Cam safe switch actuator

Claim 2

In a lawn and garden device of the type having a housing supported for movement over the ground, implement means supported upon said housing and adapted to be driven by electric motor means, a control and manipulation handle on said housing, and electric switch means for turning said motor and said implement means on and off; the improvement wherein said switch includes a pivotal lever movable through an arcuate path to actuate said switch, and means operable to shift the pivot axis of said lever, whereby to selectively prevent said lever from actuating said switch.

Claim 3

The improvement of claim 1 wherein said shifting means includes a rotatable cam supported upon said switch and pivotally mounting said lever.

Claim 4

The improvement of claim 1 wherein said switch includes a switch housing fixed to said handle, said lever being closely dispOsed to said handle and shaped to generally follow the contour thereof, said arcuate path of said lever being limited by engagement thereof with said handle, whereby the operator can grasp said lever and said handle during mower operation.

Claim 5

The improvement of claim 3 wherein said lever pivot axis is shiftable from a first position where pivotal movement of said lever through said arcuate path actuates said switch, to a second position where pivotal movement of said lever is stopped by engagement between said lever and said handle before actuation of said switch.

Claim 6

A switch assembly comprising a housing having a switch body mounted thereon, a control plunger slidable on said switch body and normally biased in one direction, a lever having one end engageable with and adapted to move said plunger in a direction away from said one direction, means pivotally mounting said lever upon said housing, said mounting means including a pivot pin having an eccentric portion journaling said lever, and means for turning said pivot pin, whereby said eccentric portion shifts said lever laterally relative to said plunger, whereby to selectively prevent engagement of said plunger by said lever one end.

Claim 7

A switch assembly comprising a housing having a switch body mounted thereon, a control plunger slidable on said switch body and normally biased in one direction, a lever having one end engageable with and adapted to move said plunger in a direction away from said one direction, means pivotally mounting said lever upon said housing, said mounting means including a pivot pin having an eccentric portion journaling said lever, and means for turning said pivot pin, whereby said eccentric portion shifts said lever laterally relative to said plunger, whereby to selectively prevent engagement of said plunger by said lever one end.

Claim 8

The assembly of claim 5 wherein said pivot pin is rotatably supported upon said body and has one end thereof exposed for manual manipulation.

Claim 9

The assembly of claim 6 wherein said pivot pin end has a transverse slot therein adapted to receive a screwdriver, coin, and the like for turning said pivot pin and shifting said lever.

Claim 10

The assembly of claim 5 which includes stop means limiting pivotal movement of said lever in a direction to engage and move said plunger, said stop means preventing engagement of said plunger by said lever when said lever has been shifted laterally relative to said plunger by said eccentric portion.

Claim 11

The improvement of claim 2 which includes detent means releasably holding said cam in selected rotated positions.

Claim 12

The improvement of claim 5 which includes cooperable projection and recess means on said pivot pin and said housing for releasably holding said pivot pin in selected turned positions, resilient means normally biasing said pivot pin in an axial direction causing cooperative engagement between said projection and recess means.

Claim 13

In a lawnmower of the type having a housing supported for movement over the ground, cutting means supported upon said housing and driven by an electric motor, handle means for controlling and manipulating said mower, and switch means including a switch housing mounted on said handle and having a switch therein for turning said motor on and off; that improvement which comprises actuator means movable through a path to actuate said switch, and means for shifting said actuator means away from said switch whereby movement of said actuator means is ineffective to operate said switch.

Claim 14

In a lawnmower of the type having a housing supported for movement over the ground, cutting means supported upon said housing and driven by an electric motor, handle means for controlling and manipulating said mower, and switch means including a switch housing mounted on said handle and having a switch therein for turning said motor on and off; that improvement which comprises actuator means movable through a path to actuate said switch, and means for shifting said actuator means away from said switch whereby movement of said actuator means is ineffective to operate said switch.

Claim 15

The improvement as defined in claim 11 wherein said actuator means comprises a lever pivotally mounted on said switch housing, said switch including a plunger normally biased toward an ''''off'''' position, said lever being engageable with to move said plunger to an ''''on'''' position.

Claim 16

The improvement of claim 12 wherein said altering means includes a cam pivotally mounting said lever, said cam being movable to shift the pivot axis of said lever from a first position where said lever is engageable with said plunger, to a second position where said lever is prevented from engaging said plunger.

Claim 17

The improvement of claim 12 wherein said lever is contoured to generally follow said handle, whereby an operator may grasp and hold said lever and said handle during mower operation.

Claim 18

The improvement as defined in claim 13 wherein said cam is turnably supported upon said housing and has an eccentric portion journaling said lever, whereby turning movement of said cam turns said eccentric portion and shifts said lever relative to said plunger.

Claim 19

The improvement of claim 15 wherein said cam has one end expOsed and provided with a transverse slot adapted to receive a screwdriver, coin, and the like.

Claim 20

In a lawnmower of the type having a housing supported for movement over the ground, cutting means supported upon said housing and driven by an electric motor, handle means for controlling and manipulating said mower, and switch means including a switch housing mounted on said handle and having a switch therein for turning said motor on and off; that improvement which comprises actuator means movable through a path to actuate said switch, a cam engageable with said actuator for altering said path of movement of said actuator means, whereby to selectively prevent said switch from being actuated by said actuator means.

Claim 21

In a lawnmower of the type having a housing supported for movement over the ground, cutting means supported upon said housing and driven by an electric motor, handle means for controlling and manipulating said mower, and switch means including a switch housing mounted on said handle and having a switch therein for turning said motor on and off; that improvement which comprises actuator means movable through a path to actuate said switch, a cam engageable with said actuator for altering said path of movement of said actuator means, whereby to selectively prevent said switch from being actuated by said actuator means.

Claim 22

The improvement as defined in claim 17 which includes means releasably retaining said cam in selected positions.