US1889334A - Electric switch - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 29, 1932. F. on KUHN ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed March 25, 1929 INVENTOR. Jinn/z Q. Kafm BY A TTORNE Y.

Patented Nov. 29, 1932 PATENT OFFICE FRANK O. RUBIN, 01' SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.

ELECTRIC SWITCH Application. filed larch 25, 1929. Serial No. 349,761.

My invention relates to switches for lighting circuits and other uses for which the same may be adapted, and has for its object to provide a switch, preferably of the well known toggle type, associated with means whereby the circuit may be closed in the usual manner, but which, upon switching of the button to off position for interrupting the circuit, will not immediately open the circuit,

but will set in motion means having a movin force established by a shifting of the switc button whereby to open the circuit and extinguish the lights at a more or less delayed period following the shifting of the switch button to off position, whereby time is provided for the person throwing off the switch to reach a more or less remote point before the switch acts to extinguish the lights.

With the above. and other objects in View,

the inventionresides in the combination andarrangementbf parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawing, described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In thedrawin v Figure 1 is a sideelevation of the switch and controlling mechanism with portions of the frame removed to better show the parts of the device, the full line position being the on position; and the dotted line position being the off position.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device.

Fi ure 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the evice showing the position of the parts immediately after the switch button has been moved to off osition.

Figure 4 is a f ragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view of the device taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1, showingparts'of the switch in ad position.

Referring to the drawing, which shows my controlling device used in conjunction with a switch of the well known toggle type, the numeral 10 designates a switch frame, with which are integrally formed the wall plates 11 and the opposite side members 19, between which side members 19 a switch button 12 is pivotally secured by means of a pivot pin 13 extending between the opposite sides 19 of the frame 10- and throng the plate 14 carried by the switch button at the back side thereof. The plate 14 extends centrally of the switch and projects beyond the ends thereof at 15 and 16, for purposes to be hereinafter set forth, and from the projecting portion 16 extends a rearwardly extending.

arm 17 having two spaced fingers 18 formed at the end thereof. Each of the sides 19 of the frame extends rearwardly and has integrally'formed therewith the spaced diverging arms 20. and 21, and between these di verging arms is disposed one end of a rectangular collar 22, the other end of which collar is disposed in a recess 23 formed in the upper edge of the'sides 19, so that the collar member loosely encircles the oppositely disposed arms 20, said recess 23 being located at a point at which the diverging edges of the. arms 20 and'21 would meet if projected. Within the collar member 22 and parallel to the sides of the frame is mounted a spring 24, one end of which is seated over an inwardly projecting stud 25 integrally formed with the collar member, and the other end of which is held between the fingers 18 of the arm 17. Mounted on the collar member 22 at one side thereof is an insulated member 25a which carries the switch contact members 26 which are adapted to contact with the terminals 27 to close the circuit.

As shown in Figure 2, the side plates 19 of p the frame extend rearwardly below and beyond the arms 20 and 21, and carry studs and arbors which support means for controlling the operation of the switch hereinbefore described. Pivotall mounted on the stud 28 is a tubular mem er 29, having one end 30 thereof compressed and provided with a slot 31 through which the stud 28 extends, and in which it is free to move. A rod 32, having one end pivotally connected to the projecting portion or end 15 of the plate 14, extends into the tubular member 29, and has a plunger 33, fitting loosely in the tubular member, secured to the inner end thereof. A coil spring 34 is disposed in the tubular member around the rod 32 and "has one end thereof bearing pressed end of the tubular member, is adapted or engagement with the teeth of a gear wheel 38, the movement of which is governed by a spring controlled balance wheel 39 by means of a pallet 40, an escape wheel 41, and a pinion 42, which escapement in structure and function is well known in the horological art. The gear wheel 38'has mounted on one side thereof the studs 43, which are spaced thereon equidistant from each other and from the center of the gear wheel. Pivotally mounted on a stud 44 is a latch member 45 whose lower end is adapted to be engaged by the studs 43 carried by the gear wheel 38 and to be pivoted thereby, and the head 46 of the latch member is adapted to engage the angularly bent end 47 of the rectangular collar 22. A spring 48, secured at one end to one of the side members 19 of the switch frame and at the other end to the latching member above the pivotal point thereof, resists the pivotal movement of the latching member under the influence of the studs 43.

The switch is shown in on position in full lines in Figure 1, and in off position in Figure 4, and, without the addition of my controlling means, is adapted to operate as follows: Upon upward movement of the switch "button 12 to dotted line position in Figure 1, the arm 17 is moved downwardly, carrying one end of the spring 24 with it. The spring is compressed by the downward movement of the arm 17 and when the end of the spring carried thereby has been moved downwardly to a point just below the other end of the sprin or below center, the spring will recoil, orcing upwardly the other end of the spring, and with it the rectangular collar 22 around of the spring is seated. When the switch is in on inclines. rearwardly and rests against the upper edges of the arms 21, and when in off position rests against the loweredge's of 'the arms 20, the switch contact members 26 being swung away from the switch terminals 27 to the dotted line position shown in Figure 1 u on movement of the collar 22 to off posltion. In turning the switch from ofli position to on position, the button is moved ownwardly, thus moving one end of the spring 24 upwardly, so that the spring will snap the collar into down position as soon as the end of the spring carried by the arm 17 reaches a oint above center, or above the other end of t e spring, all as and in the manner of the wellknown toggle type of switch.

With the addition of my controlling means, the operation of the switch is altered as follows: Upon upward movement of the the "stud 25 of which the other end position the rectangular collar 22 switch button from on to ofl? position, the spring 24 is compressed with the end thereof carried by the arm 17 held below center, or lower than the other end thereof, but the collar 22 is prevented fromsnapping to ofi position by the head 46 of the latching member 45 which engages the end 47 of the collar. The rod 32, carried by the end 15 of the plate 14, is moved to the dotted line position in Figure 1 against the action of the spring 34, and compresses the same, which then pushes against the inwardly bent end of the tubular member 29 to force the tubular member forwardly to a position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1. The speed of the forward movement of the tubular member is governed by the gear wheel 38, against the Y teeth of which the pawl 36 engages, and the speed of rotation of which is governed by the escapementconnected therewith. The rotation of the gear wheel causes one of the studs 43 carried thereby to engage the lower end of the latching member 45 to trip the same after the elapse of a given time as determined by the setting of the escapement, and thus releases the collar 22, which, with the contacts 26 carried thereby, snaps to off position under the influence of the compressed spring 24. The tubular member 29, pawl 36, gear Wheel 38, studs 43 and latching member 45 are all so arranged with relation to each other that the gear wheel will continue to rotate after the latching member releases the collar 22 until the lower end of the latching member is clear of the stud 43, thus permitting it to assume its normal vertical position under .the influence of the spring 48. It will thus be seen that theswitch button may be turned to off position, but that the circuit will not be interrupted or broken until the elapse of agiven length of timethereafter, thus, for instance, permitting a person operating the same to leave the room before the lights controlled thereby are extinguished.

When the switch button is turned from 011' to on position, the switch operates to close the circuit immediately and as follows: The button having been moved, the end of the spring 24 carried by the arm 17 is moved upwardly past the center position, causing the collar 26 to be moved downwardly, thus placing the contacts 26 in contact with the terminals 27. The end 47 of the collar 22 strikes the cam shaped upper edge of the head 46 of the latching member thus causing the same to pivot against the action of the spring 48, which spring causes the latching member to resume its normal vertical position when the collar has reached on position. The upward and rearward movement of the end 15 of the plate 14 moves the tubular member 29 to the full line position shown in Figure 1 b means of the rod 32, the pawl 36 being rawn rearwardly over the teeth of the wheel 38 without moving the same. and

' energized by actuation of the switch button,

,- having a yielding connection with said butand an escapement governed means actuated by said power element and adapted to shift said latchin member, to switch releasing position, sai latching member being adapt-- ed to relatch said swltch upon movement of the switch button in the other direction.

2. The combination with an electric switch having a shift button, of means controlling said switch to provide a delayed action there of upon movement of the shift button in one direction, said means comprising a memberlatching said switch, a coil spring having a connection with said shift button whereby a said spring will be stressed upon movement of the button in one direction, a longitudinally shiftable member carrying said spring and adapted to be shifted thereby, a pawl carried by said shiftable member, and an escapement governed gear wheel actuated by said pawl and adapted upon a predetermined rotation thereof to trip said latching member, said latching member being adapted to relatch said switch upon movement of the shift button in the other direction.

3. An electric switch comprising a shift button, a circuit controller actuable by and having a yielding connection with said button, a latch member for holding the controller against movement upon shifting of the button in one direction, means for tripping the latch member, and means for driving said trippin means having a moving force established y the shifting of the shift button, said shift button directly actuating the circuit controller upon movement thereof in the opposite direction. 4. An electric switch comprisin a shift button, a circuit interrupter actuab e by and ton, a latch member' forgholding the interrupter against movement, a gear wheel having-trip pins for tripping said latch member, a shiftable member carryinga pawl engaging the teeth of the gear wheel, a spring normally unstressed engagingthe shiftable member, and a connection between said spr'ng and the shift button where the same wil be stressed upon movement of t e shift button to 011' position.

a shift 5. An electric switch comprisin button, a circuit interrupter actuab e b and rupter against movement, a gear wheel having trip ins for tripping said latch member, an endwlse shiftable member carrying a pawl engaging the teeth of the gear wheel, a coil spring normally unstressed carried by the shiftable member, a connection between said spring and the shift button whereb the same will be stressed by a movemento the shift button to off position, and means for governin the speed of rotation of the gear wheel 6. An electric switch comprising a shift button, a circuit controller'actuable by and having a yielding connection with said button, a latch member holding the controller against movement upon shifting of the button in one direction, a trip member adapted to trip said latchmember, means actuated by said movement of the shift button to operate the trip member, and means controlling the operation of said last named means under a delayed action, said shift button directly actuating the circuit controller upon movement thereof in the opposite direction.

7. An electric switch comprising a shift button, a circuit controller actuable by and having a yielding connection with said button, a latch-member holding the controller against movement upon shifting of the button in one direction, a trip member adapted to trip said latch member, and a spring actuated by said movement of the shift button 7 for operating the trip member undera delayed action to release said latch member, said shift button directly actuating the circuit controller upon movement thereof in the opposite direction.

8. An electric switch comprising a shift button, a circuit controller actuable by and having a yielding connection with said button, a latch member holding the controller against movement upon shifting of the button in one direction, and means actuated by said movement of the shift button to release the latch member in predetermined tim relation to said movement of the shift button, said shift button directly actuating the controller upon movement thereof in the opposite direction. I

9. An electric switch comprising a shift button, a circuit controller actuable by and having a yielding connection with said button, a latch member holding the controller against movement upon shifting of the button in one direction, means actuated by said movement of the shift button to release the latch member, and means controlling the operation of said last named means under a delayed action, said shift button directly actuating the controller upon movement thereof in the opposite direction.

electric switch having a shift button, a circuit co roller actuable by and having a yielding connection with said button, a latch member holding the controller against movement upon shifting of the button in one direction, a spring, a member shifted by movement of said button to energize said spring and adapted to release said latch member under the action of said spring, and means governing the action of said spring in timed relation to the shifting of the shift member, said switch button directly actuating said circuit controller upon movement thereof in the opposite direction.

11. An electric switch having a shift button, a circuit controller actuable by and having a yielding connection with said button, a latch member holding said controller against movement upon shifting of the button in one direction, a shiftable member having connection with said shift button, and means energized by shifting of the shiftable member to release said latch member under a delayed action, said switch button directly actuating said circuit controller upon movement thereof in the opposite direction. V

12. An electric switch having a shift button, a circuit controller actuable by and having a yielding connection with said button, a latch member holding said controller against movement upon shifting ofCthe button in one direction, a spring, a member shifted .by movement of the button to energize said spring, means driven by said spring to release said latching means, and means retarding the releasing means under a delayed action, said switch button directly actuating said circuit controller upon movement thereof in the op posite direction.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

FRANK O. KUHN.

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