US1450046A - Switch cover and support - Google Patents

Description

1,450,046 w. J. NEWTON SWITCH COVER AND SUPPORT Filed Jan. 15, 1920 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 27, 1923.

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. NEWTON, F BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNCR T0 HARVEY HUBBELL, INCORPORATED, OF BEIDGEIORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORA- TION OF CONNECTICUT.

swrron COVER AND SUPPORT.

Application filed January 13, 1920. Serial No. 351,269.

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. NEWTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, county of Fairfield, State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Switch Covers and Supports, of which the following is a specification.

At the prewnt time various forms of locking mechanisms for switches, especially on automobiles, as for locking the magneto, batteries, or the lighting system, are in use. It is usual in these mechanisms, so far as I am aware, to lock the switches themselves, either singly or jointly.

vide a switch cover and support having in its face plate an opening for what I term .a disappearing door because when open it is moved to the rear of the face plate practically out of sight although it does not disappear literally, because when open its front edge projects a small distance for wardly of the face plate so that it may be grasped and pulled to closed position. This door, when locked, encloses and conceals the switches, and when unlocked, springs from its position so that the switches are accessible and may be manipulated inthe usual manner. The invention thus provides a I means for concealingthe switch mechanisms, for preventing access to them by tamperers, and for enclosing them from flying particles, and to attain these desirable ends I provide a locking mechanism of simple structure for the so-called disappearing door.

With the above and other objects in view the invention will now be fully described and hereinafter specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawing forming a art of this specification.

' i re 1 is a front elevation of the novel switsi box with the disappearing door in closed position;

Figure 2 a side elevation corresponding with Figure 1;

Figure 3 a front elevation with the dis ,appearing door in open or disappearing position;

Figure 4 a side elevation corresponding with Figure '3;

It is the object of this invention to pro-.

Figure 5 a section on the line 5-5 in Figure 3;

Figure 6 a rear elevation with the door closed;

Figure 7a rear elevation with the door open; and Figure 8 is a perspective View showing in detail certain of the elements of the invention, disassembled.

2 0 denotes a plate which carries the switches and is secured at its opposite ends to plates 25 which are in turn secured to the face plate 21. The face plate 21 has an openlng 22 therein, in which is mounted the socalled disappearing door 23. The switch mechanisms 24 are secured to the plate 20 by means of screw bolts 24'. These mechanisms are of conventional form so are not shown in detail. The face plate is spaced from the plate 20 and so located that the levers 24" for the switch mechanisms are directly beyond the opening in the face plate and when the door is in open position they will be accessible, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The member 20' is a narrow plate closing the opening between the lower edge of plate 20 and the rear of the face plate.

The plates 25 also form brackets or'supports for the door and locking member and the door is provided with cars 26, each of which comprises a strip of metal bent outward and back upon itself'as indicated at 27, thus providing parallel arms as indi cated at 28 and 29. The brackets pass between the parallel arms of the ears, and are pivoted thereto by pivot pins 30 which pass through the inner ends of the brackets and the inner lower corners of the parallel arms. The pivot pins have thereon coil springs 31, the ends of which are attached locking member 36 which will be described.

When the catch is .engaged by the latch, the door will be in its closed position and the bent portions of the ears will lie closely adjacent the upper edges of the brackets,

v as clearly shown in Figure 2. When the catch is released, the coil springs will swing the door to its open or so-called disappear- .ingposition, as clearly shown in Figures 4.. and 5.

away arm. The cut away arm is provided with small cars 41 near its lower end, and

on the lower end of the bracket which carries the arm with the catch are small ears 42. Ears 41 are set between ears 42, and the pivot pin 43, passing through perforations in the two sets of cars, pivots the U- shaped locking member to the bracket. A coil spring 44 onthe pivot pin, having ends bearing against the switch box and the lower end of the cut away arm, latch in engagement with the catch, as will be readily understood.

In the face plate and adjacent thegupper" end of arm 38 is a lock 45 having a hub 46 and a barrel 47, the latter being provided with a cam, as indicated at 48, which is arranged to turn with the barrel when the latter is operated by a key.

When the door is in its closed and locked position and access to desired,-a key is inserted in the lock and the barrel is rotated. The cam carried thereby,

I past arm 38, coil spring j latch opening,

being made a proper length, pushes the upper inner wall of arm 38, and hence the locking member, against the action of spring 44, a sufiicient distance to release the latch from the catch. Coil s ly' swing the door to i ing position. When rings 31 immediates open ordisappearthe cam has turned and the rests against the bracket. When the front end of the-door is manually grasped and the door is drawn to its closed position over the opening in the face plate, the'catch rides past the latch and the shoulders of the catch and latch engage each other and thus lock the door in its closed position.

It is to be understood that I have shown one form of carryin my invention into effect and that such changes may be made in the structure of. the switch cover and support as are warranted by the scope of the apnded claims; v

- What I desire to claim is:

1. A device of the pharacter described comprising a face plate provided .with an a spring, controlled door provided with ears having parallel arms, brackets to which the parallel arms are pivoted, a catch carried by one of said parallel arms, a locking member carried by one of said' brackets and having a latch to engage the catch to ing member towardthe switch box normally holds the the switch levers is 44-forces the lockhold the door in the opening, means for releasing the latch from the catch, and means for swinging the door from the opening.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a face plate provided with an opening, a spring controlled door provided with ears having parallel arms, brackets to which the parallel arms are pivoted, a catch carried by one of said parallel arms, a locking member carrie by one of said brackets and having a latch to engage the catch to hold the door in the opening, a lock provided with a cam adapted to release the latch from the catch, and means for swinging the door from the opening.

3. A device of the character descibed comprising a face plate provided with an opening, a spring controlled door provided with ears having parallel arms, brackets to which the parallel arms are pivoted, a catch carried by one of said parallel arms, a locking member carried by ing a latch'to engage the catch to hold the door in 'said opening, a lock provided with a cam adapted to release the latch from-the catch, and springs arranged to swing the door from the opening.

4. A 'device of the character described, comprising a face plate provided with an opening, a spring controlled door provided with ears havin parallel arms, brackets to which-the para el arms are pivoted, a catch carried by one of said parallel arms, a spring pressed locking member carried by one of said brackets and having a latch to engage the catch to hold the door in the opening, a lock provided with a cam adapted to engage the spring pressed-locking member to release the latch from the catch,- and springs arranged to swing the doorfrom the opening.

5. A device of the character described, comprising a faceplate provided with an opening, a sprin controlled door for the opening, a pivota the rear of the face plate, a spring pressed locking member for holding the door in the opening, a lock operated cam to releasethe locking member from the door, and springs tending to swing ing to the rear of the face plate on said pivotal support whereby when the cam releases the locking member, the door swmgs from the opening, and when the door 1s manually drawn back over the opening, the spring pressed door and holds it.

6. A device of the character described, comprising a face plate provided with an opening, switch mechanism carried by the face plate and accessible through said opening, door movingthe door fromthe opening substantially to the rear of the face plate and out of' alignment with the switch support for the door at i the door from the openlooking member .grips the for the opening, and means for 3 Io plate and in the otherin a position mechanism with the exception of a 7 a In a device of the character described.

5 a face plate provided with an opening, a

door for said opening, means pivotally mounting said door for movement so that in one extreme position it lies with its'face substantially flush with one face of t e face 0 uncover said opening with a portion of one edge projecting on the face side of said plate, means biasing said door to the latter ition and means including a stationary porl5 tion on the plate for locking the door in its 1 first named position.

8. A device of the character described, comprising a face plate provided with an opening, switch mechanism in the rear of the face plate and accessible through said opening, a door for the opening, means for supporting the door in the opening to close the same, said means being so arranged that the door may be opened by being moved to a position substantially at the rear of the face plate and at one side .of the opening with a portion thereof in a position to be manually grasped'at the openingin the face plate for closing the door.

In testimo y whereof I afiix my signature.

WILLIAM J. NEWTON.

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