US1968928A - Electrical fuse of the multiple element type - Google Patents

Description

1934- E. cl CAELLI' ELECTRICAL FUSE OF THE MULTIPLE ELEMENT TYPE Filed July 5, 1952 Patented Aug. 7, 1934 UNITED STATES ELECTRICAL FUSE OF THE MULTIPLE ELEMENT TYPE Eric Clinton Caelli, Brighton Beach, Victoria, Australia Application July 5, 1932, Serial No. 620,950 In Australia August 27, 1931 6 Claims.

This invention relates to protective fuses for electrical circuits and has special reference to an improved fuse of the type having a number of fuse elements carried on an insulating mounting and so arranged that any one of the fuse elements may form a fusible link in an electrical circuit and may be readily replaced by another when melted or blown by excessive overloading.

The improved multiple element fuse has been more particularly devised for use on automobiles, and it may be adapted to detachably fit the usual fuse block spring clips or terminals.

It has been proposed previously to make fuses of multiple element type in which any one of a 5 plurality of fuse links may be included in an electrical circuit. However, in such prior constructions the fuse links have been positioned in the interior of an insulating body or in chambers formed in such a body. The insulating material composing a fuse body is generally of a dense opaque character, so that the fuse links when positioned within the body are invisible and in the event of a fuse link becoming blown it cannot be readily ascertained which of said links has been destroyed, and which of the remaining fuse links are available for use. Moreover, the spacing of the fuse links in the interior of the insulating body and the provision of separate chambers for the fuse links in the body unduly increased the size of the article. Furthermore, in the prior multiple type fuses, there was a multiplicity of parts, which increased the cost of production and made the fuses relatively expensive.

In a multiple element fuse for automotive pur-' poses it is essential that the fusible elements or simple construction and comparatively inex-k pensive to manufacture. The present invention fulfills the above requirements, and it provides a multiple element fuse of extremely simple character and of low cost, and which is small and compact and can be readily inserted in the standard fuse clips or.

terminals on an automobile, and in which the usual spring clips or terminals in the fuse boxes fusible elements or fuse links are clearly visible for inspection.

In this invention the fusible elements or fuse links are mounted on the exterior of an insulating mounting or fuse bodywhich is provided with contacts adapted for releasable engagement with the spring fuse clips or terminals commonly provided in the electrical circuits of automobiles. The fuse links are all connected with one of the contacts, and a pair of spring conductors is provided on the opposed contact and may be associated with any one of the fuse links to complete the circuit between the contacts. The contact on which the spring conductors are mounted detachably fits the fuse body and it is adapted on removal to disconnect the pair of spring conductors from one of the fusible elements or fuse links, and on replacement on said body in a different position said contact is adapted to associate said conductors with another of the fusible elements or fuse links.

The insulating mounting or fuse body is preferably of cruciform section and is provided with longitudinal channels or compartments to accommodate the fusible elements or fuse links, and to isolate said elements or links one from another. The contacts previously referred to comprise caps or thimbles mounted on the opposite ends of the fuse body, one of the caps or thimbles being electrically associated with all the fuse links, and the opposed capor thimble being detachable from the fuse body.

In the accompanying explanatory drawing:-

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a multiple element fuse according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the fuse shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan of the fuse in Fig. 1 with the upper contact removed.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 in Fig. 2.

Figs. 5 and 6 are side elevations .of complementary insulating strips forming portions of the body of the fuse shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 7. is a perspective view showing the method of assembling the complementary insulating strips.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a detail of the invention.

Fig. 9 is an elevation of a modified detail.

In the drawing, 1 designates an insulating mounting or fuse body of cruciform shape or section and made of fibre or other suitable insulating material. The fuse body 1 may be made by moulding but is preferably constructed of two complementary insulating strips 2 and 3 shown in Figs. 5 and 6, respectively. The strips 2 and 3 are provided with axial slots 4 and 5, and when said strips are assembled in the manner illustrated in Fig. 7, they become firmly interlocked to form the cruciform fuse body 1 shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive. The strips 2 and 3 are provided with lugs 6 through which are formed holes 7 receiving metal eyelets 8.

0n the ends of the cross strips 2 and 3 or cruciform fuse body 1 are mounted caps or thimbles 9 and 10, the cap or thimble 9 being detachably fixed to the fuse body 1 whereas the cap or thimble 10 is tightly fitted on said body.

Fuse wires 11 of required amperage capacity are fixed to the eyelets 8 and extend along the sides of the crossed strips 2 and 3 and at their opposite ends are integrally united as by soldering with the thimble or cap 10.

It will be observed that the crossed strips 2 and 3 form four longitudinal channels or compartments 12 in each of which is mounted a fuse wire or fuse link 11. When mounted in the channels or compartments 12, the fuse links are isolated one from another and are fully open for inspection and are clearly visible.

A spring clip 13 is united as by soldering with the detachable thimble or cap 9, and the limbs 14 of the spring clip 13 are made in such manner that they tend to spring towards each other. The lower ends of the limbs 14 are provided with extensions 15 which are indented to" form outstanding bosses 16 on their inner sides. The limbs 14 are of such length that when the thimble 9 is placed on the fuse body 1 with the limbs 14 on opposite sides of one of the strips 2 or 3, the bosses 16 will engage the eyelet 8 in said strip with snap action.

In order to facilitate engagement of the bosses 16 with the eyelets 8, outturned tongues 17 may be formed on the extensions 15 as shown in Fig. 8. If preferred, the spring clip 13 and the limbs 14 may be formed as integral extensions of the contact thirnble 9 as shown in Fig. 9.

The thimbles 9 and 10 form contacts which are adapted to be sprung into or resiliently engaged with the usual spring fuse terminals (not shown) of an automobile electrical circuit. The limbs 14 of the clip 13, eyelet 8 and fuse wire or link 11 form an electrical conductor between the contact thimbles 9 and 10, and in the event of a current passing through the circuit of greater amperage than the overload amperage capacity of the fuse Wire or link 11, said wire or link will melt or become blown, thereby breaking the circuit.

The contact thimble 9 may then be removed and replaced with the limbs 14 on opposite sides of another strip 2 or 3 in order to effect engagement of the bosses 16 with the corresponding eyelet 8, and accordingly place another fuse wire or link 11 in the circuit.

The multiple element fuse above described is simple in construction, and it may be readily inserted in an electrical circuit of an automobile. Moreover, it provides a number of reserve fusible elements or fuse links which are safely stored and cannot become damaged as not infrequently happens wh n spare fuses are carried loosely on automobiles. Furthermore, the fusible elements or fuse links are clearly visible, and in the'event of electrical breakdown of an automobile circuit, the blown fusible element or fuse link can be immediately seen and as'the condition of the remaining elements or links can also be observed, the blown fuse may be readily replaced.

What I do claim is:-'

1. An electrical fuse of multiple element type comprising, radiating strips of insulating material forming an insulating body with angular channels between said strips, a contact fixed at one end of the insulating body, terminals fixed in the radiating strips and spaced apart from the fixed contact, fusible elements in said channels and each connected at its opposite ends respectively to the fixed contact and to one of the terminals, conductors adjustably and resiliently associable with the terminals, and a detachable contact carrying said conductors and mounted on the opposite end of the insulating body, said detachable contact being adapted by change of position on the insulating body to associate said conductors with any selected terminal.

2. An electrical fuse of multiple element type according to claim 1 wherein the terminals consist of eyelets fixed to the insulating strips, and the conductors carried by the detachable and adjustable contact consist of metal strips which are resiliently engageable with said eyelets.

3. In an electrical fuse, an insulating body formed of flat strips shaped to longitudinally interfit to provide a plurality of angularly related, radially extending ribs, a conducting cap secured to one end of the body and preventing the separation of the strips, fuse conductors in electrical contact with the cap and extending longitudinally of the ribs, a contact in each rib forming the terminal of the fuse strip on that rib, a cap movably mounted on the opposite end of the body, and a conductor carried by the last named cap for selective electrical cooperation with any of said contacts.

4. An electrical fuse comprising an insulating body made up of flat sections formed with longi tudinal slots extending from one end and. terminating short of the other end of each section, the slots permitting relative longitudinal interfitting of the sections to provide a body having angularly related, radially disposed ribs, a contact cap secured to one end of the body, a plurality of fuse strips extending from the contact cap longitudinally of the ribs and terminally secured to the latter, a second cap movably cooperating with the opposite end of the body and constructed to selectively engage electrically any one of the fuse strips.

5. An electrical fuse comprising an insulating body formed to present angularly related, longitudinally extending ribs, a conducting cap secured to one end of the body, a contact carried by each rib adjacent the opposite end of the body, fuse strips extending from the contact cap and on each rib and terminating in the contact on that rib, a second cap movably cooperating with the opposite end of the body, and a conductor extending from the latter cap and electrically engaging with a selected contact, said conductor engaging both sides of a selected rib.

6. An electric fuse including an insulating body formed to provide radially disposed, longitudinally extending ribs, a conducting cap secured to one end of the body, an eyelet contact extending through each rib adjacent the opposite end of the body, a fuse strip extending longitudinally of each rib and electrically connecting the contact cap and the eyelet on that rib, a second cap removably cooperating with the opposite end of the body, and a two-branch conductor extending from the second cap for cooperation with both ends of the eyelet on a selected rib.

ERIC C. CAELLI.

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