Patent attributes
A control includes a drum (36) that is rotatably mounted in a housing (22), and includes devices for generating signals to indicate the direction in which the drum is turning and for generating signals to indicate which end of the drum is depressed. A gear (100) is fixed to the drum, and as the drum rotates a deflectable contact element (T6) is repeatedly deflected by teeth of the gear to repeatedly engage a stationary contact (T4, T5). The deflectable contact element is in the form of a wire with a deflectable part (104) deflected by gear teeth, a mount part (110) mounted on the housing, and a contacting part (108) that repeatedly engages the stationary contact, all being part of the wire. Depression of one end of the drum results in depression of a corresponding end of a sheet metal trigger member (30) that is free to snap down against a stationary contact (T2, T3). Stationary contacts that are repeatedly contacted, are in the form of wires with fixed first end and with free or fixed second ends.
