Pushbutton switch control assembly with flexible cord or equivalent allowing operation of one pushbutton and associated switch at a time

Claim 2

Pushbutton control apparatus comprising valve means movable between a plurality of positions; a slide member mounted for back and forth movements along a path; means coupling said slide member to said valve means for moving the latter in response to movements of said slide member; a plurality of pushbuttons mounted for back and forth movements along a path lateral of the path of movement of said slide member; cooperable means on said slide member and on each of said pushbuttons engageable in response to movement in one direction of a selected one of said pushbuttons to effect movement in a selected direction of said slide member; means flexible in the path of movement of and spanning said pushbuttons and having a length greater than the distance spanned by said pushbuttons; and means coupling said flexible means to each of said pushbuttons operable in response to movement in said one direction of any other one of said pushbuttons to impart movement of said selected one of said pushbuttons in the opposite direction to disengage the cooperable means on said slide member and said selected one of said pushbuttons.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said flexible means comprises a cord.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the excess length of said flexible means corresponds substantially to twice the length of travel of a pushbutton.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1 including guide means straddling each of said pushbuttons and engaging said flexible means, said coupling means including a part carried by each of said pushbuttons for engagement with said flexible means between adjacent guide means.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said flexible means extends alongside all of said pushbuttons and wherein said part comprises a projection extending from and overlying said flexible means.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said cooperable means comprises a cam surface on said slide member in the path of movement of and engageable by said selected one of said pushbuttons.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said slide member has a cam surface in the path of movement and engageable by each of said pushbuttons, said cam surfaces being so contoured that the engagement between a selected one of said cam surfaces and the associated pushbutton effects predetermined movement of said slide member.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 1 including normally open electrical switch contacts mounted in the path of movement in one direction of at least one of said pushbuttons; and means carried by said one pushbutton for closing said contacts.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein at least one of said switch contacts and said one pushbutton have cooperable detent means for releasably latching said one pushbutton in contact closing relation.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 8 including an additional pair of normally open contacts, and nonconductive detent means carried by another of said pushbuttons engageable with the contacts of said additional pair for latching said another pushbutton.

Claim 12

Pushbutton control apparatus comprising valve means movable between a plurality of positions; a slide member mounted for back and forth movements along a path; means coupling said slide member to said valve means for moving the latter in response to movements of said slide member; a plurality of reciprocable pushbuttons mounted for back and forth movements along a path lateral of the path of movement of said slide member; cooperable means on said slide member and on each of said pushbuttons for imparting movement to said slide member in a selected direction along its path in response to movement in one direction of any selected one of said pushbuttons; and means independent of said slide member and movable in the direction of movement of said pushbuttons for moving said selected one pushbutton in the opposite direction when another one of said pushbuttons is moved in said one direction.

Claim 13

Pushbutton control apparatus comprising valve means movable between a plurality of positions; a slide member mounted for back and forth movements along a path; means coupling said slide member to said valve means for moving the latter in response to movements of said slide member; a plurality of reciprocable pushbuttons mounted for back and forth movements along a path lateral of the path of movement of said slide member; cooperable means on said slide member and on each of said pushbuttons for imparting movement to said slide member in a selected direction along its path in response to movement in one direction of any selected one of said pushbuttons; and means independent of said slide member and movable in the direction of movement of said pushbuttons for moving said selected one pushbutton in the opposite direction when another one of said pushbuttons is moved in said one direction.

Claim 14

ApParatus according to claim 11 wherein the cooperable means on said slide member and said pushbuttons are so located that movement of said slide member from one position to another in response to said movement of said selected one of said pushbuttons conditions the cooperable means on said slide member and another of said pushbuttons to impart movement to said slide member in response to movement in one direction of said another pushbutton.

Claim 15

Apparatus according to claim 11 including normally open switch contacts engageable and closable by at least one of said pushbuttons in response to movement thereof in said one direction.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to claim 13 including cooperable detent means on said switch contacts and said one pushbutton for releasably latching the latter in contact closing relation.

Claim 17

Apparatus according to claim 11 including motion transmitting means, and means coupling said motion transmitting means to all of said pushbuttons for moving said one pushbutton in the opposite direction in response to movement in said one direction of any other pushbutton.

Claim 18

Apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said motion transmitting means comprises a flexible cord spanning all of said pushbuttons and having a length in excess of the distance spanned by said pushbuttons.

Claim 19

Apparatus according to claim 16 wherein said cord extends alongside each of said pushbuttons and wherein said coupling means comprises a part carried by each of said pushbuttons and engaging said cord.

Claim 20

Apparatus according to claim 17 including guide means straddling each of said pushbuttons and engaging said cord.

Claim 21

Pushbutton control apparatus comprising valve means movable between a plurality of positions; a single slide member mounted for back and forth movements along a path; means coupling said slide member to said valve member for moving the latter in response to movements of said slide member; a plurality of reciprocable pushbuttons each mounted for back and forth movements between first and second positions along a path lateral of the path of movement of said slide member; and cooperable cam means on said slide member and on each of said pushbuttons, the cam means on a selected one of said pushbuttons being engageable with the cam means on said slide member in response to movement of said one pushbutton in one direction along its path from its first position to its second position and being operable to effect movement of said slide member along its path from a first position to another position, the cam means on another of said pushbuttons being engageable with the cam means on said slide member in response to movement of said another pushbutton in said one direction along its path from its first position to its second position and being operable to effect movement of said slide member along its path from said second position, the cam means on said slide member being operable to effect movement of said one pushbutton in the opposite direction along its path toward its first position in response to movement of said slide member from said second position.

Claim 22

Pushbutton control apparatus comprising valve means movable between a plurality of positions; a single slide member mounted for back and forth movements along a path; means coupling said slide member to said valve member for moving the latter in response to movements of said slide member; a plurality of reciprocable pushbuttons each mounted for back and forth movements between first and second positions along a path lateral of the path of movement of said slide member; and cooperable cam means on said slide member and on each of said pushbuttons, the cam means on a selected one of said pushbuttons being engageable with the cam means on said slide member in response to movement of said one pushbutton in one direction along its path from its first position to its second position and being operable to effect movement of said slide member along its path from a first position to another position, the cam means on another of said pushbuttons being engageable with the cam means on said slide member in response to movement of said another pushbutton in said one direction along its path from its first position to its second position and being operable to effect movement of said slide member along its path from said second position, the cam means on said slide member being operable to effect movement of said one pushbutton in the opposite direction along its path toward its first position in response to movement of said slide member from said second position.

Claim 23

Apparatus according to claim 19 including switch means and switch operating means carried by selected ones of said pushbuttons for operating said switch means in response to movements of said selected ones of said pushbuttons between said first and second positions.

Claim 24

Apparatus according to claim 20 including cooperable detent means on said switch means and said switch operating means for releasably latching any of said selected ones of said pushbuttons in one of its said positions.