Control assembly for remote switching

For use with an appliance having an operating shaft with a non-circular end section, a control assembly comprising:

• a drive means having a low-speed, high-torque output shaft,
• a coupling member having a first opening complementary to said non-circular end section and adapted to receive the operating shaft, and having a second opening aligned with the first, the second opening and said output shaft being engagable to provide a lost-motion connection that allows the output shaft to engage the second opening over an angular range while still allowing the output shaft to engage and drive the coupling member,
• mounting means for mounting the drive means non-rotatively on the appliance,
• said output shaft being cylindrical with two diametrally opposed longitudinal splines projecting therefrom, the said second opening being circular in section with a diameter greater than the distance between said tops of the splines, and having two inwardly projecting longitudinal ribs sized so as to have mechanical interference with said splines when the output shaft is rotated within said second opening sufficiently far to bring the ribs into contact with the splines.