US1801866A

US1801866A - Switch mechanism

Info

Publication number: US1801866A
Application number: US196466A
Authority: US
Inventors: Oliver S Jennings
Original assignee: Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: CBS Corp
Priority date: 1927-06-04
Filing date: 1927-06-04
Publication date: 1931-04-21
Anticipated expiration: 1948-04-21

Description

. A951121', 1931'. n. s'. JENIN'GS 1,801,866

.swITcn'MEcHANIsu Filed June 4. 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 O L; A 2

WITNESSES.: INVENTOR Apn 21, 1931- o. s. JENNINGS SWITCH MECHANISM Filed'June 4, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Oliver S. Jenni ny:

ATT'ORN'EY O. S. JENNINGS SWITCH MECHANISM Filed June 4, 1927 April 21, 1931.

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR` Oliverl 3 Jennz'ny.:

A ORNEY Patented Apr. 2l, 1931.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OLIVER. S. JENNINGS, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T WETINGHOUSE ELEUIBIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA SWITCH MEcHANisM Application iled .Tune 4, 1927. Seriai No. 196,466.

1|; wear and at the same time prevent the entrance of dust and foreign matter through openings usually provided for supporting the ail.

Another object of my invention is to pro- Vide an improved means for connecting the switch` blade to the operating bail.

r These and other objects that will be made apparent throughout the further description of my invention are attained by means of the switch mechanism hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein,

y Figure 1 is a front elevational view of an enclosed switch, embodying features of my so invention, the cover being shown as partly cut away,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the switch mechanism shown vin Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a transverse section throu hthe u switch mechanism taken on the line II -III ofFig. 1,

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective the switch actuating mechanism and,

Figs. 5 and 6 are longitudinal sections taken on the line `V---V of Fig. .1 showing the switch operating mechanism in closed and open ositions, respectively.

Re erring to the drawings, the apparatus comprises a sheet metal housing 7 having oppositely disposed

side walls

8 and 9, end'walls 11, and a bottom wall 12. The housing is rovided with a cover 13 that is pivoted upon liinge rivets 14. .n

An insulating base 16 is secured to the bottom wall of the housing and carries the usual View of fuse receptacles 17 and mountings for knife switches 18 which include the hinge jaws 19 and the contact jaws 21.

The switch blades 18 are connected to a switch operating bail 22 by means of a pair of metal arms 23 that are attached to clips 24y secured to an insulating bar 25. The insulating bar is fixed to the switch blades 18.

The arms 23 are each provided with a socket bearing 26 into which the bail is inserted through a notch 27 disposed between .integral pin eyelets 28, as indicated in Figs.

1 and 2. The bail is held in assembled position within the socket 26 by means of Cotter pi is 29 that are inserted through the eyelets 28. This construction provides an inexpensive switch arm and facilitates its assembly.

Referring particularly to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the switch operating mechanism comprises a pair of discs31 and 32 which are disposed on opposite sides ofthe side wall 9 and which are riveted together by means of shoulder rivets 33.v The inner disc 32 is provided with a countersunk portion 34 whichl constitutes a journal that rotates within the bearing opening 35 in the side wall 9. An operating handle 36 made of a round iron bar'is attached to the outer disc 31. As indicated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the operating handle comprises an integral eyelet 37 that is attached to the disc 31 by means of the integral iiange 38 of the disc 31 which is spun over the eyelet to iix it in position and to prevent relative rotary movement of the operating handle with respect to the disc.

The side wall 8 is provided with a closed socket 39y for receiving the journal end of the bearing 41 and the disc 32 is provided with a similarly closed socket 42 for receiving the journal end 43 of the bail 22. The bail is assembled within the sockets by compressing the ends thereof toward one another and snapping it into assembled positions, as shown in the drawing. By reason of this construction the bearing opening 35 is closed and there is no opening at the socket 39. Therefore, dust and foreign substances are excluded at these points and because of the broad wearing surfaces presented the wear is reduced to a minimum.

The bail 22 is operated by means of an actuating plate 44 that is mounted for limited rotation upon the journal 43 of the bail, the bearing for the plate comprising a bushing 45 that is drawn from the plate 44 and which constitutes an integral part thereof.

For reasons which will hereinafter appear, it is desirable to provide a lost motion connection between the operating handle and the actuating plate 44 in order to permit of limited movement of the actuating handle before the plate is rotated thereby. For this purpose the plate 44 is provided with a pair of arcuate slots 46 through which the shoulder rivets 33 extend and which permit of limited movement of the plate 44 with respect to the operating handle.

The plate 44 is retained-in assembled relation to the operating handle by means of the shoulder rivets 33 which extend through a retaining washer 47, as indicated in Fig'. 3. The washer 47 fits over the shoulder bearing 45 of the disc 44. i

The actuating disc 44 is' provided with a peripheral -flange 48 having a slot 49 for -receiving the bail 22 which is inserted through the opening 51 in the iange 48. By reason of the slot 49 a. lost motion connection is provided between the actuating plate 44 and' the bail 22, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear.

In order to impart a snap action opening and closing movement to the switch blades, the actuating disc 44 is pivotally connected to an over-center compression spring 52 that surrounds a guide bar'53 having an enlarged end member 54 that is pivotally attached to the disc by a pin 55. The free end of the bar operates in a slot 56 in a guide clip 57 that is pivoted to the side wall 9 of the'housing by a pin 58. "`The` spring 52 is disposed between the enlarged portion 54 of the guide bar and the clip 57 and serves to move the disc 44 to either of its extreme positions with a snap action.. f l

The movement of the disc is limited by means of a stop lug 59 that is stamped from the side wall 9 and which is engaged by a lug 61 on the disc or plate 44 when the disc-is in its eXtreme closed position, as shown in Fig. 5, and by the lug 62 when the disc is in the open position, as shown in Fig. 6.

Assuming that the switch is in the closed position, shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5, the switch is opened by moving the operating handle 36 clockwise as shown in Figs.`5 and 6. The initial movement ofthe operating handle moves the shoulder rivets 33 into engagement with the ends 63 of the slots 46.

lFurther movement of the operating handle ca uses clockwise rotation of the actuating disc 44,-thus compressing the spring 52 until the pin 55 passes the center line between the axesof the disc 44 and the lpin 58. During this movement of the operating handle and the disc 44 the end 64 of the slot 49 engages the bail 22 ,and causes initial movement of the switch blades 18 toward open movement. The spring 52 passes over the previously re erred to center line just prior to the separation of the blades 18 from their contact jaws 21. y The instant the spring has passed over center it causes rotation of the actuating disc to open position with a snap action, thus forcing the switch blades to open position with a rapid movement. The' movement of the actuating disc is limited by the lug 62 which engages the stop lug 59.

Since a lost motion connection is provided between the operating handle and the actuating disc, and a lost motion connection is also provided between the actuating disc and the bail, the switch moves to open position regardless of whether the operating handle is being held by the operator or not. Should the spring fail or should the contacts seize and prevent the spring from opening the switch, the switch may be positively actuated to open position by 'moving the operating handle to its full open position.

In order to close the switch, the operating handle 36 is moved in .the opposite direction. Initial movement of the operating handle imparts no movement to the actuating disc 44 until the shoulder rivets 33' engage the ends 65 of the slots 46. Further movement vof the operating handle causes counter-clockwise rotation of the actuating disc until the spring 52 is again moved over center, at which time the disc will be moved to closed position with a snap action, carrying with it the bail 22 which moves the switch to closed position with a snap action. The final closing movement of the switch under the in- 'uence of the spring 52 occurs regardless of whether the operating handle 36 is held by the operator. The switch may be locked in vthe on or oil position by placing a

padlock haspthrough perforations

66 and 67 in the clip 68 and the flange 69 respectively. The clip 68 is secured vto the exterior side of the wall 9 and the flange 69 is integral with the disc 31.

It is apparent from the foregoing that a I simple, inexpensive, quick-make and quickbreak operating switch mechanism is provided. Because the parts constituting the" switch operating mechanism are stamped from sheet metal, the overallthickness of the switch operating mechanism is materially reduced and therefore the space required for the switch .is reduced to a minimum.'

lVhile I have illustrated but one embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent to i Iclaimasmy v 1. Switch mechamsm compr' a hous.

invention:

havingv side walls Vone of whi is proed witha bearing open'ing, a pair of discs of larger diameter than the opening disposed on opposite -sides ofthe said side walls and I secured` together by a pair of shoulder rivets, .one of the discs having a journal fitting within the opening and centering the said discs for rotation about the axis of thebearing opening and the inner disc having a centrally disposed bearing socket, an operating handle4 attached to the outer disc, a movable switch within ythe housing an operating member therefor pivoted at ohe end in the said socket,

`an actuating member rotatably mounted on theoperating member and having a lost motion connection thereto, the actuating member beinl'provided vwith arcuate slots through whi the shoulder rivets extend for proividin'g a lost motion connection to the operating handle, the said rivets serving to re- -tain the actuating member in assembled relation to the operating handle, and a spring for moving the actuating member to either of its extreme positions with a snap action.

c `2. Switch mechanism comprising a movable switch member, an operating bail therefor, a support, a'bail operating plate rotat'- 'abl mounted in the supportand provided wit an annular flange and an operating handle vcomprisin a rod havmg' an eyelet at one end attachd` tothe plate by portions of the said flange. v

3.`An o erating handle for a switch comprising a gar provided with an integral eyeet at one end, and a flanged plate provi ed with means for connecting to a switch mem'- ber, the said plate being attached to the eyelet by means of portionsl of the flan e bent around the e elet portion of the hande.

4. A switc arml comprising a sheet metal platey having a bearing socket for a switch ets, and lmeans accessib e exteriorly of the for actuating the lsaid bail. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my me this mh da of Ma 1927.

'OLIVER s. iENNIliGs.