US1835116A - Switch mechanism - Google Patents

Description

De. 8, 1931. I W, LINDSAY 1,835,116

SWITCH MECHANISM Filed Dec. 16, 1927 VWI'1.1111111111 LINDSAY, or cnIcAeo,v ILLINOIS, AssIGNoR 1 application.v

ture shown in Figure'l;

Patented Dec. 8, 1931V UNITED ASTATES PATENT OFFICE,

FACTURIN'G- COMPANY,

'ro ECONOMY FUSE AND MANU- QFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. CGRPORAT'ION OF NEWVYORK swrrcnv MECHANISM Application filed December 16, 1927. Serial No.7240,414. c A

v The present invention relates to improvements in switch mechanism.

he present invention is illustrated and will be described in connectionV with a type of switch which is vfrequently operated, such for example, as an electric light switch. The

invention is illustrated in connection with a switchof thepull chain type, though it will be understood as the description proceeds Athat the inventionis of much broader An object of the provide a switch contact which may be made and assembled at small expense and which is well adapted to stand up-under frequent circuit making and circuit breaking operations. t y

A further obj ect is to provide a switch contactof simple construction providing an elficient currentcarrying portion operative under normal current carrying conditions and providing a portion operative under circuit making and circuit breaking conditions to minimize sparking and pitting.

A further object is to provide an electric switch of improved construction involving a resiliently urged movable contact member and a relatively stationary contact member cooperating therewith, which relatively stationary contact memberhas a resilient portion adapted to cooperate effectively under normal current carrying conditionswith said resiliently urged contact member and which has a second resilient portionadapted to cooperate effectively withesaidresiliently urgedv memberfrunder circuit rmaking. and `circuit breaking conditions.

A further object is to provide an electric switch well adapted to quantityproduction, which may be assembled at a minimum of expense.

Further,l obiects will appear as the d escription proceeds. l

Referring to the drawingsv Figure'l is a view in elevation of an electric switch embodying the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a Vtop plan view of the'struc- Figure`3 is a sectional view taken-along the larged scale, of a Q10 has a standard or post 11 secur present invention is to plane. indicated by the arrows 3-3 of Fig-` ure2; Y

Figure l is a perspective view, on an enthestructure shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 ,'v and Figuren is ablank fromwhich the con,- tact'member `shown in Figure a may be swedged g V' i The numeral 10 indicates a disk which shouldbe of insulating material. Said diskl x v d thereto,

which post 11 provides 'a slidable support for a relatively movable contact vmember `12. Said contact member 12 is sclectably urged toward either of the two Vends of the post 11 by means of the spring 13, ,which spring 13 has an extremity 14 extending through an aperture 15 insaid member 12. The post 11 is provided with the slot 16, having closed ends, which closed ends limit movement of the extremity 14: of the spring 13, and therefore limit longitudinal movement of the' contact member 12. Said spring18 is mounted upon the arm 17, which arm is controlled by ratchetv mechanism,indicated as the numeral 18. The ratchet mechanism and Vthe means associated therewith for biasing the contact member 12 sclectably to its two extreme positions do not constitute the subject'matter of the present invention and need not be .described in detail herein, inasmuch as any preferred means known to those skilled in the art may be utilized to operate the member 12 into and out of the position shown in Figure 1. At present it is preferred 1to use the structure disclosed No. 1,706,793, granted March 26, 1929.

The relatively movable contact member 12 is provided with the pair of sidewalls 19y having the flanges 20-20. Said relatively movable contact member 12 is adapted to have bridging relationship with a pair of relatively stationary contacts 21-21, which relatively stationary contacts 21-21 are preferably identical with each other. As shown in Figure 4, each contact 21 may consist of sheet from which the contact 21 may be swedged,

said blank having cut out portions on two opcontact memberlinvolved in a whole byv 'Se the right ot the vertical center posite sides as indicated by the numerals 24k-2d. Longitudinal slits 25 communicate with said cut out portions 2Lt-24t and extend in the direction of the aperture Said slits 5 25 provide the neck 26, the iingers 26A and the head portion 27. As indicated in Figures 3 and 4, the neck 2G is bent downwardly trom the base portion 22 and is bent upwardly intermediate of its length, as indicated by the numeral 28. rlhe neck 26, therefore, provides an abutment for a purpose which will be referred to hereinafter. The head 27 is bent along a transverse axis to provide a contact engaging portion 29. The extremity ont the head 27 is flared rearwardly trom the portion 29, as indicated by the numeral 30. The fingers 2GA-26A are swedgred upwardly intermediate of their length transversely ot the member 21 to provide contact making por- 2o tions 2tB-2GB adapted to cooperate with the lower flanges -20 oi kthe movable contact member 12. The downwardly extending portion of the neck 2G ot each contact member 12 is disposed within a correspond- 25 ing aperture 81 in the disk 10. Said members 21-21 are anchored in pofition, preferably by means oi. the center and side contacts oi' the electric switch in the event that the switch is used in an electric socket or the like. To line in Figure 3. the contact member 21 is anchored in position by the center contact 32, which, it will be noted, has an extremity 33 extending; through the aperture 34 in the disk 10 and through the aperture 23 in the corresponding member 21, and swedged over upon the upper side ot the corresponding contact member 21,. The letthand contact member 21, as the parts are viewed in Figures 2 and 3, is anchored in place by means of the side terminal 35, which has an extremity 3G extending through the aperture 23 in the corresponding contact member 21 and through the aperture 37 in the disk 10, said extremity 36 being riveted over on the under side of said disk 10. lt preferred., the contact 21 may be further anchored by means ot prick punches indicated by numerals 38-38, which prick punches are located at the side edges ot said member 21.

By reason of the upwardly swedged portions 2GB ot the contacts 21--21, said contacts 21--21 will not lie tlat upon the disk 10 when anchored in position but will have an upward spring intermediate ot the length ot the ingers 2G 11i-36A. rea-son of this vtact, the resiliently urged contact member 12 will have a slight rnbcing action upon the upwardly swedged portions 2GB-26B of the fingers 2SA-26A when said Contact member 12 is moved into and out ot circuit making relationship with the contacts 21-21. By reason. oit this tact the contact member 12 will have a cleaning;` action and goed contact will be had between the contact member 12 and the contacts 21-21 during the normal operation ot the switch of which said members form a part. When the contact member 12 is in circuit ma Ying position it is disposed between the portions 29-29 et the head portions 27-27 of the contacts 21-21. Said head portions 27-27 by reason ot the resiliency of the metal of the members 21--21, are yieldingly held against the walls 19-19 ot the contact member 12. When said contact member 12 is being,r moved out ot circuit making relationship with the contacts 21-21, and when said contact member 12 is being' moved toward contact makingr relationship with the contacts 21-21, the final breaking' and the initial making ot circuit making relationship will be with a snap action whereby sparking and pitting will be reduced to al minimum.

it will be clear that the outwardly extend- I'.

ina' portion ot the neck 26 ot each contact 21 provides a ready means tor locating the contacts 21-21 relative to the apertures 37 in the disk 10. It will also be clear that the contact members shown and erate eifectively with the usual center and side contacts ot an electric lamp socket or the like whereby the matter ot assembly is simpliied.

Though a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail. many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. It is intended to cover all such modications as ot the appended claims.

1. In a. switch, in combination, a supporting' member, a pair of relatively stationary contacts carried by sai-d supporting member,

a movable contact adapted to have bridging,try

relationship with said relatively stationary conta cts` each of said stationary contacts comprisincr a base portion having: an upwardly biased part intermediate of its length, a neck portion having' intertittincr said supporting, member and a head portion carried by said neck portion disposed above said base portion intermediate of the length of said base portion, the head portions ot said relatively station ary contacts bein ej positioned to embrace said relatively movable contact.

2. In a switch, in combination. a supporting` member, a pair o relatively stationary contacts carried thereby, a relatively movable contact adapted to have bridging relationship with said relatively stationary contacts, each ot said relatively stationary contacts having a base portion disposed upon said supporting member and biased away from said supporting member intermediate of its length, a neck portion disposed in angular relationship with said base portion, and a head portion carried by said neck portion,

described coop- '-w fall within the scope relationship with said relatively movable eontact having walls of their length, Vsaid head being bent in a adapted to engage said head portions and andirection transversely of said fingers. other wall portion adapted to engage said Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this`13th day base portion. of December, 1927. 5 3. In a switch, in combination, a support- 7 ing member, a pair of relatively stationary f WILLIAM LINDSAY.

contacts carried thereby, arelatively movable contact adapted to have bridging relationship with sai-d relatively stationary contacts, Y each of said relatively stationary contacts Y f 75 l comprising a base portion sprung up from said supporting rmember intermediate the length of said base portion and a head portion, said relatively movable contact having side walls disposed, when said relatively mov- 90 able contact is in bridging relationship with said relatively lstationary Contacts, between said head portions and having another wall portion adapted to engage said upwardly sprung base portion. 85

4. In a switch, in combination, a relatively v stationary contact, a relatively movable contact, a supporting member for said relatively stationary Contact, said relatively stationary Y 25 Contact having a base portion upwardly y Y 9G swedged intermediate of its length and a head portion extending upwardly from said Y base portion, said relatively'movable ContactA having a pair of walls in angular relationship l with one another, one of said walls being y f 95 adapted to be positioned against said base portion. the other of said walls being adapt- Y ed to have wiping relationship with said head portion. Y

5. A contact member comprising a base 100 having a pair of substantially parallel ingers, a neck secured to said base and disposed between said fingers. said neck being disposed in angular relationship to said base and hav- 6. A contact member comprising a basehaving a pair of lsubstantially parallel fingers, a neck secured to said base and'disposed between said ngers, said neck being disposed in anp gular relationship to said base and having a y no head at its extremity. said head being angu larly bent transversely of said fingers.

7 A Contact member comprising a base having a pair of substantially parallel {inbetween said ngers. said neck being disposed in angular relationship to said base and having a head at its extremity. said fingers being bent transversely thereof to give said fingers an upward spring intermediate of their length.

8. A contact member comprising a base having a pair of substantially parallel ingers, a neck secured to said base and disposed 125 between said fingers, said neck being dis'- Y posed in angular relationship to said vbase and having a head at its extremity, said lingers being bent transversely thereof to give Y said ingers an upward spring intermediate ing a head at its extremity.

11s gers, a neck secured to said base and disposed Y a

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