US1901573A - Electric switch - Google Patents

Description

March 14, 1933. v G. O. wlLMs 1,901,573

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Nov. 21, 1928 2 sheets-sheet 1 March 14 1933' 2 G. o. wlLMs 1,901,573

v LECTRIC SWITCH l Filed Nov. 21, 1928 v 2 sheets-sheet 2 -closing ofthe switch voltage.

Patented Mar. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT vxorri'icit,

GUs'rAv o. wILus,-o1r MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, 'AssIeNoR, EY MEsNE ASSIGNMENTS, 'ro ALLEN-BRADLEY COMPANY, or yilrILwAunrEn, wIscoNsIN, A CORPORATION. or

WISCONSIN' ELECTRIC vswI'rcII Application ma November 21, 192s. serial No., 320,866.

This invention relates'particularly to an electric switch for connecting a motor or other electrical device with a source of energy and contemplates as an object the provision of means for increasing thevcapacity of a switch of this type without increasing its size.

Another object of this invention resides in .the provision of means whereby a resistance is momentarily interposed between the source of energy and the motor orthe like as the switch closes whereby the voltage imposed on the motor or the like at the initial is less than the line Another object of this invention resides-in they provision of means whereby the switch acts substantially as a circuit breaker whenopened by inserting a resistance in the circuit before it is broken, thus breaking the are in multiple steps.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of a pair .ofmovable contacts adapted to be engaged with a pair of cooperating stationary contacts, one of which engages its contact before the other to include a resistance i'n series therewith whereby the normal'voltage surge occurring at the time of closing and opening the switch is throttled. i'

And a stillurther object of this invention resides in the provision of a switch of the character described having a pair of movable contacts and a pair of cooperating stationary contacts, the movable contacts being yieldably mounted in an actuating member whereby one engages. its stationary contact before the other and by which continued movement of the actuating member eii gages the second movable contact with its stationary contact, both movable contacts being maintained in engagement with-their stationary contacts under pressure. l

y With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the ydescription pro# ceeds,v my invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of partssubstantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the ap- C. pended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment ofthe herein disclosed invention may be -made as A -come'within-the scope ofthe claims.

In the accompany-ing drawings, I have illustrated one complete example of the physi' cal embodiment otmy invention constructed according to the best mode I have so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

` Figure l is a sectional view through a 4switch structure embodying my" invention with. parts in elevation;

' .Figure 2` is a sectional view taken through' .Fi urel lon the planeof the line 2-4-2;

igure 3 is a diagramaticfview illustrating the parts with one movable contact engaged withits stationary contact, and

.Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 with both movable contacts engaging their respective stationary. contacts. 3

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals designate like parts throughout Ythe several views, 5 represents a base or panell of suitable insulating material uponl which the switch structure is mounted and which may also provide a support for other cooperating mechanisms, not shown, as they form no part of this invention. 'y

The switch illustrated is of the three pole type and comprises a mounting member 6 yformed of insulating material and divided into -three compartments 7 by partitions 8 and each compartment is divided ,by an irregularly shaped division lwall 9 into an upper recess or chamber 10 and a lower recess or chamber 11. Substantially, L-shaped members 12 are secured in the upper recesses or chambers 10 by screws 13 extending through aligned aperturesin the base 5 and the mounting member 6 to be threaded in apertures in the members 12, thereby'securing. the mounting member 6 to the panel 5 and at the same time maintaining themembers 12 in position'f/Each memberv 12 has its upper end preferably bent toward ythe Apanel 5 and is provided with a terminal 14 with which a line conductor 15 is`connected. The lower'or short le s 16 of the members 12 rest on' the bottom'o their respective re` 100 m strained agalnst movement about their cap screws 194 by having their lower legs 21 enali gaved with abutments 22y formed in the wa 9.

Screws 23 threaded in the apertures 17 5 connect theadjacent ends of resistance units 24 with each member 12 'and' consequently with the .line conductors 15,.the -other ends thereof being connectedv with second stationary contacts 25 through arms 26V to which they are 'secured by screws 27 fEach arm 26. is received in a stepped portion `28 formed in the ad'acent contact 25 which may consist of a bloc of metalsecured in an opening 29 in the wall by a screw passing through gned apertures in the wall 9 `and the arm 26 and threaded in the contact block 25.

A From the description thus far, it is a parent that the contacts 25 and 20 are o set with respect to each other with a contact 0- 25 above'and forwardly ofthecontact A20;;

and it is also observed that the division wall outer end which is rotatable in a recess formed in a boss.'36 extended from the mem` ber 33 at one end thereof the other end being provided with an inwardly extended arm 37 which is positioned between ears 0r lugs 38 extended from the frame of the core of amagnet 39. c .f The arm 37 is pivotally mounted between the ears or lugs 38 in line with the pivot`35` recesses or openings 41 in line withther "chambers 11 of the mounting member in whichthe supporting arms 42 and 43 of the `1novable contactors 31 and 32, res ectivelyy' are positioned. The arms 43 have t eir c011- tactors 32 secured to their outer, laterally directed e'nds 44 by bolts 45 and are plvotally mounted in the recesses 41 by pivot pins 46.

arranged vin axial alignment. The inner ends 47 of the arms 43 extend Lbeyond their pivots 46 and normally engage projections .w48 extended into the recesses' 41 and are rofvided with aperatures 49 through w ich 9 ofthe mounting member 6 is xoiset` or pass rods`50 carried bythe member33.

v The contactors 31 are secured to vthe upper i step ed toaiord the stated relative positions -of 't econtacts, .and that; this" offset of 5 step vc d'fol'mation of the. divisioni .wall 9 resu ts in an overhanging ledge above the contact 2Q.' This led e being formed Aof insulating materialxa ords an effective -arc barrier to deiect the arc which; forms at the 9. contact' 20 upon disengagement of its cooperating movable. contactor, to beV later de scribed, away from the contact 25. In other words,'the intervenin Yportion of the division wall 9 between t e contacts 20,'and25 5 together with the walls f11 forms substanf tially an arc conlining chamber.

The stepped formation ofthe division wall '9' also provides a convenient space for the pockets or chamberslO in which'th'e .resistance elements 24 are received. In this .manner an ,exceptionally compact-.construction is roduced.' f

20and 25 and positioned in the lowerv recesses or chambers 11 are movable contactors 31 and 32which are carried by' an actuating -nlember' 33 pivotally'mounted4 in any suitable copendin-g application Serial No. -295,693

led July'27, 1928,` and includes a supporting 'member 34 carrying a pivotstud 35 at its erds ofthe arms 42 by screws 5 1, the arms bein maintained inposition by the rods 50 yieldably urged into'engagementwith the projections by expansile springs 55 mounted on .the medial portions of the rods 50 and confined between the arms ,42l and 43'. l Flexible ribbon sconductors 56 having one end secured to the eontactors 31 by the screws 51 andtheir other ends secured to the arms 43 byscrews .57, electrically connect the contactors 31 and'32, as will be readily apparent. The specific construction of the switch .arms Vforms thesubject matter o'f my copendingapplication, Serial Number 349,130 filed March 22, 1929.

p v r The lower portidnsof the arms 42 have y ooperating with thestationary Contactsterminalsl 58 secured thereto 'from whichV i conductors`59 lead tb terminals 60 fixed oncontacts 20 and 25 bridges the line conduc-i tors 15 and the terminal screws 61 As the switch is closed by the energization izo o f the magnet 39, the member 33 moves 4:0`

first' engage its contactors 32with the stationary contacts 25 thus connecting themotor or other device with which the switch is used with the line conductors through the resistance elements 24, .as a result, the voltpivot on the mounting rods 46, movingl their ends 47 towards the arms 42 and compressing the springs '35. This added pressure insures a perfect contact ,between the contactors l32 and contacts 25 and upon further closing movement of the member 33, the contactera 31 are engaged with their sta-` tionary contacts whereupon thespring is still further compressed, theV arms 42 of the contactors 31 pivoting about the projections l54, as illustrated in Figure 4.

In opening the switch, the contactors 31 and the contacts 2O are first disengaged and the current to the motor is reduced` due to the fact .thatI the resistances 24 are again incorporated in the circuit whereby the voltage at the time' of the final opening of the switch is relatively smaller than the line voltage.

two sets of contacts with the result that the arc incidental to opening at each set of con tacts is considerably minimized, and as hereinbefore brought out, the arc formed at the lower contacts 20` is cooled by the pocket orv chamber formed by the sidewalls 11 with the overhanging portion of the division wall 9. The overhanging portion of the division wall 9 also serves to effectively' prevent yan arc at the contacts 20 from` reaching up to the contacts 25.. y

The are incidental to the disengagement of the contactors 32 from the contacts 25 are cooled or quenched by a cover member' 62.

The cover, member 62 is pivoted to the partitions 8, as at 63, closes the pockets or chambersl 11 and thus totally encloses both the stationary and themovable contacts to insure maximum protectionagainst arcing and to reduce the possibility of creepage. As illustrated in Figure 2, the cover maybe formed with grooves 64v in which the edges of the partitions 3 are received to provide a tight t therebetween; the top face of the member 33 being likewise grooved, as at 65, in alignment with the partitions '8 so thatwhen the' switch is closed the recesses 41 form unbroken continuations ofthe chambers 11.

From the lforegoing description, taken inconnection with the 'accompanying drawings, it -will be readily .apparent to those skilled'in-"the art to whichl an invention of this Ycharacter appertains, 'that a switch of y In thismanner the load is divided between the.

the character` described is provided with means for irstiapplying a reduced voltage to a motor lor other device and-then connecti ing it directl with the fullfvoltage and in whlch the swltch, in opening, functions substantially asa circuit breaker stepping down the volta e so that at the final opening of the switc it is relatively less than the line voltage.

It is also apparent that this invention greatly increases the capacity of switches of 'the character described without in any way increasing their overall size,l and that by this invention, oneY of t-he most urgent-requirements of the industry isi-fulfilled, i. e. a switch of increased capacity with maximum compactness. v

W hat I claim as my invention is:

1. In an electric switch, a mounting mem` ber adapted to be connected with a support panel and having a compartment-divided into separated 'chambers by a division wall, stationary contacts carried by the division wall and,Y disposed on one side thereof to be within one chamber, a resistance element disposed on the other Side of the division wall within the other" chamber and electricallybridging the stationarycontacts, and

contactors substantia'll within the firstmentioned chamber an movable to engagement with the stationary contacts.

2. In an electric switch including spaced stationary contacts and a plurality of co- 3. vIn an electric switch including Spacedi stationary contacts and a plurality of cooperating movable contactors engageable therewith, means for mounting the stationary cont-acts comprising a member of insulating material adapted for attachment to a support panel and having a stepped wall to provide portions offset ,one in advance of the other, means. for securing -one stationary Contact to each oifset portion whereby their contact surfaces are one in advance of between the offset portions provides an arel barrier between the stationary contacts and increases the creepage distance therebetween,

and means mounting they movable contactera e for Vdeflect- `the other and the intervening wall portion y for'successive engagement with the stationf ary contacts, the arc barrier provided byf tionary contacts offset one in advance ofthe the stepped `wall kleflecting an arc formed at the contact having its Contact surface innermost away from the other contact.

4. In yan electric switch including spaced y 5 stationary contacts and cooperating movable contactors successively engageable there-4 with, means for mounting; the stationary contacts comprising a substantially integral member of insulating material having 'con tact *supportingy portions ois'et one 'in adlVance Iof the other, with the intervening mounting member'. portionfforming aninsulating arc barrier to direct an arc drawn between one'stationary contact and its `coolp- 15 erating movable contacter away from other stationary contact.

5. In an electric switch including a plurality of stationary contacts and a plurality of cooperating movable contactors succes-v sively engageable therewith', a resistance element .bridging the stationary contacts, and a member. of insulating material iecessed to receive theresistance element and mounting the stationary contacts, said member having its portions 4which carry the staother to facilitate the successive engagement of the contactors with the contacts and to provide an arc barrier between the stationary contacts, whereby an arc drawn/between one of the contacts and its cooperating contactor is deflected away from the other contact.

l6. In an electric switch including stationmovement about` a common axis and for successive engagement with the stationary contacts, the barrier afforded bythe ledge 1 between the contacts deilecting an arc formed at the contact beneath the ledge away from the other contact.

7;'. In an electric, switch including stationary contacts and-movablecontactors successively engageable with. the stationary contacts, means for mounting the stationary contacts comprising aanember of insulating material adapted to be mounted as a -unit from a support panel and vhaving its-wall portions which carry the stationary contacts 65 offset. one in advance of tlievotherwith an inary contacts, a resistance bridging the sta-- ing the movable contactors for rocking tex-mediate wall portion therebetween and at an abrupt angle fto one of said .contact carf rying r,v vallportions to provide an insulating barrier between the stationary contacts.

v8. In an electric switch, a mounting I'nemnected by a Wall hav-ing portions offset with respect'to each other, sai-d oii'set portions bel ing' connected by an intermediate wall por .tion at an abrupt angle to each of. said o'ifset wall portions, stationary contacts mounted on said oiiset wall portions to be disposed' one in advanceof tli'eother 'with the intermediate'wallportion overhangng-one of fthe stationary contacts to form an arc barrier lber adapted for. attachment to a support panel and having spaced lside walls conbetween the contacts to cooperatewith the-` i spaced side wall/s `and form an arc confining chamber for said contact beneath the over. hanging wall portion and its cooperating contacter, and movable Vcontactors fmdunte between 'the side Walls of saidwmounting member and adapted tosuccessively engage the contacts.. v

9. In an electric switch, a mounting mem ber adapted for attachment .to-4 a supportv panel and having spaced side walls connected by awall having portions` offset with respect yto each other, said oiset portions being connected by an intermediate wall portion at an abrupt angle to each of said disposed one in advance of t e other with the intermediate wall pprtion ,overhanging one of the stationary .contacts to form anarc barrier between the contacts,'movable contactors'mounted between the side. walls of said mounting member and adapted to suol cessively engage the contacts, and a cover cooperating with the mounting member side walls and one of the Lo ilset Wall portions to define a chamber open only at its bottom and in which.. the movable contactors are disposed.

410. In an electric switch, a panel, a' pluy"offset wall portions, stationary. contacts. lmounted on said offset wall. ortionsto be lio' rality of stationary contacts,'a resistance elei ment electrically bridging the stationary contacts, an insulating member om the panel to mount the stationaryv contacts and .re-

tiallyenclosed by said insulating member, and a plurality of movable contactors successively engageable with the stationary conv1 15 cessed vto receive the resistance element" whereby the resistance element issubstantacts to interpose the resistance element in acircuit vcontrolled bythe switch during closing and openingof the switch'.`

11.v In. an electric 'switch including stal 125 tionary'contacts anii movable contactors successively engageable with the stationary contacts, means for mounting the stationary con-` tacts comprising amember ofinsulating ma I terial adaptedto be'mounted as aunitfrom a support panel vandhavmg its -wall portions.

tween the stationary contacts, said member ,f of insulating material having a recess 1n'-V wardly of its oflset portions, and a resistance imi-,57a

which carry the stationary contacts onset one in advance of the other with an intermediate wall portion therebetween and at an abrupt angle to one of said contact carrying wall portions to provide an insulating barrier beelement disposed in said recess electrically bridging the stationary contacts.

12. VIn an electric switch,` a panel, a plurality of vertically spaced fixed' contacts mounted'from the panel with their contact surfaces one in advance of the other withrespcct to the plane of the panel, a nJluralit of movable contactors, 'one lengagea le wit -each fixed contact, and means for movin the contactors' in unisontoward and' away rom` the fixed contacts, thesofiset relation of the contact surfaces of the fixed contacts causing 'one of 'the contactors to engagesits respective contact first and to disengage its respective vrespect to the plane ofthe. panel, a plu-I rality of movable contactors, -one engage` able with each fixed contact, means for mov.

contact last. y 13.l In an electric switch, a panel, a plurality yof vertically spaced fixed contacts mounted from the panel with their contact surfaces one in advance' of the other with ing-v the contactors in-unison towarda and away 'from the fixed contacts, the offset/relation of the contact surfaces of the fixed an arc contacts and' agalnst which anfarcffolcmed` contacts causing one rof thej'contactors to`l engage itsPrespective contact first and to disengae its respective contact last, and arrier interposed between the. fixed at the innermost fixed contact rebounds to be deflected yaway from the other fixed contact. i

14. An electric switch comprising a member of insulating materialhaving a .stepped wall to provide offset portions, one in advance ofthe other and having a recess behind the steppedwall a stationarycpntac't mounted von each o s'et portion I of the steppedwall so that theycontact surfacejof one contact' is in advance of the contact surface of the other and the intervening por-v tion forms an arc barrier` therebetween, a resistance element'in therecess behincf the stepped wall and electrically connecting" the stationar contacts, a -pair of electrically connecte contactors engageable with the stationary'contacta and means monnting the contactors forlv movement in unison toward vance of the other and having a recess inwardl-y of the stepped walla stationary contact mounted on each offset portion of the step d wall to be dis osed one in advance of e other with the lntervening `wall portion forming an arc barrier between the stationary, contacts to deflect an arc formed at the innermostcontact away from the other contact, a resistance element in the said recess electrically bridging the stationary con- Vtacta, a terminal member valso extended into the recess andhaving direct electrical con-f nection with the innermost contact and electrical connection with the advanced contact through the resistance element, a pair of electrically connected contactors, movable in unisonttoward and away from thecontacts and successivel engageable therewith by reason of the o set relation of the stationary contacts so that the advanced contact is enga ed first and disengaged last, and a ltermina connected with -the contactorsv v whereby said terminal is electrically connected with the first mentioned terminal dur.-

ing, closing of the switch first through'the V resistance element and then directly, and in opening the switch the resistance is interosed. l 16. An electric switch comprising, a member of insulating material having a stepped Aprovide offsetvv portions one in ad tioneof the contacts causing one contactor .toyengage before the other andto disenga e y after the other, sidefwise spaced walls su ics stantially perpendicular to the stepped `wall and vcooperating with the said intervening wall portion o ,verlying one of thev contact surfaces to form an arc confining 'cham'- ber 'to minimize an arcdrawn between said contact. surface and its cooperating contacytor, and a cover coo erating with the stepped wall and the sid ns ewise s aced walls to form an arc confining chain r for the other contact vand its contacten In testimony ,whereof I 'have hereunto v afiined my signature. a l GUSTAV O. WILMS. A

and away from the stationary contacts `'thej onset' relation ofthe contact surfaces of the stationary conticts causing the advanced @Contact surface to be. engagedbefore the i' other and disengaged after 15'.- -An electric switchcomprising a memt e other.A

ber of insulating materialhaving a stepped wallito provide offset portions one ad-

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