US1905812A - Electric switch - Google Patents

Description

A ril 25, 1933. J. J. DANTE 1,905,312

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Oct. 12, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet l 9 f 42 $16.1 Ma I 6 gala INVENTOR uibsqyub'pl 1701226 ATTORNEY April 25, 1933. J. J. DANTE ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Oct. 12, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 m T N E V N Josep/z J Dante ATTORNEY April 25, 1933. J- J DAN-[E 1,905,812

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Oct. 12, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR ATTORNE Patented Apr. 25, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT Fries JOSEPH: J. DAN TE, OF BAN TAM, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE JOHN E. COOK ESTATE; INCORPORATED, OF TORRINGTON, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT ELECTRIC SWITCH Application filed October 12, 1928. Serial No. 312,091.

This invention relates to electric switches, and more particularly to an enclosed type of switch having a floating movable contact, and

which will be capable of transmitting very high currents without arcing.

One object of this invention is to provide an enclosed switch of the above nature comprising a plurality of switch units housed in the same switch box, each of said units being mounted on a separate block fastened to the base of the switch box, and all of said units being controlled by a single shaft operated by a common handle.

A further object is to provide a device of this nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and manipulate, compact, ornamental in appearance, and very efficient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawings one form in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

Fig. 1 represents a front view of the switch as it appears when assembled in a switch box, the cover of said box being shown in open position,

Fig. 2 is an end view of the switch box with the cover shown in closed position, and with the operating handle located in its lower or off position.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary end view of the same, showing the handle in its upper or on position.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view, upon an enlarged scale, of the quick make and break mechanism, shown with the handle in the off position.

Fig. 5 is a view of the same with the handle in the neutral position, just prior to the opening of the switch.

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Figs. 4 and 5, the handle being in its upper position, with the switch closed.

Fig. 7 is a side sectional view of one of the switch blocks as it appears when the retaining side plate has been removed, said block having means for receiving a fuse of the cartridge type.

Fig. 8 is an end sectional view of the same taken along the line 88 of Fig. 7 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 9 is a side View similar to Fig. 7 of an assembled switch block having a modified form of fuse holder for receiving a fuse of the screw plug type.

Thepresent invention has been designed with theobject of producing an inexpensive type of mechanical switch capable of carrying very high currents which previously could be accomplished only by the use of expensive types of oil switches.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 indicates a switch boxof rec tangular shape having a cover 11 hinged thereto. Attached to the base 12 of the switch box 10 are a pair of strips 13 and 14 for supporting a plurality of switch blocks 15, two in this instance, said blocks being secured at right angles to said strips, as by screws 16 and 17, and said strips being attached to said base 12, as by screws 18 and 19, respectively.

Each of the switch blocks 15 comprises a body member 20' of suitable insulating material, and having a circular recess 21 formed therein for loosely receiving a pair of float mg complementary rotary discs 22 and 23 of insulating material, said discs having central bosses 24 and 25 for fitting in circular apertures 26 formed in .said body member 20, and a similar aperture 27 formed in a retaining side insulation plate 28 attached to said body member 20, as by screws 29.

The upper halves of the two complementary discs 22 and 23 are provided with a pair of opposed semi-circular recesses forming a channel 29a to receive a loosely mounted current-carrying member comprising an insulated flexible electrical conductor 30 and a pair of cylindrical metal plugs 31 and 32 connected to the ends of said conductor 80. The complementary discs 22 and 23 are provided with central alinecl apertures 33 and 34 for receiving a square operating metal rod 35, said rod 35 being insulated from said discs as by a square tubular member 36 of any suit- I able insulating material.

By means of this invention it will be seen that a very safe switch construction has been provided, for it will be impossible for the current to escape from the conducting elements of the switch unless excessively high voltages are employed.

The metal plugs 31 and 32 are adapted to be held in resilient engagement with a pair of fixed contacts 37 and 38, as by helical fixed contact member 38 passes vertically out through the top of the body member 20 where it is bent laterally at 42 and secured, as by 'a screw 43, to a U-shaped resilient clip 44 for receiving one end of a cartridge fuse 45. The other end of the cartridge fuse 45 is resiliently received by a clip 46 similar'to the clip 44 and connected, as by a screw 47 to a horizontal strip 48 joined to the terminal 49 of the other line conductor 50.

In order to manually operate both of the switches contained in the switch box simultaneously, provision is made of a switch operating disc 51 which, as most clearly shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, is journaled on a collar 52 in alinement with the squared shaft 35,

said disc being located just inside the front wall 53 of the switch box 10. The operating disc 51 has a pair of inwardly extend ng pins 54 and 55, the pin 54 being adapted to extend outwardly through the front wall 53 of the switch box and bein adapted to travel in a circular slot 56 in said wall. A handle lever 57 has its inner end pivotally fitted on the collar 52 and on its outer end has a handle knob 58, said handle lever 57 being provided ith an arcuate slot 59 fitting over said pin 54. The operating arm 57 is prevented from being swung beyond the vertical position shown in Fig. 2 by an angular stop plate 60 secured to the front wall 53 of the switch Operation I In operation, assuming the switch to be in the on position shown in Fig. 6, when the handle lever 57 is turned in a c ockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the upper or counterclockwise direction whereupon the pin 54 will come into engagement with the radial pin 62 and return the squared operating rod 35 and the floating movable contacts 31 and 32 associated therewith to the on position. 1

In order to minimize the arcing which al:

ways occurs at the making and breaking of any sw1tch,prov1s1on is made of a quick makeand-break mechanism associated with the operating disc 51. This mechanism consists of a rod 63 having a flange 64 at its lower end, the upper end of said rod 63 extending through an upstanding swiveled angle member 65, in which it is free to slide. Beyond the flange 64 the rod 63 is provided with a pair of offset sections 66 having recesses 67 located out of alinement with the axis of the rod 63, said recesses being adapted to seat upon the pin 55 previously described. A

helical spring 68 is mounted on the rod 63 between the angle member 65 and the flange 64, and said spring serves to maintain a constant pressure upon the pin 55.

In operation, when the switch is being opened, the pin 55 of the actuating disc 51 will compress the spring 68 to the neutral position shown in Fig. 5, and further rotation of the handle lever 57 beyond this neutral position will cause the movable contacts to move rapidly to the off position shown in Fig. 4, thereby reducing the arcing period of the switch contact to the minimum. In closing the switch, the operation will be the reverse of that just described.

One important feature of the construction is the offsetting of the recesses 67 from the line of action of the spring 68. This prevents the quick make-and-break mechanism from ever becoming deadlocked.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 9 the construction of switch is identical with that shown in the previous figures with the exception that the parts upon the top of the block 15 are modified to receive a screw plug type of fuse 70.

While there has been disclosed in this specification one form in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosure but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. In an enclosed switch, a movable contact comprising a two-part hollow rotary member, a. detachable floating conductor element located within said member and having exposed resilient terminals extending outside the periphery of said member, a pair of fixed contacts on opposite sides of said movable contact for engagement by said terminals, an operating shaft extending through the interior of said member, between said terminals and means for connecting said fixed contacts to a source of current.

2. In an enclosed switch, a movable contact comprising a two-part hollow rotary member, a detachable floating conductor element located within said member and having exposed terminals extending outside the periphery of said member, a pair of fixed contacts on opposite sides of said movable contact for engagement by said terminals, and means for connecting said fixed contacts to a source of current, said floating conductor comprising a flexible intermediate wire having a depressible outwardly-pressed metal plug on each end.

3. In an enclosed switch, a movable contact comprising a two-part hollow rotary member, a detachable floating conductor element located within said member and having exposed terminals extending outside the periphery of said member, a pair of fixed contacts on opposite sides of said movable con-' tact for engagement by said terminals, and means for connecting said fixed contacts to a source of current, said floating conductor comprising a flexible intermediate wire having a cylindrical depressible outwardlypressed metal plug on each end.

4. In an enclosed switch, a movable contact comprising a hollow rotary member formed in two complementary halves, a floating conductor element located within said member and detachable therefrom and having exposed inwardly depressible terminals extending outside the periphery of said member, a pair of concave fixed contacts on opposite sides of said movable contact for engagement by said terminals, an operating shaft extending through the interior of said member, between said terminals and means for connecting said fixed contacts to a source of current.

5. In an enclosed switch, a movable contact comprising a hollow rotary member, a floating conductor element located within said member and having spring-pressed inwardly depressible exposed terminals extending outside the periphery of said member, a pair of fixed contacts on opposite sides of said movable contact for engagement by said terminals, an operating shaft passing through the center of said rotary member, between said terminals and means for connecting said fixed contacts to a source of current.

6. In an enclosed switch, a movable contact comprising a hollow rotary cylindrical insulating member, a floating conductor located within said member and having outwardly pressed inwardly depressible terminals, a casing for enclosing said member, and having a pair of oppositely arranged fixed contacts located in alinement with the path of said terminals, an operating shaft passing through the center of said rotary member, between said terminals and m'eans'for connecting said fixed contacts to a source of current.

7. In an enclosed switch, a movable con- 7 tact comprising a hollow split rotary cylindrical member, a floating conductor located within said member and having outwardly pressed inwardly depressible terminal blocks, a casin g for enclosing said member and having a pair of oppositely arranged fixed contacts located in alinement with the path of said terminals, an operating shaft passing through the center of said rotary member, between said terminals and means for cone necting said fixed contacts to a source of current.

8. In an enclosed switch, a movable contact comprising a two-part hollow insulating rotary. member, a detachable floating conductor element located within said member and having exposed terminals extending outside the periphery of said member, a pair of fixed contacts on opposite sides of said movable contact for engagement by said terminals, means for connecting said fixed contacts to a source of current, and a handle-operated shaft nonrotatively connected with said rotary member and completely surrounded by said rotary member and located between said terminals.

9. In an enclosed switch, a movable contact comprising a hollow insulating rotary member, a loose floating conductor element located within said member unconnected therewith and having exposed inwardly movable terminals extending outside the periphery of said member, a pair of fixed contacts on opposite sides of said movable contact for engagement by said terminals, means for connecting said fixed contacts to a source of current, an operating shaft completely surrounded by said rotary member, and located between said terminals and a box for encasing said switch.

In testimony whereof, I have afiixed my signature to this specification.

JOSEPH J. DANTE.

inwardly movable

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