Multiple pole electrical switch with improved snap-action actuator structure

Claim 2

A multiple pole electrical switch comprising an elongated switch frame, a pair of contact-carrying members fixedly secured to said frame and having transverse sidewalls facing one another in longitudinally spaced relation, a plurality of longitudinally extending bores formed in each of said members axially aligned with one another and opening to said transverse sidewalls, female contacts mounted in the bores of one of said members and male contacts carried in the bores of the other member for slidable movement only in an axial direction, means between said sidewalls forming a male contact interconnecting block for providing joint movement of said male contacts, means including a block-shifting arm mounted on said frame for pivotal movement about an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of said frame and having means engageable with said block means for shifting said block means back and forth to move said male contacts axially into and out of engagement with said female contacts, and means for selectively pivoting said blockshifting arm.

Claim 3

The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said block means comprises an operating pin projecting transversely of said frame and said block-shifting arm comprises a yoke-shaped member having a pair of radial legs extending on opposite sides of said operating pin for engaging and moving said pin back and forth longitudinally of said frame in response to pivotal movement of said yoke-shaped member.

Claim 4

The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said radial legs are angularly spaced to provide lost motion between said yoke-shaped member and said operating pin.

Claim 5

The invention as defined in claim 3 and including a pivotal shaft mounting said yoke-shaped member and an overcenter spring-biased toggle mechanism mounted on said fRame and connected to said shaft to provide a snap-action pivotal movement of said shaft.

Claim 6

The invention as defined in claim 4 and including cabinet means having a bottom wall and a sidewall, means mounting said switch frame on said bottom wall, means in said sidewall for receiving said rotatable shaft, handle means outside said sidewall and means corotatably interconnecting said handle means and said shaft.

Claim 7

The invention as defined in claim 5 wherein said interconnecting means comprises another shaft axially aligned with said shaft, a handle mounted fast on said other shaft, and cooperating radial pin and slot means on said shafts for interconnecting said shafts for joint rotation and for limited relative rotation.

Claim 8

The invention as defined in claim 1 and including another pair of contact-carrying members stacked on top of and fixedly secured to said first pair, and corresponding male and female contacts in said second pair of contacts-carrying members, said block means also interconnecting the male contacts of said second pair of contact-carrying members for joint movement thereof with said male contacts of said first pair.

Claim 9

A multiple pole electrical switch comprising a switch frame, a pair of contact-carrying members stationarily mounted on said frame in spaced relation to one another and having axially aligned bores formed therein and opening toward one another, female, contacts stationarily disposed in said bores of one of said contact-carrying members, male contacts slidably carried in said bores of the other of said contact-carrying members and movable axially between a first position at which they are spaced from said female contacts and a second position at which they are telescopically engaged with said female contacts, block means interconnecting said male contacts for joint movement and disposed for back-and-forth movement between said contact-carrying members, guide way means for guiding said block means in rectilinear movement only to move said male contacts axially between said first and second positions thereof, and means including snap-action means engageable with said block means for shifting same back and forth between said contact-carrying members.

Claim 10

A multiple pole electrical switch comprising a switch frame, a pair of contact-carrying members stationarily mounted on said frame in spaced relation to one another and having axially aligned bores formed therein and opening toward one another, female, contacts stationarily disposed in said bores of one of said contact-carrying members, male contacts slidably carried in said bores of the other of said contact-carrying members and movable axially between a first position at which they are spaced from said female contacts and a second position at which they are telescopically engaged with said female contacts, block means interconnecting said male contacts for joint movement and disposed for back-and-forth movement between said contact-carrying members, guide way means for guiding said block means in rectilinear movement only to move said male contacts axially between said first and second positions thereof, and means including snap-action means engageable with said block means for shifting same back and forth between said contact-carrying members.

Claim 11

The invention as defined in claim 8 wherein said guide way means comprises a plurality of elongated guide ways extending between said contact-carrying members and means forming bores extending through said block means for receiving said guide ways.

Claim 12

The invention as defined in claim 8 wherein said snap-action means comprises a lost-motion spring-biased toggle mechanism.