US3629530A — An electric safety switch apparatus

Claim 1

Independent Claim 310 words

An electric safety switch apparatus, comprising: a hollow housing; an electric switch means in said housing; rotatably movable switch-operating means extendable into said housing from the exterior thereof for actuating said electric switch means to open and close at least one electric circuit adapted to be connected to said electric switch means; inactivating means in said housing effectively cooperable with respect to said switchoperating means and with respect to said electric switch means for effectively preventing the actuation of said electric switch means by said switch-operating means when said switch-operating means is in any position other than a predetermined bypassing and switch-engageable position relative to said inactivating means, said inactivating means comprises blocking means physically positioned in the path of movement of said switch-operating means and cooperating therewith for physically blocking and preventing movement of said switch-operating means into switch-actuating engagement with said electric switch means in all relative rotative positions of said switch-operating means except when said switch-operating means is manually rotatively adjusted into said predetermined bypassing and switch-engageable position; said switch-operating means comprising an input portion, an output portion, and an intervening coupling portion, said input portion including manually rotatable means adapted to be effectively, manually rotated to any desired extent, said manually rotatable means having a central part drivingly connected to said intervening coupling portion and also being provided with a positioning and position-determining means'' first element and a positioning and position-determining means'' second element cooperable in a particular rotative-angular-position-determining, longitudinally relatively movable relationship with said position and position-determining means'' First element for determining the corresponding position of said central part of said manually rotatable means of the input portion of said switch-operating means whereby to cause said switch-operating means to be in said predetermined bypassing and switch-engageable position when said first and second elements of said positioning and positiondetermining means are in said particular rotative-angularposition-determining relationship.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 310 words

An electric safety switch apparatus, comprising: a hollow housing; an electric switch means in said housing; rotatably movable switch-operating means extendable into said housing from the exterior thereof for actuating said electric switch means to open and close at least one electric circuit adapted to be connected to said electric switch means; inactivating means in said housing effectively cooperable with respect to said switchoperating means and with respect to said electric switch means for effectively preventing the actuation of said electric switch means by said switch-operating means when said switch-operating means is in any position other than a predetermined bypassing and switch-engageable position relative to said inactivating means, said inactivating means comprises blocking means physically positioned in the path of movement of said switch-operating means and cooperating therewith for physically blocking and preventing movement of said switch-operating means into switch-actuating engagement with said electric switch means in all relative rotative positions of said switch-operating means except when said switch-operating means is manually rotatively adjusted into said predetermined bypassing and switch-engageable position; said switch-operating means comprising an input portion, an output portion, and an intervening coupling portion, said input portion including manually rotatable means adapted to be effectively, manually rotated to any desired extent, said manually rotatable means having a central part drivingly connected to said intervening coupling portion and also being provided with a positioning and position-determining means'' first element and a positioning and position-determining means'' second element cooperable in a particular rotative-angular-position-determining, longitudinally relatively movable relationship with said position and position-determining means'' First element for determining the corresponding position of said central part of said manually rotatable means of the input portion of said switch-operating means whereby to cause said switch-operating means to be in said predetermined bypassing and switch-engageable position when said first and second elements of said positioning and positiondetermining means are in said particular rotative-angularposition-determining relationship.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 102 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said positioning and position-determining means'' first element comprises an offset insertion element radially spaced outwardly from said central part of said manually rotatable means of said input portion of said switch-operating means, and wherein said positioning and position-determining means'' second element comprises an offset mating receiving slot fixedly mounted with respect to said hollow housing and adapted to receive in a longitudinally relatively movable, but rotatively immovable manner, said offset insertion element of said positioning and position-determining means when said switch-operating means is positioned within said hollow housing in said predetermined bypassing and switch-engageable position.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 120 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said manually rotatable means of said input portion comprises a key having an outer manually graspable operating handle, a forward central insertion part, and a positioning and position-determining means'' first element at a location radially offset from said central insertion part, and further comprises key-receiving means drivingly connected to said intervening coupling portion of said switch-operating means and cooperable with, and adapted to receive, said central insertion part of said key therein for forcible forward movement of said entire switch-operating means when in said predetermined bypassing switch-engageable position only and for forcibly rotating said output portion of said switch-operating means and the electric switch means engaged thereby for actuating said electric switch means.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 91 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said manually rotatable means of said input portion comprises an outer manually graspable operating handle drivingly connected to said intervening coupling portion of said switch-operating means and carrying, at a location radially offset therefrom, said positioning and position-determining means'' first element and cooperable for forcible forward movement of said entire switch-operating means when in said predetermined bypassing, switch-engageable position only and for forcibly rotating said output portion of said switch-operating means and the electric switch means engaged thereby for actuating said electric switch means.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 40 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said blocking means comprises a blocking plate positioned effectively between said switch-operating means and said electric switch means and normally effectively, physically isolating and longitudinally axially spacing and separating same from each other.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 98 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said blocking plate is provided with a bypassing front-to-rear directed notch means positioned between said switch-operating means and said electric switch means in a path at a predetermined and specified location such as to allow the effective bypassing in a longitudinal axial direction of said blocking plate by a front part of said output portion of said switch-operating means whereby to effect the rotary coupling of said switch-operating means and said electric switch means only when said switch-operating means is initially manually rotatively adjusted into said predetermined bypassing and switch-engageable position.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 57 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said blocking plate is provided with rotary engagement means engageable by said output portion of said switch-operating means when said switch-operating means is in any position other than said predetermined bypassing and switch-engageable position and is forcibly moved foRwardly by an unauthorized person attempting to operate the electric switch means.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 37 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein said rotary engagement means is cooperable with said output portion of said switch-operating means when engaged therewith to rotatively immobilize said switch-operating means against manual rotation while in such engagement.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 99 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein said output portion of said switch-operating means and said rotary engagement means are electrically conductive and effectively comprise a portion of an electric alarm circuit means adapted to be electrically connected to a remaining portion of such an alarm circuit means which is adapted to be provided with electric power supply means and a perceptible alarm-signal-producing means whereby to cause a perceptible alarm signal to be produced whenever said switch-operating means is forcibly forwardly moved by an unauthorized person into electrically conductive engagement with said rotary engagement means of said blocking plate.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 28 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, including mechanical locking means effectively movable, in response to operating movement of said electric switch means, between mechanically locked and unlocked relationships.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 64 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein said mechanical locking means effectively comprises a portion of said electric switch means cooperable for moving first electric contact means thereof into and out of electrical engagement with second electric contact means thereof whereby to correspondingly close and open said electric switch means in correspondence with the operation of said mechanical locking means between two different conditions.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1974-12-20	1975-06-21	1975-12-21	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1978-12-20	1979-06-21	1979-12-21	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1982-12-20	1983-06-21	1983-12-21	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

An electric safety switch apparatus

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