Sealed manual reset switch

A sealed, manual reset, double pole switch comprising:

• a housing having a base portion and an outer shell portion;
• a pair of spaced apart parallel blades positioned within said base having contacts on opposite ends;
• an actuator positioned through said parallel blades and perpendicular thereto;
• at least four terminals mounted on pedestals within said base portion, said terminals making electrical contact with said blade contacts when said switch is in a “make” position and said actuator extends above a top portion of said outer shell;
• said actuator comprises a groove around the circumference of said actuator for receiving an O-ring thereby sealing said upper portion of said switch;
• said switch comprises means for sealing an opening between a lower portion of said base and said outer shell;
• said base comprises a channel for wires to pass through and connect to said terminals and heat shrink material applied around an end of said channel and around said wires;
• and
• a slot provided in the top portion of said outer shell and said actuator for insertion of a tool to move said actuator from said “make” position to a “break” position in order to reset said switch.

A method of providing a double throw switch requiring a tool to reset the switch comprises the steps of:

• providing a housing having a plurality of pedestals to support a first pair of terminals positioned opposite each other within said housing and to support a second pair of terminals positioned opposite each other and spaced apart from said first pair of terminals within said housing;
• positioning an actuator within an opening in said housing between said first pair of terminals and said second pair of terminals, said actuator having at least two pairs of notches spaced apart from each other;
• connecting said actuator within a first blade by positioning tongues of said first blade within a first pair of said notches of said actuator, said first blade having electrical contacts at opposite ends for making contact with said first pair of terminals when said switch is in a “make” position;
• and
• connecting said actuator within a second blade by positioning tongues of said second blade within a second pair of said notches of said actuator, said second blade having electrical contacts at opposite ends for making contact with said second pair of terminals when said switch is in a “make” position.