comprising: a frame an overcenter spring member including first and second opposed spring elements each of said opposed spring elements unitarily formed of a rigidly flexible, resilient, synthetic resin material, said first spring element including a longitudinal arm and a transverse arm connected by a portion of reduced thickness forming a first hinge joint between said arms said longitudinal arm having its end portion opposite said first hinge joint connected to said frame, said second spring element including at least a transverse arm and a portion of reduced thickness at one end thereof also defining a first hinge joint, said second spring element having means connecting its hinge joint to said frame, the end portion opposite said first hinge joint of one of said transverse arms hingedly connected to the end portion of the other transverse arm opposite said first hinge joint with the length of the combined transverse arm being greater than the spacing between the first hinge joints of the opposed spring elements and said longitudinal arm being flexible whereby said longitudinal arm will be flexed outwardly when said transverse arms are moved to a center position and the inward flexing of said longitudinal arm moves said transverse arms reciprocally past said center position with a spring action.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 213 words

An actuator apparatus comprising: a frame an overcenter spring member including first and second opposed spring elements each of said opposed spring elements unitarily formed of a rigidly flexible, resilient, synthetic resin material, said first spring element including a longitudinal arm and a transverse arm connected by a portion of reduced thickness forming a first hinge joint between said arms said longitudinal arm having its end portion opposite said first hinge joint connected to said frame, said second spring element including at least a transverse arm and a portion of reduced thickness at one end thereof also defining a first hinge joint, said second spring element having means connecting its hinge joint to said frame, the end portion opposite said first hinge joint of one of said transverse arms hingedly connected to the end portion of the other transverse arm opposite said first hinge joint with the length of the combined transverse arm being greater than the spacing between the first hinge joints of the opposed spring elements and said longitudinal arm being flexible whereby said longitudinal arm will be flexed outwardly when said transverse arms are moved to a center position and the inward flexing of said longitudinal arm moves said transverse arms reciprocally past said center position with a spring action.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 47 words

An apparatus as recited in claim 1 further including means operatively associated with said overcenter spring member for reciprocally moving said combined transverse arms over said center position wHereby the springing action of said overcenter spring member will thrust said transverse arms to first and second positions.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 35 words

An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said opposed spring elements are integrally formed in a single piece including a portion of reduced thickness interconnecting said transverse arms forming a second hinge joint therebetween.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 48 words

An apparatus as recited in claim 1 including a driven member operatively connected to at least one of said transverse arms for movement therewith whereby reciprocal movement of the transverse arms past said center position will thrust said driven member to and from first and second positions respectively.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 61 words

An apparatus as recited in claim 4 wherein said driven member is integral with said overcenter spring member and wherein the end portions of said transverse arms opposite said first hinge joints are of a reduced thickness and are integrally connected to opposite sides of said driven member thereby forming second hinge joints connecting the transverse arms to said driven member.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 92 words

An apparatus as recited in claim 5 further including a driver member with cooperative means on said driver member and said driven member for forming a lost motion connection between said driver and driven members, and spring-biased support means operatively connected to said frame for returning said driver member and thereby said transverse arms and said driven member past said center position to one of said operative or inoperative positions after movement of said transverse arms and said driven member in an opposite direction past said center position to said other position.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 116 words

An apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein said spring-biased support means includes a pair of spaced, flexible striplike support members each of said support members comprised of a single integrally formed piece of rigidly flexible resilient synthetic resin material having opposed end portions, said end portions of each of said support members connected respectively to said frame at spaced positions and to opposed sides of said driver member, each of said support members having at least first, second, and third portions, said first and second portions connected by a portion of reduced thickness forming a third hinge joint, said second and third portions connected by a portion of reduced thickness in a fourth hinge joint.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 85 words

An apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein said spring-biased support means further includes means on said frame underlying said first portion of each of said support members adjacent the connection point of said support member to said frame for engaging a part of said first portion of the support member to form a fulcrum limiting the inward movement of said first portion towards said frame and about which said flexible portion is bent causing said first portion to act as a flexible spring member.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 66 words

The apparatus as recited in claim 8 wherein said spring-biased support means further includes a pair of abutment means on said driver member adjacent the connection prints of said support members to said driver member and outwardly of said third portion of said support members for abutting engagement with a part of said third portion to thereby flex said third portion forming a flexible spring member.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 103 words

An apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein the portions of each of said support members include a raised abutment surface adjacent each of the portions of reduced thickness forming the third and fourth hinge joints, said abutment surface being located on the side of said portions of said support members which are moved toward one another upon the hinging of said support members whereby said raised surfaces on said first and second portions abut and said raised surfaces on said second and third portions abut thereby limiting the movement of said portions inwardly of one another and spring biasing said support members.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 17 words

An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said frame and said overcenter spring member are integRal.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 90 words

An apparatus as recited in claim 11 further including spring-biased driver means integral with said frame and said overcenter spring member and displaceable in such a manner as to reciprocally move said transverse arms past said center position, said driver-member being moved in a first direction to move said transverse arms past said center position whereby said transverse arms are thrust in a first direction, said driver means including spring means for moving said driver means and said transverse arms in a second opposite direction back past said center position.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 59 words

A apparatus as recited in claim 1 further including an electrical connector bar operatively connected to said transverse arms and reciprocally movable with said transverse arms whereby said connector bar may be moved into contacting relation with at least a pair of spaced electrical contacts to complete and electrical flow path across said contacts to provide an electrical switch.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 31 words

An apparatus as recited in claim 13 including a connector bar holder integrally formed with said transverse arms, connector bar holder having mounting means thereon for retaining said connector bar thereto.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 70 words

An apparatus as recited in claim 14 wherein said connector bar holder includes a stem portion interposed between said transverse arms and integral with said transverse arms, each of said transverse arms including an end portion adjacent said stem portion of reduced thickness forming second hinge joints, said connector bar holder including a mounting portion integral with said stem portion and including means thereon for retaining said connector bar thereto.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 18 words

An apparatus as recited in claim 15 wherein said frame and said overcenter spring member are integrally formed.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 65 words

An apparatus as recited in claim 16 further including a driver means integrally formed with said frame and said overcenter spring member and engageable with said stem portion of said connector bar holder in such a manner as to reciprocally move said connector bar holder and transverse arms past said center position whereby said connector bar is springingly moved into contacting relation with said contacts.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 100 words

An apparatus as recited in claim 17 further including a cooperative means on said driver member and said stem portion of said connector bar holder for forming a lost motion connection between said connector bar holder and said driver member, and spring-biased support means operatively connected to said frame for returning said driver and driven members to a second position after the movement of said driver and driven members to a first position wherein said transverse arms are positioned on opposite sides of said center position when said driver and driven members are in said first and second positions respectively.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 196 words

An apparatus as recited in claim 18 wherein said spring-biased support means includes a pair of spaced flexible support members each of said support members comprised of a single integrally formed piece of rigidly flexible, resilient synthetic resin material having opposed end portions, said end portions of each of said support members connected respectively to said frame at spaced positions and to opposed sides of the driver member, each of said support members having at least first, second, and third portions, said first and second portions connected by a portion of reduced thickness forming a third hinge joint, said second and third portions connected by a portion of reduced thickness in a fourth hinge joint. 20 An apparatus as recited in claim 19 wherein said spring-biased support means further includes means on said frame underlying said first portion of each of said support members adjacent the connection point of said support members to said frame for abutment of a part of said first portion of the support member to form a fulcrum limiting the inward movement of said first portion towards said frame and thereby causing said first portion to act as a flexible spring member.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 89 words

An appaRatus as recited in claim 20 wherein said spring-biased support means further includes a pair of means on said driver member adjacent the connection points of said support members to said driver member and outwardly of said third portion of said support members for abutting engagement with a part of said third portion of said driver member to form a fulcrum to thereby limit the outward movement of said third portion away from said driver member thereby causing said third portion to act as a flexible spring member.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 115 words

An apparatus as recited in claim 21 wherein the portions of each of said support members includes a raised abutment surface adjacent each of the portions of reduced thickness forming the third and fourth hinge joints, said abutment surface being located on the side of said portions of said support members which are moved toward one another upon the hinging of said support members whereby said raised portions on said first and second portions abut and said raised members said second and third portions abut thereby limiting the movement of said portions inwardly of one another and spring biasing said support members to assist in providing for the spring biasing retention of the driver member.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 62 words

An apparatus as recited in claim 1 further including at least a pair of spaced electrical contacts operatively associated with said overcenter spring member and an electrical connector bar operatively connected to said transverse arms and reciprocally movable with said transverse arms into contacting relation with said contacts to complete an electrical flow path across said contacts thereby forming an electrical switch.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 18 words

An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said rigidly flexible, resilient, synthetic resin material is a polypropylene.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 51 words

An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said opposed spring elements each include a longitudinal arm and a transverse arm with a portion of reduced thickness therebetween defining a first hinge joint and wherein said longitudinal arms have their end portions opposite said first hinge joints connected to said frame.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 167 words

An actuator apparatus comprising: a frame a driven member an overcenter spring member including at least one spring element, said spring element unitarily formed of a rigidly flexible, resilient, synthetic resin material and including a longitudinal arm and a transverse arm connected by a portion of reduced thickness forming a first hinge joint between said arms, the longitudinal arm of the spring element having its end portion opposite said first hinge joint connected to said frame, the end portion opposite said first hinge joint of said transverse arm hingedly connected to said driven member, and means opposite said spring element for guiding said driven member along a desired path of movement, the spacing between the first hinge joint and said movement path of said driven member being such that said longitudinal am will be flexed outwardly when said transverse arm is moved to a center position and the inward flexing of said longitudinal arm moves said transverse arm reciprocally past said center position with a spring actions.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 167 words

An actuator apparatus comprising: a frame a driven member an overcenter spring member including at least one spring element, said spring element unitarily formed of a rigidly flexible, resilient, synthetic resin material and including a longitudinal arm and a transverse arm connected by a portion of reduced thickness forming a first hinge joint between said arms, the longitudinal arm of the spring element having its end portion opposite said first hinge joint connected to said frame, the end portion opposite said first hinge joint of said transverse arm hingedly connected to said driven member, and means opposite said spring element for guiding said driven member along a desired path of movement, the spacing between the first hinge joint and said movement path of said driven member being such that said longitudinal am will be flexed outwardly when said transverse arm is moved to a center position and the inward flexing of said longitudinal arm moves said transverse arm reciprocally past said center position with a spring actions.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1974-05-31	1974-11-30	1975-06-01	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1978-05-31	1978-11-30	1979-06-01	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1982-05-31	1982-11-30	1983-06-01	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Actuator useable for electric switches and the like

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