Did You Know...
...that the x-ray was discovered purely by accident? When German physicist Wilhelm Konrad von Roentgen was experimenting with cathode rays in 1895, he put an activated Crookes tube in a book and went out to lunch. When he returned, he discovered that a key that had also been placed in the book showed up as an image on the developed film!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7271359 | Float switch assembly A fluid height sensor (10) includes a float (14) with an arm (20) fixed to a shaft (40) that extends into a cavity (30) in a housing (12). A switch assembly (32) in the housing includes a switch (50) formed by ... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7148438 | Toggle action lever A lever mounted on a support for pivotal movement between two end positions is acted upon by a toggle spring connected at its opposite ends to the lever and the support to bias the lever away from a centre position of unstable equilibrium towards its two end positio... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7132616 | Electrical wiring device with arc minimizer switch assembly and method An electrical wiring device configured to be disposed in an electrical distribution system including a power source for providing power to a load, including a compact switch assembly. The compact switch assembly includes a rocker assembly, a fixed contact assembly a... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7124490 | Joining of two components in a hot forming process A bushing can be anchored in a sheet steel blank for a cross beam for a vehicle chassis by inserting the bushing into a hole precisely provided in the steel blank, hot forming the steel blank in a die and hardening the hot formed shape steel body in the die. The coo... | 10/24/2006 |
| 7105763 | Switch assembly A switch assembly includes an actuator assembly having a slidably supported pushbutton and a switch mechanism switchable between alternate positions. The pushbutton is biased by a return spring between the pushbutton and a retainer. A pin is received within the retu... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7084725 | Two piece button assembly for circuit interrupting device with reset lockout A manually operated test member for a resettable circuit interrupting device for determining if the circuit interrupting device is operating properly. The test member comprises a button and a support member. The support member is adapted to receive a trunnion and co... | 08/01/2006 |
| 7026564 | Paddle switch assembly A rocker switch assembly includes a switch body, a mounting strap, a frame, and a paddle for actuating the switch between an on and an off position. The paddle has a uni-convex cylindrical exterior surface. The rocker switch assembly further includes a faceplate in ... | 04/11/2006 |
| 6965085 | Push-button switch A push-button switch includes a universal assembly comprising a single body design, a single plunger design, and a single base design to provide various switch options in an overall single package design. The push-button switch of the invention may be operated by ei... | 11/15/2005 |
| 6963041 | Switch actuator assembly A switch assembly includes a switch having an actuator extending from a base that is movable between first and second switch positions. A housing defines an opening in which the switch is seated. A pivot member extends from the control member and is received by a so... | 11/08/2005 |
| 6909060 | Cover for electrical switch A cover for an electrical switch, wherein the electrical switch includes a yoke and a switch handle. In a first embodiment, which is particularly well suited for rocker-type switches, the cover comprises a handle cover sized and shaped to substantially conform to an... | 06/21/2005 |
| 6844509 | Switch device having self-cleaning function A switch device that prevents a contact failure from occurring between electrode contact points by having a self-cleaning function is provided. When a key top 4 is pushed downward, a portion between a winding start end 7b and a winding terminal ... | 01/18/2005 |
| 6486428 | Quick-release switch with forced opening with improved mounting tolerance To improve the possibilities of using a fast-action switch with positive opening, of the end-of-travel type, the switch is equipped with a set of compression springs which cause its moving equipment to rock and with a set of compensating springs which all... | 11/26/2002 |
| 6104306 | Closure-sensitive signalling device with cantilever switch A closure-sensitive signalling device with a cantilever switch responsive to the opening of a folded article such as a business card holder, greeting card, folder, or other article having panels foldable with respect to each other along a fold line. The c... | 08/15/2000 |
| 5998749 | Single throw pump switch A single pole, snap action, sump pump switch is disclosed having a housing containing a single electrically conductive contact arm with a contact mounted on a forward end portion, which arm is pivotally movable between on and off positions. The contact ar... | 12/07/1999 |
| 5349147 | Protection device against water splashes for electric switches and the like A water-splash protected electric switch apparatus which includes a casing of electrically insulating material and fixed contacts housed within the casing. A closure wall sealingly closes off the front of the casing. A pair of control push buttons dispose... | 09/20/1994 |
| 5207317 | Snap-action switch actuator A switch actuator having a bezel, paddle and spring-biased lever. The bezel has a pivot defining a first pivot axis and an outer surface defining a plane. The paddle has an outer surface and an inner surface facing in a direction opposite the outer surfac... | 05/04/1993 |
| 5122626 | Illuminated display push-button switch In a push-button switch in which a switch mechanism switched over on the basis of push-button depression is supported between a pair of split-type switch bases so as to be switchably operated, a falling-off prevention engage portion is formed at an end of... | 06/16/1992 |
| 5107084 | Rocking handle for operating a switch An operating switch has a push button provided in a housing of a switch body for operation when depressed by an operating lever pivoted on the housing. The operation of the push button causes a switch arrangement to be turned by a turning arrangement so t... | 04/21/1992 |
| 5010219 | Push button switch with actuator for applying transverse force to buckling spring A push button switch used for a personal computer or a word processor, which uses a membrane switch in a contact portion. The push button switch comprises a casing, a key top slidably guided along the casing, a contact portion arranged below the key top, ... | 04/23/1991 |
| 4927990 | Spring-biased push-button switch having a spring-loaded tactile feedback feature A push-button switch comprises a fixed electrode; a movable electrode disposed opposite to the fixed electrode; a key housing having a tubular spring retainer, and an annular guide wall surrounding the tubular spring retainer and having a stopping flange,... | 05/22/1990 |
| 4916274 | Snap action sump pump switch A snap action switch is provided with an operating member in the form of an operating lever and a one piece actuating lever with a compression spring interposed therebetween.... | 04/10/1990 |
| 4859820 | Quiet key switch A key switch utilizing a buckling compression spring to move a switch actuator mechanism includes a cylindrical core of resilient material located within an opening formed by the coils of the compression spring to attenuate the acoustical energy generated... | 08/22/1989 |
| 4853505 | Miniature illuminated rocker switch A generally cylindrical lamp of diameter D is provided in a miniature double pole switch case of internal height only 2×D. The movable contact levers are shorter than the length of the switch case cavity and an internal divider wall cooperates with skirt... | 08/01/1989 |
| 4754106 | Double cammed push-button switch and methodology for operation of the same A compact, double-throw double-pole push-button electric switch is comprised of: a base; four electric terminals fixed to the base; a lower spring retainer pivoted on the base; a push-button key slidingly disposed and captively retain within a housing con... | 06/28/1988 |
| 4692572 | Over-center actuator switch An over-center actuator switch assembly includes a U-shaped bracket having a plurality of similar switches mounted in side-by-side relation between the flanges of the bracket. Each actuator has a depressible operator extending into the bracket. An operati... | 09/08/1987 |
| 4640998 | Push button switch with compound contact lever action A reciprocable push button achieves sequential switching (ON/OFF or ON/ON) through a simple coil spring and pivoted contact lever. The push button has depending legs that cooperate with camming means inside the switch case to swing the contact lever from ... | 02/03/1987 |
| 4472615 | Contact switching device A contact switching device has a driving link pivoted on its one end, a spring loaded slide slidably disposed within a longitudinal guide groove disposed on the other end portion of the driving link, a connecting link pivoted at one end on the slide and a... | 09/18/1984 |
| 4366354 | Circuit breaker with improved contact push-off spring A circuit breaker has contacts engageable as a result of manual operation of a toggle mechanism causing the circuit breaker to close and open when the toggle is in an erect and collapsed condition, respectively. A push-off spring is used to bias a moveabl... | 12/28/1982 |
| 4221941 | Rocker switch having improved contact-operating means A general purpose, alternating current wall switch is provided with a rocker handle having an extremely light feel resulting from the fact that the angular distance or throw between the opposite extreme positions thereof is very small, on the order of abo... | 09/09/1980 |
| 4196325 | Sump pump switch A sump pump switch has a swingable insulating yoke carrying flexible contact strips which are pivotally connected to the yoke for relative lateral movement. The movable contacts swingably engage in notches in electric terminal members. Over-center mechani... | 04/01/1980 |
| 3996436 | Snap action switch A double pole snap action switch operable by opposite movements of an operating lever having operating means comprising a bifurcated actuating lever having transversely spaced side legs mounted on a pivot, the free end of the actuating lever having transv... | 12/07/1976 |
