US1853752A - Quick acting switch - Google Patents

Description

April 12, 1932. WADSWORTH I I 1,853,752

QUICK ACTING SWITCH Filed Feb. 7, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l gwventoo v Geofje .B. 4/4 dcwarfb a 7 J W 515., I mm? April 12, 1932. G. B. WADSWORTH QUICK ACTING SWITCH 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Feb. '7, 1930 gwugnto'a Geo/3e .8. Wadsworf/z Patented Apr. 12, 1932 UNHTED stares rm. 'FFICE- GEORGE WAIDSWORTl-I, OF COVINGTON, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR TO THE WADSWORTH ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF COVINGTON, KENTUCKY, .A CORPORATION OF KENTUCKY QUICK ACTING SWITCH Application filed February 7, 1930. Serial No. 426,602.

This invention relates to a quick making and quick breaking switch construction and has for an object the provision of a compact inexpensive switch. I

Another object of this invention is to provide a switch of this type wherein the act-uating movement takes place wholly within the body lines of the small compact switch base thereby providing an ideal arrangement for use infront operated. switch cabinets and in fact in all installations where space is limited or wherein it is desired to utilize aminimum space for the switch.

Another object is to'provide a switch of this kind with a channeled sub-base having suitable connectors therein for making 'elec trical contact with line wires disposed in the channels. j

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein and disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a switch of the invention in an open position.

' Fig. 2 is an elevational view taken from the opposite end of the switch with the switch in closed position.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental side elevation. looking from the left of Fig; 1.

'Fig. 4; is a top plan view of the switch of the invention on a reducedscale.

Fig. 5 isa top plan view of thesub-base with the switch body removed and showing service wires in position. V i Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 2. V

In the present embodiment an insulating sub-base 8 has ways or channels 9 extending therethrough' from the top face thus providing a plurality of parallel top faces Suitable connector plates 11 and 12 are secured in the upstanding ridges between the channels'and have their top faces flush with or counter-sunk below the parallel faces 10. Suitably insulated service wires 13"are disposed in the channels 9 and'have the insulation removed therefrom beneath the plates 11 so as to provide electrical communication from the service wires to theconnector plate 12.- These plates have threaded perforations 14 therein which serve at once to mount the switch base 15 thereon and to'provide electrical connection "with certain of the switch blades 16 through fastening screws 17. The

switch base 15 has an integral transverse rib e 18 which is interposed between the'switch blades 16 and which also isolatesthe com; panion switch blade"19.' Theblades 19 extend through suitable slots in the base 15 and along the under side thereof to points be base 15 and closely adjacent the insulating rib 18. The rib 18 has a transverse slot23 extending'therethrough adjacent the bottom of which is anchored a slotted upright 24.

This mounting may be simply accomplished by inserting a counter-sunk slotted plate 25 in the bottom of base 15 and turning over the ends of a pair of lugs 26' formed on the bottom of the upright 24b The upright 24 has a pair of oppositely extending arms 27 provided with lugs 28. A reciprocating member 29 extends through the slotin the upright 24 and has its opposite ends turned down as at 30'. Insulating members 31 are secured to the portions 30 and carry at their lower depending ends pairs of resilient copper plates 1580 32, the free ends offwhich form jaws forreceiving the switch blades 16 and 19. Aslotted clip 33 is also fixed to the member 29 and i has slots 34 on its opposite ends for slidably receiving the adj acentends of pivoted bars 35 which have their remote ends 36 provided with suitable perforations for receiving the lugs 28 on the arms 27. The arms 240 in the upright 24 provided by the slot 37 receive the member 29 between them and also-fa pro-- jecting end 38 of the clip33." Thus the member'29'and member 38 have a slidable mounting inthe slot 37 An operating member 39 has fiang'es 40 .cut 01f at 411 to provide shoulders which contact the projecting portion of the'memb er 38. The member 39 likewise'has a slot therein which receives the member 29 and the member 38. This slot, whi'ch'is best shown'at 12 in Fig.2, permits limited free reciprocationof the operating member 39 I upon: the members 29 and 38. Additional movement of the operating member 39 however will cause the closed end 42 of the slotted member 39 to engage the member 38 on the upward movement so that the clip 33 and member 29 will be bodily lifted. This move ment is resisted by the compressional forces of springs 44 as the clip 33 is raised (from the position shown in Fig. 2) and causes the ends of the pivot bars 35 to move into the clip 33 throughthe slots 34. This resistance continues and increases until the clip 33' is moved above the horizontal plane of the lugs ,28 whereupon the force of the springs is released for effecting a rapid and uncontrolled upward movement of the member 29 and'the switch jaws 32 associated therewith. It is to vbe noted/chat the initial movement. of the jaws after the free movement of the operating member 39 has been taken up does not remove the switch: jaws from contact with the blades, this movement occurring automatically and beyond the control of the open ator. upon release of the compressional forces offthe springs.

Upon closing the switch the operating member 39 is depressed, the lost motion being first taken up in the downward movement until theshoulders 41 engage the top of member 38. Continued pressure then moves the clip 33 downward and compresses the springs 44". This compression continues and the switch jaws 32 begin to descend until the slots 34 in clip 33 pass the horizontal. plane passing through the lugs 28. At this moment the switch jaws 32 have not quite reached the companion switch blades 16 and 19: A slight additional movement however releases the compressionalforces of the spring and quickly thrusts the switch aw members 32 downwardly over the blades 16 and 19. The jaws '32 are flared outwardly slightly at 45 so that the blades are received between them with certainty. The downward force of this movement slightly separates the resilient jaws and insures perfect. electrical contact.

This quick make and quick break of electrical contact eliminates arcing upon opening and closing of the switch and the insulating rib- 18 affords ample protection between the adjacent pairs of companion. blades 16 and 19.. 7

As has-been shown the connection between the switch and the incoming servicewires are amply separated by portions of the insulating base. and. sub-base as are also the connections from the blades 19to the fuse receptacles. The load side. of the switch hassuitable connector terminals 46 disposed on the boss 22 remote from the operating mechanism to which wires may be connected. for directing current which. is passed through the service fuses in. the f-usereceptacles to a. meter (not shown). A terminal plate 47 seated in a suitabierecess in-theboss 22 has a number of terminal connecting screws 48 for receiving return wires from the meter and from a plurality of branch fuse circuits and electrically connects them with the return wire 49 which is disposed in centermost channel or way in the sub-base.

Thus the entire switch, operating mechanism therefor and the service fuse receptacles are compactly but accessibly arranged on a very small base which may be mounted upon a cabinet wall such as 50.

For covered installations, the actuating member 39 may be permitted to project through a small aperture in a switch box door, (not shown), in which case a baffle plate 51 fixed on suitable flanges on the upright 24-, is employed. to preclude access to the switch parts when the box is closed. The plate51 has a suitable aperture therein to permit movement of the actuating member 39 there through. A suitable finger hook 52 facili tates operation of the switch and occupies a. minimum of space.

The operation of the switchhas been explained concurrently with thedescription of the structure. It will be noted that the member 39 has a limited amount of lost motion or movement independent of themember 29 and that the lower end of. the member 39 including the cross bar 42 is received in the hollow interior or slot 23 in the insulating rib 18. Thus when the switch is closed the end of the actuating member 39 projects only a short distance above the baffle plate 51 or the top of member 29. Aswill. be readily appreciated the lost motion or partial independent movement of the members 29 and 39 permits the automatic or spring actuated movement of the member 29 entirely free of control by'the operator.

What is claimed is:

1. A quick make and quickbreak electrical switch comprisingan insulating base having two pairs of spaced aligned switch blades, an upright extending from the base, a transverse member mounted for slidable movement longitudinally of said upright, a pair of arms pivoted at their outer ends to the upright and having their inner ends slidably received in the transverse member, a compression spring on each. of said armsyieldingly resisting movement of the arms for a pre-determined distance whereby the springs are compressed and. an actuating member having a limited free moving connection with the transverse member for moving-the transverse member and permitting the compressional force of the springs to move the jaws into and from electrical" contact with the switch blades independently of the actuating member after predetermined movement of said actuating member.

2. In a device of the class described the combination of aninsulating base having a transverse integral. rib, an upright mounted in the rib and extending upwardly therefrom, pairs of switch blades disposed on opposite sides of the rib, means slidable on the upright and having its opposite ends over hanging the pairs of blades, a pair of switch jaws electrically insulated from and carried by said overhanging ends, means for effecting manual reciprocation of the slidable member and arranged for limited uncontrolled movement relative thereto and spring means adapted for compression during the controlled manual movement of the slidable member and for subsequent uncontrolled spring impelled movement of the slidable member to effect electrical connection and disconnection of the pairs of switch blades and the aws.

3. A quick acting switch comprising a pair of spaced blade members, a fixed upright, a member slidable on the upright, a jaw member mounted on the slidable member and electrically insulated therefrom, a pair of arms having pivotal mounting on the upright and having their free ends reciprocably received in the slidable member, compression springs surrounding said arms and abutting the slidable member whereby to normally retain the slidable member at one of its limits of reciprocation on the fixed upright and means having limited uncontrolled relative longitudinal movement with the slidable member and operable to movethe slidable member for compressing the springs whereby the ends of the arms are moved relative to their pivotal mountings for compressing the springs, continued movement of the arms by said member releasing the slidable member to the compressional forces of the springs whereby the jaws on the member are projected into and from electrical connection with the blades.

4. In a device of the class described the combination of an insulating base having an integral recessed rib extending therefrom, a slotted upright fixedly mounted in said recess, a transverse member slidable in the slot in the upright, a clip fixed on the slidable member and having a portion slidable as a guide in the slot of the upright, arms extending outwardly from the upright and having pivots thereon, pivotally mounted arms on said pivots and having their free ends slidably received in the clip, compression springs surrounding the pivotally mounted arms and abutting the clip and yieldingly resisting movement of the clip past the arms on the upright and a slotted actuating member slidable on the upright for efiecting movement of the slidable member, the slot in said actuating member providing for limited independent movement of the actuating member and slidable member, a pair of spaced switch blades fixedly mounted on the base and a jaw member for effecting electrical connection between said blades mountreceived in the transverse member, a compression spring on each of said arms yieldingly resisting movement of the arms for a predetermined distance whereby the springs are compressed and an actuating member having a limited free moving connection with the transverse member in the direction of movement of the transverse member for moving the transverse member and permitting the compressional force of the springs to move the jaws into and from electrical contact with the switch blades independently of the actuating member after predetermined movement of said actuating member.

Signed January 13, 1980.

GEORGE B. WADSWORTH.

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