US1387980A - Terminal block - Google Patents

Description

R. R. HAUGH.

TERMINAL BLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT, 23. 1920.

Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

PATENT OFFICE.

RAYMOND R. HAUGH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. I

TERMINAL BLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1c, 1921.

Application filed September 23, 1920. Serial No. 412,275.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAYMOND R. HAUGH, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Terminal Blocks, of which the followingis a specification.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved form of terminal block for use with electrically heated appliances; to provide an improved form of switch within said block for breaking and closing the circuit; to provide means incorporated in the block for automatically opening said switch when the heat of said appliance reaches a desired predetermined limit, and to provide means for manually operating said switch independently of said automatic means. Q

An illustrative embodiment'of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawin s, in which- *igure 1 is a longitudinal section of the terminal block.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. l.

Fig.3 is a side elevation, partly in section, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section showing a certaln part of the switch mechanism in detail.

v Electrically heated devices such as irons, toasters, etc., have heretofore been provided with thermostatic means for breaking the circuit when the temperature of the heating device arrives at some predetermined point. These circuit breakers are separate from the usual terminal block or attachment plug through which the current reached the heating element. The present invention relates to such a terminal block having incorporated therein an improved thermostatically controlled circuit breaker. In addition to the automatic action provided for by,the thermostatic element, means are provided on the terminal block whereby the circuit may be manually opened or closed.

The improved form of terminal block as shown in the drawings comprises a body part 1 composed of suitable insulating material and comprising a pair of complementary members 2 which are detachably secured together by bolts 3, the opposed faces of the members 2 being grooved to provide seats for the terminals and switch mechanism.

A pair of socket terminals 4 and 5 are seated in spaced relation at the outer end of the block to receive the prongs which form the plug of the iron, toaster or other electrically heated device, (not shown). The terminal 4 is directly connected to one of the conductors 6 and the terminal 5 is connected to the other conductor 7 by the switch mechanism 8 whereby the circuit may be opened and closed.

The switch mechanism for breaking the circuit either manually or automatically comprises a switch blade 9 pivotally secured at its inner end to the block by a pin 10 which is connnected to the terminal 5 by a conductor 11. The conductor 7 is fastened to a spring contact clip 12 which is rigidly secured to the block in aposition to receive and clamp the outer end of the blade to close the circuit. Coiled around the pin 10 is a spring 13 which bears against the inner edge of the switch blade so as to normally urge the blade out of contact with the clip 12 for breaking the circuit.

An arm 14 is carried by the switch blade and is pivotally secured thereto by a pin 15. Angular movement of the arm 14 in a counter clockwise direction relatively of the switch blade is limited by a shoulder 16 which is struck up from one edge of the blade in position to engage the arm 14 on the side opposite the clip 12. The inner end of the arm isbent outwardly so as to extend to one side of the switch blade to form a lug 1?, and the outer end of the arm is formed to provide a handle 18 which extends outwardly through a slot 19 in the block whereby the blade may be manually shifted into and out of contact with the spring clip 12.

The means for retaining the switch in its closed position comprises a thermostatic element 20 which is seated in a slot 21 formed on one side of the block and which is rigidly secured at one end to one of the members 2 by a pin 22. The free end of the thermostatic element is adapted to engagethe outer extremity of the lug 17 for retaining the blade in contact with the spring clip 12. The thermostatic element comprises a pair of metal strips rigidly secured together to prevent relative movement. .The two str ps are composed of different metals having different coefficients of expansion and the element is arranged so that as the heat of the appliance increases beyond the deslred predetermined limit the free end of the element will swing outwardly away'from the lug 17 thereby permitting the switch blade to be urged away from the contact clip by the spring 13. When the device is cooled 'sufliciently the circuit may be closed by manually shifting the handle 18 to bring the lug 17 again into engagement with the thermo static element. The circuit may be broken without regard to the heat of the device by manually shifting the arm 14: out of contact with the element 20.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention is herein shown and described, it will be understood that some of the details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A terminal block for electrically heated appliances having a body formed of insulating material, aswitch blade pivotally mounted on said block, means for normally urging said switch to its open position, a thermostatic element having one end rigidly secured to said block and having its other end arranged to hold said switch in its closed position against the action of said means, said element being disengaged from said switch blade when the heat of said appliance reaches a predetermined limit.

2. A terminal block for electrically heated appliances having a body formed of insulating material, a switch blade pivotally mounted within said block, means for normally urging said blade to its open posi tion, a lug formed on the said blade adjacent its pivot, and a thermostatic element having one end rigidly secured to said block, the free end of said element being adapted to engage said lug so as to hold said blade in its closed position against the action of said means, said element being disengaged from said lug to release said blade when the heat of said appliance reaches a predetermined limit.

3. A terminal block for electrically heated appliances having a body formed of insulating material, a switch blade pivotally mounted within said block, an arm pivotally mounted on said blade, means for limiting the relative movement of said arm and blade, other means for normally urging said blade to its open position, and a thermostatic element having one end rigidly secured to said block, the free end of said element being adapted to engage one end of said pivoted arm so as to hold said switch blade in its closed position against the action of said other means, said element beswitch blade to its open position, and a thermostatic element having one end rigidly secured to said block, the free end of said element being adapted to engage the inner end of said pivoted arm so as to hold said switch blade in ,its closed position against the action of said means, said element being disengaged from said arm to release said blade' when the heat of said appliance reaches a predetermined degree, the outer end of said pivoted arm being formed to provide a handle extending outside of said block whereby said arm may be manually disengaged fromsaid thermostatic element independently of the heatof said appliance.

5. A terminal block for electrically heated appliances comprising a pair of separable members formed of insulating material, a pair of terminals carried by said block, a switch blade connected to one of said terminals and having one end pivotally secured to said block, a contact clip secured to said block for receiving the free end of said blade, a spring normally urging said blade out of contact with said clip, an arm pivotally mounted on said blade, a shoulder struck up from said switch blade for limiting the angular movement of said arm relatively of said blade, and a thermostatic element having one end rigidly secured to said block, the free end of said element being adapted to engage the inner end of said pivoted arm so as to hold said switch blade in contact with said clip against the action of said spring, said element being disengaged from said arm to release said blade when the heat of said appliance reaches a predetermined limit, the outer end of said pivotal arm being formed to provide a handle extending outwardly through a slot formed in said block whereby said arm may be manually disengaged from said thermostatic element independently of the heat of said appliance.

Signed at Chicago this 18 day of Sept, 1920.

RAYMOND R. HAUGH.

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