US1513330A

US1513330A - House electric

Info

Publication number: US1513330A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1924-10-28
Anticipated expiration: 1941-10-28

Description

Oct. 28, 1924; 1,513,330

w. LOUDON AUTOMOBILE SWITCH Filed June 5, 1922 2 Shuts-Shut 1 INVENTOR Warren P Loudon.

ATTORNEY WITNESSES: v

Oct; 28. 1 2

w. P. LOUDON AUTOMOBILE SWITCH 2 sum-sum 2 Filed June 5, 1922 Fig. 3.

INVENTOR Warren E Loud n- ATTORNEY WITNES ES:

P atented a. 28, 1924. 1,513,330

UNITED STATESv PATENT OFFICE.

WARREN P. LOUDON, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

AUTOMOBILE swrrcrr.

Application filed June 5, 1922. Serial No. 568,034.

To all whom it may concern: shaft 8 and a hollow sleeve member 9 that Be it known that I, l/VARREN P. LoUnoN, are concentric with each other, 55 a citizen of the United States, and a resident The contact drum 6 comprises an inner of Springfield, in the county of Hampden disk 10 that is mounted on the shaft 8 for and State of Massachusetts, have invented rotation therewith and for rotation relaa new and useful Improvement in Automotively to an outer ring member 11 which bile Switches, of which the following is a bears the usual contact segments. The disk 60 specification. is provided with a latching mechanism My invention relates to automobile comprising a radially movable member 12 10 switches and is has particular relation to having an extended portion 13 and a spring such switches as embody means for control- 14 for biasing the member 12 outwardly to ling the ignition circuits and lighting cirengage the ring 11. The contact drum 7 6 cuits of motor vehicles. similarly comprises. an inner disk 16 that My invention has for one of its objects to is rigidly secured to the sleeve member 9 and provide a mechanism of the character dean outer ring member 17 that are connectscribed above that may easily and conven- .ed by a latching mechanism comprising a iently be arranged to remain in anydesired reciprocable member 18 and a spring 19. 7 position. Contact fingers 20 coact with the contact A second object of my invention is to prodrums.

20 vide a simple and compact mechanism for The latching mechanisms are controlled controlling a plurality of electrical circuits. by a lock mechanism 21 of any usual or My invention comprises an arrangement standard type. The lock mechanism com- 75 for controlling a plurality of circuits in prises a rotatable member or key barrel 22 which the actuating means therefor are renwhich has secured thereto a pin 23 that is dered inefiective by a single controlling eccentric relatively to the axis of the barrel. member. Two contact drums are provided A reciprocable member 24 that is mounted with operating handles that are connected in a suitable guide member 25 is provided 80 thereto by latching mechanisms. A single with an arcuate slot 25 with which the pin keycontrolled member disconnects the 23 coacts to constitute a cam mechanism.

latching mechanisms from the contact The member 24 is provided at its upper drums when the latter are in desired preportion with two oppositely extending arms determined conditions. The operation of 26 and 27, each of which is provided with 85 the handles when the latching mechanisms upwardly projecting portions for coacting are inoperative is not efiective to change the with the latch members 12 and 18, respecpositions of the drums. tively. As best shown in Fig. 4, the mem- In the accompanying drawing, ber 27 is provided with a relatively long Figure 1 is a front view in elevation of a curved surface 28 that is adapted to engage 90 switch mechanism embodying my 1nvent1on., the latch member 18 throughout a consider- F 1g. 2 1s a view in longitudinal section of able range of movement of the contact drum the mechanism of Fig. 1. j 7. The projecting portion of the arm 26 is Fig. 3 is a View in transverse section taken relatively narrow and is adapted to engage on the line IIIIII of Fig. 2. the latch member 12 in the off position 95 Fig. 4 is a front View of the switch mechaonly of the ignition contact drum 6. nism of Fig. 1 with the cover removed. As shown in Figs. 3 and l, respectively,

The switch mechanism comprises a cylinthe respective ring members of the contact drical casing member 1, a base plate 2 for drums 6 and 7 are provided with suitable supporting the various terminal members notches 29 in their peripheries that are 100 of the switch, a metallic cover plate 3 and a adapted to be engaged by

springs

30 and 31 glass cover plate 4 that are retained in posifor the purpose of yieldingly retaining them tion by a ring 5. A contact drum 6 for conin any position to which they may be adtrolling the ignition'circuits and a contact justed. The angle through which the condrum 7 for controlling the lighting circuits tact drum 6 may be rotated is fixed'by a slot 1 of a vehicle are respectively mounted on a 32 in the ring member 11 and a stop member 33 that is secured to the base plate 2. The rin member of the contact drum 7 is provide with a slot 34 which coacts with a sto member 35 which appears in Figs. 2 an 4.

The drums 6 and 7 are controlled respectively by

operating handles

37 and 38 which are rigidly connected to the shaft 8 and the sleeve member 9, respectively.

When it is desired to render the switch ino erative, such, for example, as upon par ing the car, the ignition switch handle 37 is actuated to its off position. The lighting switch handle 38 may be in any of its several operative positions or its off position. The key barrel 22 is rotated by the usual key in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed from the front, whereupon the cam mechanism comprising the pin 23 and the slot 26 actuates the slidable member 24 upwardly to disengage the latch mem bers 12 and 18 from the respective ring members 11 and 17. The latter members are retained in the positions to which they have been adjusted by the

springs

30 and 31.

The operation of the

handles

37 and 38 is not effective to change the positions of ring members 11 and 17 of the drums 6 and 7, respectively, since the

corresponding disks

10 and 16 are disconnected therefrom. If either of the

handles

37 and 38 has been ac tuated from its normal position relatively to its corresponding drum subsequent to its disconnection therefrom, it will be necessary, after the release of the latching mechanisms, to return it to such position in order that the latch member may register with the coacting slot in the corresponding members when the key is operated to render the switch mechanism adjusted.

In order to insure that the ignition contact drum 6 is in its off position when the latching mechanisms are disengaged, the ring member 11 is provided with a slot 39 into which the extension 13 projects and which must register with the member 26 before the latching mechanisms may be released. In case the ignition switch is in other than its off position, the member 26 engages the periphery of the ring member 11 and u ward movement of the member 24 is there y prevented.

The advantages obtained by employing a switch constructed in accordance with my invention are that the parts are comparatively few in number, may be easily assembled and occupy a comparatively small space. The arrangement whereby the operating handles are disconnected from the contact drums instead of being locked in their adjusted positions prevents an unauthorized person from rendering the switch operative by breaking the locking mechanism upon application of relatively great force to the operating handles, as is possible in connection with switches of certain' types of standard construction. The rotation of the handles of a switch such as that described herein cannot operate to change the position of the contact drums so long as the key controlled mechanism occu ies the position in which the latching mec anisms are disengaged.

I claim as my invention:

1. A switch comprising two rotatable effecting the disconnection of said drums from said handles.

3. A switch comprising two rotatable.

drums, actuating handles therefor, latching mechanisms for connecting said handles to said drums and a single member for simultaneously controlling the latching mechanisms.

4. A switch comprising two contact drums in axial alinement, two concentric shafts for actuating said drums, a latching mechanism for connecting said shafts to the respective drums, and a member for selectively render? ing said latching mechanisms operative or inoperative.

5. A switch comprising two contact drums in axial alinement, two concentric shafts for actuating said drums, a latching mechanism for connecting said shafts to the respective drums, and a member for selectively rendering said latching mechanisms operative 0r inoperative when one of said drums is in one position only and when the other of said drums is in any position.

6. A switch comprising an ignition controlling member having an off and an on position, a lighting controlling member having a plurality of operative positions and an inoperative position, actuating means for each of said controlling members, and means for rendering said actuating means ineffective when said ignition controlling member is in its off position only and said lighting controlling member is in any position.

7. A switch comprising an ignition controlling member having an off andian on position, a lighting controlling member having a plurality of operative positions and an inoperative position, actuating means for each of said controlling members, latching means for connecting the actuating means to the respective controlling members, and means for rendering said latching means inoperative, said last-named means bein effective only when said ignition .contro ling member is 1n its off position.

so i

8. A switch comprising two rotatable contact members, two shafts for actuating the respective contact members, a spring-actuating latch member for operatively connecting each shaft to the corresponding contact member, and means for controlling the latch members comprising a key-actuated member and a cam mechanism controlled thereby.

9. A switch comprising two rotatable contact members, two shafts for actuating the respective contact members, a spring-actuated latch member for operatively connecting each shaft to the corresponding contact member, and means for controlling the latch members comprising a reciprocable member for actuating them out of engagement with said contact members and a rotatable member for actuating said reciprocable member.

10. A switch comprising two rotatable contact members, two shafts for actuating the respective contact members, a springactuated latch member for operatively con necting each shaft to the corresponding contact member, and means for controlling the latch members comprising a reciprocable member for actuating them out of engagement with said contact members and a rotatable member having a cam connection to said reciprocable member.

11. A switch comprising two rota-table contact members, two shafts for actuating the respective contact members, a springactuated latch member for operatively connecting each shaft to the corresponding contact member, and means for controlling the latch members comprising a reciprocable member, one of said contact members being arranged to permit the operation of said reciprocable member only when said one contact member occupies a predetermined position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 25th day of May, 1922.

WARREN P. LOUDON.