US1389899A - Switch - Google Patents

Description

F. 5. mass.

SWITCH.

APPLlCATlON HLED AUG.9. I920.

1,389,899. PatentedSept. 6, 1921.

2 SHEETS SHEET L SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.9. 1920.

1,389,899. PatentedSept 6,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- PATENT OFFICE.

FLETCHER S. RIGGS, OF MARSHALL, TEXAS.

SWITCH.

T 0 allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FLETCHER S. Riccs, a citizenc f the' United States, residing at .Mar shall in the county of Harrison and State of exas, have invented new and useful lmprovements in Switches, of which the following is a speeification.

This invention relates to electric switches t ams for its object the revision of a switch,usedinconjunction with a signahng jdevicefjncluding five lights, the construc- .tion qf.the switch being such that any one of outer four lights may be separately genergized that any two opposite ones of the four lights may be energized, or that all of thesfour, lights may be energized simultaneously the central or fifth light being capable of independent energization.

izAn, important object is the provision of a of this character which includes two operating levers,:one of which is singly operable; whereby to,, energize any one of the separatedi hts, and, theother of which is movable w en itisdesired to energize any pair bilights or both opposite pairs.

additional ohject is the provision of a aswitch of thischaracter which will be .slmplaand inexpensive .in manufacture,

hi hly eificient in use, quick in operation, durable in service, and a general improvement in the art..

With uthe above and other objects and advantagesin view, the invention consists in the details of construction to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which l is a longitudinal sectional view through my switch,- 40 1 Fig. 2 is a plan view with the handle in section,

'Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view on the line 3--3 of Fig.1, I 1

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are views similar to Fig. 3 showing difierent positions of the lever,

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view showing my device in use. ,,R ferring more particularly to the drawingsfthe: numeral 10 designates a disk of insulating material which serves as the base of my device. Secured upon the outside of this base 10 is a shell 11 of metal which is hemisphericalin shape and which is pro vided at its point most remote from the base 10 with a cross-shaped opening 12 includingarms 13, 14, 15 and 16.

Specification of Letters Patent.

inner periphery-of the shell 11.

Patented Sept. 6, 1921.

Application filed August 9,1920. Serial No. 402,154.

Extending centrally through the base 10 is a screw 17 provided immediately below the base with a clamping nut 18 and carrying above the base a contact disk 19 formed with a handle 19' and this disk 19 is formed with outwardly projecting segments 20, 21, 22 and 23. Arranged at points ninety degrees apart are screws 24, 25, 26 and 27 which are connected with lamps 28, 29, 30 and 31, respectively. Associated with the contacts 24, 25, 26 and 27 are wire contacts 32, 33, 34 and 35, respectively, each of which has its lower end coiled, as shown at 36, and engaged upon the corresponding contact screw andclamped against the bottom of the base 10 by a clamping nut 37. At its other end each of these'contact wires 32, 33, 34 and 35 has its upper end reflexly curved, as indicated at 38. i Associated with the shell 11 is an operating device comprising a central post 39 carrying a handle 40 and also carrying an outer shell member 41 which is a portion of a 5 here and which is disposed against the outside of the shell 11. Also associatedwith this post is an inner shell 42 which isa portion of a sphere and which engages .against the A coil spring 43 surrounds the post 39 within the shell 11 and engages against the shell 42 and against a nut 44 threaded upon the end of the post, the function of this spring being to hold the shells 41 and 42 against the shell 11 with the post 39 passing through the cross-shaped opening 12.

The lamps 28, 29, 30 and 31. which it is desired to energize in pairs, each has one terminal connected with a common. round wire 45 and have their other termina s connected, respectively, with the contacts 24, 25, 26 and 27. The common wire 45 is connected with one pole of a source of current 46 which has its other pole connected with the central screw 17. The numeral 47 desi nates the independent light which is located oeutrallyof the four lamps above described and any suitable separate switch mechanism, not shown, may be em loyed for energizing this individual light either together with or independently of energization of the four lights above mentioned. It should be here stated that the screw 17 is also connected with the metal shell 11.

The operation of the device is as follows:

With the disk 19 in neutral position, as shown in Fig. 3, when the operator desires to energize either one of the lights 28, 29, 31') or 31, it is merely necessary that he grasp the handle 40 and shift the post 39 into either of the arms 13, 14, 15 or 16 of the opening 12 whereupon the spider structure 48 within the inner shell 42 will engage the bent end 38 of any one of the contacts 32; 33, 34 or 35, respectively, as the case may be, whereupon the associated lamp 28, 29, 30 or 31 will be energized as the current flowing from the source 46 will pass through the shell 11, shell 42, spider 48 and contact engaged by the spider to the associated lamp from which it, will return to thesour'ce.

In case it is desired to energize either opposite pair'of the lamps it is necessary to merely grasp the handle 19*,and rotate the disk liljntoj such position that the segments 20 and 22 or 21 and 23 will engage opposite ones of the contacts 32, and34 r 33 and 35, as shown in Figs. 5 and 4 res ectively, whereupon current flowing from he source will passthr'ough the screw '17, through, the disk 19,'an d through the two contacts enpaged by the dislrgthrough the associated amps and back to the source. It is observed that t '6 disk 19 may be rotated so that the segments thereon will engage either pair of contacts,

If itshould be desired to energize all four ofjt h lain ssitnultaneously, it isnecessary to rotate t efdis'lr 19 so that the segments thereon will engage all of the contacts 32, 33, 34and 35, as shown in Fig. 6, whereupon all the lights will receive current.

" Aslstated above, the independent switch mechanism gwhic'h may be provided and whichis not shown,fmay be used for energizing the individual li'g'ht 17 either in conjunction with or separately from the enerization of the lamps 28, 29, 30 and 31 individually, or in conjunction with their en er' ization in pairs or simultaneously.

rom the foregoing description and a stud of the drawings it will be apparent that have thus provided a simply construct ed and consequently inexpensive operating switch or controlling the'energization of a plura of electric li hts which may or ma not form a part of t 'e signaling system. the t have shown and described the referred embodiment of my invention, it s of 'cou'ise to be understood that I reserve the right make such clianges in the form, 'co'nstriictitin, and ari'angem'entof parts as will not deper'rrre a the s hit at the inven tion or'the scope of the su joined fclaims.

Having this described my invention, 1

claim wardly extending contact members secured to said second named contacts and terminating in considerable spaced relation to the base, a metallic shell secured externally upon said base and of hemispherical shape, said shell being provided in its top with a Substantially cruciform opening having arms corresponding in 'niimber to the number of said second named contacts, an outer. shell of partially spherical formation slidableexternally upon said first named shell, a post provided with a handle and secured through said second named shell and extending through said opening, an inner shell of partially spherical shape conformingly engaging against the inner periphery of-said first named shell and mounted'o'n said pest, a

spider member carried by said l st-named I shell, said shell beingconnected vir'ith jsaid first named contact, and said post being movable into any arm of said" opening in order to bring said spider member into" Contact with the upper endof either-font: "of httid last named contacts." f

2. A switch comprising a bese rer'mea es a disk of insulating materiah a beiitral centact extendin through and securd with respect to sai base, a plurality er eq'ually spaced outer contacts extending through ifiid secured with respect to said "base, u wardly extending contact members secured tdseid second named contacts and terminating in considerable spaced relation tothe baseye inetallicshell secured externallyfiipdilsiid base and of hemispherical shape; said ehen being provided in its top with a subsets tially cruci-form opening hitviriQ-mmhbfiresponding in number to the number of said second named contacts, an outer 'slhellblf partially spherical formation siid'abllltternally upon said first named shell, apost provided with a handle and seeured thrpugh said second named shell and extending through said opening, an inner shell of artially spherical shape conformingl'gaengag ing against the innerperi hery idfitst named shell a'nd moun'te 'on saidfl ptist a spider member carried-by said last'hama S first named contact, and said post being too!!- able into any arnj'ofsaid openin in order to bring said spider member uh contact iell, said shell being connected vvitlrs'aid with the upper end of either one bf 'said last nalned contacts, a s ring encircling said post within and engagin againstth'e last named shell, and a nut threaded upon "the free extremity bf said post and engagin against the other 'end of said spring.

3. A switch comprising "a base normed as a disk of insulatingrnate'iial, a central bontact extending through and secured with respect to said base, a plurality of -"rially spaced outer contacts extending through terminating in considerable spaced relation a secured to said second n mea contacts and to the base, a metallic shell secured externally upon said base and of hemispherical shape, said shell being provided in its top with a substantially cruel-form opening having arms corresponding in number to the number of said second named contacts, an outer shell of partially spherical formation slidable externally upon said first named shell, a post provided with a handle and secured through said second named shell and extending through said opening, an inner shell of partially spherical shape conformingly en aging against the inner periphery of said rst named shell and mounted on said post, a spider member carried by said last named shell, said shell being connected with said first named cOlltaCt, and said post being movable into an arm of said opening in order to bring said spider member into contact with the upper end of either one of said last named contacts, in combination with a disk rotatable upon said first named contact and having radial extensions adapted to engage either opposite pair of said second named contacts or all of said second named contacts said disk having an operating handle and said first named shell bein provided with a slot for the passage thereo In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

FLETCHER S. RIGGS.

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