Switch with shaft positioning arrangement

Claim 1

A switch having a housing provided with a rotatable actuator, a set of contacts operable between open and closed positions by said actuator and a rotatable selector shaft for positioning said actuator in response to the rotational position of said shaft; said shaft extending out of the front of said housing and extending through said actuator to the rear of said housing adjacent a rear opening in said housing; a mounting member positioned in said housing; said mounting member and said housing having cooperating positioning means for selectively locating said mounting member in one of a plurality of predetermined positions spaced angularly around said shaft; said mounting member including first latching means having a different predetermined position relative to said shaft when said mounting member is in each of its plurality of positions; second latching means carried by said shaft and adapted to engage said first latching means when said shaft is in a first position to prevent rotation of said shaft until said shaft is moved axially toward the rear of said housing for disengaging said first and second latching means; removable securing means for securing said mounting member in any of its predetermined positions within said housing; axial movement of said shaft toward the rear of said housing, with said securing means removed, freeing said mounting member for movement from one to another of its predetermined positions so that the position of the first latching means and thus the first position of said shaft is moved; an actuator driver carried by said shaft adjacent the rear of said housing and operatively interconnected to said actuator to drive said actuator upon rotation of said driver by said shaft; coupling means for coupling said driver to said shaft and fastener means carried by said shaft for locking said driver to said shaft; said fastener being located adjacent said opening in the rear of said housing and accessible therethrough to permit removal of said driver from said shaft and subsequent relocking of said driver to said shaft through said opening; said coupling means being so oriented in relation to said first and second latching means that said driver can be coupled to said shaft and operatively interconnected to said actuator when said mounting member is in any of its predetermined positions.