US1444804A - Push-button switch - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 13, i923.

F. SAUCZUK PUSH BUTTON SWITCH kv l Original Filed Dec.

"auf

ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 13, 1923.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK SAUCZUK, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

PUSH-BUTTON SWITCH.

Application filed December 8, 1919, Serial No. 343,255.

To all 107mm it 01u14/ concer/n Be it known that I, F RANK SAUCZUK, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Push- Button Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to push button switches, and particularly to switches of this character which are made up in gangs for use in apartment houses and the like.

In push button switches as now made up, the wires have to be brought through from the back of the switch base to the contacts at the front thereof. This involves threading the wires through holes provided in the base and catching the ends thereof beneath the terminal screws provided on the front of the base. This requires time and skill, and the holes necessary for such wires provide access of moisture and dust to the contacts resulting in corrosion of the contacts and im perfect operation thereof.

The objects of invention are to do away with these various objections, to entirely protect the contacts from corrosion and dust, to make possible wiring of the switch from the back thereof and without disassembling the parts, and to accomplish all this with a simple, practical, durable and inexpensive construction.

The invention involves a number of novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all of which will be fully disclosed in the following specification.

In the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification, I have disclosed the invention embodied in hut one practical forni, but would have it understood that cl'ianges and modifications may be made, without departure from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

In the drawing referred to Figure 'l is a broken front elevation of a gang switch of the apartment house type embodying the features of my invention, the circuit connections therefor being indicated in a diagrammatic Way.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the switch taken substantially on the plane of the line 2f- 2 of Figure 1.

Renewed October 3, 1921. Serial No. 505,115.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line of Figure l.

The construction illustrated is what is known as a two gang switch made up of two gang units having the separate bases 5 and 6 secured by screws 7 to the back of a front plate 8 which serves as a cover for the two switch bases.

The switch base in each instance consists of a block of insulating material such as wood, provided in its front face with a series of seats 9 for the push button contacts. rlhese seats may simply be cavities formed. in the face of the block by a suitable boring tool. Connecting the several seats is a passage 10 which I have indicated as a slotcut in the face of the block to substantially the depth of the seats, said slot being shown as intersecting the central portions of the seats. Engaged in this slot or groove, is a conductor 11 shown in the form of an insulated, wire having the insulation removed therefrom at the central portions of the seats and as having such non-insulated portions caught beneath the screws 12 which form the center contacts of the several push buttons.

The side contacts of the push buttons are designated 13 and are shown as constructed of spring metal having yielding portions disposed above the center contacts and engaged by the operating buttons 14, and as having flat base portions 15 resting on the supporting base and secured thereto by the overlying reinforcing plates 16. These reinforcing plates are of metal and are provided with screw seats li' therein to receive the ends of the binding screws 1S which are passed through troni the hack of the hace. These reinforcing plates are also iiulepenn dcntly held to the base by screws lil eatenffl`V ing through the same and through the base portions of the spring contacts into the body of t-he base, and which screws, particularl)v in the case of a wooden base, may simply he ordinary wood screws.

By this construction it will be seen that the contacts are securely held to the front of the base even though the terminal screws be removed, and that the terminals or binding posts Ator the individual switches are all located at the back of the base and accessible for wiring without removing the base from the face plate or panel. lt will be furthermore clear that the switch base is thus left closed at the back so that the contact mechanism is entirely protected.

A common terminal for the center' contacts is provided similar to the terminal plat-es 1 6 already referred to. This terminal plate is designated 2O and like the other terminal plates is shown secured on the front of the base by a screw 21 passed therethrough into the body of the base, and as having a screw seat to receive the terminal screw 22, extended through from the back ofthe base into engagement therewith. The securing screw 2l is, in the illustration, utilized also as a binding screw for fastening the end of the common conductor ll thereto, (Fig. 2.)

To insure good electrical conductivity, metallicl washers 23 may beset in the bach of the base beneath the heads of the binding screws, in the manner indicated in Fig. 3, to form metallic seats for the circuit wires.

` The circuit connections may vary to suit different requirements, but in Fig. l, l have illustrated a typical bell wiring system in which a conductor 24 is led from the battery or other current source to the single binding screw for the center contacts, and separate'wires 25 are led to the binding posts 18 forthe individual switches. Where the gangs are madeup in groups of two or more, a common battery wire 24 may be extended from the binding post 22 of one switch base to the corresponding binding post on the adjacent switch base, as indicated at 26 in Fig. l.

lVhat I claim is:

Il.. A push button gang switch comprising a base provided with seats for push button contacts and with a slot intersecting the several seats, a conductor laid in said slot, center contacts in said seats and electrically connected with said conductor, and side contacts in the seats and arranged for engagement with the center contacts.

2. il push button gang switch comprising a base provided with seats for push button contacts and with a slot intersecting the several seats, a conductor laid in said slot, center contacts in said seats and electrically connected with said conductor, side contacts in the seats andarranged for engagement with thecenter contacts, a terminal for the center contacts located on the back of the base and electrically connected with the conductor aforesaid, and other terminals on the bach of the base electrically connected with the individual side contacts.

A push button gang switch comprising a base closed at the back, and provided. with seats for push button contacts inthe `face thereof,v and with a passage connecting said several seats, a conductor laid in said passage, contacts in the seats electrically connected with said conductor, a terminal at the bach of the base electrically connected with said conductor, contacts in the seats for engagement with the first mentioned contacts, and individual terminals for said last mentioned contacts at the hack of the base.

Il. push button gang switch comprising a base closed at the back, and provided with seats for push button contacts in the face thereof, and with a passage connecting said several seats, a conductor laid in said passage, contacts in the seats electrically connected with said conductor, a terminal at the back of the base electrically connected with said conductor, contacts in the seats for engagement with the first mentioned contacts, individual terminals for said last mentioned contacts at the back of the base, said contact seats being in the form of cavities in the face of the base, and a cover plate closing said cavities, whereby dust and moisture are excluded from such cavities at` all sides.

5. In a push button switch, a supporting base, a contact mounted thereon, a second contact having a portion for engagement with the first contact and having a securing portion engaged with the base, a securing member passed through the supporting portion of said second contact into the base,

and a machine screw passed through the' back of the base into engagement with said supporting portion and providing a binding post at the back of the base in electrical connection withsaid supporting portion.

6. ln a push button switch, a supporting base, a contact mounted thereon, a second contact having a portion for engagement with the first contact and having a securing portion engaged with the base, a securing member passed through the supporting portion of said second contact into the base, a machine screw passed through the back of the base into engagement with said supporting portion and providing a binding post at the back of the base in electrical connection with said supporting portion, and a metallic washer setin the back of the base beneath the head of said machine screw.

7. ln a push button switch, a supporting base, of wood or similar material, a contact mounted on the face thereof, a second contact having a portion for engagement `with the first Contact andhaving a securing portion engaged with the face of thebase, a metallic reinforcement applied over the se-. curing portion, a siimnoiftiiig screw passed. through said reinforcement and securing portion into the body of the base, said, reinforcement having a screw seat therein and a binding screw passed through from the back of the base into engagement with said screw seat.

8. ln a .push lutton switch, a base protants in the cavities in electrical connection with said wire, a terminal at the back of the base n electrical connection With said Wire, contacts in the cavities for cooperation with the rst mentioned contacts, and individual terminals for seid Contacts located on the back of the base.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto set my hand.

FRANK SAUCZUK.

Images