US1946940A

US1946940A - Safety device

Info

Publication number: US1946940A
Application number: US629388A
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard V Lee
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1932-08-18
Filing date: 1932-08-18
Publication date: 1934-02-13
Anticipated expiration: 1951-02-13

Description

Feb. 13, 1934. R. v. LEE 1,946,940

SAFETY DEVICE Filed Aug. 18, 1932 Emme/wbb@ RO/lard Lee Patented Fels. 13, 19u34/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application August 18,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to electrical safety devices and has for its object to provide a device in which an electrical circuit will be broken automatically and simultaneously with and by force of shock. s

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character for use in connection with electrical wiring systems and principally for use in connection with wiring systems on motor vehicles, to prevent the starting of fire from the electrical system, as frequently happens when wires are broken in collisions and when the motor vehicles turn over.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character with means for operation by hand, when desired, to prevent battery leakage and danger-of fire starting from defective wiring when motor vehicles are not in use.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more particularly described, fully claimed and illustrated ln the accompanying drawing, in which:-

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the device embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a view in vertical longitudinal section through same.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view like Figure 2 but showing the operation of the manual control and also showing additional parts in section.

Figure 4 is a view of the elevating post per se, and partly in longitudinal section, and Figure 5 is an elevational view of the circuit breaking ball.

Reference now being had to the accompanying drawing in which like and corresponding parts are designated by like reference characters throughout the several views, the numeral 6 indicates the two sections which compose the body, the inner side of same being correspondingly grooved at 15 and terminating near the top in the concentric

semi-circular concavities

10 and 7 as shown on Figure 3. When the two body sections are set in place-being opposite with the inner sides facing and in spaced relation, as shown in Figure 1, the grooves 15 and

concavities

10 and 7 now form within the body a perpendicular cylinder shape chamber 15 terminating near the top in a bowl shape seat 10. Reciprocably positioned in the chamber 15 is a post 11 having a cup-like cap 11 on its upper end which lits in the lower area formed by the portions 7 of the seat 10'. The post 11 is made of nonconductive material and in the upper end 11 which is shaped to form the concave head or seat 1l', is a metal ball 8 which is raised clear of contact with the 1932. Serial No. 629,388 k body ball seat 10 as shown in Figure 3, when the post is raised. The post 11 is placed in the chamber 15 with its lower end resting on lever 17 and its upper end resting in the portion 7 of seat 10', thus uniting with the portion 10 of the body ball seat 10 in forming an exact counterpart of the seated portion of ball 8 which fits in this provided body seat 10 perfectly as shown in Figuresl and 2, A tunnel 18 through one body section 6 provides an entrancey to chamber 15 and space for operating lever 17 as shown in Figures 2 and 3. Lever 17 which is in the form-of a bell crank, is hinged adjacent the angle of the two arms, in a slotted bolt head 16 by means of a pin 16' through same. This bolt 16 is secured in or through the mounting plate 13. Mounting plate 13 may be of metal insulated on top and around the holes where the two connecting and conductance bolts 12 pass through by suitable material 14, or the entire plate can be nonconductive material. The connecting-conductance bolts 12 are threaded on both ends and of length to extend below and above the mounting plate as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The body sections 6 are held securely in place upon the mounting plate by being tapped and threaded in the bottom to connect with the threaded upper portions of the said bolts 12, and the lower ends of bolts 12 provide a connecting place for the electric wires which may be secured to the bolts 12 by using lock nuts of suitable size.

The device may be made of any suitable metal, and the parts cast or stamped out.

I donot desire to limit myself to the particular construction for securing the mounting plate as it may be held securely in a number of ways, such as making the plate angle shape with holes in the perpendicular side for securing with bolts to the dash or other convenient place.

From the foregoing it will be seen that my invention works in series with the wiring system, the wires being connected to the conductance bolts 12 which circuits the current through the body sections 6 and ball 8 when the latter is seated as shown in Figure 1. If a motor vehicle equipped with this safety device turns over or is in collision, the shock will cause ball 8 to jump out of the body section, the ball 8 being assisted by its ange 9, thus the device automatically and simultaneously breaks the circuit.

As a means of preventing battery leakage and re starting from defective Wiring when motor vehicles are not in use the device may be operated by hand, a suitable rod handle being connected to lever 17 at its insulated tip 19 and extending through the dash to a convenient place near the steering wheel. A slight movement of same will operate lever 17 and elevating post 11 thus raising the ball 8 clear of contact with the body sections 6 which breaks the circuit; an opposite movement of handle will operate lever 17 and post 11, and reseat the ball 8 to restoring the circuit.

What I claim isz- 1. An electric safety device, comprising a pair of metallic bodies mounted in spaced relation, said bodies having the opposing faces recessed to form a central chamber, means for attaching electrical wires to the bodies to place the latter in series in an electric circuit, an elongated member of insulation material slidably disposed in said chamber, said bodies at the upper end of said chamber being formed to provide a semispherical pocket, and a metallic ball disposed in said pocket and electrically connecting the rst two bodies, said elongated member being formed at its upper end to receive said ball, said ball being raised from the pocket by and upon the raising of said elongated member, and means for manually raising said last mentioned member to lift the ball from contact with the rst mentioned bodies.

2. An electric safety device, comprising a pair of metallic bodies mounted in spaced relation, means for connecting electric wires with said bodies whereby the latter may be placed in series in an electric circuit, the opposing faces of said bodies being recessed to form a vertical chamber therebetween, said bodies having top surfaces in the same plane and having complementary recesses which together form a semi-spherical pocket, a post of insulation material slidably disposed in said chamber, a cup-like head upon the upper end of said post, said pocket wall having a countersink to receive said head whereby the inner surface of the same will be ush with the pocket wall, a metal ball adapted to seat in said pocket and resting in said head, and manually operable means extending into said chamber beneath the lower end of said post whereby the latter may be raised to lift the ball from contact with the spaced bodies.

3. An electrical safety device, comprising a pair of metallic bodies mounted in spaced relation, said bodies having top surfaces in the same plane and adjacent complementary recesses in the surfaces ooacting to form a pocket, means for connecting electric wires with the bodies whereby the bodies may be placed in series in an electric circuit, a metal body of a contour to snugly fill said pocket and maintained therein by gravity to form an electrical connection between the rst mentioned bodies, said first mentioned bodies having vertical recesses in the opposed faces thereof and opening into the first recess and forming a central chamber between the pair of bodies, one of said bodies having a transverse passage therethrough opening into the chamber, a post of insulation material slidably positioned in said chamber, a lever oscillatably mounted exteriorly of the chamber and having an end extending through said channel to the interior of the chamber beneath the post and engaging the latter, and means for effecting the oscillation of the lever to shift the post vertically and raise the second mentioned metallic body from contact with the first mentioned bodies.

4. A device of the character described, comprising a pair of upstanding bodies disposed in spaced relation and having their opposed surfaces provided With vertically extending semi-circular channels which together form a circular passage, and each further having a recess cut in its top into which the adjacent channel opens, which recesses together form an upwardly opening semispherical cup, the said cup having the wall thereof at the bottom recessed to form a countersink, a pin of insulation material slidably disposed in said passage and having a cup-like head adapted to position in said countersink with the top surface flush with the surface of said pocket, means for raising said pin, means for electrically connecting the bodies in an electric circuit, a metallic ball adapted to rest in said pocket, and a flange extending about said ball and positioning above the tops of said bodies when the ball is in said pocket.

RICHARD V. LEE.