Sealed limit switch

Claim 2

In a switch actuating mechanism for a switch having a switch body in which switch contacts are housed, an operating head seated upon the switch body that can be disposed in a number of angular positions about an axis passing through the body and the head, an operating shaft protruding from the head at an angle to said axis adapted to mount an external lever arm which can be shifted to produce an actuating motion of the shaft, and a cam member within the head mounted on the shaft to move therewith, said switch body having an open top and said head having an open bottom closing over the top of said body, the combination therewith of: a separate intermediary member interposed between the open bottom of said head and the open top of said switch body forming a partition between said head and said body, such intermediary member having a central bore leading from within said head to within said body; a reciprocally movable cam follower extending through said central bore of said intermediary member with a bearing fit, such cam follower thereby being movable with respect to said intermediary member; and a separate seal in engagement with the periphery of said intermediary member that seals such member with said head and also seals such member with said switch body.

Claim 3

A mechanism as in claim 1, wherein said head has a bottom surface resting upon an upper surface of said switch body in an interface relation therewith; said intermediary membeR has a crosswise dimension less than those of said head and said body to fit within the interface of the head and body, and such member is seated in a recess of at least one of said head and said body to have an interface with said head and another interface with said body, the three interfaces meeting at a common juncture; and said seal being disposed at said juncture to seal off each interface from the other interfaces.

Claim 4

The combination of claim 1 wherein the top surface of said intermediary member has a niche and a rib protrudes from said operating head to mate with said niche, aligning said intermediary member with said head.

Claim 5

The combination of claim 3 wherein said cam follower has a lower end portion notched to form a number of dogs and said intermediary member has a toothed portion that interlocks with said dogs of said follower to align said follower with said cam.

Claim 6

In a switch mechanism for a switch having a switch body in which switch contacts are housed, an operating head seated upon the switch body, an operating shaft protruding from the head at an angle to an axis passing through the body and the head and adapted to mount an external lever arm which can be shifted to produce an actuating motion of the shaft, and a cam member within the head mounted on the shaft to move therewith, said switch body having an open top and said head having an open bottom closing over the top of said body, the combination therewith of: a separate intermediary member interposed between the open bottom of said head and the open top of said switch body forming a stationary partition between said head and said body, such intermediary member having a bore forming a bearing leading from within said head to within said body, and also having a peripheral portion that has an interface with both said head and said body; a reciprocally movable cam follower extending through and having a bearing fit with said bore for reciprocation with respect to said intermediary member; and a seal in engagement with the periphery of said intermediary member that seals such member with said head and also seals such member with said switch body.

Claim 7

In a switch mechanism for a switch having a switch body in which switch contacts are housed, an operating head seated upon the switch body, an operating shaft protruding from the head at an angle to an axis passing through the body and the head and adapted to mount an external lever arm which can be shifted to produce an actuating motion of the shaft, and a cam member within the head mounted on the shaft to move therewith, said switch body having an open top and said head having an open bottom closing over the top of said body, the combination therewith of: a separate intermediary member interposed between the open bottom of said head and the open top of said switch body forming a stationary partition between said head and said body, such intermediary member having a bore forming a bearing leading from within said head to within said body, and also having a peripheral portion that has an interface with both said head and said body; a reciprocally movable cam follower extending through and having a bearing fit with said bore for reciprocation with respect to said intermediary member; and a seal in engagement with the periphery of said intermediary member that seals such member with said head and also seals such member with said switch body.

Claim 8

In a switch actuating mechanism for a switch having a switch body member in which contacts are housed, an operating head member seated upon the body member, an operating shaft protruding from the head member at an angle to an axis passing through the body member and the head member and adapted to mount an external lever arm which can be shifted to produce an actuating motion of the shaft, and a cam within the head member mounted on the shaft to more therewith, said body member having an open top and said head member having an open bottom, the combination therewith of: a recess formed in the opening of one of the head and body members; a separate intermediary member with an upper portion having a peripheral collar that seats in said recess of one of the head and body members and overlaps the opening of the other member to form a stationary partition between said head and body members, such intermediary member having a bore leading from within said head member to within said body member; a reciprocally movable cam follower extending through said bore of said intermediary member with a bearing fit; and a separate seal in engagement with the periphery of the collar of said intermediary member that seals such member with said head member and also seals such member with said body member.

Claim 9

In a switch actuating mechanism for a switch having a switch body member in which contacts are housed, an operating head member seated upon the body member, an operating shaft protruding from the head member at an angle to an axis passing through the body member and the head member and adapted to mount an external lever arm which can be shifted to produce an actuating motion of the shaft, and a cam within the head member mounted on the shaft to more therewith, said body member having an open top and said head member having an open bottom, the combination therewith of: a recess formed in the opening of one of the head and body members; a separate intermediary member with an upper portion having a peripheral collar that seats in said recess of one of the head and body members and overlaps the opening of the other member to form a stationary partition between said head and body members, such intermediary member having a bore leading from within said head member to within said body member; a reciprocally movable cam follower extending through said bore of said intermediary member with a bearing fit; and a separate seal in engagement with the periphery of the collar of said intermediary member that seals such member with said head member and also seals such member with said body member.

Claim 10

A mechanism as in claim 6, wherein said recess is formed in the opening of the head member so that the collar of the upper portion of said intermediary member overlaps the opening of said body member, and said seal is located in the top surface of said body member.

Claim 11

A mechanism as in claim 6, wherein said recess is formed in the opening of the body member so that the collar of the upper portion of said intermediary member overlaps the opening of said head member, and said seal is located in the top surface of said head member.

Claim 12

The combination of claim 6 wherein said cam follower is centrally positioned with respect to the top of said switch body member, and said operating head member is mountable on said body member in a plurality of angular positions.