A 'make-break' switch is a set of three switch blades, where the middle switch alternates contact between the other two blades, "making" contact with one while "breaking" contact with the other.

A make -or- break switch is commonly known as a single pole single pole.
A make-break switch is really a double pole single pole switch.

Then there's those odd switches that are 3 normally open contacts until activated. Then all 3 poles conduct together.

Am I nuts?
I mean single (and double) pole single THROW.

Yeah...all that pole throwing gets confusing...
it's easier to just do it, than think about it
I have heard of a make/break set that needed to MAKE both, then break the first one, anybody seen this in action?
By that I mean, n.c. stays closed until the n.o. makes also, THEN the n.c. opens...so, both switches are closed till the throw reaches the end.

It depends on the game and what the switch does. Sometimes having all 3 conductors shorted in travel may blow a fuse or cause undesired operation.

I usually set the make-break so one side opens before the other side closes.

Me too. makes the most sense. like you stated, depends on the machine, and what the original intention was.

Hi BrandyMB, Dr_of_Style, SteveFury +
Sometimes I wonder about "Why is a "Coin Lockout Coil" not be called: a "Stop-CoinLockout-Coil" ?
Sometimes I wonder about " Why is a "M&B-Switch" not be called "B&M-Switch" ?

A M&B-Switch can be called a 1times2-Switch (the middle blade (1) does have 2 positions to have contact). I can buy (shops in Switzerland like "Radio-Shack (USA)"): 1times2, 2times2, 3times2, 4times2, 6times2, 4times3, 3times4, 2times6 (and multiples like 12times2, 8times3, 6times6). These more complex switches are to turn / step -> -> -> (clockwise) and to step back (counterclockwise).

Such switches I use when I want to alter a EM a bit.
The shop I buy such switches offers "cheap" switches - and "expensive switches". The difference is: The expensive switches are garanteed "Brake and afterwards Make" - The "cheap" switches might have a short period of time of "closed onto two sides".

Do You know an example (pin) that NEEDS the N.C-Part (of the switch) to open - AFTER the N.O.-Part has closed ? Is this visible in the schema ? Greetings Rolf

Hi Rolf
The only time i have seen it, was on a bowler. And I quickly got over it.
No, the schematic did not reflect that. that's how I was fooled. It looked just like any other m&b.
I know what you mean by cheap switches closing both contacts briefly. that can be maddening if your not ready for it.

Wouldn't a make/break be a single pole double throw?

Yes.

A "Make" switch a normally open single pole single throw.
A "Break" switch a normally closed single pole single throw.

Some machines use a different kind of switch with 3 normally open conductors. When activated, the 3 conductors all short together.

Hi Mark +
pinwiki.com has a link to a nice article -> http://www.pinwiki.com/wiki/ -> EM Games (Electromechanical) http://www.pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=EM_Repair (it-self it is very good) -> (Contents: 4.1.1 Schematics) -> http://www.pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=EM_Repair#Schematics and in the very first sentence the hint to -> http://tuukan.fliput.net/emkytkis_en.html -> "Our" Make-and-Brake-Switch is (there) called "Changeover-Switch".

SteveFury (post-12) "Switch with 3 normally open conductors" - "tuukan" names it "Two switches closing at same time": My "Williams Big Deal" has such a switch on the Replay-Unit: I push the Replay-Button -> the "Replay-step-down Coil" fires -> plunger -> mechanic -> the switch closes TEMPORARY -> "Replay-step-down Coil" stops firing -> this switch opens again. In the schema (ipdb) the switch is drawn at schema-E-3.

Dr_of_Style, that "Make -> Closed-to-both-sides -> Break" switch on that "Bowler pin" (Your post-9) - with some fantasy / imagination I can create a "way of use" of such a "type of switch": A "relay to fall" mounted in a "Relay-Bank" has such a switch. The middle blade has no wire soldered-on - the middle blade only temporarely makes contact "Left-(Middle)-Right" when beeing "falling". Greetings Rolf

Hi folks
I refer to the question "Make and Break Switch - the way it should work", post-5 to -9, -13.
We believe: "MBSw-normal*** - The middle contact/blade first "opens the connection-to-left-blade" - after a short period of time/travel (NO CONNECTIONS) the middle contact/blade THEN "closes to right-blade".
Dr_of_Style mentioned (post-9) "in a bowler seen once: In "Switch-movement" a short period of time/travel EVERYTHING (all 3 blades) have connection" - MBSw-strange*** .
I've found a nice example to that - my "Shangri-La" ...

Here - http://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=2110&picno=20169 : The "red bumper unlit" gives 1 point, it gives "10 points when lit". The red Rollover-Button above the red bumper always give 1 point.
The first time the ball rolls over the (red) Rollover-Button will light-up the red Bumper for the "rest of lifetime of the ball", the red bumper changes from 1 point to 10 points.

When the ball "strongly / heavily / long-time" rolls over the Rollover-Button: 1 point is given (and the bumper is lighted).
When the ball just (slightly, kind of grace shot) rolls over the Rollover-Button: The bumper is lighted - BUT the 1 point (for rolling over the Rollover-Button) IS NOT given ...

Williams made a funny solution - http://mirror2.ipdb.org/files/2110/Williams_1967_Shangri_La_Schematic_Diagram_paginated.pdf -> page-6, schema around (22 /) 23: The "Left R.O. Switch" closes, current flows to "Coil of No-1-Red-Relay", the relay pulls and acts the "Make and Brake Switch on No-1-Red-Relay" -> current can flow to "Coil of 1 Point Relay (schema around 23).

Conclusion: THIS "Make and Break Switch" should be adjusted MBSw-strange*** (rather than MBSw-normal). Greetings Rolf