US1551213A - Switch - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 25, 1925. 1,551,213

R. C. PATTON SWITCH Filed Sept 16, 1921 awuewtto'a Pal viz 67172072 Patton 1% M m/MW Patented Aug. 25, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFEQE.

RALPH CLIFTON PATTON, F PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 PAT'ION MAC'GUYER COMPANY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND.

SWITCH.

Application filed September 16, 1921. Seria1 No. 501,033.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH C. Pa'r'ron, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in e lectric switches more particularly adapted for use on motor vehicles for controlling the light and the horn circuits; and the object of this invention is to provide a simple and effective device of this character which may be readily applied to the steering wheel of the vehicle within easy reach of the hand of the driver so that by simply pressing downward on one end of the device it is caused to tip or rock and complete a corresponding circuit and by pressing down on its opposite end the first circuit may be broken and another completed, and by positioning the device on neutral both circuits may be opened.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a push button in the casing whereby a separate and independent circuit to the horn may be closed as often as desired regardless of the relative position of the rocking casing.

The invention further consists in the pro vision of a detent for retaining the rockable casing in adjusted position.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing Figure lis a top view of my improved electric switch.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the switch shown as mounted upon the arm of the steering wheel.

Figure 3 is a sectional side elevation of the switch showing the cover in neutral position.

Figure 4 is a top view sectioned on line l l of Figure 8', showing the internal mechanism.

Figure 5 is a sectional end view sectioned on line 55 of Figure 2.

It isfound in practice desirable to pro vide a simple and practical switch for motor vehicles adapted to be readily attached to a spoke of the steering wheel adjacent the natural steering position of the hand of the operator so that by a simple pressure on either end of the casing the cover is tipped and a contact made or broken either to light, dim or extinguish the lights as desired, also the horn may be blown all without requiring the operator to remove his hand from the wheel, and the following is a detailed description of one means by which this result may be accomplished lVith reference to the drawings, 10 designates the body portion or". my improved electric switch which is preferably formed vof sheet stock drawn up into substantially trough shape and curved from end to end to lit the general. curvature of the steering wheel rim 11 ot a motor vehicle.

The lower wall or bottom 12 oi this body member is provided with inturned socket portions 13 adapted to be threaded to receive binding screws 1.4: by which the device may be clamped or secured to a spoke 15 ot the wheel. An opening 16 is also formed in this bottom wall near one end thereof through which the cable 17 carrying the circuit wires is passed into the casing and an insulating grommet 9 may be secured in this hole if desired. I have also secured to this bottom wall a block 18 preferably of insulating material by means of a screw 19.

On this blocl: I have mounted a "flexible contact arm 20 extending on an. incline upwardly towards one end of the body and I have attached another and independent contact arm 21 to this block to extend upwardly towards the opposite end of this body member.

on this insulating block. I have also mounted a spring contact strip 22 for the purpose presently described. Over this body member oil? the switch I have placed a cover member 23 which is similar in shape to the body member but is of 'a little greater length and width and this cover member is pivotally connected to this body member by means of a pin 24- which passes transversely through the side walls of both.

In the upper wall of this cover member I have provided an opening 25 in which is mounted a push button 26 of insulating ma. tcrial adapted to rest upon and be held in position by the curved contact spring 22.

In order to releasably retain the cover member in adjusted position on the body member I have provided a detent comprising a bolt 27 set transversely adjacent one end of these members, one end 28 of this bolt being mounted to slide endways through an inwardly depressed portion 29 of the side wall of the body. The opposite end 30 of this belt is in chisel shape and extends through the opposite wall of this body portion to engage any one of a series of depr ssions 31 in the side wall of the cover, the bolt being pressed into engagement with these depressions by a spring 32 whereby when the right end of the cover is pressed downwardly the inner surface at this end of the cover engages the contact member 20 and so completes an electric cigcuit to the dim lights, the detent at this time entering the upper recess 31 to retain the cover in that position, and when the left end of the cover is depressed the detent will snap from one to another of these depressions to engage the lower one and so i tain the contact member 531 in conta with he under surface of the cover to comp ete a circuit to light the bi' ht or head lig In order to sound the horn it is necessary to press the button 26 inward which carries its contact F22 into engagen with the pivot pin 2.4, which pin being in circuit with the metal body POl'tiOll, coniplctes a circuit to the horn causing the same to sound. It will be noted by my inn 7 7 construction that dirt and :toreig-i nr l are completely prevented from ge the device, the contacts being al adjacent the top or under side of the cover thereby effectually preventing dirt from lodging hereon; and then again the contacts are of the wiping or sliding type which again sists in keeping them bright and clean.

In securing the device to a spoke of a steering wheel, I may use a clamp bar 3? and in this case the spoke may be wound or covered with a strip or layer of insulating material 3-1: and the wire-carrying cable 17 as led out from the casing, may be wound about the spoke, if desired, to the center, of the wheel and then about the steering post to be connected to the lamps, the horn and the source of energy.

The device is extremely simple andv practical in construction and is adapted to be readily applied to a spoke of a steering wheel andpositioned to readily engaged by the hand of the operator to be operated without removing his hand from the wheel to either control the dim or bright lights or to blow the horn.

It will be noted that the horn button projects su'liiciently abovethe surface of the device so that it can be readilyfeltoand found by the hand even in the dark.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the construction illustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilegeoi resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by the terms of the appended claims I claim:

1. An electric switch comprising a troughshaped body member, a correspondinglyshaped sheet metal cover member having a portion of its wall corrugated to fornr a series of recesses,said cover fitting over and being pivoted to said body, electric contacts i: said body operated by a tipping movement of said cover to close andopen a circuit, and a spring actuated detent mounted on said body for engaging any one of said recesses for retaining said cover in different i. in electric switch comprising a troughshaped body member, a cover member it ting over and pivoted to said body, electric contacts at, opposite ends of said body whereby the tipping of said cover inopposite directions closes and openscorrespond ing circuits, and a press button in said cover for closing an independent circuit.

3. An electric switch comprising an elongated trough shaped body member, a corresponding1yshaped cover member inverted over said body both having, their side walls pivotally connected together intermediate their ends, electric contacts located within and adjacent theopposite ends of said body, each to contact with the under side of v its end of the cover when the same is tipped downward towards it, a spring-pressed dctent housed in the body for retaining the cover in any adjusted position. and a cen tralv push button in said cover for completing an independent circuit.

In testimony whereof I aliix my ature.

RALPH CLIFTON PA'ITOX

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