Piano switch

Claim 1

A piano switch comprising: a frame formed from an electrically insulating material and carrying a substrate plate having a plurality of fixed contacts thereon; a sliding body held within said frame and having a projection portion extending outwardly from said frame, said sliding body being movable slidably between a first position and a second position spaced along said substrate plate and carrying a plurality of movable contacts adapted to engage selected ones of said fixed contacts in at least one of said first and second positions; a driving lever supported pivotally at a midportion thereof to said frame, said driving lever being generally L-shaped and having an operating lever and a driving projection depending therefrom to engage said sliding body for moving it between said first and second positions during pivotal movement of said driving lever; a first spring member having two generally parallel arm portions interconnected resiliently at end portions thereof, one of said arm portions being held to said driving lever adjacent said midportion thereof and the other of said arm portions being held to said frame whereby upon pivotal movement of said driving lever, said one arm portion will be moved in a generally arcuate path first towards said other arm portion and then away therefrom; and means including a second spring member operatively associated with said projecting portion of said sliding body for continually urging said sliding body into said first position, whereby said operation lever may be actuated to pivot said driving lever and slide said sliding body into said second position and said second spring member will thereafter serve to pivot said driving lever for returning said sliding body to its first position.