Safety slide switch

Claim 1

In a slide switch of the type adapted for mounting in a portable tool or the like having a housing wall with an opening therein, the periphery of which opening defines a plane, the improvement comprising: a. switch means in said housing including a movable operating member connected with contact means for opening and closing the same when said operating member is moved, respectively, back and forth along a first path contained in said plane; b. an actuator having a portion thereof extending through said opening and also having a cavity with the walls thereof slidably receiving the walls of a portion of said operating member, said walls being contained in respective planes disposed substantially perpendicular to said first mentioned plane and thus the sliding interengagement between said walls serving to mount said actuator for reciprocal movement relative to said operating member and back and forth along a second path which intersects said plane substantially perpendicular thereto; c. first and second stop means alternately engaged by said actuator thereby to limit movement of the same along said second path; d. biasing means engaged with said actuator and acting to urge said portion thereof outwardly through said opening; e. a first abutment surface on said actuator for movement therewith; f. a fixed formation adjacent said actuator; g. a second abutment surface on said fixed formation; and h. said first and second abutment surfaces being contained in respective planes substantially perpendicular to said plane and normally being in abutting engagement with each other thereby to prevent said forth movement of said actuator along said first path, said first and second abutment surfaces being disengaged only by movement of said actuator along said second path in a direction inwardly of said opening, the disengagement of said first and second abutment surfaces thereafter permitting movement of said actuator in said forth direction for closing said contact means.