A 'normal' GH universal plate cut-out is designed to allow multiple switch positions in the same opening. This makes the plates cheaper for all AND more flexible for each builder. However, they are not all free beer and skittles.
Universal plate openings reduce the support, and therefore stiffness, of each switch. The more sides of the switch that are supported, the better. Leaving those missing edges in place, while allowing for easy removal, should improve stiffness for the switches that would otherwise just float.
In theory, you could cut one long opening for every row, and just let the switches slide around. This would sort-of work, but would have two downsides. First, all but the end switches would be wiggly side-to-side. Second, the plate itself would become significantly weaker in both normal use AND in shipping. This latter issue is also visible in the slots we cut for spacebar stabilizer bars already, and that was the first place I used the little crossbars.
The GH-36 is small enough that this probably doesn't really matter, but it shouldn't hurt, it might help, and it is a WAY cheaper place to experiment than on a full-size GH-122.2016 plate.
In addition to the issues above, those little bars enable universal cut-outs to go around corners, as would be required for a universal ANSI/ISO plate.
Does that explain it?
- Ron | samwisekoi