US1309895A - Quick-break switch - Google Patents

Description

K. KNUDSEN.

QUlCK BREAK SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.23, 918.

1 09,895 Patented July 15, 1919.

Ma W

OURAP" CD WASHINGTON, D..C

CDLUMBIA PLAN UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

KNUD KNUDSEN, OF PLAINUILLE, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE TRUMBULL ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PLAINVILLE, CONNECTICUT, A

CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

QUICK-BREAK SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented July 15, 1919.

Application filed August 23, 1918. Serial No. 251,160.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, KNUD KNUDsEN, a subject of the King of Denmark, who has signified his intention of becoming a citizen of the United States of America, and has taken out first papers and applied for second, residing at Plainville, Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Quick- Break Switch, of which the following is a specification.

The subject of the present invention is a quick break switch and the objects which I have had in mind have been to provide a simple and readily attachable means for providing a quick break action between the movable member of the switch and the operating member therefor.

This connection comprises in brief a pair of spaced arms carried by one of the members and standing in spaced relation at opposite sides of the other member to provide a lost motion positive connection between the members and a pair of spring arms carried by one of the members disposed between the spaced arms and yieldingly engaging the other member at opposite sides thereof. The spaced arms and the spring arms described are all preferably carried by a single bracket adapted for ready attachment to the sup porting member, which for instance may be the cross arm which connects the movable switch blades.

Various other features of the invention will become apparent as the specification proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated the invention embodied in a practical commercial form, the form of the invention however, being susceptible of various changes without departure from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

In this drawing Figure 1, is a partly sectional view of a form of double-throw switch having the invention applied thereto, the switch being shown in the intermediate or neutral position.

Fig. 2, is a similar view with the switch shown in closed-circuit condition and the operating means shown in the act of shifting the movable switch member to break the circuit. I

Fig. 3, is a detached edge view of the quick break attachment.

The movable switch element is in the illustration designated 5, the same being shown as a double-armed switch blade pivoted at 6 and adapted to be swung in opposite directions into engagement with the contact clips 7 and 8,'all of said parts being mounted on a suitable insulating base 9.

The means for operating the switch comprises in the present disclosure, a handle 10 pivoted on a center 11 concentric to the swltch pivot 6 and carrying a rod 12 bent angularly to form an operating arm 13.

The quick break mechanism as here shown, consists of a bracket having a base portion 14 secured by a screw 15 to the cross bar 16 which connects the switch blades and provided with a pair of spaced up-standing arms 17 projecting in spaced relation at opposlte sides of the operating arm 13, said bracket furthermore carrying a pair of upstanding spring arms 18 disposed between the spaced bracket arms 17 and engaging the operating arm 13 at opposite sides thereof.

The spring arms 18 in the illustration are formed from separate s rings having supporting portions 19 coi ed about the supporting studs or pins 20 mounted on the bracket between the arms 17, and anchorage portions 21 engaged beneath an ont-standing lug 22 provided on the bracket between the spaced arms thereof. The opposite edges of this anchorage lug Serve as abutments limiting the inward movement of the up standing spring arms, as indicated in Fig. 2. The anchorage lug 22 which overstands the base 14: to a certain extent, may be reduced or cut away at the central portion as indicated at 23 to provide clearance for the screwdriver in fastening the securing screw 15 in place.

In the intermediate or neutral position of the switch, the spring arms 18, tensioned against opposite sides of the operating arms 13, serve to hold the movable switch element Substantially centralized with the up-standing arms 17 of the bracket spaced cqui-distant at opposite sides of the operating arm 13. When the operating arm is shifted in one direction or the other to throw the switch into engagement with one or the other set of contact clips, one of the spring arms will yield according as to which direction the switch element is being shifted so that the operating arm 13 may come in contact with one of the bracket arms 17, thus providing a positive connection between the two mem bers, whereby the movable switch element may be forced firmly into engagement with the contact clips. When the switch is to be opened, the operating arm will be swung in the opposite direction, whereupon the spring arm at the opposite side of the operating arm will yield as illustrated in Fig. 2, permitting said arm to engage the opposite arm 17 of the bracket whereby a positive connection is afforded for opening the switch. As the switch is drawn open the spring arm which has been placed under increased ten sion will finally, as the blades are about to leave the contact clips, overcome the friction between the blades and the clips and snap the blades quickly out of engagement with the clips, thus producing a positive quick break movement, the lost motion con nection permitting the necessary free movement of the switch blades at this time.

It will be evident that the device is simple and quite compact in form and further that it is capable of being readily applied to switches in use at the present time.

I claim 1. In combination with a switch having pivoted switch blades and a cross bar connecting said blades in parallelism, a swinging operating member for said switch blades and a quick break connection between said operating member and switch blades, comprising a bracket attachable as a unit to the cross bar, said bracket having spaced arms disposed in spaced relation at opposite sides of the swinging operating member and a pair of resilient spring arms mounted on the bracket and carried thereby, said spring arms engaging the swinging operating mem ber at opposite sides thereof;

In combination, a movable switch memher and a movable member for operatingth same, a pair of spaced arms carried by one of said members and extending into position at opposite sides of the other member to form a positive lost mot-ion connection between the two members, a pair of resilient spring arms carried by one member and engaging the other member at opposite sides thereof to provide a yielding connection between the two members, said spring arms both exerting tension on said last mentioned member and stop shoulders interposed between the spaced arms for limiting the movement of the spring arms as the member moves away therefrom.

In combination with a movable switch member, a movable operating member for said switch member and a quick break connection between said movable switch member and operating member, comprising a bracket attachable as a unit to one of said members, said bracket having spaced arms disposed in spaced relation at opposite sides of the other member and a pair of resilient spring arms mounted on the bracket and carried thereb said spring arms engaging the other member aforesaid at opposite sides thereof.

4. -As an article of manufacture, a quick break attachment for switches, comprising a unitary attachable element provided with spaced out-standing arms and spring elements provided with out-standing spring arms disposed between the spaced out-standing arms and exerting tension in reverse directions.

5. In combination, a movable switch member, a movable member for operating the same, a bracket carried by one of .said members provided with spaced arms disposed in spaced relation at opposite sides of the other member, supporting pins on said bracket adjacent the spaced arms, spring elements having portions coiled about said supporting pins and spring arms projecting between the spaced arms of the bracket into engagement with opposite sides of the other member aforesaid, and stop shoulders on the bracket between the upstanding spring arms for limiting the movement of said arms toward each other.

6. In combination, a movable switch member and a movable member for operating the same, a bracket mounted on one of said members having spaced arms disposed in spaced relation at opposite sides of the other member, a lug on said bracket between the spaced arms and supports at opposite sides of said lug and spring elements having portions coiled about said supports, anchorage portions engaged beneath the lug and upstanding spring arm port-ions projecting into position at opposite sides of the other member aforesaid.

7. In combination, a movable switchmember and a movable operating member there for, a bracket carried by one of said mem' bers having spaced arms disposed in spaced relation at opposite sides of the other member, upstanding supporting pins on the bracket and a spring engaged on each of said supports, each spring having a portion coiled about its support and an upstanding spring arm engageable with one side. of the other member aforesaid.

8. As an article of manufacture, a quick break attachment for switches, comprising a bracket adapted for attachment to a movable switch element and provided with spaced out-standing arms and spring elements supported on said bracket and provided with. out-standing spring arms disposed between the 0ut-standing arms of the bracket and exerting tension in reverse directions.

9. As an article of manufacture, a quick break attachment for switches, comprisin a bracket adapted for attachment to a mova 1e switch element and provided with spaced outstanding arms, supporting pins carried by said bracket, spring elements having portions coiled about said pins and out-standing 15 KNUD KNUDSEN.

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

Images