Mechanical interlock for two switches that are mounted on a common support

Claim 1

An assembly comprising: a pair of switches positioned sideby-side in spaced relation on a support plate with each of the switches including: an insulating housing having a pair of spaced sidewalls, a bottom wall extending between the sidewalls, a contact carrier movable between two positions in a cavity in the housing between the sidewalls along a plane that extends normal to the two sidewalls and the bottom wall; said assembly also comprising means including cooperating recesses and projections in the bottom walls of both switches and the support plate for locating and mounting the switches adjacent to each other on the support plate so the planes of movement of the contact carriers in the respective two switches extend in a common plane and the switches have spaced and parallel adjacent sidewalls; a bearing recess in the adjacent sidewall of each switch located adjacent the support plate and centered in the common plane, a window in the adjacent sidewall of each switch centered in the common plane and exposing a portion of the movable contact carrier to the space between the switches, a surface located on the exposed portion on each contact carrier disposed so that the surfaces on the adjacent switches are on opposite sides of the common plane and are inclined to face the support plate so that the portion of the surface that is most proximate the support plate is most remote from the common plane and a mechanical interlocking member consisting of a unitary member disposed between the adjacent switches.