Importance

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Abstract

An improved operator assembly for a rocker switch having a switch contact member movable relative to fixed contacts. Movement of an inner rocker moves the switch contact to turn the switch on and off. An outer rocker is located adjacent the inner rocker. The rockers are normally coupled by an inserted safety key for common movement. The rockers include stop components interengagable when the outer rocker is moved manually without a key toward a position corresponding to the off position of the switch, for example. The stop components are not interengagable when the outer rocker is moved toward a position which would turn the switch on. With this arrangement, when the key is removed with the switch on, the outer rocker can be manually operated to turn off the switch. However, if the switch is off, manual operation of the outer rocker in the opposite direction will not be accompanied by movement of the inner rocker and consequently the switch cannot be turned on. The position of the inner rocker is reversible so that the opposite function can be achieved, that is, the outer rocker can then be operated to turn on a switch that is off, but it cannot be operated to turn off a switch that is on.

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First Claim