Editing Gold crosspoint (section)

== Description ==
[[File:Crosspoint prisms.svg|thumb|right|Gold-plated prisms are making contact]]
An electrical '''gold crosspoint''' contact is made of two narrow gold-alloy or gold-plated members in a crosswise arrangement such that contact is guaranteed to be quickly made in a single point, with only little grinding, short bounce times and low contact resistance. The smallness of the contact area permits only low currents, limiting the application to the switching of small signals. Such cross contacts can be constructed either directly by shaping the contact members as rods or ridges and arranging them crosswise (as it was done for the [[Siemens STB]] switches) or indirectly by attaching a tiny metal strip or prism to each of the contact leaves such that these strips are arranged crosswise (as it is typical for [[Cherry]] switches).

The cross contact concept is known since the early days of electromechanical engineering. Also the allegedly "Cherry design first" golden prisms trick is an old one.
In 1930, Western Electric filed three patents on the manufacturing of such contacts.<ref name="WE" />