US1184183A - Switch. - Google Patents

Description

A-i A. KENT.

swncn. APPLlCATi-ON FILED DEC. 7. 1908 @md May 23, A1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET INVENTOR ATTORNEY WHWESSES A. KENT.

SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 7l 1908.

Patented May 23, 1916 2 SHEETssHEET-z.

nxxmwN INVENTOR ATTORNEY UNITED sTATns raajnrir oFF-ion..

ARTHUR ATWATER KENT, or riiinannnrrrn, PENNSYLVANIA.

S/VITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

rateetea May 23, 1916.

Original application led February 25, 1908, Serial No. 417,718. Dividecland this application led December To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR ATwATnr KENT, a. citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switches, of which the following is a full,

clear, and y*exact disclosure.

My invention relates to electrical switches, and especially to that class of devices which ,gre used on the sparking circuits of combus- @ftion engines for automobiles, motor-boats,

` dated November 5, 1912.

aoy

My invention consistsof a circuit closing device adapted to control or connect or open 0r close a plurality of electrical circuits by means'of a single hand-operated member which, by its motion in one direction is adapted vto close a plurality of circuits, and when released, cuts out one or'inore of the circuits which it previously closed.

My invention is especially applicable to the controlling of sparking circuits of multiple-cylinder internal combustion engines in which each cylinder is put, at the proper time by a distribnter, into circuit with a contact device or timer for the purpose of causing a spark in the proper cylinder. In such circuits itis usual to have a contact device or timer-mechanically connected with the crank shaft'rof the engine, and the said device is operated thereby to intermittently make and break the circuit at the proper time. After the engine has been once .started the circuit is automatically and intermittently opened and closed through the said contact device or timer. The diliiculty with such systems Ahas been that after the engine has stopped, some special provision has to be made tov make the first spark to .plode the charge in the proper. cylinder. in-

asmuch as, when the engine is stopped, the circuit 1s usually broken at the tuner. lo

' do this I have provided a switch for the primary of the sparking circuit to prevent waste ofthe current 1n the primary c1r.

Serial No. 466,232.

.cuit whenever the engine is stopped -in such a position as to close the timer.

By my invention a single switch may be used to cause the first spark and to open and close the circuit.

The objects of my invention are to provide a simple, inexpensive, and durabledevice for opening and closing one or a plurality of circuits; to provide a device which till close a starting circuit, and a sparking circuit substantially simultaneously; to construct a combined switch and starting device so that the circuits may be controlled by a gie hand or mechanically operated movable member; to operate the said device so that the movement which closes the switch also closes a second or starting circuit; to provide a. device in which the closing of the sparliing circuit is auton'iatically eiiected by circuit through the the same act as that which closes the run-- vning circuit; to cause the device to automatil cally cut out all but one circuit as soon as the movable or operating. member of the switch is released after the switch is closed; and to cause the said movable or switch-operating member after the main current has been closed to auton'iati'cally move to a position out of engagement with all contacts in the switch except those through which the main circuit is closed.

Other objects of my invention will appear in the specification below.

In. the drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in 'which the same reference characters are used to refer to the saine parts throughout the various views, Figure l. is a plan view, with thevcover removed, of my switch, connected with an electrical circuit containing a mechanical contact device or timer, an induction coilv and a battery, the parts being in the position they occupy when the circuit through the timer is broken. 2 is like view of the same with the circuits closed through and also around the timer, a part of the switch member being shown broken away to ,expose the starter. Fig. is a view similar to Fig. l with the parte in the .:mtive position they assuine when the handle is released after having been moved to the positions shown in Fi 2. l? t is a sectional view on the line 4 -i of Fig 2. is a jtiierspective View of a detail of construction. 6 is plan view, partly in section, et the plugafor cutcontact device or timer which is diagrammatically shown as comprising a ratchet wheel 53, connected in any suitable manner' to be rotated from the crank shaft of the engine (not shown) which ratchet. wheel when put Ain motion in the direction of the arrow, engages a resilient contact arm 54 carrying 'contact point 55 and intermittently -makes and breaks the'circuit betweengthe said contact points 52 and From the arm 54 a lead 56 extends to the binding-post 3 5 through a suitable hole 57 in the base 1 of the casing, From the binding-post'33 a lead 58 passing through a hole 59 is also connected to the stationary contact point 52 of the timer. rlhe secondary winding 60 ot' the induction coil is shown as having its terminals connected to a spark plug 61. y

The' operation of my device is as follows:

When stopped the Lparts are in the positions shown in Fig. 1, the handle 3l to the right,

. the bar 15 against the toppin 10 and out of contact with the switclrcontact 12 and the contact-points 52 -and 55 'or the timer also out of engagement. To start the engines, that is to say to close the circuit and 'y cause ,the irst spark in the spark plug (3l the handle 31 ispressed to the left.- rlhis causes the lever 23A-to turn on its pivot 24,

against the tension of the spring 27 until the other-end of the elongated slot 2G engages the pin 25, when the bar l5 is carried .along with the lever 23 and its inner end rides up` over the beveled'end 13 of the contact `12 and closes the circuit through the p switch. As long vas the contact-points 52 and l are separated nc current can 'tlow l through the :coil 50. As the handle 31 is pressed further to thelett the contact point 29 on the lever 23 engages the contact- 34 on the plate 32 land the current vFlows from battery 48 lead L19e/oil 50, lead 51, lead 53, plate 32, contact points 34, 29, bar 15, plate 12,

and lead 46.back to battery'48. At the same time that the Contact points 29 and 34 engage, the rounded head 30 ot the pin 25 will register with the countersunk hole 11 in the plate 8 and will be-thrust'into it under the action of the spring 20 thus locking the bar 15 in the position shown iii-Figs. 2 and 3.

' As soon as the handle 31 is'released, however, thespri'ng 27. swings the lever 23 back timer.

The' operation oitmydevice would be lslightly'diierent if theftension of the spring' to the position shown in Fig. 3 thus separating the . platinum contacts 29 and 34 and causing a spark in the plug 61. This spark causes the first explosionin the engine vwhich begins to turn and consequently rotate the ratchet wheel53, making and breaking the circuitattheV contact points 52 and 55 of the 27 vwere su'tlleientlygreat to carry the bar 15 withthe'lever 23 when the handle is pressed t0 .the left, in which case thelever 23 would not turn on its pivot 24 until the head 30 of the pin 25-'was forced into the countersunk hole 11`- of the plate Sand the bar 15 locked in the position shown in Fig. 2.

Then a Jfurther pressure on the handle 31 would cause the lever 23 to swing on its pivot 24, and the contact points 29 and 34 to be brought together.

ltis, of course, obvious that if the first spark -r'ails to start the engine, the contacts 29 and 34 may be brought together and then separated as often as desired'until the engine runs steadily. The plug 42 is usually-v removed when the handle is swung to the right, as in Fig 1 so as to prevent any un# authorized person from starting the engine by pressing the handle 31 to the lett.

Although I have illustrated one of the uses to which my invention may be put, I

do not wish to be construed as being limited solely to this embodiment thereof, since many changes may be made in construction without departing from the spirit of my invention so long as they fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States iss-w 1. ln a switch the combination of a main contact point, a secondary Contact point, a

main switch member movable into and out of engagement with said main contact point, a secondary .sw-itch member, mounted on said main switch member, and yieldable with respect to said main switch member to a position slightly in advance of said main4 switch member, a handle operatively connected to said secondary switch member for moving said main switch member'int'o engagement with said main contact point and said secondary switch Amember necessarily 'into engagement with said secondary contact point, in moving said main switch member into engagement with said main contact point.

2. In a switch the combination of a main contact point, a secondary Contact point, a main switch member .movable into and out of engagement with said main contact point',

'means to normally 'hold saidsecondary switch member outof electrical engagement with said secondary Contact 'point When said' ber into engagement; with said main contact point, and means to hold said main switch member normally out of electrical engagement with said secondary contact point.

1n witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this second day of December, A. D.

ARTHUR ATWATER KENT. Witnesses ALsToN B. MoUL'roN, JOHNl B. -RUTzvrnRFonu

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