US1086661A - Electric switch. - Google Patents

Description

G. W. GOODRIDGE.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED FEB,28.1913

1,086,661 Patented Feb 10, 1914.

UNITED STATES PAENT OFFICE GILBERT W. GOODRIDG-E, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE BRYANT ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CON- NECTICUT.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Patented Feb. 10, 19114.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, GILBERT W. Goonmnon, acitizen of the United States of America, and residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement iii-Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electric switches and particularly to electric switches for electric lamp sockets, the object of my invention being to provide an improved mechanism to effect a wide double break while at the same time being sufficiently compact to be readily placed within the limited confines of an electric lamp socket and to be operated by a quarter turn of theusual socket key.

In the illustrative embodiment of my invention shown on the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical section through an electric lamp socket; Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively plan views of the inner faces of the two insulating buttons which form the body of the socket; Fig. 4 is a section through the body on the line fr-*4: Fig. 3, and

drawn to a smaller scale; Fig. 5 is a brokenelevation of the socket body; Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the switch mechanism alone, shown in a different position from that illustrated in Fig. 1; and Fig. 7

, is a detached perspective of the switch mechanism.

As here shown the present switch is embodied in an electric lamp socket comprising the usual cap 10 and shell 11 through which projects the switch key 12 and within which the usual insulating lining 13 is provided.

The body of the socket, which may be of any suitable construction in insulating material, here comprises two buttons A and B of porcelain .or the like, recessed on their juxtaposed faces to form a switch chamber C. The

upper button A is grooved on its upper face to permit the wires to be .led to the wire terminals 14 and 15 let into recesses on the periphery of the insulating body.

The terminal 14 is preferably made in tegral with the crescent shaped plate 16 which overlies the base flange of the screw shell terminal 17 of the lamp socket and is held in place by the screw bolts 18 which pass longitudinally through both buttons thus holding the latter together in assembled condition as well as securing the shell terminal and wire terminal 1 1 in position thereon.

It will be noted from Fig. 4 that the juxtaposed faces of the buttons meet to form ,a separate chamber D for the wire terminal 14 thus electrically insulating the latter from the switch chamber C and minimizing the danger of arcing and of accidental short circuit through the entry of wire beards into the switch chamber.

The other wire terminal 15 is carried by the button B to which it is secured by the screw 19 passing through its base and at the same time clamping beneath the latter one end of the spring metal switch terminal 20. The free end of the switch terminal projects into the switch chamber and faces the cooperating switch terminal 21, also of spring metal. The "terminal 21 enters the switch chamber through the hole 22 in the button B, and is preferably made integral with the center lamp contact 23 so both are secured in position by the single rivet 24.

The-switch mechanism proper is mounted in the switch chamber on a rigid frame 25, here shown substantially in the shape of a figure 4, with the horizontal arm perforated and threaded to receive the securing screw 26. The uprights 27, 28, are perforated in register to form bearings for the switch spindle 29 on the outer end of which is secured the operating key 12. The hub of the latter abuts the upright 27 on one side, while a cotter pin 30 or the like passed through the spindle abuts the other side of the upright, thus holding the spindle against longitudinal displacement in assembled condition. A cam piece 31 is mounted on the squared end 32 of the spindle so as to rotate therewith. v

The oscillatingis'witch piece 33 is formed as a stirrup pivoted at its open end on the lugs 34, on the upright 28 of the frame. In the on position of the switch, the closed end of the stirrup lies between and electrically connects the contacts 20, 21 thus establishing the circuit through the lamp. It

is thrown to the off position by the com pression spring 35, coiled on the plunger 36 and hearing at one end through the washer 37 on the cross bar of the stirrup (through the perforation 38 in which the plunger is free to project) and at the other end against the slide 39, in the recess 10 of which the head 41 of the plunger is pivoted. The slide 39, which bears against the upright 28, has at one end a lugl42 angled through the slot 43 in the uprig t and engaged in the cam groove 44 in one face of the cam piece 31. Guide arms 45 on the frame embrace the slide and not only guide the latter, but by reason of the fact that they also embrace'the boss 46 on button A, they hold the frame from any tendency to swivel on the screw 26. As the cam is rotated the slide is moved vertically 'in one direction or the other thereby not only increasing slightly the initial tension of the spring 35, but shifting the slide end of the spring past the center of oscillation of the switch piece and thus subjecting the latter to the pressure of the spring in a direction to throw the switch piece in a direction opposite to its preceding oscillation. Inasmuch as the travel of the slide from mid-position at one side of the cam groove to either end is-suflicient to impart the requisite vertical. movement to the slide through the axis of oscillation, it is obvious that but a quarter turnbf the key 12 is sufficient to operate the switch, and the key thus serves in a general wa to indicate. the on or off positio'n o the switch. Again, inasmuch as the cam groove is symmetrical, the key may be turned in either direction to operate the switch. These fea tures are of considerable practical importance and constitute a valuable improvement over the mechanisms heretofore employed to operate switch pieces of this character in which the key has to be turned a half rotation to insure the operation of the switch.

Various other embodiments of my invention will readily suggest themselves and I do not limit myself to the precise structure shown and described.

I claim as my invention 1. An electric switch mechanism comp-rising an oscillating switch piece, a spring fqr imparting a quick throw to the latter, a switch spindle and means operative upon a quarter turn of the latter to shift one end of the switch spring past the axis of oscillation of the switch piece for the purpose described.

2. An electric switch mechanism compris ing an oscillating switch picce, a movable switch spring abutment and a switch spring arranged between said abutment and the switch piece to impart a'quick throw to the latter, in combination with a switch spindle and means operative upon a quarter turn of the latter to shift said spring abutment past the axis of oscillation of the switch piece, for the purpose described.

3. An electric switch mechanism comprising an oscillating switch piece, a slide abutment, and a switch spring arranged between said switch piece and slide, in combination with a switch spindle and means operated thereby for shifting said slide to move the abutting end of said switchsprmg past the axis of oscillation of the switch piece.

4. An electric switch mechanism comprising an oscillating switch piece, a slide abut ment, and a switch spring arranged between said switch piece and slide, in combination with a switch spindle and means operative upon the quarter tum of said spindle for shifting said slide to move the abutting end of said switch spring past the axis of oscillation of the switch piece.

'5. An electric switch mechanism comprising an oscillating switch piece, a spring lying and moving -in a plane at right angles to the axis of oscillation of said switch piece,

a switch spindle also lying in a plane at an angle to said axis of oscillation of the switch piece, and means in connection with said spindle for shifting one end of said switch spring in the plane of the spring fromone side to the other of said axis of oscillation of the switch piece, for the purpose described.

6. An electric switch mechanism comprisin an oscillating switch piece, a spring lying and moving in a plane at right angles to the axis of oscillation of said switch piece, a freely rotatable switch spindle also lying in a plane at an angle to said axis of oscillation of the switch piece, and means in connection with the rotation in either direction of said spindle for shifting one end of said switch spring in the plane of the spring from one side to the other of said axis of oscillation of the switch piece, for the purpose described.

7. An electric switch mechanism comprising an oscillating switch piece, a slide abutment and a switch spring arranged between said switch piece and slide, in combination with a switch spindle, a cam thereon and an operative engagement between said cam and slide for shifting the-latter to move the abutting end of the switch spring past the axis of oscillation of the switch piece, for the purpose described.

8. An electric switch mechanism comprising an oscillating switch piece, a slide ab'utment and a switch spring arranged between said switch piece and slide, in combination with a switch spindle, a cam thereon and an engagement between said cam and slide operative upon a quarter turn of the switch spindle to shift the slide sufliciently to move the abutting end of the switch spring past the axis of oscillation of the switch piece, for the purpose described.

9. An electric switch mechanism comprising an oscillating switch piece, a spring for imparting a quick throw to the latter, a movable abutment for one end of said spring, a switch spindle lyin .at' an angle to the axis of oscillation 0 said switch piece, and cam means on said spindle for moving said abutment to shift the end of said spring past the axis of oscillation c f the switch piece, for the purpose describec It). An electric switch mechanism comprising an oscillating switch piece, a spring for imparting a quick throw to the latter, a movable abutment for one end of said spring, a switch spindle lying at an angle to the axis of oscillation of said switch piece, and cam means on said spindle for moving said abutment and operative upon a quarter turn of the spindle to shift the end of said spring past the axis of oscillation of the switch piece, for the purpose described.

ll. An electr c switch mechanism comprising an oscillating switch piece, a spring tor imparting a quick throw to the latter, a movable abutment for one end of said spring, a. switch spindle lying at an angle to the axis of oscillation of said switch piece, and cam means on said spindle for moving said abutment. and operative upon a quarter turn of the spindle in either direction to shift the end of said spring past the axis of oscillation of the switch piece, substantially as described.

12. An electric switch mechanism comprising an oscillating switch piece, a spring for imparting a quick throw to the latter, an abutment for one end of the latter moving in a plane at an angle to the axis of oscillation oi the switch piece, a switch spindle and means in connection therewith for moving said abutment to shift the end of said spring past the axis of oscillation of the switch piece, {or the purpose described.

13. An electric switch mechanism comprising an oscillating switch piece, a spring for imparting a quick throw to the latter, an abutment for one end of the latter moving in a plane at an angle to the axis ol' us cillation of the switch piece, a switch spindle and means operative upon a quarter turn of said spindle for moving said abutment to shift the end of said spring past the axis of oscillation of the switch piece, for the pur pose described.

14. An electric switch mechanism comprising an oscillating switch piece, a spring for in'iparting a quick throw to the latter, an abutment for one end of the latter moving in a plane at an angle to the axis of oscillation of the switch piece, a switch spindle and means operative upon a quarter turn in either direction of said spindle for moving said abutment to shift the end of said spring past the axis of oscillation of the switch piece, for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GILBERT W. (ROUDRIDGE.

\Vitnesses WALTER ABBE, L. H. GROTE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0.

Images