Lever switch with improved actuating member

A lever switch has an actuating member and a cover member to be connected to each other. The actuating member includes first and second slots and notch portions. The cover member includes legs to be engaged with the notch portions of the actuating member. The first slot of the actuating member acts as a guide when it is attached to a mounting rod, and the second slot of the actuating member may support the mounting rod after the actuating member and cover member are connected, whereby the actuating member may be rotatably and removably attached to the mounting rod.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates generally to a lever switch, and more 
particularly to a switch with a separately removable actuating member, 
suitable for use in an electrical musical instrument. 
There has been proposed various switches which have an actuating lever 
rotatably secured to a switch frame by means of a mounting rod. In these 
conventional switches, however, if an actuator lever is required to be 
repaired or replaced, the mounting rod must be removed. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An object of the present invention is to provide a lever switch with 
improved actuating member. 
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide an actuating 
member which can be easily mounted or removed from a mounting rod. 
Another specific object of the present invention is to provide a multiple 
switch with separately removable actuating members mounted on a single 
mounting rod. 
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will hereinafter 
appear.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1, an actuating 
member 10 made of a plastics material has a unitary construction including 
an elongated operating portion 20 and a base portion 30. The base portion 
30 has a bore or cavity 31 for accomodating a cover member 40. A first 
slot 32 and a second slot 33 are formed adjacent one another in each side 
wall 34 of the base portion 30, so that the first slot 32 and the second 
slot 33 are joined with each other. The slots 32 and 33 extend downwardly 
form the top edge of the side wall 34 towards the bottom edge of the side 
wall, but the second slot 33 terminates at an intermediate portion of the 
first slot 32. Notch portions 35 and 35 are formed in the inner surface of 
the respective end walls 36 of the base portion. A pair of bar members 37 
and 37 are formed in each side wall 34 of the base portion 30, and each 
extends transversely across the respective second slot 33 near the top 
edge portion of the side wall 34. The base portion 30 is also provided at 
its rear end with an engaging member 38 to be engaged with an engaging 
portion 82 of an actuator 81 of a switch body 80. The engaging member 38 
consists of upper and lower teeth. 
A cover member 40 made of a resilient plastics material has a unitary 
construction including a projection 41, a pair of legs 42 and 42 each 
extending downwardly from the top edge of the cover member 40 and having a 
hook or shoulder 42' at its lower end that is adapted to snap beneath the 
notch portions 35 of the base portion 30, and a slot 43 being formed in 
each side wall 44 of the cover member 40 to hold a mounting rod 60 after 
being assembled. 
A base plate 50 has an opening 51 for mounting a switch body 80, and a 
bracket 52 stamped out from the opening 53 to form a support for the 
mounting rod 60 extending through an opening 54. Another support at the 
opposite end of the base plate 50 is not shown. Reference numeral 70 
denotes a hair-pin spring for an actuator 81 of the switch body (FIG. 3). 
The switch body 80 is well-known toggle-type switch, which may be used 
independently, having the actuator 81, and an electric circuit (not shown) 
to be switched by the actuator 81 which is pivotably mounted on a casing 
83. The actuator 81 is provided with a cylinder-shape engaging portion 82 
at the end portion thereof. 
For mounting the actuating member 10 on the mounting rod 60, at first, the 
actuating member 10 is brought into the position as shown in FIG. 2a, so 
that the first slot 32 faces the mounting rod 60. Subsequently, the 
actuating member 10 is pressed in the direction of arrow A so that the rod 
60 enters the slots 32 and travels therethrough toward their closed ends 
(FIG. 2b). Then the actuating member 10 is rotated around the rod 60 in 
the direction of arrow B until the operating portion 20 becomes parallel 
to the base plate 50 (FIG. 2c). In this condition, the actuating member 10 
is again pressed in the direction of arrow A so that the engaging member 
38 of the actuating member 10 is brought into the engaging portion 82 of 
the actuator 81 (FIG. 2d). Finally, a projection 41 and a pair of legs 42 
and 42 of the cover member 40 are inserted into the cavity 31 of the base 
portion 30 so as to bring hooks 42' and 42' into engagement with notch 
portions 35 and 35. After having connected the cover member 40 with the 
actuating member 10, as shown in FIG. 3, the actuating member 10 is 
rotatably secured to the mounting rod 60 by means of the second slot 33, 
the projection 41 and the bar portion 37, as well as the slot 43 (not 
shown in FIG. 3) of the cover member 40. 
As best seen from FIG. 3, movement of the operating portion 20 in upward or 
downward direction causes the engaging portion 82 to move the actuator 81 
of the switch body 80 to switch the electric circuit (not shown). 
To remove the actuating member 10 from the mounting rod 60, it can be 
easily accomplished by reversing the steps shown in FIG. 2a to FIG. 2d, 
after removing the cover member 40 from the actuating member 10 by using a 
pertinent tool which can disengage the engagement between leg 42 and notch 
portion 35. 
While the apparatus hereinbefore described is effectively adapted to 
fulfill the objects stated, it is to be understood that it is capable of 
many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and argument 
may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention 
as disclosed in the appended claims.