US1648853A - Martinpluther - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 8, 1927. 1,648,853

M. P. LUTHER ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Nov. 23, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 N Nae/if MARTINELUTHER Nov. 8, 1927. 1,648,853

M. P. LUTHER ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Nov. 23. 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 M. P. LUTHER ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Nov. 23. 1921 l A y a V a 2 Q \6 6 5 f." 6 6 5 i 6 ,7 6 a 9 Nov. 8, 192 7.

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M. P. LUTHER ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Nov. 23. 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 MARTINELUTHER M Patented Nov. 8, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN P. LUTHER, 0F 'QHTCAGO, ILLINOIS. A SSIGNOR TO SUPER-SAFETY SWITCH COMPANY; OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATIONOF ILLINOIS.

Y ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Application filed .November 23., 1921. Serial No.'517,211i

This invention relates to electric switches. The invention embodies in a simple, com-. pact, and. novel structure 'a multiple electrical switch for use in simultaneously-com trollinga single ,or a; plurality of circuits in a. large-industrial plant or other structure, or for controlling the individual power units thereof, and in whichsafety in operationjs the feature of. primary and utmo st,'i m portance. The mechanical embodiment illus trated and 3 to be, {described hereinafter -;com-. prises arotary multiple pole single, throwswitch, suitably' enclosedin a cabinetwith which it has an interlocking arrangement, whereby theeabineteannot be opened until the switch is manipulated insuch manner as to open or close the-circuit to which it is connected, and wherebygthe opening of'the cabinet locks the'switch in its open position, thereby insuring the safety of the operator. andrendering it fool -proofv X ,1

- Among otherfeatures ofmy invention are a series of-switches having the same axial support'from which they project at corre-' sponding angles, and fuses securely mounted thereon inv such position that they ,can be seen through an'openingin the front ofthe cabinet when the latteris closed. The weak-: est point and the one fraught with the greatest dangers both to life'andproperty in any electrical installation and at the same time the most important accessorv thereto, is the electrical fuse upon which the successful protection of the wires and appara' tus depend. v These fuses are made 'in a variety of shapes and sizes and range from the old style wire to the present day enclosed fuse. lVith all of these different fuses it is necessary to have metallic terminals into which they attach and also receive the ends of the circuit wires, or in case of switches and fuses combined having provisions to receive connections from the switch to one end of same. In my invention the ends of the switches constitute terminals that simultaneously disengage from the terminals of the circuit, and the fuses carried by said switches are automatically cut out of the circuit when said switches are opened, and are only visible when dead to the circuit. Still another desirable feature is the magazine construction of the invention, which renders it dust-proof and prevents fire by eliminating the lintthataisually accumulates around switches of this character. The contactsof the switch are self alining and the princ pal parts of the switch,are removable from the. cabinet. for repair or to permit substitution, without. danger to the operator, and; the switchesflare.quick-break in operation and flash-oversbetween contacts are impossiblem These and; other advantages are accomplished ,byISmy; improvements as will beg apparentrfrom t-he following detailed description andthe .claimsitaken in connection with; the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure :1 is a plan view of the switch em bodying the improvements ofmyinvention, showing the cabinet open in which itis mounted,-'; Figure 2 isa transverse section taken on line 2,- 2,;Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated: by the 'arrowsfi- Figures?) is asimilar view, showing thecabinet; cover-closed;

.Figure4 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on line 4, 4, Figured, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

- 1F igure-5 is a vertical section taken on line 5. 5,. Figure 1, looking inthe direction indicated; by the arrows,-showing a side view of onef'switch unit.-

Figure 6-isan end .view of said unit.

1 Fignre-7, is a perspective view of the cabinet in which my improvements are enclosed.

Figure 8 is a detail section of the insulating base.

F igure'.9 is a perspective view of one of the contacts seated in said base.

Figure 10 is a detail view of the handle.

. Referring more particularly to the drawings, the circuit controlling device or switch proper includes one or a plurality of rotatable blocks 5, 5, each composed of insulating material such as porcelain or the like. These blocks carrythe male contact members and fuses, to be described in detail later, and are mounted upon a transversely arranged and rotatable square shaft 6, said blocks 5 being provided with metal lined squared openings 7, as bestshown in F igure 5, that receive the'squared shaft.

In the preferred arrangement of the switch the carrying-blocksb take the form llustrated in Figures 5 and '6,of the draw rugs, and comprise the body portion hereinbefore designated 5, and diametrically oppositely disposcdwing portions 8 and 9, that carry correspondingly constructed U-shaped male contact members 10, and 11, of the switch, respectively. These male contact members are arranged in pairs and are secured in opposite and parallel relation to the sides of each. of said wing portions, and have their outer margins curved so as to coincide with a segment. of a circle struck from the axis of the block. These male contact members are oppositely arranged on the wing members Sand 9.

The-webs 13 connecting' the side port-ions 12-, 12, of contacts 10 and 11 are secured to" the adjacent ends of the same edge of the-respective wings by means of "bolts 14; which extend through suitable openings in each wing, and'by a second bolt '15 passing through web 13, thatserves toengage and retain the base of a'fuse-clip =16; as'will be obvious from Figuresfiand ti, and, together with bolt 14, preventsrotation of the contact; members in thewvings; There isa fuse-clip'between'the side portions of each cont-act member, and themet-allic end portions 17 of the fuses 18 are seated in said clips in the conventional way. The opposite side faces of thewings Sand 9 of'said-bloclrs, near their outer ends, andadjacent= to the basal webs of the contact members, are provided'with recesses 19, 19,- and curved= tongucs 20, 20, are formedintegrally with the side portions'of the contact membersand extend into said recesses, but out of contact with the walls of the same. The purpose-of this arrangement: is to prevent deposit of metalcaused by the-making and breaking of the circuit at this point.

Thebloelrs 5, mountedon'the shaft 6,- are arranged on shaft 6 to rotate, in individual transverse troughs 21. 21-, formed in a rectangular pillow 22. made of porcelain or other refractory material. The intervening walls 23. 23. between these troughs 21, 21, and the end-walls 24. it. of the base serving: to complete this structure.

Stationary female contact members are seated and secured in each of the troughs 21, 21, and when shaft 6 is rotated the members 10 and 11 of the male contacts pass between and rub against the lips 31.0f said stationary contacts. The frequent use ofthese enga ing male and female contacts will cause a film-.of copper or brass to be deposited. upon the surfaceof the wings, and in order to prevent this film conducting'currentabove, insulating plate or plates43are-mounted ontheouter edgesof the end-.walls 24, 24, of the-pillow.

The;stationar v female contacts above referred to areeach U-shaped and have a rectangular attaching plate 26 that is placed against the inclined end-walls of the troughs 21 of the pillow, .in which position they are secured by-extensions 29 that extend at an obtuse angle therefrom and lap against and are securedto the outer surface of the pillow at the ends of the troughs by means of suitable screws, which latter are inserted through an aperture 30 in said extension and are tapped into the materia of the pillow and act as binding posts for connecting the circuit conductors to the female contacts. Near the upper end of the attachingplate, 26, and just inside the plane of the extension 29 it is provided with an opening 38, through which is inserted a bolt 39, that extendsthrough' a suitable bore in the pillow andhas; its head counter-sunk in the rear surface of the-pillow. The female contact has'lips3'1 that project outwards from the inclined sideedges of its attaching plate; Theo'uteredgesof-said' lips are in a plane substantially paral'lel'to'the outer surface of thepillow'andare substantially at' right angles'to't-h e=ffoor of the-trough and about midway the lengtfh' of "their u'pper'edges are provided with lugsthat are bent or flared laterally. These=lugs 35, and likewise lugs 3t3'at the inner ends of said lips adjacent the fioor' of'th'e troughs, are arranged in the same-circumferential line of travel of and direct' the side portionslt), 11, of the male contacts between the lips- 31 of the=female contact, and form the points of make and break during the operation of the switch. The inner end'edge'of the attaching plate 26 of said female contacts, preferably midway between said-lips, has-a tongue, 32 projecting; therefromthat" entersa complemental recess in the fioor of the-troughs and assists in anchoring the female, contacts and preventing lateral motion. The inclined end walls of the troughs are provided with grooves 40 which receive-ribs 41 in the inclined portions 26, and thus prevent too great lateral displacement'of the stationary contact members.

In order to completely house the stationary female contact members. and the removable male contact members at all times when the switch is closed, I provide plates 43. of insulating material, such as fiber; that rests upon the top of the wall 24- and-24. ofsaid pillow. and said walls being provided'with a series of openings 45in registration with-the respective rotatable switch elements to accommodate their passage into and out-ofelcctrical contact with the stationary contact members.

As previously: pointed out, the switch is described'as placed in asuitable case or cabmet the latter be'ingconstructed with a lower bottomportion' A; and an upper removable portion B. This switch isdescribed iu (leltm tail and-cla-imed in my (o-pending applica-- tions; filed on even date herewith under $0- rial- Nos; 517.212 and 217,213. The bottom portion Aofthe case is adapted to be secured'to a stationary support, such as a wall or the like, and the removable portion B carries the switch construction in its entirety.

The operating mechanism for the switch is also carried by the section B and comprises, together with the square shaft 6 previously described, a handle 58 mounted upon the outer free end of the shaft. The journals of said shaft being cylindrical. as at 59, are seated in suitable bearings bushing 60 for rotatably mounting it in the side wall 49 of the section B.

The handle 58 is operable upon the cylindrical portion 59, of the shaft 6. and independently thereof for a limited distance. and a helical spring 51, serves to connect the handle to the shaft after sufiicient tension has been imposed thereon through the manipulation of the handle, so that when the switch is moved in either direction a quick make and break of the circuit may be attained.

In order to properly support the base 22 in the section B of the case. said section carries a tray portion 62. to which the base is secured by means of screws 63 passing through integral flanges 64, formed on said base. The tray portion curving upwardly at 65, alOng one side, and distorted at 66. along the opposite side. so that when the two sections, A and B, are as embled, longitudi nal pockets 67 and 68, will be provided under the margins of the tray for accommodating conductors. which it may be desired are to go around the switch. The parallel side. portions 69 and'70 of the-tray extend up alone; and lap against the wall 49 of section B, and are suitably secured thereto by a series of bolts 71. 71. the said side portions 69 and 70 and walls 49. 49. being suitably apertured to accommodate shaft 6. A suitable latch for locking the switch that will be described presently, is carried on the squared portion of said shaft adjacent the side-wall 69. The details of the construction of this latch are not included, as I prefer to make them the subject-matter of a co-pendin; application.

Section B is provided with a cover or lid 7-3 for the case, and this cover is hinged at 74 to one of the sidewalls 49 of said case, (preferably that side remote from the handle). The cover is provided with a sight opening 75 surrounded by a frame 76 in which a glass or transparent plate 77 is arranged, thus permitting a view of the interior of the switch when the cover is closed. A spring latch or hasp 78 is secured at 79 within the section B, and projects through a slot 80 in the cover when the latter is closed. and the outer free end of hasp 78 having an aperture 81 for receiving a padlock or the like. A suitable handle 82 is provided on the cover.

I provide a lock, consisting of a rotatable member, on the shaft and a latch member on the cover. the former, in the present in stance, preferably taking the form of a disk 84, fixedly secured to and rotatable with the shaft 6, for locking the switch against movement in either open or closed positions with relation to its respective circuits when the cover is open and for locking the cover closed when the switch is between its limits motion, one half of the circumference of this disk, 85, is greater in diameter than the other, 86,'the portion 86 terminating in notches 89 and 90.

The latch member a segmental arm. 91, fixedly secured at 92 to the inner surface of the cover, and about half way its length it has a notch 93 in its outer edge that is adapted to engage the disk when the cover is closed. and pass at right angles through suit able alined aperatures 94, 94, formed in the side portion 69 and adjacent side wall 49; the free end of said segmental arm having a laterally bent lug 95, forming a stop for limiting the distance to which the cover may be opened. As pointed out above the notches 89 and 90 correspond to the full open and closed posit-ions of the switch, and are, when said switch is either opened or closed, arranged in alinement with the body of the segmental arm 91, so as to not interfere with the opening of the cover as long as the switch is in either of its extreme limits of movement. \Vhen the cover is closed, as will be observed in Figure 3, notch 93 in arm 91, is in register with the disk, so that free rotation of the switch in either direction to 180 of its circumference is permissible as long as the cover is closed. The shoulders 87 and 88 of the arm 91 engage the body of the segmental arm, and thus form the limit stops for the switch; however, as soon as the cover is opened the notch 93 of said arm is moved out of alignment with the disk and the switch cannot be manipulated in either direction owing to the body of the segmental arm engaging one or the other notches 89 or 90 according to the position the switch was in when the cover was opened. Thus it will be seen that I provide against injury to the operator. when he attempts to manipulate the switch when the cover is opened or when he attempts to open the cover when the switch is only half way between its limits of movement. In order to lock the switch in either of its positions, a thumb nut 96 is carried by disk 84 and may be manipulated to engage with the adjacent side portions 69 or engage suitable openings herein to lock the. switch. The lock is described and claimed. per se, in my co-pending application tiled November 23. 1921. Serial No. 517,212.

Assuming the cover to be closed the switch movement is created by the handle 58. This movement will cause the blocks 5, assuming them to be in the position shown in Figures 1 t0 3, to rotate through an arc of 180 lit? degrees of a circle, which will bring the under surface of the blocks to the top of the base or in alinement with the plate 43, at the same time introducing the contact members 10 and 11 between the lips 31 of the stationary contact members. As the blocks 5 carry the fuses, these latter also will be swung down under plate 43, and thus the live parts of the switch are completely hidden when the switch is closed. When the switch is opened the movable contact members 10 and 11 project outw rdly. as shown in Figures 1 to 3, anda're entirely out of contact with any'live part of the circuit controlled by the switch, and the fuses being exposed to view, may be removed and replaced without any fear of contact with the conductors.

Inorder to test the fuses, the plate 13 is provided with a plurality of openings 43 dis osed each above one of the connecting screws to the stationary contact members so that a' conductor may be inserted through theseopening'sand the fusesbridged in order to test them.

From the'foregoing it will be seen that the safety features of the invention insure that when the operable parts thereof are conducting current, they are completely housed and ordinarily inaccessible. The switch cannot be moved when the cover is opened, and-the cover cannot be opened when the'switch is in course of movement from one position to another, and with this, is the feature that the fuses are arranged to facilitate their replacement, and also to facilitate their testing. While a preferred embodiment of my invention has been described and illustrated, it will, of course, be understood that I reserve the right to make minor changes in the details thereof, Within the meaning of the invention and scope of the claims.

What I claim as new:

1. An electric switch having contact terminals, a housing normally concealing and rendering said terminals inaccessible. a circnit closing device adapted to be completely concealed in the housing When in contact with said terminals, a casing for said switch having a closure member and means for locking said circuit closing device in either its conducting or non-conducting position when the closure member is open.

2. In an electric switch, a hollow base of insulating material having a plurality of integral partitions dividing the base into compartments, a plurality of circuit terminals within said compartments, a circuit closing element for each compartment, a shaft common to all said circuit closing elements. said elements makin and breaking the circuits entirely within said com partments, a case for wholly containing said switch, and means for locking the switch in either of its limits of motion when the'case is open.

3. An electric switch comprising a base of insulating material having a recess in its upper face. spaced pairs of yieldable con tact plates mounted in said recess each having flared upper portions, a rotatable shaft, a rotor member of insulating material actuated by said shaft and movable in said recess, spring arms arranged in spaced relation upon opposite ends of said rotor member,

each arm adapted to engage a portion of the respective contact plates, and a fuse extending between the arms at opposite ends of the rotor member and electrically connecting the same.

4. An electric switch comprising a base of insulating material having a plurality of parallel recesses in its upper face, spaced pairs of yieldable contact plates mounted in each recess and each plate having flared upper portions, a rotatable shaft, a plurality of rotor members of insulating material actuated by said shaft and each movable in one of said recesses, a pair of spring arms upon each end of each rotor member adapt ed to engage the respective contact plates in one position of said rotors and disengage therefrom in another position of said rotor, and fuses extending between arms at opposite ends of each rotor member andele'ctrically connecting the same.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first (31) day of October, 1921.

MARTIN P. LUTHER.

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