US1278781A - Electric switch. - Google Patents

Description

C. C. STIRLING.4 ELEcrmc swncH. APPLICATIONV FILED'JMI. ll. ISIS.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.

CLARENCE C. STIRLING, OFHIABTFOBD, CONNECTICUT,

AssIeNon To THE Vnaar c HEGEMAN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 0F HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORA TION OF CONNECTICUT.

ELEGTEIG SWITCH.

Application ledlnnuary 11l 191B. Serial No. 211,444.

To all whom t may concern y Be it known that I, CLARENCE C. STmLiNc,

`a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the coiinty of Hartford and State of Connectici1t,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric switches and more especially t that class thereof 'known as snap switches. The re are sevrestrict myself,l however, to this particular disclosure; Iniay depart therefrom in sev' eral respects within the scope of the invention 'defined by the claims following said.

description. I have several fuinlainental motives in view. One to furnish an article of the cbaracter'set forth which is exceedingly compact. Another .object I'liave iii view is to-provide for the cilicient action of the circuit-controlling member. There are other features of vutility which l will set forth more in detail -in said description.

Referring to said draw ings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a switch in vol vin the invention.

v view of the switch;

Figs. 3 and@ jare cross rsectio'n .-i on the lines 3*-3 'and respectively of Fig. 42,

looltiniir in the direction of the arrows aps.

plied to the respective lines.

Fig. 5 is a' detail viewfol al circuit con-` trolling or switching' member and-actuator, the parts. being` but partially represented and two positions thereof being;r illustrated by full and dotted lines respectively.

Like 'characters refer to like parts throughout the several views, Fig. 5 beingr on iilarger i scale than the other views.

The switch involvesiii its make-up a body generally madeofsome insulating material .such as lporcelain or even .vulcanized rubber. The body shown' is denoted by 2, :induit is pctieall'y of' cylindrical fornn Surround: l Ibodyr is the shell 'as 3 of some sheet Specloation lof Letter Ratent.

4members. Their horizontal legs or branches Patented Sept. 10, 1918.

metal 'and virtually of bell-shape and yin which the insulating body 2 comparatively snugly fits, the shell being closed at its lower end by the cap 4, the two parts presentinga convenient casing for the insulatinr body and coacting elements sustained there y. As Irl'iave already stated the switch is shown as being of the pendent type; itfmay for ex Aample be carried by a cord consisting for instance of the wires 5 extending through an insulating ring or thiinble 6 in the top of the shell 3 and connected to contacts or ter inin'als mounted in sonic convenient way,.one of which Will be hereinafter set forth.

The body 2 is slotted from one end, as shown the head or upper end, almost to thc other end, the slot beingr denoted by 7 andV b eing open on its sides in tlieperipliery or circumference of said body. Said slot is .virtually central of the transverse extent of the body. The latter between its'ends has a circuinfcieiitial channel. 8 in which areV mounted the coinpleinciital contact iiieinl-iers l). llicsc inc tal contact members 9 are'vof practically L or elbow shape and are, per foiated to receive screws as 10, the perfora tions boing at tho angles of the conti'ict mein! bers. The screws l() present a convenientl way of connecting the wires `5 to said Contact extend forwardly and into the circumferential grooye 8 and Aarc of arched forni for almosttlieir complete length, to conform to the curvature of the body 2; ltheir front oi' y free ends are within the groove 8 and are a vertical 4transverse sectional straight and practically in parallelism.l

These front straight portions constitiite coni i tacts, and are bridged in thcl organization shown, b y the circuit controlling or switclild 6- ingniember when the switch is in the-on position as illustrated for example by dotted lines `iiiFigig, 2.

The switching member which in the 'presil Vent case oIxirates iii the' slot 7 is denotedin'-'4` 1 -oo .conducting material and comprises a praca. general way by 12.. It is of metal or other ticaljly fiat elongated body 13, from the sides" of which cxtendoutwardly or .upwardly the 4two longitudinally separatial 'pairs ofcooperatir'irr Hangers 1.4 and 15, the llanges l1# as shown boing uiucli .longer than the flanges l5, .although this isa detail which doesiiot necessarily concern tlic invention. These flanges in the present case on their outer jsurfaecs engage the walls of the slot or open- 15 nals with the shell'3. This s ring Vas ing 7 to thus maintain proper control of tthe circuit controlling or 'switching member '12.

This circuit controlling or switching member in the present' oase floats or moves bodily, havinggpreferably a rocking or oscillatory movement as well as an endwise movement. It has as shown no ,drectconnection with its actuator, altliou h 1t is properly Vgoverned. thereby in coiulmction 10 forillustration with a suitable spring as 16.

' This sprin 16 is 'of elongated coiled fo'rm and is uner .stretch and therefore action constantly.' Its terminalsare suitably held for instance by beingunited at its .termialso extends through registering perorations 1 7 in the flanges or llps 14 and islocated 1n a slot 18 vintersecting the main e'ot 7 and open at its outer ends, in view 'of 'which reum- 20 stance the spring'may beconnec to the shelll as I have already noted.-

The vswitching member 12 ismaintained under proper control at all un actuator suchs that denoted iii-'a general 26 wayby 19. is actuator'cau be lmade .Uf

' some suitable insulating m'aterifhl'and hasn body'or actuating ortion-asiwhich may be described broadly as be'ing f cam form. .It is shown as being inthe shape of a-wedge "10 with a slightly rounded apex, and is pivoted at 21 near its base in the sl0t.` 7 near what .might be nsidered the lower en'd ofthe body 2. e actuator canftherefo're, rock or'oscillate. I

The necessary rocking firoscillating motion o f said actuator nitty b'e-obtainedin any desirablcinannerg for nstanoeby th'buttons 22 'and 23, which extend through registering perforations in l(he cap il and lower 4.0 portion ofthe body 2. The inner ends of these buttons extend info the'main slot 7 and their lateral portions are within the circumferential channel 8 and engage the lateral projections 24 and 25 of the actuator-.19. 0ther means might be substituted or buttons. I'have already. indicated that 'Iz'hm merely showing and describing a highly satisfactory form of structure com- 'prisngthe features of the invention. buttons are not jointed or otherwise united lwithLthe actuator. They'are really disconnected therefrom and have only'a contact-'therewith to eiect the necessary .movement of the actuator.- I prefer to provide therefore, means of .a positive nature for' controlling the buttons or equivalent means. I In Fig. 2 the switching member 12 is 'supposed to-be off and at this time is against the. lat actuating face 126, the com! panion actuating face being -,designated by 27. In Fig. 5- the .full'lines show a. corre.

spending position. To move the switching member 12' to the dotted line or on position of Fig. 2, the follow-ing procedurew'ill be adoptedrThe button 22 will be thrust up movable vand as n matterjof holding 1t one of the contact'niem-bers -9.`

7member to secure wem or in, thereby 'elevating un tiscaop 24 and consequently Swingin the actuator 2O toward therightlin'sad ig. 2. On this particular motion the apex. of the actuator will-ride along the under surface of thegwitcliing member and' will first elevate the l switching member. Asthe latter actionzocf curs the spring lwill be further stretched' or tensloiied: Continuing the ape'x of the actuator willtraverse the under surface of of the' `spring 16 is practically crossed. When this -action does occur, the switching y11i the switching member until the center line member is released and the stretched spring f will snap theaswitchng member forwardand downward to the closed.positio n,..sc

that the flanges-or lips 15 can enter between` the free ends of the contacts 9 as illustrated by dotted lines in Fi 2. To open the circuit thc action descri ed will be exactly reversed.

Surrounding the inner or upper portions of the two buttons 22 and 23 are the hooks JS constituting the ends of the arcuate 4sl'u'ing 29. which fits vin the circumferentialchanncl or groove 8 'and between its ends bears against the body 2. These hooks and a'. pant of the body of thespring conform in-'fnct to the circumferential curvature vof the two buttons and frictionally h'old the latter in p'ositions'to .which they may 'have been shifted. The spring29 'iS- bodll'y'jni.

against .s ch action it may .be fitted un er 1. An electric switch comprising' 'a' heat! ing swltching mieniber, and means forlca'us-` ing the rocking.; mop/ement of said switching member successively between on and oil positions, V 2. An electrlc sw1tch comprising a. floating switching mem-ber, and manuallybpe'r# ble means for causing the' rocking move# ...1.

ment of said switching member successivelyv lfetwnon and off positions.

iii);

`n electric switch comprisinigglfloat- I .ing switching member, and means in u uding' 4a springy for causingI the rockinginovement of said switching member succetsi'vely) member, a r, spring .1'201 the movement th rept, by

lstantly to shlft the same, and. an actuator ing switching lever, a sprin 1 through the switching lever .lever by the: spring 6. An electric switch comprising Va switching member, spring means actin agalnstg` the switchi member and ten mgcon- .1-

for causing successive rocking movements o fthe switching member to on and 0H positions through the action of the spring.

7. An electric switch comprisinga floating switchin lever, spring means acting against the switiing lever, and actuatin means to eiect the movement of the switc 'ng lever by the spring means successivelyto on and i 'oif positions 8. An electric switch comprising a floating switching level', a spring extending through the switching lever and constituting a pivot therefor, and means operative against the switching-lever to e'ect successivefmovements ofthe same between on 'and oif positions through the action of the spring. l

, 9. n electric switch comprising a floatextending tween the ends'F thereof, and -means to traverse 'the switching lever atopposite sides of the point thereof through which the spring extends to thus cause movements of the switching .successively to on and off positions'. y

10. An electric switch comprising a switching lever, a sp'ringcxtending through .the switching lever to thus -permit movement bodily thereof, and an actuator to engage' and travel along the switching lever ietween opposite sides of the place at which the spring `extends therethrough.

11. An electricswitch comprisin an oscil-` latory switching member, a coi ed spring extending through the, switching member lbetween the ends thereof and secured at its endsto thus permit floating movement of tire switchin member, and a wedge-shaped oscillatory e ement shiftable manually to cause its opposite faces and apex to ride along the switching member to 4opposite sides of the point at whichthesprmg extends therethrough.

12. An electric switch comprisin ing mechanism,- an actuator for sai switchswitch- .ing mechanism, buttons having lateral portions, supported independently of'the actuator acting against the lateral portions of the buttons to hold the same in their shifted positions.

13. An electric switch com risin switching mechanism, an actuator or 'sai Aswitching mechanism, buttons supported independently of the actuator to oscillate the` same, and 4friction-Imaans acting against the butto oscillate the'same, and spring tons to hold the 'same in their shifted' po- A sitions.

14. An electric switch comprising switching means, an actuator'for said switching means, buttons supported independently of the actuator to oscillate the same, and s ringV means, buttons Vsupported independently" o means acting algainst'the buttons to ho d the the actuator to oscillate the `same,..a1ntl a spring common to the two yliittons.andengaging the same, to hld'both of them in each of-their shifted positions.

16. An electric switch comprising switch. ving means, an actuator= for said' switching means, a member' aving a lateral portion,

supported independently of and disconnect-- ed from the actuator to engage and operate the same, and means acting frictionally against the-lateral panion of said memberr to hold the Isame in Qa predetermined' postion.

17. An electricV Comprising switch:

ing means including a' switching" member andspring means', an actuator for tensioning said spring meansto cause the snap movement of the switching member, a member supported independently of and disconnected-.from the actuator, sald member being movable to e'ectthe operation of the actuator, ,and means acting independently of said spring means and 'against the member to releasab y hold it in a predeterminedposition. f Y In testimony whereof I aiik my in the presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE C. STIRLINGr.` lVitnesses L L. MAREL, HEATH SU'THERLAND.

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