US1336455A - Electric switch - Google Patents

Description

C. L. WHITE.

ELECTRIC SWITQH APPLICATION man APR. 17, 14918,.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

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' l lul WITNESSES ATTO R N EY CLIFFORD L. WHITE, OF STOCKDALE, OHIO.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

Application filed April 17, 1918. Serial No. 229,119.

1 b all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, CLIrroRD L. Wnrrn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stockdale, in the county of Pike and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an electric switch of the double throw two pole type, and is more particularly adapted for the control of electric circuits wherein it is desired to alternately connect a source of electric energy with separate current consuming devices or for the control of branch circuits connectible with a main circuit.

One object of the invention is to provide a switch wherein the changing from one c1rcuit to another is accomplished by a slight rotation of the switch arms.

Another object of the invention is to provide a switch having spaced switch contacts connected with the terminals of independent branch circuits and providing a switch arm to rotatably and slidably alternately connect the main circuits with the branch circuits.

Still another object of the invention 1s to provide a switch having radially extending switch arms carrying spaced contacts that are adapted to cooperate with spaced contacts connected with the terminals of the main and branch circuits.

Broadly stated,the invention comprlses a base formed of insulating material and having a plurality of spaced contact polnts adapted to be connected with the terminals of branch circuits, a plurality of spaced contacts formed as segmental plates adapted to be connected with the terminals of a main circuit, a rotatable member having thereon an insulated knob serving as a handle, a plurality of radially extending arms carried by the member, and having spaced contacts thereon adapted to engage with the contact plates, and alternately with the spaced contact points, and means for detachably and rotatably maintaining the r0- tatable member on the base.

One practical form of construction and assembly with a modification, will be de scribed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a top plan view of the as sembled switch with the several circuits shown diagrammatically,

Fig. 2 is a view on the line 22 of Fig. 1,

F 1g. 3, is a bottom plan view of the rotatable member, having two switch arms, and

Fig. at is a bottom plan view showing a rotatable member having four switch arms.

In the preferred embodiment about to be described, there is provided a base 5 that may be formed of any usual or suitable insulating material such as porcelain or hard rubber. The upper surface 6 of the base 5 s preferably plain while the under surface is provided with a recess 7. As shown in Fig. 2 this will provide adjacent the ed es and ends of the base 5 supporting feet which may be indicated at 8.

These feet 8 are preferably formed as a flange that will extend around the perimeter of the recess '7. As shown, the base 5 is rectangular but it may be of any usual shape that is best adapted to serve its purpose. Centrally of the base 5 there is a hole 9 that extends clear through. The bolt A having a head 10 and a threaded section 11 is adapted to be passed through this hole 9. Mounted upon this bolt is a knob 12 preferably formed of insulating material and provided centrally with a hole 13 through which the bolt A passes.

As shown, in Fig. 2, the knob 12 provides for manually grasping and is provided with a curved port-ion that extends laterally from the cylindrical portion forming the upper portion of the knob. The curved portion is divided in its lateral face with recesses indicated at 14 and 15. Adapted to be seated in the recesses 14: and 15 there are the two arms indicated at B and C.

Each one of these arms is preferably formed of a single piece of material that is bent upon itself intermediate its ends so that its major portions lie in contact with each other. The free ends of the arm B are curved outwardly and downwardly as indicated at 16 and 17 and are adapted to form contacts. The curved portions 16 and 17 are spaced from each other as indicated in Fig. 2. The arm C is similarly formed of a single piece of material bent upon itself and at the point where it is bent it is mounted in the recess 15.

The major portions of this arm as it is folded lie in contact with each other and their outer ends are curved as indicated at 18 and 1 to form contacts similar to that indicated at 16 and 17. The extreme ends of the contacts 16, 17, 18, and 19 lie relatively in the same horizontal plane. The arms B and C may be formed of any suit able material that will have sufiicient resiliency to avoid the use of auxiliary resilient members or springs in order to have them make the proper contact.

To hold the ends of the arms 13 and G in their recesses 1 1 and 15 an insulating block 20 is employed, that also is provided with a hole for receiving the bolt A. In one lateral face of thisspacing block 20 there is formed a, recess that is concentric with the hole therethrough and serves to accommodate a nut 21. This nut 21. is adapted to engage with. the. threadedsection 11 of the bolt A. As shown this spacing block 20 serves to permit the knob 12 to be rotated and carry the arms B- and C.

, The knob 12' and spacing block 20 are adapted to be assembled on the bolt A and the threaded portion 11 of the bolt passes through the hole 9 and receives a nut 22 which clamps the, base 5 between it and the nut 21. Thus the bolt may be rigidly held and the, bearing block 20 will serve to permit the. knob 12 and its arms to freely rotate.

The amount of friction may be determined by screwing the bolt A in and out. The finer adjustments of the bolt Amay be produced by a screw-driver insertible in the slot 23 formed in the head 10. To cooperate with the curved portion 16 there is providedthe spaced contact points indicated at 2% and 215. These contact points as shown are circular and are provided with stems that are threaded to cooperate with the nuts 26. As shown in Fig. 1 the contacts 24 and 25 are not, only spaced from each other but are so arranged that they will be engaged by the curved end 16 of the arm B.

The base 5- is provided with suitablev holes so that the threaded studs of the contact pointsmay pass'therethrough. To cooperate with the curvedends '17 with the arm B there is provided a segmental contact plate .27., This plate 27 is provided with a threaded stud 28: and is adapted to cooperate with a nut 29. As shown the segmental plate is arranged upon a longitudinal axis of the base 5and transversely .thereacross, so that when the arm B moves to contact with'the points 2% and 25 it will be maintained constantly in engagement with the curved end 17. The curved end 18 of the arm C is adapted to engage with the spaced contacts 30 and 31 that are similarly located with reference to the bolt A and the arm B. The contacts 30 and 31 are also provided with studs that are threaded to. cooperate with the nuts 32, one of which is shown in Fig. 2.

To cooperate with the curved end 19, of the arm C, there is provided a contact plate 33 that is formed as a segment and this plate ence to the-bolt A in a manner similar to that described for the plate 27. As shown in Fig. 2, the recess 7 forms a convenient place for maintaining the bolt and the several studs and their nuts out of contact with asupport. The several studs and their nuts are adapted to serve as terminals for the main circuit wires as well as the branch circuit wires.

As shown in Fig. 1 a conductor 36. connects with the contact point 25 and with a motor 37. The other terminal of the: motor beingconnected by the, conductor 38. with the contact point 21. The. contact point 24:, connects with the. lamp 39 by means of. the conductor 40.. The other terminal. of the. lamp is connected with the contact. 30 by means of the. conductor 41. -The segmental plate 27 may be connected with the. source of electric energy D shown as a battery by means of the conductor d2.

The other terminal of the batteryD connects with the plate 3.3 by means of the conare indicated at l8, 4:9, 50, and 51. In employing the type of arms, shown in Fig. l there would of course be required other contactpoints and segmental plates so that a number of circuits might, be: controlled by the rotation of the knob 12 and its arms.

Reverting to Fig. 1 showing thev diagrammatic view of certain circuits; it will be noticed that when the switch arm B.- is' moved to engage with the contact 25 its end 16 will then engage with said contact. Thisv will permitcurrent to flow from the; battery D, through the conductor 42, the plate 27, the curved end 17 the, arm B, the curved portion 16, to the conductor 25. The current will then flow along the conductor 36, to the motor 37, thence through the conductor 38, back to the contact 25 as the curved portion 18 rests on the contact 31, which will permit the current to flow through the switch arm Cfthe curved portion 19, and the segmental arm 33, thence through the, conductor 43. Thus one piece of apparatus may be connected to the. contact points 24:, and 3-1. To operate the-lamp 39 the knob 13 is turned: in the reverse direction sothat the arm B. positions its curvedend 16 in engagement with the contact point 24. At. this time. the arm 0 positions its curved end 18in engagement with the contact points 30.

The circuit may then be readily followed from the battery D through the conductor 12, through the segmental plate 37, to the curved portion 17, of the arm B, then passing to the contact point 24: through the curved end 16. The lamp 39 being connected with the contact point 24. by means of the conductor 40 and the other terminal of the lamp being connected with the contact point 30 by the conductor 41, current will then flow back to the battery by passing from the contact 30, through the curved portion 18, of the arm C, thence through the curved portion 19, to the segmental plate 33, and finally through the conductor 43, to the battery D. Thus it will be seen that two or more independently connected circuits having different types of apparatus may be alternately, and at will, connected with the main line or source of electric energy. As the arms carried by the knob 12 are preferably formed of resilient material, the contacts will be maintained bright so as not to interfere with the electrical conductivity, when curved ends of the arms engage with the contact point and the contact plates.

This will provide for a self cleaning and always provide a bright surface promoting the conductivity of the circuit. It will be noticed that there are no points about which dirt or dust might collect to interfere with the operation of the device. The recess 7 formed in the base forms a convenient point in which may be located the several circuit wires connecting with the studs passing through the base.

This recess 7 may, if desired, be filled with some insulating compound such as is customary in this class of apparatus in order to protect the terminals from contacting and short circuiting.

The foregoing description and the drawings have reference to what may be considered the preferred, or approved, form of my invention. It is to be understood that I may make such changes in construction and arrangement and combination of parts, mate rials, dimensions, et cetera, as may prove what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An electric switch, which comprises a base formed of insulating material, a rotatable member including a knob mounted on the base, a plurality of arms extending ra dially from recesses formed in the member and provided with spaced curved ends forming contacts, each pair of spaced contacts and the arm being insulated from another arm and its contacts, a plurality of spaced contact points on the base and each adapted to be engaged by one of the arm carried contacts, a plurality of spaced segmental contact plates on the base and interposed be tween the contact points and the rotatable.

member, and adapted to be continuously engaged by the other one of the arm carried contacts, means for rotatably securing the knob on the base, said means including a spacing and bearing block interposed between the knob and the upper surface of the base.

2. An electric switch, which comprises a base having contacts thereon, a rotatable member on the base and provided with laterally extending switch arms, each of said arms being formed of a single strip of resilient material bent to lie upon itself and the portions so formed being of unequal length and provided with curved ends serving as switch members to cooperate with the contacts, the folded inner ends of the arms being secured in recesses formed in the 'memher, and a spacing block for the member, said block being rigidly secured on the base and serving to maintain the member away from the base.

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

CLIFFORD L. WHITE.

Witnesses:

. R. D. BURGESS, F. B. WHITE.

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