Angelo J Introvigne

US Patent:

43907610, Jun 28, 1983

Filed:

Jan 19, 1981

Appl. No.:

6/226079

Inventors:

Angelo J. Introvigne - Stafford Springs CT

Assignee:

Cole Hersee Company - South Boston MA

International Classification:

H01H 2100

US Classification:

200 67C

Abstract:

A snap-action switch includes a housing having a pair of terminal studs at the rear connected to stationary contact blades inside the housing located in a common plane. A pair of rotatable contact blades are supported upon a contact shaft that is rotatable in the housing and attached to a contact shaft driving insulator. A pair of coil springs around the switching shaft urge the rotatable blades together. The driving insulator is formed with notches for engagement with tabs extending from a saddle that is rotatable about a key shaft and adjacent to a cam plate driven by the key shaft. A pair of latching springs cantilevered from respective stop pins in the housing engage respective tangs on the saddle when the saddle is in a corresponding one of the two stable switch positions. An action spring around the keying shaft between the contact shaft driving insulator and the saddle plate has its ends extending through arcuate grooves in the saddle and cam plate. Rotating the key shaft angularly displaces the cam plate while the saddle plate remains stationary to wind the action spring until a cam on the cam plate displaces the latching spring to release the tang on the saddle plate, allowing the spring to unwind and angularly displace the saddle plate, contact shaft driving insulator, contact shaft and rotatable contact blades to the new stable position.