Contact structure

Claim 2

A contact structure for electric switches having a movable switch blade comprising a housing, a contact member movably mounted in said housing, and means normally biasing said contact member away from said housing, said biasing means comprising a yieldable moisture-impervious material filling the space between said housing and said contact member.

Claim 3

The structure of claim 1 wherein said biasing means also includes a spring between said housing and said contact member.

Claim 4

The structure of claim 1 including a plurality of said contact members mounted in parallel to one another in said housing, insulated spacers between said contact members, and a common filling of said material between the housing and the assembly of said contact members and spacers.

Claim 5

The structure of claim 1 wherein said housing has a slotlike opening therein, a plurality of said contact members mounted parallel to one another in said opening, insulated spacers between said contact members, a common filling of said material within said slot between the housing and the assembly of said contact members and spacers, and insulated end plates closing the opposite ends of said opening and enclosing said material.

Claim 6

The structure of claim 4 wherein said biasing means includes a spring disposed between each of said contact members and said housing and individually biasing said contact members away from said housing.

Claim 7

A contact structure for electric switches having a movable switch blade comprising a generally L-shaped housing having terminal means at the free end of one leg thereof, a contact member pivotally mounted on the other leg of said housing and generally paralleling said one leg thereof to provide a reverse loop path of current flow, and means insulated from one of said housing and said contact member for biasing said contact member away from said housing.

Claim 8

A contact structure for electric switches having a movable switch blade comprising a generally L-shaped housing having terminal means at the free end of one leg thereof, a contact member pivotally mounted on the other leg of said housing and generally paralleling said one leg thereof to provide a reverse loop path of current flow, and means insulated from one of said housing and said contact member for biasing said contact member away from said housing.

Claim 9

The structure of claim 6, said housing including a channel portion in said other leg thereof, said contact member having a partly cylindrical protuberance thereon engaging in said channel and pivotally mounting said contact member on said other leg, and a hooklike projection on said one leg of said housing extending around the opposite end of said contact member for preventing inadvertent disassociation of said contact member from said housing.

Claim 10

The structure of claim 7, said housing comprising a one-piece member having a slotlike opening therein circumscribing said contact member on three sides and part of the fourth side thereof, said contact member being slidably insertable in said slotlike opening from the side of said housing.

Claim 11

The structure of claim 6, said biasing means including a nonconductive, moisture-impervious, yieldable material filling the space between said contact member and said housing.

Claim 12

Contact means for electric switches having a switch blade movable in a predetermined path comprising a pair of contact assemblies disposed to opposite sides of the path of blade movement adjacent the terminus of said path; each assembly comprising a generally L-shaped housing having one leg thereof generally parallel to the path of blade movement and the other leg thereof extending transversely of said path, the free end of said one leg being disposed at the terminus of the path of blade movement and having terminal means thereon, the free end of said other leg being disposed adjacent the path of blade movement and spaced from the terminus of said path, a contact member pivotally mounted on said other leg generally parallel to said one leg and extending toward the free end of said one leg, and means between said one leg and said contact member insulated from at least one of them for biasing said contact member in to the path of blade movement, the contact members of said two assemblies resiliently engaging the switch blade at the terminus of its path of movement and said assemblies defining reverse loop current paths from said terminal means to the blade.

Claim 13

Contact means for electric switches having a switch blade movable in a predetermined path comprising a pair of contact assemblies disposed to opposite sides of the path of blade movement adjacent the terminus of said path; each assembly comprising a generally L-shaped housing having one leg thereof generally parallel to the path of blade movement and the other leg thereof extending transversely of said path, the free end of said one leg being disposed at the terminus of the path of blade movement and having terminal means thereon, the free end of said other leg being disposed adjacent the path of blade movement and spaced from the terminus of said path, a contact member pivotally mounted on said other leg generally parallel to said one leg and extending toward the free end of said one leg, and means between said one leg and said contact member insulated from at least one of them for biasing said contact member in to the path of blade movement, the contact members of said two assemblies resiliently engaging the switch blade at the terminus of its path of movement and said assemblies defining reverse loop current paths from said terminal means to the blade.

Claim 14

The contact means of claim 10 including a plurality of contact members in the housing of each of said assemblies, said biasing means including a spring between the housing and each of said contact members insulated from at least one of them, and a nonconductive, moisture-impervious, yieldable material filling the space between said housing and said contact members.

Claim 15

The contact means of claim 10 wherein the free end of said other leg of each of said assemblies has an end portion of oblique angular formation facing away from the terminus of said path for shearing ice from the assemblies and the switch blade when the switch blade is moved following icing conditions.