US1257473A - Attachment for electric switches. - Google Patents

Description

M. c. FRANK. ATTACHMENT FOR ELECTRIC SWITCHES,

IAPPLLCATION FILED {H.Sh 1917.

Patented Feb. 26, 1918.

mmma.

a a citizen of the United States, residing at Fig. 1 taken" centrally, and

switch as that shown in Fig. 1.

hppllcaflon med t'anu 1 :1

To all whom it may concern :1

Be it known that l, MA 0. FRANK,

Piedmont, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates in general, to that class of attachments having self-luminous indicating or guiding means thereon, for

rendering the location of objects visible in the dark, and more particularly to an attachment of the character mentioned, for application to electric switches or the like,

which will indicate the location of the switch when sought for at night or in dark situations.

A specific object of my invention 1s to provide a simple, eficient, self-luminous attachment, that can berea'dily applied to new and existing ordinary electrlc swltches of the single or gang pattern, by the same common, ordinary attaching screws used for securing the switch-plate to the switch.

With this and other objects in view, my invention resides in its novel arrangement and construction which shall now fully describe by reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of a push-button electric switch, with my luminous attachment applied to its switch-plate with the latters own attac'g screws.

Fig. 2 is a paztial sectional elevation of shows in addition the switch box set in a recessed wall and secured thereto.

Fig. 3 is a plan of my attachment, the dotted portion being the illuminated area.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of Fig. 3 taken centrally.

Fig. 5 is across-section of Fig. 3 taken on invention app ed'similarly and to a similar Fi 7 is a cross-section of my attachment of Fig. 6 taken on the line CD and may also be taken as a cross-section on the line FF ofFig. 3.

specification ottettera Patent.

. FatentedFeb. 5, tea.

. eeminaitatea Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures, in which- -1 is a common switch-plate for an ordinary electric switch 2, and is secured to the. same by the common attaching screws 3, which also secure my invention to the said switch-plate. 4: is a glass or other transparent or translucent member, preferably made in the form of a'plate or facing, with an oval aperture or other suitable opening, wholly or partially encompassing a pair of electric swltch buttons 5. The walls or periphery of the aperture or opening, are shown with a pronounced slope to allow for free clearance for the finger in depressing the said switch buttons The transparent member 4:, is itself encompassed by preferabl a stamped, formed and fitted suitable meta lic framing of sheet metal,which may be applied to the switchscrews 3 and positionin the said framing on the screw-holes of sai plate and rescrewing the latter with the superimposed framing, to the switch box 2.-

6 is luminous material of any eficient make and is shown dotted in the several plan views and presents the preferable area fords general protection for the latter mate plate 1, by removing the aforesaid attaching rial; onits top face I prefer to construct two recesses, one; adjacent to each side edge adapted to engage the strips 7 of the framing. Along the end edges of said member 4-,

the framing is continued and bent or otherwise formed over. said member, forming I cross-strips 8, shown more clearly in Fig. 4:, thus the strips 7 and 8 rigidly incase the said member 4. Thesaid'cross-strips 8 also form end walls for the recess, thus com leting the incasing of the luminous materia aswell. Y

To each cross-strip 8 an extension lug 9 is formed having a suitable aperture 10, the surrounding edge of which maybe dished downwardly as shown in Figs. 2 and t, for

ready positioning in the screw-holes of the switch-plate 1 when my device is applied to the latter. v

The attaching screws of the late 1, when being tightened to draw the raming over the transparent member 4 to' securely bind the whole in position, are liable to break or fracture the said member, especially if it is glass and particularly so if the surface of the switch-plate or glass facing is not perfectly level or even. In such cases I may I prefer to-secure or place a sheet or shim \of yielding or compressible material 11, such for example as rubber, paper or the like over the bottom face of the member 4, to take up the unevenness or imperfections of the joint, when the said attaching screws"3 are tightened. The sheetll is also a proteca cover for the recess.

In some cases I may prefer to illuminate tor for the luminous material by serving as a different portion of the switch, for example, in Fig. 6 which is a modification of my invention, the portion between and ad acent to the switch buttons 5 may be illuminatedas shown by the dotted area. In this case the transparent member 4 but partially encompasses the buttons, and likewise do the lugs 9 of-the framing, and the said member is of different form and shape to that of I Fig. 1, and enables a much less amount of the luminous material to be used, which is advantageous if a super1or and expensive quality is desired. The facing is supported by the strips 7 of the framing similar to the method employed as in Fig. 1.

.Fig. 7 is a cross-section of the modification shown in Fig. 6 taken centrally on theline 0-D. The strips 7 are shown engaged in the recesses on the top face of the transparent member 4 and the luminous material 6 on its bottom face is represented by the heavy black line; 11 is a resilient supporting shim and also a cover for the luminous ma-:

1. An attachment for an electric switch plate, comprising a transparent member covering a luminous material and a flexible framing encompassing said member; said framing adapted to be drawn to positlon on said plate and secured thereto.

2. An attachment of the character described, comprising atransparent facing recessed on its bottom face, luminous material for adapting t comprising. a transparent plate having luminous material applied thereto, said plate adapted to encompass a pair of switch uttons, a framing adapted to encompass said plate to rigidly incase same and said framing provlded with a pair of lugs, each lug having an aperture with downwardly projectin edges adapted to readily position the sa1d ammg on the switch-plate of the switch and be secured thereto.

5. An attachment of the character described, comprising a. framili fitted about the edges of a transparent p ate to inclose same, and adapted to be secured to an electric switch, luminous material applied to the bottom face of said plate and a yielding shim coverm .said luminous material, and said a apted toresiliently support the said p a e. 4

6. attachment for electric switches, comprlsing an integral framing and a luminous facing, the said framing provided. with strlps for incasmg the said luminous facing, and also with an extension lug at each end of said framing1 each In having an aperture e said framing and the incased facing to be rigidly secured to said switch.

7. A transparent late having a recess on 1ts bottom face for t e reception of luminous materlal, and a pair of recesses on its top face along and adjacent to each side edge fior the reception of supporting means there- 8. self-luminous plate, provided with openmgs to allow for the insertion therethrough the buttons of anelectric switch, and sa1d plate adapted to surmount and be attached to said electric switch by the plate attaching means provided for said switch.

9. An attachment for a switch plate composed of a transparent member and a flexible holdin frame therefor; said member having sel -luminous means applied thereon for rendering the location of said plate visibl e 1n the dark, and said frame provided with an aperture forthe insertion of means to draw the frame in position on said plate, and hold the attachment thereto.

a 10. In combination with a switch plate, a

emma 1 superimposed flexible framing and a trans- In testimony whereof I have afixed my parent member provided with an illumisignature, in the presence of two witnesses, nated area; said member supported by the this 24th day of January, 1917.

framing and said framing adapted to be MAXWELL 0. FR 5 drawn and secured to position on said switch Witnesses: I

plate by the attaching means carried by said R. H. NICHOLSON,

plate. L. F. FRANK.

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