US1762202A - Self-opening-switch lock - Google Patents

Description

June 10; 1930. w SWEET 1,762,202

SELF OPENING SWITCH LOCK Filed July 3, 1925 Patented June 10, 1930 UNITED STATES BURTON W. SWEET, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR PATENT; OFFICE."

TO THE VAN onn ELECTRIC,

r001. coMrANY, or CLEVELAND, OHIO SELFaQPENING-SWITGH LOCK Application filed July .3,

This invention relates to motor-hand toolsand particularly to the grip and control mech anism.

Motor hand tools of various types have been provided with various constructions, and

arrangements of grips or handles and various types of controllers or switches, effort being made to render the handle effective for supporting the tool and the switch or controller accessible to the operator. Some effort has been made to adapt the grip of a pistol handle or. the like to tools of this sort with the idea that a pistol grip presents a handle construction which enables the operator to manipulate the toolin a handy manner. The difiiculty with this type of grip, when constructed strictly along the lines of a pistol grip, is that motor hand toolsare much heavier than pistols andare of necessity balanced'in a little difierent manner. It has also been the practice heretofore to pro vide a control lever in the form of a trigger arranged much like the pistol trigger for actuating the switch, but here againthe uses to which the tool isput and the balance of V the tool prevent the effective use of the trigger in the same manner in which it is useable in the pistol.

In view of the foregoing, the present invention relates to a motor hand tool wherein the handle or grip is arranged to project downward in a well known fashion so that it may be grasped by the hand of the operator with its handle provided toward the rear with a curved bulge or projection similating the upper part of the handle of a hand saw and arranged to nest nicely in the'fieshy crouch of the hand between the thumb and the first finger. In addition to this supporting. lug or projection, the handle is provided with a 0011 trol lever or trigger arranged at the front and slightly above the supporting surface of this projection so that it is in convenient and normal position for actuation by a finger of the operator.

Other features of the invention reside in the particular arrangement of the parts of the controller or switch whereby it is responsive to the action of a control lever in making and breaking the circuit to the motor anismtobe described. Theswitch and handle or "cured thereto leaf switch'contacts 9 and 10 1925. Serial No. 41,452.

and tolatching mechanism for holding the self-opening switch closed when desirable. i

Other features of the invention willybe brought out in the following description,

drawings and claim. Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is 'a side elevation, partly in section, of a grip'fand controller mounted upon a hand tool-which is only partially'shown, but which may be of' any of the various'types wen'knewn in the art; Fig. 2 is a section upon the line 22, Fig.'1 and Fig. 3 is a section upon the'line 33, Fig. 1.

In the arrangement shown in the drawings,

the motor casing is indicated at 1 and may be of any of the well approved types ofcasing used in motor' hand tools. This'casing houses the motor parts and is provided with the'usual 'capx2 and gear housing 3. The

main casing is also provided with a surfaced portion 4 on its side for receiving a switch 7 box 5. This switch box is provided with the s usualcable clamp 6 for receiving the incoming-cable 7; ,The switch box is open tofthe motor casing and is also'open at the opposite side where its'edge supports the switch mech- M grip mechanism comprises an lnsulatlng block 8 havlng se spaced from each other and adapted to yield ingly'receive a conducting bridge ring 1 1. swiveledfonthe outerend oofa switch arm 12 pivoted at 13 to a suitable support 14 secured to the insulating block 8.. Thislever is limited on" its on and off positions res'pectively by stops [15 and 16. The switch arm '12 intermediateiits ends, is connected by a pin 17 with the toggle link 1 8,the outer end of which is connected by ,a pin 19 with an operating rodpr link'20l extending through the insulatingblockts into the handle'structnr to be' described: A coiledspringfll is connected to the pivots 13 and l9 and serves to throw the switch arm intotheon? or 0B position, when the link '18is brought into the proper position b the rod or link 20.- The insulating blockis s'ecure'd in any su1table manner to the, handle'body 22 which is of the same "sizefas the insulating blo'ck' 8and is provided with a downwardly extending handle or grip 23 preferably oval in cross section to fit nicely in the grasp of the hand of the operator. This handle near the front edge of the body portion 22, is preferably hollow and is provided in its front wall with a slot 24 indicated in dotted lines, for receiving the switch operating lever or trigger 25. This trigger is pivoted at 26 and has its rear arm 27 connected by a pin 28 to the rod or link 20 intermediate its ends. The lower end of this rod 20 is connected to a spring 29 extending down on the inside of the banlug 31 which curves rearwardly and downwardly and also is curved transversely so as to fit in the fleshy crouch portion of the hand between the thumb and first finger and forms a support for the entire tool with the fingers free for the manipulation of the controller.

' This lug is shown cast integral with the handle and is provided with a re-enforcing web 32 between it and the body portion 22. The upper edges of the body portion 22 are grooved at 33 and 34 which, when the body portion is applied to the insulating block,

form guiding recesses for a latching controller slide 35 extending transversely of the tool and handle. This slide, as shown in Fig. 3, is provided with an enlarged portion 36 provided with a rectangular opening 37 adapted to receive the rod or link 20. One sideedge of the material at the opening 37 is bent upwardly to form a lip 38 for the purpose to be described. Both ends of the slide are bent downwardalong the sides of the body portion, as shown, to provide operating parts for moving the slideffrom one position to another. The rod or link 20 is preferably built up of two parts and one of these gparts is: bent to form a shoulder 39 adapted to engage over the lip 38. and thereby arresting the parts of the switch against "the action of the spring 29 resulting in holding the switch in the on position. The

slide is normally moved to the left or unlatching position by a spring 40 secured to Leo the slidev and to the body portion. In order to ensure the latch holding the switchin this position, the shoulder 39 is undercut slightly, as shown in Fig. 2, to prevent the spring 40 groin moving the slide from underthe shoul- In opera ion the operator grasps the handle or grip andpermits the lug or saw handle support; 31 to rest in the fleshy crouch between the thumb and first finger of the hand with the trigger extending outward in a;position to be readilyengaged by the fingers of the operators hand. The operator is then able to direct the movement of the tool and to control its operation by ready manipulation of the switch lever or trigger. If he actuates the lever toward the handle or toward the position shown in Fig. 1, the switch will be thrown to the on position and the tool will be in operation. A release of the control lever or trigger causes the switch to automatically move to the off position. If the operator should desire to hold the switch in the on position, he moves one finger to a position where it can shift the slide 35 and bring its lip into position under the shoulder 39 with the result that the switch will be arrested against the action of the spring 29 and the tool will continue to operate until released. Release may be brought about by pressing the opposite end of the slide 35 or by again pulling upon the trigger which will result in the release of the slide through the action of its spring 40.

Having described my invention, I claim:

In a tool of the class described, a tool-sup porting handle, a self-opening switch and operating mechanism adapted for switch-closing operation by a finger of a hand having a tool-supporting grasp on said handle, a latch associated with said mechanism and adapted for operator actuation to maintain the switch closed, said latch and said operating mechanism having for the purpose cooperating engaging parts, said parts being adapted when engaged to maintain the latch in latching position, and means yieldably urging said latch from latching position whereby release of said mechanism from said latch will follow operation of said mechanism.

In testimony whereof I hereby aflix my signature.

BURTON W. SWEET.

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