US1883125A - Electric switch - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 18, 1932.

Filed Jan. 51, 1931 Patented Oct. 18, 1932 UNITED STATES @FFEQE WILLIAM C. TREGONING, OF XVAUWATOSA, WISCONSIN, AS$IGNOB T9 CUTLER--HAIMMER. INC, OF MILXVAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATZGN 0F DELA HARE ELECTRIC SWITCH Application filed January 31, 1931. Serial No. 512,608.

This invention relates to improvements in electric switches.

An object of the invention is to provide a switch mechanism of simple, rugged and durable construction, the parts of which are not likely to become deranged when in use. Another object is to provide a switch of the aforementioned character the parts of which may be quickly and inexpensively as sembled.

Another object is to provide movable and stationary switch contact-s and terminal elements of improved form.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear.

The accompanying drawing illustrates certain embodiments of the invention which will now be described, it being understood that the embodiments illustrated are susceptible of modification in certain details thereof without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is an enlarged perspective view, in separated relation, of a single-pole or single-circuit-controlling switch constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a. bottom plan view of the switch shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View, on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the sheet metal blank from which the switch housing may be formed.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of a three-position or multiple-circuit-controlling switch constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view, on the line 66 of Fig. 5, and

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section, on the line 77 of Fig. 6, but showing a diflerent fullline position of the bridging contactor of the switch.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 4, the numeral 10 designates a support for the stationary contact and wiring terminal elements of the switch, said support preferably consisting of a flat punched plate of fiber-board or other suitable insulating material. Spaced longitudinally of plate 10 are a pair of substantially rectangular openings 11 and 12.

T he stationary contacts of the switch consist of a pair or" metal studs 13 and 14 (preferably solid, as shown)said studs having parallel flat sides and ourvea vertical edges as shown, so that the same are of substantially elliptical form in horizontal cross section. The vertical edges of said studs are cut away for a portion of the len th thereof to provide shoulders 18 1 P- which are adapted to seat against the upper surface of slate 10, and to provide shanks 13 14 which are' adapt d to penetrate and fit fairly snugly within the openings 11 and 12.

Underlying plate 10 are a pair of identically formed terminal members 15 and 16, said members having horizontal portions 15 15 provided with openings 15", 16 which are alined with the openings 11, 12 to accominodate the shanks 13", 1 9 aforementioned,- said shanks having the ends thereof upset or riveted over the horizontal portions 15, 16 (as shown in Figs. 2 and 3) to rigidly and permanently secure the contact and terminal members to each other and to plate 10. Members 15, 16 are preferably provided with integral vertically extending portions 15, 16, said portions 15, 16 being tapped as shown for reception of the binding screws 17 of well known form.

The opposite edges or" plate 10 are provided with notches and 19 offset longitudinally of the plate relatively to each other, and a notch 20 of relatively greater width is provided at one end of the plate.

A one-piece she-e metal housing for the ,2 tell parts is provided, said housing comprising a flat top wall 21, parallel side walls ans 23, and two pairs of half-end walls I The housing ma be formed from the blank illustrated in Fig. at, the points oi bending being indicated by dotted lines.

ihus the side walls 22, 28 are bent down wardiy at right angles to ten wall 21, and the haliend walls 2" are bent inwardly at right angles to waif 22, T wall 21 is of slightly greater lenetn than the main erforatcd lugs 26, 27 may be provided to facilitate attachment of the housing to a suitable support,the half-end portions 2 1, in the blank being separated from lugs 26, 27 by the notches as shown to facilitate the afore mentioned bending operation.

The housing is provided with integral lugs 28, 29, 30 and 31 to register with the notches 18 19 and 20 in plate 10, said lugs being bent inwardly over said plate as shown in the other figures to secure said parts to each other. The top wall of the housing is provided with an opening 32 to provide clearance for the operating lever 33 of the switch,said lever being pivotally supported, as by a pin 3% which penetrates the alined openings 35, 38 in side walls 22, 23. One end of said pin is headed, and the other end is swaged or otherwise enlarged after assembly thereof with respect to lever 33 and the walls 22, 23 of the housing.

The inner end of lever 33 is of reduced diameter to provide the annular shoulder 31' and to provide the integral hollow stud or rivet 38. Strung upon stud 38 is an insulating washer or plate having a downwardly struck annular flange 39 which is accommodated wi hin the relatively large opening lO in the flat portion 11 of a re silient sheet metal cont-actor. Also strung upon stud 38 beneath said portion a1 is an insulating Washer 42 having an upwardly struck annular flange 12 which is complementary to the flange 39 for insulating portion 41 from the actuating lever 33,-the hollow stud 38 being upset over the metal washer 43 to rigidly secure the aforementioned parts to each other.

Extending downwardly and inwardly from opposite sides of portion 4-1 of the contactor are a pair of fiat resilient arms as and 15, the lower edges li of which are curved as shown, and the end portions in, of which arms are bent in an are concentric to the pivot pin The arrangement is preferably such that the edges 1%, 45* are normally spaced from each otl er at the mid-points thereof and the same flare away from each other-toward opposite sides of the respective arms. 1

As shown in 3, the curved edges 4A, 45 are adapted to resiliently engage the stud contact 1 1 in both the on and the off positions of the switch. The handle portion of lever 33 preferably abuts against the opposite side walls of the opening 32 in top portion 21 of the housing,- one wall 32 (Figs. 1 and i) of said opening'being formed as shown to avoid any possibility of engagement of the con- 1 tactor with the housing in the on (or dotted line) position of the switch.

As will be apparent from Fig. 3, upon manual operation of lever 33 toward the left from the position thereof as illustrated, the edges 44, 45* have a camming engagement with stud contact 14: to spread the arms 44, 415, so that when the mid-points of said edges pass the center line of said stud, the energy stored in said arms is released to cause snap movement of said edges into engagement with stud contact 13 to bridge the latter and stud 1%. Obviously a similar movement of lever 33 in the reverse direction will result in snap movement of the edges i l, 45 to the opposite side of stud l l after the mid-points of said edges have passed the center line of said stud.

lVhile the double-arm form of contactor as illustrated is preferred because it provides an extremely well-balanced movement of the switch, it is to be understood that a somewhat similar result may be obtained if one of the arms 1-1 or 45 is omitted.

The switch parts illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are in general quite similar to those aforedescribed except that one contact and terminal member is added and the contactor is specially formed for cooperation with the contacts to provide a three-position or muli .e-circult-controlling switch.

In Figs. 1, 5 and 6 the insulating plate 46 is like the plate 10 aforedescribed, except that t--ree rectangular openings 47, 18 and 19 are located 1r the same position as opening 11, with the openings l8 and 19 arranged at equally spaced intervals longitudinally of plate il). The stud contacts 50, 51 and 52 are identical wit 1 the studs 13, 14 aforedescribed and the terminal members therefor are of the aforementioned character. The structure and manner of assembling lever 33 is the same in both forms of the switch mechanism. As best shown in Fig. 6, however, the arms 53 and 5d of the contactor are reduced in width or cut away on one side of the center line of the lever, to cooperate with the less widely spaced stud contacts and to provide for vertical positioning of the lever in an intermediate on posi l n of the switch.

The switch housing is of the same form as aforedescribed, except that the opening 32 in top wall 21 may be completely circular, since due-to the reduced width of the contactor there is no liability of engagement thereof vith the right-hand wall of the housin the right-hand position of the switch contactor shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6 and in full lines in Fig. 7). Figs. 6 and 7 likewise show in dotted lines the oil position of the contactor at the left-hand side of contact stud 52.

the switches illustrated is particptec for controlling the circuit or dash lights of automobiles.

i to 3 may be assumed that the terf stud contact 13 will be connected to a the other switch terminal being connected with the lamp whose circuit is to be controlled thereby. In Figs. .5, 6 and 7 it may be asill! sumedthat the terminal of the intermediate stud contact is connected with the source or" current supply whereas the terminals of stud contacts 50 and 52 are connected with the respective lamps for directly and indirectly illuminating the automobile dash board or panel. Obviously, however, the switches illustrated are adapted for control of the circuits of other types of translating devices of relatively low current carrying capa ity.

The top wall 21 of the respective switch housin 's ma be )rovided with suitable l-e secured to said base and pro'ecting upwardly from the latter, a bridging contactor pivotallysupported independently of said base, said contactor having resilient arms the inwardly extending curved edge portions of which are adapted to straddle said stud contacts, and said contactor being movable with a snap action to opposite sides of one oi said stud contacts for bridging engagement v or disengagement from other oi said stud contacts selectively.

2. In an electric switch, in combination, insulating base, a plurality of equally spaced stud contacts secured to said base and projecting upwardly from the latter, a contact-or pivotally support-ed independently of said base, said contactor having a resilient arm the inwardly extending curved edge portion of which is arranged at one side of said stud contacts and biased into engagement wi h the latter, said contactor having a number of positions in which it engages each of a pair of adjacent stud contacts and another position in which it engages only one of said stud coi tacts, and means other than said base and s l stud contacts for limiting movement or said contactor in opposite directions respectively.

8. In an electric switch, in combination, sheet metal housing of rectangular form hav ing a top wall and pairs of vertical side and end walls formed integrally therewith, a switch lever pivotally supported by said side walls and having a handle po 'tion extendin outwardly through an openin provided in said top wall, a contactor rigidlf secured to but insulated from said lever, said contactor comprising a punched plate of resilient sheet metal bent into the form of loop having a lower end opening which is of gradually in ii'isulating macerim secured to the lower end n I ,c of said housma, and pluralit or con-tact members secure d to said insulating plate a l projecting upw rd y into the path oil sai contactor.

4. In an electric switch, in combination, a sheet metal housing of rectangular form having top wall and pairs of vertical side and end walls formed integrally therewith, a switch lever pivotally supported by said side rails and having a. handle portion extending outwardly through an opening provided in said top wall, a contactor rigidly secured to but insulated from said lever, said contactor comprising a punched plate of resilient sheet metal bent into the form of a loop having a lower end opening which is of gradually increasing width toward the respective side i edges of said cont-actor, a fiat punched plate of insulating material secured to the lower end of said housing, a plurality of contact members of substantially elliptical form in cross section extendin upwardly irom said insulating plate into the path of said contactor, wiring terminal members underlying said insulatins, plate, said terminal members and said insulating plate having substantially rectangular openin formed therein, and said contact members raving reduced shanks of rectangular form adapted to penetrate said openi as, said shanks being upset over said terminal members to rigidly and permanently secure all of said parts to each other.

5. In an e ectric switch, in con alnation, punched late of insulating material, a wiring terminal menrbe having a horizon n underlying d plate and a vei. 01 LlOll laterally ofi set from said horizoi ortion and tapped to receive a binding crew, said plate an" said horizontal portion l alined ar openings e herein, and a contact comprisi" g a stu a portion proecting upwz xly from aid Jlate and a reduced shank of angular cross ectizii adapted to penetrate the openings rementioned, trio end or said shank being 'et over said horizontal portion to rigidly and permanently are all of said parts -.gainst movement relatively to z ch other.

6. In an electric switch, in combination punched plate of tsulating material, a rality of wiring terminal plates having ho sontal portions underlying said plate a vertical por ions laterally ens f: m the res ective horizontal portions and tapped to receive binding screws, saic plate and said horizontal portions having alined angular openings formed therein, a plural ty of tionary contacts comprising vertical stds hay ng portions thereof projecting upwardly from said plate and reduced sham-:s of angular cross section adapted to penelrate tl openings aforementioned, the ends or" said pivoted integrally wi l, the lower end of said lever,

a sheet metal contactor and washer strung upon stud, a pair of insulating plates arranged on opposite sid s of said contactor, said plates having abutting annular flanges to insulate said contactor from said stud, the lower end or" said stud bein riveted over said washer to secure said parts in assembled relation to each other, and said contector having oppositely disposed resilient arms i I A 1 1 provided with curved on 1e lower end portions oi saic arms ly toward each other, w end edges are arranged in for the purpose set forth.

8. In combir tie a contector for electric I 0 v A? switches comprising at punched plate of icon lent sheet metal, b9111 be portions of like form exten ly and lnwar y with respect providing a fired axis OSCli contactor, said arm portions n f e c lower edges and the lower en is of said arm portions having arcuate bends concentri with said axis of oscillation whereby said edges are opposed to each other for cooper tive bridging en 'a e contacts of the S'WlLCll. V

9. In a three-position snitch, in combination, an idsulating three stud contacts secured to said has and projecting upwardly the ein, con -"lots being arranged in parallel relation and being equally spaced from each other long' idinally of said base, the en d contacts of cup being unequally spaced fromthe respecei #8 ends of the base, a combined switch conteotor and actuating lever pivoted independently of said base, said con act-or having a resilient arm the in- 'ver edge portion or which is adaptthe center contact and one cent c ts in one ex reme position yr, sa d contactor being adapted 7 cc and th other said end contacts 1 the intermediate position of said lever, and sa d contactor bein adapted to the last mentioned end contact only in the opposite extreme position of said lever.

10. In ti rec-position switch, in combination, an insulating base, three stud contacts secured to said base and projectin upwardly therefrom, said contacts being arranged in parallel relation and being equally spaced from each other longitudinally of said base, the end contacts of the group being unequally spaced from the respective ends of the base, a combined switch contactor and actuating lever pivoted independently of said base, said contactor iaving a resilient arm the interned lower edge portion of which is adapted to bridge the center contact and one of the end contacts in one extreme position of said lever, said coutactor being adapted to bridge the center contact and the other of said end contacts in the intermediate position of said lever, said cont actor being adapted to engage the last mentioned end contact only in the opposite extreme position of said lever, said nturned lower edge portion of said conofior b ing arranged in an arc concentric wit"- the pivot point of said lever, and the main body of said oontactor arm being offset iongitr dinslly of said base with reference to the lcngitudine center line of said lever.

for electric switches como1 rovide for rigid attachment of said stud to a table support.

in witness whereof, I hav hereunto subscribed my name.

il YLLIAM C. TREGONING.

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