US1374086A

US1374086A - Switching device

Info

Publication number: US1374086A
Application number: US313296A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles L Lilleberg
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1919-07-25
Filing date: 1919-07-25
Publication date: 1921-04-05
Anticipated expiration: 1938-04-05

Description

C. L. LILLEBERG.

SWITCHING DEVICE.

APPLICAHON FILED JULY 25, NH).

1,37 4,086. Patented Apr 5, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SH EET I.

C. L. LELLEBERG. swncfime DEVICE. APPLICATION E-ILED JULY 25. 1919- .2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

PATENT orr es.

CHARLES I1. LILLEBERG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SWITCHING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

Application filed July 25, 1919. SerialNo. 313,296.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES L. LILLEBERG, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Switching Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

My invention relates to switching devices and is of particular service where employed in. the construction of timers for controlling the occurrence of the ignition sparks that fire the charges in internal combustion engines. The invention, however, is not to be limited to any particular use to which the switch is adapted.

The switching device of my invention includes relatively rotatable contact members each in the form of an arm whose base portion is transverse to the axis of rotation of the rotatable contacting member and whose contacting portion is angular to its base portion, the contacting portions of these contacting members extending toward each other. One of these contacting members is preferably in the form of a bifurcated arm whose base portion is transverse to the axis of rotation of the rotatable contacting member and having two contact parts angular to said base portion and located nearer said axis of rotation than said base portion. The other contacting member is preferably in the form of a rigid arm having a base portion transverse to said axis of rotation and extending from such axis toward the other contacting member, this rigid arm including a contact portion angular to its base portion and receivable between the contacting parts upon the bifurcated contacting member, the contacting portions upon the two contacting members extending toward each other. i

The base portion of the bifurcated arm is preferably rigid and the contacting branches of this arm are desirably stiff but are assembled with the base portion in such a manner that each may move with respect to the other and both may move with respect to the base of the arm whereby the switching parts will not be ruptured in the event .of their improper assembly or the improper initiation of their assembly. The branches .of the bifurcated arm are assembled with the base thereof by means of spring mecha nism which maintains the branches and base in no ma eli e ye whi h Permi the abnormal operation of the branches under the circumstances mentioned. The contact part or parts movable upon the base portion of the corresponding contacting member are, in accordance with my present lnventlon, mounted to move in a plane or planes transverse to the axis of rotation of the rotatable contacting member, the present lnvention being specific to the invention more broadly claimed in my co-pending application Serial No. 292,112, filed Apr. 23,

I will explain my invention more fully by reference tothe'accompanying drawings showing the preferred embodiment thereof and 1n which Figure'l is a sectional view on l ne 11 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view s1m1lar to Fig. 2 with parts omitted to re veal details of construction; Fig. 4: is a perspective view showing a contact arm and its branches; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a part of the structure illustrated in Fig. 4: taken in another direction; Fig. 6 is a perspect ve view illustrating the component elements of a bifurcated contact arm structure; and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of an lnsulating portion preferably entering into the ponstruction.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the different figures.

The rotatable contacting member has a sleeve portion 1 held upon the engine shaft 2 by any suitable means such, for example,

as the nut 3'screwed upon the shaft and 7 against a. washer 4 in abutting engagement with the inner end of the sleeve, the base portion 5 of this arm branching from one end of the sleeve to be transverse to the axis of rotation of the shaft and of the contactmg arm. This contacting arm also includes a contacting portion 6 which is anchored to its base portion as indicated clearly in Fig. 2. There are a number of contacting members successively engageable by and each complemental to the contacting arm 5, 6, when the invention is embodied in a timing switch or has other embodiments effecting the successive closure of independent circuits. Each of these complemental contact members desirably includes a rigid base portion 7 anchored to the casing 8 of the switch by means of a bolt 9 passing through an opening 10 in a part 11 of the switch casing which part is preferably cylindrical and co? balance of passing through openin *ing axial with the shaft 2. An annular depression 12 is preferably formed upon the interior of the cylindrical casing portion 11 if the casing is formed by a stamping operation so that an annular seat 13 coaxial with the circular opening may be formed upon the exterior of the cylindrical casing portion 11 to receive an insulating disk 14. A block of insulating material is disposed between each arm base 7 and the cylindrical portion 11 which has a pocket 16 formed therein for receiving said block and for giving the arm a predeterm'ned position with respect to the timer casing. The disk 14L is in the nature of nut which is threaded upon the stem of the bolt 9. Theblock 15 has an opening therethrough through which the stem of the bolt slides, this opening closely engaging the stem of the bolt. As the block 15 is afforded a predetermined position with'respect to the timer casing by means of the pocket 16 in the casing, and as the nut 14 is also given a predetermined location with respect to the timer casing, it follows that the bolt 9 receives a predetermined location. In order that the base 7 of each arm may also have a predetermined position with respect to the the fixed parts, I form it with projections or lugs 17 which enter corresponding depressions in the block 15. The assembly or" the arm with the casing and the parts that are employed to define the position ofthis arm with respect to the casing is maintained by means of a metallic lock nut 18.

To guard the contact arms that are stationarily mounted upon the casing and thoroughly to prevent electrical connection therebetween, I employ shields 19 of insulating material that are interposed between the bases 7 of the arms and the insulating blocks 15, the stems of the bolts 9 also passing through the insulating shields 19. The adjacent ends of the shields engage each other and are inwardly bent or curled where they engage each other to hold the shields in fixed relation with respect to each other and to serve as insulating elements interposed between the adjacent contact arm 7 and parts carried thereby.

Each contact arm base is desirably formed with a deflected inner end 7 that is trans verse to the axis of the shaft 2. The

contact parts

22, 23 that are carried by each arm base are pivoted upon the same sides of the corresponding arm end '7. The base portion 7 is formed at one end with an open- 24. and at its other end carries a crossshaped lug 25. The

parts

26 and 27 upon which the

contacts

22 and 23 are carried are at right angles to these contacts and parallel with the base portion 7, the pivot pin 28 gs 29, 30 and 31 in the

elements

26, 27 and 7 to effect the pivotal assembly-oat these parts, this pivot pin being permanently assembled with the base portion 7. A spring anchorage block 32 1s upon the other side of the base portion 7, this block 32 having a slot 33 formed in one end thereof and a T-extension 34 at the other end thereof, this T-extension carrying a lug 35. The stem of the T-extension is movable in the opening at and the base portion of the cross-shaped lug 25 is movable in the slot 33. A single coiled spring 36 is anchored at one end to the cross-shaped lug 25 and at the other end to the lug 35, this spring serving to maintain the fiat ends of the portions 26, 2'? in engagement with the head of the T- shaped lug 34. In the normal operation of the switch the contact 6 in entering the space between the

contacts

22 and 23 will operate the

parts

26 and 27 so that their

heels

37 and 38 will turn upon and move toward each other along the head of the T-shaped lug 34, the extent of the move ment or the part 27 being limited by the lug 39 upon the base portion 7 and the extent of movement of the part 26 being limited by the part of the

base

7, 7 that extends longitudinally of the axis of rotation. \Vhen the contact 6 has passed its engagement with the

parts

22 and 23, the spring 36 serves to restore the

parts

22 and 23 to their normal relation, the extent of this restoring movement being limited by the head of the T-shaped lug 3a which maintains the contacting parts 22, 23 a slight space apart. The contacting

parts

22 and 23 diverge at the ends of these parts so that the contacting part 6 may enter therebetween in either direction of rotation thereof.

As illustrated, the contacting parts of each

pair

22, 23 are movable with respect to their base i 7 and with respect to each other in a plane transverse to the axis of rotation.

It will be observed that the

portions

7, 7, constituting the base portions of the stationary contact members and the base portion 5 of the rotatable contact member, are not in the plane of rotation of the contacting portion 6 at the circle of rotation of this contacting portion and that all of the

parts

6, 22 and 23 are, in effect, in the same plane where they engage whereby the contacting portion 6 passes over the

base portion

7, 7 irrespective of the direction of rotation of the contacting portion 6. The contacting

parts

22 and 23 extend toward the contacting part 6 but not far enough to engage the base portion 5 and likewise the contacting portion 6 extends toward the contacting

part

22 and 23 but not far enough to en gage the

base portion

7, 7 so that the base portion of one contact or set of contacts can not be engaged by the contacting portion of the other. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the contact parts 6, 22 a d 23 are normally disposed parallel lOO with the axis of rotation of the shaft 2 but the invention isnot to be limitedtoi this characteristic.

lVhile I have herein shown and particularly described the preie red embodiment of my invention I do not wish to be limited tothe precise details of" construction shown as changes may readily be made without departing from but having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following i 1. An electrical switching device including relatively rotatable contacting members each in the form of an arm having a base portion and a contacting portion angular to the base portion said contacting portions being in the circle of rotation of the contacting portion of the rotatable contacting member, the contacting portion upon each contacting member extending longitudinally of the axis of rotation toward the base portion of the'other contacting member, the base portions of said contacting members being without the plane of rotation of the contacting portion of the rotatable contacting member at the circle of rotation of this contacting portion whereby said base portions are not engaged by said contacting portions, the contacting portion upon one of said contacting members being movable with respect to the base of this member in a plane that is transverse to the axis of rotation; and a spring yieldingly holding this contacting portion in relation to its base.

2. An electrical switching device including relatively rotatable contacting members each in the form of an arm having a base portion and a contacting portion angular to the base portion, said contacting portions being in the circle of rotation of the contacting portion of the rotatable contacting member, the contacting portion upon each contacting member extending longitudinally of the axis of rotation toward the base portion of the other contacting member, the base portions of said contacting members being without the plane of rotation of the contacting portion of the rotatable contacting member at the circle of rotation oi this contacting portion whereby said base portions are not engaged by said contacting portions, the contacting portion upon one of said contacting members being movable with respect to the base of this member in a plane that is transverse to the axis oi rotation; and a spring yieldingly holding this contacting portion in relation to its base which is turned to extend transversely of the axis of rotation and along said movable contacting portion to define the normal position of this contacting portion. 1

3. An electrical switching device including relatively rotatable contacting members each in the form of anarm having a base i being in the circle of the spirit of my invention,,

portion and a' contacting portion angular. to the base port1on, said contactlng portlons tion of the other contacting member, the

otsa d contacting members base portions being without the plane of. rotation of the rotation of the con-i tacting portion of the rotatable contacting contacting portion of the rotatable contact ing'member at the circle of rotation of this contacting portion-whereby saidbase portions arenot engaged by saidcontacting pore tions, one of said members having two contacting parts movable with respect to each other and the base of this contacting member in planes that are transverse to the axis of rotation and between which the contacting part of the other member is receivable; and a spring yieldingly holding said movable contacting parts in relation to their base.

4:. An electrical switching device including relatively rotatable contacting members each in the form of an arm having a base portion and a contacting portion angular to the base portion, said contactin portions being in the circle of rotation o the contacting portion of the rotatable contacting member, the contacting portion upon each contacting member extending longitudinally of the axis of rotation toward the base portion of the other contacting member, the base portions of said contacting members being without the plane of rotation of the contacting portion of the rotatable contacting member at the circle of rotation of this contacting portion wherel by said base portions are not engaged by said contacting portions, one of said members having two contacting parts movable with respect to each other and the base of this contacting member in planes that are transverse to the axis of rotation and between which the contacting part of the other member is receivable; and a spring yieldingly holding said movable contacting parts in relation to their base and the con- -tactingpart supporting portion of which 6. A switching device including relatively rotatable contacting members each in the form of an arm having a base portion and a contacting portion angular to the base portion, the contacting portion of one of said contacting members being divided into tWo parts pivotally mounted upon the base portion carrying the same; a spring normally for maintaining said pivot parts in close relation with a space therebetween in circular alinement with the contacting part of the other contacting member; and an anchoring block having a T-headed extension and a slot, the T-headed extension being received in an opening formed the base carrying the pivoted contacting parts, which contacting parts are formed to have extended engagement with the head of said T-headed extension, said base having a lug entering the slot in said block, the aforesaid spring being anchored at one end to the latter lug and at the other end'to said block.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this twenty-second day of July, A. D. 1919.

CHARLES L. LILLEBERG.