Multicontact switch

Claim 1

MULTI-CONTACT SWITCH MECHANISM COMPRISING A HOUSING, SHAFT MEANS MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING FOR BOTH ROTARY AND AXIAL MOVEMENT, A PLURALITY OF LEAF SPRING MEMBERS MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING, SAID LEAF SPRING MEMBERS BEING DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY RADIALLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID SHAFT, MEANS MOUNTING SAID LEAF SPRING MEMBERS TO BE COMPRESSED LONGITUDINALLY THEREBY TO FORM AN ARCH, SAID SHAFT MEANS COMPRISING A PORTION OF ENLARGED DIAMETER HAVING A PLURALITY OF UNDERCUT GROOVES EXTENDING PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF SAID SHAFT MEANS, A PLURALITY OF CAM SEGMENTS EACH HAVING A BASE CORRESPONDING TO THE SHAPE OF ONE OF SAID GROOVES, AND SLID AXIALLY INTO ONE OF SAID GROOVES TO BE RETAINED THEREIN AGAINST RADIAL SEPARATION FROM SAID SHAFT MEANS, MEANS FOR CONFINING SAID CAM SEGMENTS IN SAID GROOVES AGAINST AXIAL DISPLACEMENT, THE UPPER PORTIONS OF SAID CAM SEGMENTS PROPORTIONED TO ABUT ONE ANOTHER WHEN INSTALLED IN ADJACENT POSITIONS IN THE SAME OR ADJACENT SAID GROOVES SO AS TO FORM DESIRED CIRCUMFERENTIAL AXIAL CAM PATTERNS, A PLURALITY OF AUXILIARY SHAFTS, ONE FOR EACH OF SAID LEAF SPRING MEMBERS, SAID AUXILIARY SHAFTS BEING JOURNALLED IN SAID HOUSING AND DISPOSED AROUND AND SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID SHAFT MEANS, A PLURALITY OF CAM FOLLOWER MEANS COUPLED TO RESPECTIVE ONES OF SAID AUXILIARY SHAFTS FOR ENGAGING SAID CAMS THEREBY FLEXING SAID LEAF SPRING MEMBERS TO SNAP THE ARCH THEREOF FROM ONE POSITION TO THE OTHER, MOVABLE CONTACT MEANS CARRIED BY SAID LEAF SPRING MEMBERS, AND STATIONARY CONTACT MEANS CARRIED BY SAID HOUSING AND BY SAID MOVABLE CONTACT MEANS, TO SELECTIVELY OPEN AND CLOSE ELECTRIC CIRCUITS, WHEREBY UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID SHAFT, SAID LEAF SPRING MEMBERS ARE OPERATED FROM ONE POSITION TO ANOTHER.