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The toggle light switch was invented in 1916 by William J. Newton. [2] As a component of an electrical wiring or home wiring system, the installation of light switches is regulated by some authority concerned with safety and standards. In different countries the standard dimensions of the wall mounting hardware (boxes, plates, etc.) may differ.
A common application is in lighting, where it allows the control of lamps from multiple locations, for example in a hallway, stairwell, or large room. In contrast to a simple light switch, which is a single pole, single throw (SPST) switch, multiway switching uses switches with one or more additional contacts and two or more wires are run ...
There are many different kinds of DIP switches. Some of the most common are the slide, rocker, piano (side), and rotary types. Slide / rocker / piano DIP switches are commonly available in 1 to 12 contacts (positions) SPST, [4] [5] though some are available as special order up to 30 contacts (positions).
Switches can be designed to respond to any type of mechanical stimulus: for example, vibration (the trembler switch), tilt, air pressure, fluid level (a float switch), the turning of a key , linear or rotary movement (a limit switch or microswitch), or presence of a magnetic field (the reed switch). Many switches are operated automatically by ...
A Single-Pole, Single-Throw (SPST) mercury switch on millimetre graph paper, device length approximately 1.5 cm Another mercury switch design. A mercury switch is an electrical switch that opens and closes a circuit when a small amount of the liquid metal mercury connects metal electrodes to close the circuit.
Power On (IEC 60417-5007) and Power Off (IEC 60417-5008) symbols are used to indicate positions of the rocker switch Power button marked with Standby symbol (IEC 60417-5009) turns the device on or off without fully disconnecting power supply. A power symbol is a symbol indicating that a control activates or deactivates a particular device.
In miniature machine construction, the cam switch probably did not appear until the early 1930s. In 1931 the American company General Electric GE released their switch SBl, a 20A auxiliary current control switch, basically a miniaturized image of the large main current control switches. The devices had simple interruption and silver crossover ...
The infinite switch itself was described in a 1975 patent of George F. Esker Jr. and Otto J. Cousins of the Harper Wyman Company. This switch would reset itself as the bi-metallic strip cooled, provided a cycle of calibrated opening and closing. It also provided an indicator light that remained on as long as the knob was not in the closed position.