US Patent 7304560 Safety switches

A safety switch includes a switch member and a push rod is pivotably connected to an inside of the switch member. A biasing member pushes the push rod toward a stop rod extending from the inside of the switch member. A bi-metallic contact plate has a first end fixed to one of two terminals and a contact portion splits from the contact plate. A first contact point is connected to an underside of the contact portion and a second contact point is connected to the other terminal. A free end of the contact portion is connected with a free first end of a spring member and a second end of the spring member is connected to the contact plate. When overloaded, the contact portion and the spring member move clockwise to cut off the circuit while the push rod does not stop the clockwise movement of the spring member.