Switch mechanism
AssigneeThe Alliance Manufacturing Company, Inc.
InventorAlvin J. Carli
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A limit switch mechanism is disclosed which may be easily moved along a guide channel and actuated by a carriage movable along the guide channel. The limit switch is constructed of only three or four parts for simple and economical manufacture and assembly. The base of the switch is of resilient insulating material to permit the switch base to be snapped onto the guide channel to be resiliently secured in an adjustable position. A bent wire has actuator, actuating, pivot, and retention portions, with the actuating portion actuating the two contacts between closed and open condition. The retention portion retains the bent wire longitudinally of the pivot axis and acts on the guide channel rather than on the base to permit ready assembly of the bent wire onto the base.
Claims23
A switch for actuation by a powered carriage movable along a guide channel, said switch comprising, in combination:
- a base;
- means for attaching said base to the guide channel;
- a contact part and a cooperable contact portion at least one of which is mounted on said base and the other of which is adapted to be supported on either the base or the guide channel;
- means relatively insulating said contact part and said contact portion;
- a bent wire having actuator, actuating, and pivot portions;
- a journal on said base journaling said pivot portion on a pivot axis;
- said actuator portion adapted to be actuated by traverse of the carriage along the guide channel;
- said actuating portion being connected to said actuator portion to be moved with actuated movement of said actuator portion to relatively actuate said contact part and said contact portion between switch-open and switch-closed conditions;
- and
- retention means acting on said bent wire and acting on one of said base and the guide channel to retain said bent wire longitudinally of said pivot axis.
An adjustable switch for an elongated guide channel having a first longitudinal surface and first and second longitudinally extending shoulders on opposite sides thereof,
- said switch comprising, in combination:
- a base;
- first and second contacts at least one of which is mounted on said base for cooperation with the other;
- means mutually insulating said contacts;
- mounting surface means of said base adapted to overlie and engage the first longitudinal surface of the guide channel;
- first and second legs acting on said base and depending on opposite sides of said mounting surface means;
- inturned feet on each of said legs adapted to engage the shoulders on the guide channel to retain the switch base on the guide channel;
- one of said base, legs, and feet being resilient;
- and
- said inturned feet being spaced from said mounting surface means a distance sufficiently small to slightly deform said resilient part upon said feet being engaged with the shoulders of the guide channel and to establish sliding frictional engagement between said switch base and the guide channel for adjustable longitudinal positioning of said switch base therealong.
A switch for actuation by a powered carriage movable along a guide channel, said switch comprising, in combination:
- a base;
- means for attaching said base to the guide channel;
- a contact part of said switch;
- a bent wire having actuating and pivot portions;
- a journal on said base journaling said pivot portion;
- actuator means connected to said pivot portion to be actuated by traverse of the carriage along the guide channel;
- said actuating portion adapted to be moved with actuated movement of said actuator means toward actuation of said switch relative to said contact part;
- and
- retention means to retain said bent wire longitudinally of the pivot axis and acting on one of said base and the guide channel in a plane lying outside of a plane through said base to permit ready assembly of said bent wire and said base.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.