Limit switch

Claim 2

An electrical limit switch device comprising a housing adapted to be mounted on a support structure, a removable cover for said housing, an electrical switch having contact projections, an actuating member in said housing for actuating said switch in response to being driven by an actuating motion, wiring terminal means in said housing, and switch support means for selectively insulating said switch from said terminal means for supporting said switch with its contact projections engaging said terminal means with said switch in position to be actuated by movement of said actuating member, said support means being removable from said housing and separate from said cover.

Claim 3

Apparatus as in claim 1 in which said switch support means includes an insulating plate with apertures through which said projections extend and a ledge for supporting said switch against the force of said actuating member, and resilient gripping means in said terminal means.

Claim 4

Apparatus as in claim 2 in which said resilient gripping means forms a conductive receptacle for connecting a wire to one of said switch contact projections.

Claim 5

An electrical limit switch devicE comprising a housing adapted to be mounted on a support structure, an electrical switch in said housing, an actuating member in said housing for actuating said switch in response to being driven by an actuating motion, means for adjusting the length of travel of said actuating member before it actuates said switch, said means including a rotatable spacer member on said actuating member, said spacer member being assymetric about its axis of rotation to provide different amounts of spacing in different ones of its rotational positions.

Claim 6

An electrical limit switch devicE comprising a housing adapted to be mounted on a support structure, an electrical switch in said housing, an actuating member in said housing for actuating said switch in response to being driven by an actuating motion, means for adjusting the length of travel of said actuating member before it actuates said switch, said means including a rotatable spacer member on said actuating member, said spacer member being assymetric about its axis of rotation to provide different amounts of spacing in different ones of its rotational positions.

Claim 7

Apparatus as in claim 4 including a removable cover for said housing, said rotatable spacer member having a head shaped to receive a rotary driving tool, said spacer member being positioned to be drivable by such a tool when the latter is inserted through the opening in said housing which is left when said cover is removed.

Claim 8

Apparatus as in claim 4 in which said spacer member is positioned and mounted to be movable in a direction transverse to said axis of rotation in order to actuate said switch.

Claim 9

An electrical limit switch device comprising a housing adapted to be mounted on a support structure, an electrical switch having contact projections, wiring terminal means in said housing, said wiring terminal means having a plurality of conductive tubular members, a clamping member extending into each such tube through a sidewall of said tube to grip a wire therein, a conductive spring clip around the outside of each such tubular member, with said contact projections of said switches being clamped between said clips and said tubular members.

Claim 10

An electrical limit switch device comprising a housing adapted to be mounted on a support structure, an electrical switch having contact projections, wiring terminal means in said housing, said wiring terminal means having a plurality of conductive tubular members, a clamping member extending into each such tube through a sidewall of said tube to grip a wire therein, a conductive spring clip around the outside of each such tubular member, with said contact projections of said switches being clamped between said clips and said tubular members.

Claim 11

Apparatus as in claim 7 in which each of said tubular members has a rectangular cross-sectional shape.

Claim 12

Apparatus as in claim 7 including a removable cover for said housing, and in which said clamping member comprises a threaded screw, and driving tool-engaging means in the head of said screw, with said screw head facing towards said cover.

Claim 13

Apparatus as in claim 1 including an arm secured to a shaft, a turret rotatably mounted on said housing, with said shaft rotatably mounted in said turret, and means drivably coupling said shaft to said actuating member.

Claim 14

An electrical limit switch device comprising a housing, a turret rotatably mounted on said housing, a worm and mating gear engaged together to rotate said turret with respect to said housing, an electrical switch in said housing, an actuating member in said housing for actuating said switch in response to being driven by an actuating motion, a push member extending out from said turret and depressable to move said actuating member, and spring return means for said push member.

Claim 15

An electrical limit switch device comprising a housing, a turret rotatably mounted on said housing, a worm and mating gear engaged together to rotate said turret with respect to said housing, an electrical switch in said housing, an actuating member in said housing for actuating said switch in response to being driven by an actuating motion, a push member extending out from said turret and depressable to move said actuating member, and spring return means for said push member.

Claim 16

Apparatus as in claim 11 in which said push member is mounted to move in the same direction as said actuating member.

Claim 17

Apparatus as in claim 11 in which said push member is mounted to move in a direction perpendicular to the direction of motion of said actuating member, and including cam means for drivably coupling said push member to said actuating member.

Claim 18

Apparatus as in claim 11 including additional spring means for limiting the movement of said actuating member to a predetermined distance without so limiting the movement of said plunger.

Claim 19

An electrical limit switch device comprising a housing, a member extending out of said housing and engageable to actuate a switch in said housing, spring return means for returning said member to its disengaged position, a plunger drivable by said member to actuate said switch, and spring means for limiting the movement of said plunger to a predetermined distance without so limiting the movement of said member.

Claim 20

An electrical limit switch device comprising a housing, a member extending out of said housing and engageable to actuate a switch in said housing, spring return means for returning said member to its disengaged position, a plunger drivable by said member to actuate said switch, and spring means for limiting the movement of said plunger to a predetermined distance without so limiting the movement of said member.

Claim 21

Apparatus as in claim 15 in which said member is a lever mounted on said housing by a ball joint, and means for translating pivotal movement of said lever into movement of said plunger.

Claim 22

Apparatus as in claim 15 in which said member is a pushbutton slidable in the direction of said plunger.

Claim 23

Apparatus as in claim 5 in which serrations are located between saId contact member and said actuating member.

Claim 24

Apparatus as in claim 5 including a plurality of said switches, and a plurality of said contact members on said actuating member, there being one contact member per switch.

Claim 25

An electrical limit switch device comprising a housing adapted to be mounted on a support structure, a removable cover for said housing, an electrical switch having contact projections, an actuating member in said housing for actuating said switch in response to being driven by an actuating motion, wiring terminal means in said housing, switch support means removable from said housing and separate from said cover for supporting said switch with its contact projections engaging said terminal means with said switch in position to be actuated by movement of said actuating member, an arm secured to a shaft, a turret rotatably mounted on said housing, with said shaft rotatably mounted in said turret, means drivably coupling said shaft to said actuating member, a roller on said arm, said roller having a nonmetallic core fitted into a metallic ring, said ring forming the outer periphery of said roller.

Claim 26

An electrical limit switch device comprising a housing adapted to be mounted on a support structure, a removable cover for said housing, an electrical switch having contact projections, an actuating member in said housing for actuating said switch in response to being driven by an actuating motion, wiring terminal means in said housing, switch support means removable from said housing and separate from said cover for supporting said switch with its contact projections engaging said terminal means with said switch in position to be actuated by movement of said actuating member, an arm secured to a shaft, a turret rotatably mounted on said housing, with said shaft rotatably mounted in said turret, means drivably coupling said shaft to said actuating member, a roller on said arm, said roller having a nonmetallic core fitted into a metallic ring, said ring forming the outer periphery of said roller.

Claim 27

An electrical limit switch device comprising a housing adapted to be mounted on a support structure, a removable cover for said housing, an electrical switch having contact projections, an actuating member in said housing for actuating said switch in response to being driven by an actuating motion, wiring terminal means secured to and within said housing, a switch support member having external contours generally matching the internal contours of said housing, the external dimensions of said support member being smaller than the internal dimensions of said housing by a relatively small amount so that said support member fits into and supports itself in said housing, said support member having means for supporting said switch with its contact projections engaging said terminal means with said switch in position to be actuated by movement of said actuating member.

Claim 28

An electrical limit switch device comprising a housing adapted to be mounted on a support structure, a removable cover for said housing, an electrical switch having contact projections, an actuating member in said housing for actuating said switch in response to being driven by an actuating motion, wiring terminal means secured to and within said housing, a switch support member having external contours generally matching the internal contours of said housing, the external dimensions of said support member being smaller than the internal dimensions of said housing by a relatively small amount so that said support member fits into and supports itself in said housing, said support member having means for supporting said switch with its contact projections engaging said terminal means with said switch in position to be actuated by movement of said actuating member.

Claim 29

A limit switch as in claim 21 in which said support member comprises an insulating plate with apertures through which said projections extend and a ledge for supporting said switch against the force of said actuating member, and resilient gripping means in said terminal means.

Claim 30

A limit switch as in claim 21 in which said support member includes a guide for guiding the movement of said actuating member.

Claim 31

A limit switch as in claim 15 in which the movement-limiting spring means includes a compression spring extending around said plunger, a pair of abutments on said plunger for limiting the expansion of said compression spring, and means for normally holding one end of said compression spring against said member with the other end spaced from a stop structure by a predetermined distance, both ends of said compression spring being free to move on said plunger during compression of said spring.