US1135311A

US1135311A - Automatic switch for controlling lights.

Info

Publication number: US1135311A
Application number: US82463614A
Authority: US
Inventors: Louis A Meyers
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1914-03-14
Filing date: 1914-03-14
Publication date: 1915-04-13
Anticipated expiration: 1932-04-13

Description

L. A. MEYERS. AUTOMATIC SWITCH FOR CONTRdLLING LIGHTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14. 1914.

msmmm Patented M1213, 1915.

fwvewfam' THE NDRRIS PETERS C0,, FHDTIPLITHOU WASHINGION. D. C-

LOUIS A. MEYERS,

0F SAUK CENTER, MINNESOTA.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH FOR CONTRQLLING LIGHTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 19115..

Application filed March 14, 1914. Serial No. 824,636.

To all 1071 0m it may, concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs A. MEYERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sauk Center, in the county of Stearns and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Switches for Controlling Lights, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to automatic switches for controlling lights, and has for its object to provide a switch which shall control the circuit of an electric lamp situated in the basement or closet.

It is the object of my invention to provide means for automatically breaking the lamp circuit when the door is closed and closing the circuit to cause the lamp to operate when the door is open.

It is a further object of my invention to provide means which will prevent the closing of the door from disconnecting the circuit when it is desired to have the lamp continue to burn when the door is closed; and yet which, after a subsequent opening of the door, will be rendered inoperative so that when the door is again closed the light will be extinguished.

It is a further object of my invention to provide means for cutting the lamp out of operation entirely so that when the door is left open the light will not be burning, as in the daytime or at other times when it is desired to leave the door open and have the light turned off.

The full objects and advantages of my invention will appear in connection with the detailed description thereof and are particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, illustrating the application of my invention in one form, Figure 1 is a plan view of my apparatus showing the door open when the parts are in normal position. Fig. 2 is a similar view when the door is closed, showing the manner of breaking the circuit. Fig. 3 is a view with the door open when the mechanism has been operated and set so as to prevent breaking oi the circuit when the door is closed. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the door closed with the lights on, and the parts positioned so that when the door is opened again all the parts will return to normal position and another closing of the door will break the circuit and extinguish the light.

As illustrated, there is shown a plate 10 having walls 11 and a cover 12 which is shown broken away or removed in all of the figures. The plate 10, walls 11 and cover 12 comprise a casing to be secured to the wall of a building in which the switch mechanism is housed. A pivot post 13 is rigidly secured to the plate 10 and has pivotally mounted thereon a piece 14. The piece 14 has secured to one side thereof a pair of

spring contacts

15, 16 insulated from one another in the usual way and connected with

wires

17, 18 in a lamp circuit. The spring 15 is longer than the spring 16 and normally engages a pusher 19 on the end of a rod 20 mounted to slide in

guides

21, 22 on the plate 10. The rod 20, as clearly indicated, extends through an aperture or slot in a wall 11 and has at its extended end a buffer head 23 adapted to be engaged by the inner side 24 of the door. The spring 16 is provided with a contact point 25, while the spring 15 has a complemental contact socket 26. The spring 16 is so positioned relative to spring 15 and pusher rod 19 that the

contacts

25 and 26 will normally be in engagement whenever the spring 15 is free to move the piece 14 or when the rod 20 will permit the springs to take their maximum movement for projecting the pusher rod 23, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. This takes place, of course, whenever the door is open. When the door is closed the action of the pusher rod 20. by reason of the engagement ofthe head 23 by the door, will move spring 15 and cause the same to bend, as indicated in Fig. 2, so as to break the engagement of the

contacts

25, 26 unless the piece 14 is free to move on its pivot 13 under the influence of spring 15. Movement of piece 14 is normally restrained by a latch 27 engaging in a notch 28 on piece 14. The latch 27 has pivoted thereto a push rod 29 which extends through the lower side wall 11 and has a thumb piece 30 on the head thereof.

A spring 31 surrounding the push rod 29 between a shoulder 32 thereon and a fixed guide 33 on the plate 10 operates normally to swing the latch on its pivot 34 so as to cause the same to enter the notch 28. A spring 35, secured at its respective ends to the piece 14 and the plate 10, operates to hold the spring 15 in engagement with pusher head 19, but since spring 15 is stronger than spring 35, when the spring 15 is actuated by pusher rod 20 it will rock the piece 14 against the force of spring 35 1111- less the piece 14 is restrained by the latch 27. The latch 27 is provided with a fiat head 36 and a projecting end 37. A" pivoted trigger 38 has a portion thereof surrounding the pusher rod 20 and engaged by a spring 39 so as to force said portion against a shoulder 40 on the rod 20, said spring engaging at its other side the guide 22 fast on plate 10. It will be apparent, therefore, that as pusherrod 20 is operated inwardly by closing of'the' door the shoulder 40 in opposition to spring 39 will move thefing'er or latch 38'away-from-head 37, while when the door opens and rodi'20 is pushed outwardly by spring 15, thespring 39 will tend tomove the finger 38 in the opposite. direction. When the latch 27 is normally positioned, the finger 38 will engage the face-36 and be inoperative. But when, with the door open, the latch 27 is swu'ng on its pivotz84, by means of the push rod 29 the finger-3S will be brought beneath the end 37' of latch-27', as indicated in Fig.3, and the latch will be held out of the n0tch 28; In this: condition,

when the door closesithe piece 14 will rock with the. spring'15 and the contact will not be brokemas clearly shown in Fi'g. 4i But the shoulder 40 on rod 20 will. actuate the latch 38 so as to withdraw the same from.

beneath theend 37, when the'spring 31 will swing the latch so thatithei toe thereof'will engage the endpie'ce' 14 adjacent notch 28.- When, therefore, the door'is again opened, permittingspringl5 to swing inwardly following pusher head 19 and rod 20, the piece 14 will be returned to. normal position and the latch 27 will" again drop into the notch 28,-so that subsequent closing of the door will break the connection" and extinguish the light, the same as would be the case if the pusherrod" 29 had not been operated. But, during the daytime or at other times, it may be undesirable td have the light come: into operation whenever the door is opened. In basements particularly it Wouldbe objectionableto have'the'lights turned on every time the basement" door is opened during daylight. To obviate-this diliiculty I carry the cricuit through switch plates 41. and 42 operated by a rectangular rotary member 43, having on the end thereof outside of cover 12 a thumb'piece 44. By this means the circuit normally extending through the

members

15 and 16 controlled by the operating devices above described maybe broken so that said operating devices will have no efiect'up'on' the light. l

The advantages of my invention .will be apparent. The lighting and extinguishing of the lamp is' so'controlled by the opening andv closing 'of'the' door that one. cannot leave the roomdn which'a light has" been put 1am operation and" closethe' door after him. without "extinguishing tlielight. This is: equally true whether the light is allowed to burn only while the door is open, or whether the apparatus is operated so that the light will continue to burn after the door is closed. This device can be cheaply made, and in stalled as readily as any common switch.

I claim:

1. An electric switch comprising circuit breaking members, means controlled by the opening and closing of the door for operating said members to break the circuit when the door is closed and to open the circuit when the door is opened, means for rendering said operating means inoperative when the door is closed, and means for thereafter causing said operating means to become operative when the door is again opened.

An electric switch comprising circuit breaking members, a pusher having one end engaging one of said members and the other end positioned to be engaged by the door, means supporting said members and capable of movement therewith when the pusher is actuated by closing of the door, said circuit breaking members being held in contact to keep the circuit closed when the supporting member is free to move therewith, and controllable: means for restraining said supporting member from such movement.

3. electric switch comprising circuit breaking members, a pusher having one end engaging one of said members and the other end positioned to be engaged by the door, means supporting said members and capable of movement therewith when the pusher is actuated by closing of the door, said circuit breaking members being held in contact to keep the circuit'closed when the supporting member is free to move therewith, controllable means for restraining said supporting member from such movement, means for rendering said restraining means inoperative, and means controlled by closing of the door for. causing said restraining means to become operative when the door is again opened.

4. An electric switch comprising a pair of spring members normally in contact to close an electric circuit, a pusher having one end engaging one of said members and the other end positioned to be engaged by the door when the same is closed, a pivoted piece supporting said members and adapted to be oscillated therewith when the pusher is actuated by closing of the door, and handcontrolled means for restraining said piece from such oscillation.

5.. An electric, switch comprising a pair of spring members normally in contact to close an electric circuit, a' pusher having one end engaging one, of said members and the other end positioned to be engaged by the door when the same is closed, a' pivoted piece supporting said members. and adapted to be controlled therewith when the pusher is ac:

tuated by closing of the door, a latch for restraining said piece from oscillation, a thumb piece to actuate said latch for Withdrawing the same, and means controlled by movement of the pusher for holding the latch inoperative.

6. An electric switch comprising a pair of spring members normally in contact to close an electric circuit, a pusher having one end engaging one of said members and the other end positioned to be engaged by the door when the same is closed, a pivoted piece supporting said members and adapted to be controlled therewith when the pusher is actuated by closing of the door, a latch for restraining said piece from oscillation,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the a thumb piece to actuate said latch for withdrawing the same, a spring controlled member adapted to engage a portion of the latch and hold the same inoperative when the latch has been actuated by the thumb piece, and means on the pusher for actuating the spring controlled member to release the latch when the pusher is actuated by closing of the door.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS A. MEYERS.

H; A. BOWMAN.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.