Proximity magnetic reed switch assembly

Claim 1

A SWITCH ASSEMBLY WHICH COMPRISES: (A) A PAIR OF COOPERATING ELECTRICAL CONTACTS, AT LEAST ONE OF WHICH IS MADE OF MAGNETIC MATERIAL HAVING SPACED APART FIRST AND SECOND PORTIONS, SAID SECOND PORTION BEING ADAPTED TO EITHER MAKE OR BREAK ELECTRICALLY WITH AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE OTHER CONTACT OF SAID PAIR; (B) FIRST MEANS TO NORMALLY BIAS OPEN SAID CONTACTS; (C) SECOND MEANS ESTABLISHING A MAGNETIC POLE OF ONE POLARITY IN SAID OTHER CONTACT AT ITS SAID PORTION, SAID POLE HAVING A FIELD STRENGTH WHICH, BY ITSELF, IS INSUFFICIENT TO OVERCOME SAID BIAS AND CLOSE SAID CONTACTS, BUT WHICH IS SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN SAID CONTACTS CLOSED AFTER SAID BIAS HAS BEEN OVERCOME; AND (D) CONTROL MECHANISM FOR SELECTIVELY ENVELOPING SAID ONE CONTACT FIRST PORTION WITH EITHER A LIKE OR AN UNLIKE MAGNETIC FIELD OF SUFFICIENT STRENGTH SO THAT SAID SECOND PORTION THEREBY IS EITHER REPELLED FROM OR ATTRACTED TO CLOSE WITH SAID OTHER CONTACT PORTION, RESPECTIVELY, WHERE SAID CONTROL MECHANISM COMPRISES A FIRST PAIR OF SPACED APART UNLIKE MAGNETIC POLES EACH PERMANENTLY LOCATED ADJACENT TO SAID ONE CONTACT FIRST PORTION SO AS TO ENVELOPE SAME WITH A MAGNETIC FIELD, A SECOND PAIR OF SPACED APART UNLIKE MAGNETIC POLES EACH PERMANENTLY LOCATED OPPOSITE AN UNLIKE POLE OF SAID FIRST PAIR SO THAT A FLUX PATH IS CREATED THEREBETWEEN WHOSE NORMAL RELUCTANCE IS SUCH AS TO CAUSE THE FIELD FROM THE ASSOCIATED POLE OF SAID FIRST PAIR TO BE OF A STRENGTH INSUFFICIENT TO AFFECT THE STATE OF SAID CONTACT PAIR, AND A BODY OF MAGNETIC MATERIAL RELATIVELY PHYSICALLY MOVABLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID ONE CONTACT FIRST PORTION WHICH CAN BE SELECTIVELY MOVED INTO THE FIELD OF EITHER ONE OF THE POLES OF SAID SECOND PAIR SO THAT THE RELUCTANCE OF ITS ASSOCIATED FLUX PATH DECREASES WHICH IN TURN INCREASES THE FIELD STRENGTH OF THE ASSOCIATED POLE OF SAID FIRST PAIR OF POLES TO THEREBY MAKE OR BREAK SAID CONTACTS.