US1826370A

US1826370A - Electric switch

Info

Publication number: US1826370A
Application number: US405469A
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard E Schwarz; George A Matthews
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1929-11-07
Filing date: 1929-11-07
Publication date: 1931-10-06
Anticipated expiration: 1948-10-06

Description

Oct.'6, 1931.

Filed NOV. 7, 1929 R. E. SCHWARZ ET AL ELECTRIC SWITCH 2 Sheets-Sheet l TORJ BY h w-s ATTO Y.

Oct. 6, 1931.7 R. E. scHwAz ETAL ELECTRIC SWITCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 7, 1929 I V NTOR8 y JL 4.

A TTORN? Y.

Patented Oct. 6, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RIGEARDE. SGHWARZ, OF ROYAL OAK, AND GEORGE A. MATTHEWS, 015 DETROIT,

MICHIGAN ELECTRIC SWITCH Application fled November 7,1929; serial No. 405,469.

. Another object is aswitch in which the changing of fuses may be done without danger'to the operator because ofthe complete covering of the live parts under either open or closed circuit conditions.

1 Another object is a simple interlock between the enclosure cover or housing and the switch, preventing opening of the former when the switch is closed.

Still other objects will readily occur to & those skilled in the art upon reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings; in which Fig. 1 is a central verticalsectionof the preferred form of theswitch.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the switch withthc enclosure doorremoved.

In the drawings, the switchis indicate as comprisinga plate or supporting platform ofinsulating material near the near edge 53153 of which is a: second plate 11 of insulating material fixed to the first plate and extending vertically. Upon this second plate areterminals 12 to which are secured the leads 13 extending up throughthe bottom of the 55,5; device and being fixed by means of the bolts or-screwsl l. The upper ends of the terminals 12 each have'secured thereto a switch blade 15 extending diagonally'upward; and backward so as to present the side of the 40 blade towardthe front of the switch.

Inthe'form of switch shown, there will be three of the terminalsl2 and switchblades 15 and a corresponding number of movable elements which are-about to be described.

15.1 At the forward edge of the plate 10 are mounted a plurality of terminal members 20, in the present case, three, providedunderneath the plate 10 withmeans for attachment ofthe wiresor leadsl21,:these being-the lines atoor leads running tozthe load side of'the a fuse 28.

switch. A convenient means of attachment of the leads 21 is shown'as the socket portion 22 with asuitable screw 23. The members 22 are secured to theplate l0 and are provi ded with a forwardly projecting portion 24 {85 extending beyond the front edge of the plate 10"or opposite slots therein so that the portion 25of'the member may extend, up above the plate 10. 'In each of the members 20 there. are two of these vertically extende ing portions which are provided near their upper ends with a hole for a bolt 26, and in each casethe members 25 are spaced a suitable distance to receive between them a spring'contact member 27 which is carriedcg the bolt 26 and adapted to rotate thereon.

-This spring contact member 27 consists of a metallic strip bent to U-form and with the sides bent inwardly and downwardly within the U so as to receive between these two endssggo or side pieces one of the blade ends of a heavy 'duty:fuse.28 .and form a hinged contact and a fuse .slip.

The whole switch assembly is enclosed within a suitable enclosure'or box 30 pro- J5 vided with a door 31 and hinged orpivoted on the sides of the box 30 is a bail member 32, the hinge'pins being the bolt 33 and the spindleend 34 of a handle 35 which latter is mounted on the outsideof the box witl1:;,g the spindle projecting through the wall and fixed tothebail 32. The several bolts 26 and .33 andthe spindle 34 of the handle 35 are in alignment. across the box.

Carried by bail 32 is a plate of insulat- 5 ingmaterial secured toithe bail as by the screws 41. This plate, when in closed circuit position of theswitch; extends from near the'front of plate 10 diagonally upward-towards the rear of the box and in open Cir-.90 cui-t position occupies a substantially vertical position, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The upper edge of the plate 40 is providedwith spring-contact members 42, One for each of the blades 15,. which contact members extend through the plate 40 and are adapted to contact on the rear side of the plate-40 with the blades 15 and on the front side of the plate with the blade 43 of In Fig. 1, the full line position shown is the closed circuit position, and the circuit being from a lead 13 up through the terminal 12 and blade 15 to contact member &2 and 51 down through the fuse of the spring member 27 and members 25 through terminal 20 to the lead 21.

In the form of the device shown, the door 31 of the enclosure is hinged at the top, as at 50, and near the top is provided with cars 51 to which are pivoted links 52, the other ends of which are pivoted to a substantially semi-circular cam or lock piece 53 which, in turn, is rotatably mounted on the side wall of the enclosure, so that, when the door 31 is opened, the cam member 53 is rotated from the position shown in Fig. 1 substantially a half revolution. Cooperating with this cam member 53 is an extension 54 carried by the plate 4.0, there being one of these cams at each side of the switch and one of the extensions 54 adapted to cooperate therewith. The cams 53 and extensions 54 are so located that. with the plate 40 in open circuit position, only a very small movement of the door 3] brings the cam behind the extension and prevents closing of the switch. Further, movement of the cam and therefore, the door 31 is prevented until the switch is fully open.

Further, the door 31 is also provided with an eye member cooperating with a suitable hook 61 carried by the bail member 32 so that when the door is closed and the switch moved to closed position, the hook enters the eye 60 and prevents opening the door unless the switch is in full open circuit position. lVhen, however, the switch is in open circuit position and the door has been opened, the extensions 54 are prevented by the cam 53 from moving backward and it is therefore impossible to close the switch when the door 31 is open.

The enclosure 30 is preferably also provided with a pair of stop members 65 located on the sides of the enclosure and adapted to prevent the movement of the plate 40 too far forward when the switch is opened. In order to provide for installation and repairs or other proceedings within the enclosure, it is preferred to attach the stop members 65 by means of removable screws 66 so that the plate 40 may be moved, if desired, to the position indicated at A in Figure 1, thus permitting access to the live terminals 12.

Now having described the invention and the preferred forms of embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that the said invention is to be limited not to the details herein set forth, but only by the scope of the claims which follow.

Claims:

1. An electric switch comprising a fixed insulating support, a second insulating support hinged thereto, a live terminal carried by said fixed support, a pair of contact members, one of which is connected to said terminal and the other of which is carried by said hinged support, upon the side adjacent said terminal, a fuse clip on the other side of said hinged support and connected to said other member, a movable fuse clip in alignment with the hinges of said hinged support, means for electrically connecting said latter clip to a load line terminal, and means for swinging said hinged support and a fuse carried thereby to close and open said pair of contact members, one end of the fuse and the hinged clip moving as a unit, without disengagement, the hinged clip always being in connection with the terminal to which it is attached.

2. An electric switch comprising an enclosing housing having mounted therein near its lower end a horizontal insulating platform, a live terminal mounted at the rear of said platform, a load terminal near the front of said platform and having an ear extending upwardly therefrom. an insulating plate hinged to said housing with its center of rotation in alignment with said ear, fuse holding means hinged to said ear also in alignment with said center, a second fuse holding means near the free edge of said plate and extending to the under side thereof and provided with means for making contact with said live terminal, and means outside of said enclosure for swinging said plate to make and break said contact.

3. An electric switch comprising a normally horizontally placed platform having at its rear edge live terminals each comprising a contact blade, a movable plate hinged at the forward edge of said platform and carrying contact members adapted to coact with said blades, fuse holding elements connected to said contact members on the face of said plate away from said blades, cooperating fuse holding members on said plate and in alignment with the hinges thereof, means for swinging said plate to an open circuit position, an enclosure for said switch having a door and means connected with said door to prevent said plate from swinging to closed circuit position when said door is open. 4. An electric switch comprising a normally horizontally placed platform having at its rear edge live terminals each comprising a contact blade. a movable plate hinged at the forward edge of said platform and carrying contact members adapted to 00- act with said blades, fuse holding elements connected to said contact members on the face of said plate away from said blades, cooperating fuse holding members on said plate and in alignment with the hinges thereof, means for swinging said plate to an open circuit position, an enclosure for said switch having a door and means connected with said door to prevent said plate from swingingto closed circuit position when said door is open.

5. In an electric switch comprising a fixed live contact member, a movable contact member adapted to coact therewith and carried by a hinged plate, an enclosure for said switch and a door therefor, a rotatable member carried by said housing, and means on said movable plate coacting therewith and freely movable when said rotatable member is in one position but adapted to prevent the movement of said plate toward circuit closing position when said circuit closing member is in another position.

6. In an enclosed electric switch, a platform extending to the rear of the enclosure and having live contact members carried thereon, a plate of insulating material hinged at the forward edge of said platform and normally extending upwardly in front of said members, fuses carried by said plate on the forward side thereof, means on the rear side of said plate for connecting said fuses in circuit when said plate is swung backward and disconnecting said fuses from said circuit when said plate is swung forward, a stop for limiting the forward movement of said plate and means operated by the door of said enclosure for preventing the opening of the latter when said plate is in any other position than against said stop.

7. In an enclosed electric switch having a hinged plate of insulating material carrying elements adapted to make and break the circuit, a lateral extension on said plate extending to near the enclosure wall, a stop carried by said wall and adapted to limit the movement of said plate in circuit opening direction, a cam member carried b' said wall and adapted to be rotated when t e door of said enclosure is opened, said cam cooperating with said extension to prevent movement of said plate when said door is open and means to prevent opening said door when the plate is in circuit closing position.

8. In an electric switch, two spaced fixed contacts, a hinged insulating support, a contact on the rear wall of said support and adapted to engage one of said fixed contacts, a fuse clip on the front wall of said support and connected to the contact on the rear wall thereof, and a second fuse clip hingedly connected to the other one of said fixed contacts and disposed in front of said support.

GEO. A. 'MATTHEWS. RICHARD E. SCHWARZ.