US1985276A

US1985276A - Means for illuminating switchhandles

Info

Publication number: US1985276A
Application number: US622850A
Authority: US
Inventors: Leon S Brach
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1932-07-16
Filing date: 1932-07-16
Publication date: 1934-12-25
Anticipated expiration: 1951-12-25

Description

| s. BRACH 1,985,276-

MEANS FOR ILLUMINATING SWITCH HANDLES Filed July 16, 1952' Dec. 25, 1934.

INVENTOR LEON S. BRACH BY h ,{Q 2 1% ATl'ORNE Patented Dec. 25, 1934 v UNITED STATES 1,985,276 I smarts roa' IILUMlNA-TING swrrcn-x HANDLES Leon s. Brach, m Orange, .N. If Application July is, 1932. Serial No. cause Another object of my invention is .to provide means as a part of the switch for illuminating the switch handle so as to indicate not only the location of the switch, but whether the switch is in on? or "of! position. I

Another object of my invention is to provide means comprising part of the switch for illuminating the handle, which means may be applied to various types of standard switches without changing the over-all dimension of the switches and adding but. little to the cost thereof.

Another object of my invention is to provide illuminating means for a switch handle which can be connected across any of the usual low voltage circuits without change, and at the same timeconsume an extremely small amount of current.

- These and other objects will be discerned from a reading 'of the specification taken in connection with the annexed drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a substantially full-size plan view of a well-known make of toggle switch, without the mounting plate, to which my invention hasbeen applied.

Figure 2 is a view onthe line 2-2 of-Figure' 1. Figure3isaviewon theline 3 3 ofFigure 1.

Figure 4 is a view through the handle of the switch showing the illuminating means-therewithin. t

Figure 5 is an end-view of the central portion of the switch showing the toggle mechanism.

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic viewv of the circuit connections to the switch and the handle-illuminating device.

V In the drawing, wherein like numbers refer to corresponding parts in the various views, 1 is a "metal frame usually made of steel, having down-1 wardly bent'side-

support members

2 and 3 be-" tween which is positioneda switch block 4, the same being carr'ied on a'pivot pin 5 insulated bythe insulators 6 and 7 from the

side members

2 and 3,fcr a purpose to bolster referred to. The .

side members

2 and 3 carry a toggle frame member side of which gare supported a pair of switch members 9 and 10 which are insulated from 'theframeBbymitabieinsirlators 11. Theewitch block 4 carries a combined stop and spring-engaging member 12 having a fork 13 adapted to engage one end of toggle spring 14, the other end of whic Passes around a lug 15 on the frame- 8, thus positioning the spring 14 within' the toggle frame 8. The switch block 4 is also provided .with 'an auxiliary stopmember 16 for engaging, the mounting plate 1 when the switch block 4 is in one position as shown in Figures 1, 2,' and 4; When the switch block 4 is thrown to the opposite position, the lug 17 or the member 12 engagesthe mounting plate 1 to act as a stop.

holes 18 and 19. for mounting the same on the hollow block or base member 20 made of. some good material such as porcelain. The base20 carries a pair of

contact'members

21 and, 22 to which circuit wires are adapted to -be attached by means of

screws

23 and 24. The

contact member 21 is provided with a downwardly and inwardly extending lug 25, .while the con-' tactvmember- 22 is provided with a lug 26. The

lugs

25 and 26 are adapted to be engaged by the I switch contact members 9 and-10 when the switch block 4 is moved to a position as indicated in Figures 1 and 2.

The switch plate 1 is provided with tapped The previously described parts of the switch illustrated, except the special insulated pin 5, form no part of my invention but are merely to illustrate and describe more clearly the appli cation of my invention thereto.

In order to illuminate the switch handle 27, I make the same hollow and preferably provide it wltha screw-thread for screwing it into the switch block 4. The handle 27 is preferably. made in its entirety of transparent or translucent 'material, although the stem part of the I handle 'may be of opaque material, while the end 28 may be of 'transparentmaterial to light therethrough, and in some cases, the end 28, whether separate or integral with-the stem portion, may be provided with numbers so that any particular circuit may be readily identified.

The block-4 is provided with asocket 29 preferably of the screw -threadtype, to receive :a bulb 30 having a screw-base '31 to flt the socket 29. The lamp bulb -30 is provided with a pair of spaced electrodes 32 and as, one of'these elec-, trodes beingv connected to the screw-base 81 of the lamp, while the other electrode i's connected" to the oentralelectrode 34 of the bulb 30. The

bulb 30 is evacuated'and filled within gas. The pivot pin 5 carries a flexible contact 5 for contact 3401, theil'amp.

ber 21 to the central point The socket 29 is attached by a suitable connec- I tion 36 to the frame 1 of the-switch.

Mounted along one side 3'? of the wallof the hollow base 20, is a resistance unit comprising an insulator 38, to one end of which is attached in any satisfactory manner, .as by rivets or eyelets 39, a terminal strip 40. To the other end of the insulator 38 is similarly attached ,a terminal strip 41 which isadapted to be fastened to or held in contact with the switch lug 25. On one side of the insulator 38, is carried a. resistor 42 preferably constructed in the same manner. .as grid-leak resistors used in radio circuits.

When the switclris assembled, the end'43 of the pin engages the end of the flexible terminal 40 of the resistor 42, thereby completing an electrical connection from the switch contact mem- 34 of the lamp 30, and to one of the electrodes within the bulb 30.

By reference to Figure 6, it will be seen that one of the circuit wires 44 is connected to the terminal screw 23, while the other circuit wire 45 is connected to the frame 1 of the switch. When the switch is thrown so that the contacts 9 and engage the contact .

lugs

25 and 26, a circuit is completed from the

wires

44 and 45 through to the wires 46 and 47 leading outwardly from the switch. As shown by the full lines 48, the resistor 42 is connected to the terminal carrying the screw 24, and the opposite potentials of thecircuit are applied to the

lamp electrodes

32 and 33 when the switch members 9 and 10 are in circuit closing position, and the bulb 30 will glow, indicating that the switch is in closed position' and that a circuit is completed through the switch. If the wire 48 be connected to the screw terminal 23, as indicated by the dotted line 49, then the lamp 30 will glow all the time whether the switch be on or' 91!, thereby indicating the location of the switch so that the operator can readily find it even in the dark.

plied to other The grid-leak resistor is very high and its purpose is to limit the amount of current consumed by the lamp, so that even if the lamp be connected by the lead. 49 to the terminal screw 23 as above described, the amount of energy consumed is infinitesimal. In some cases or typesof switches,

it may be advisable to use two resistors, one in each lead running to the lamp electrodes '32 and 33, in order to reducethe chances of short circuit produced by flash-over in the resistor, if one of the grid-leak typeis used; or in some cases, the resistor may be divided into two separate portions connected in series to one of the lamp electrodes.

Ifthere is plenty of space available, a highresistance wire type of resistor may be used instead of one of the grid-leak type. J

While I have shown and described my invention as applied to one form. of toggle switch, it is to be understood that thisinvention may be aptypes of switches and it is also to be understood that the switch may be provided with a small auxiliary make and break contact arranged so as to open the circuit through the neon bulb when the switch is in closed position, so that the switch handle would be lighted only when the circuit is open.

From what has been said, it will be seen that the extra parts required to apply my invention to a standard type of switch, are veryfew and may be readily applied at a very low cost and without increasing the space required for mounting the switch.

It will also be observed that the type of lamp 'used for illuminating the handle is of a character such that it can be made very small, considerably smaller than a'filament type ofdamp, for as has already been pointed out, the amount of current consumed is extremely small because of the typ of lamp used, and the fact that the resistor used is preferably of the order of 50,000 ohms or even higher, and the lamp, provided the switch construction is satisfactory, can be connected across any of the low voltage circuits; namely, 110, 220,

' 440 volts, without change. It is also pointed out that one part of the handle circuit is grounded.

Completion of the ground circuit can be readily. the conduit or pickup usumade through either ally close to the switch since a good ground contact is not necessary because of the nature of the lamp as has been explained.

Another great advantage of my invention is that the handle is lighted with a softly glowing .light which is highly desirable in many places where a switch of this character is adapted for use. It will be obvious that the details for carrying my invention into practice-may be varied over a considerable range, and'I therefore do not wish to be unduly limited in the interpretation of thescope of the appended claims.

Having thus described'my invention, what I claim is: c

1. Illuminating means for aswitch-handle, in-

eluding a hollow handle at least some portion of which will pass light rays, a metallic frame, a switching member pivotally mounted on said frame and having means to receive said handle, a bulb socket carried by said member and electricallyconnected to said frame, a flexible contact carried by the pivot pin, an inert, gas-filled-bulb carried by said socket and having terminals adapted to engage said socket and flexible contact on the pivot pin, said .bulb having a pair of spaced electrodes therein connected to the bulb terminals and capable of being connected without change directly across any low voltage circuit, said bulb extending into the hollow handle, and at least one high resistor arranged to be connected in series through said pin and-flexible contact carried thereby with said electrodes when the same are energized.

to said switching member, a lamp-bulb socket carried by said switching member and having an the frame,-a gas-filled electrical connection with bulb having a terminal to fit said socket, said bulb extending into the hollow handle, said handle being of a material which will pass light rays, an electrode within the bulb connected to said terminal, a second electrode within the bulb and connected to the central contact on the bulb, a flexible contact carried by the pivot pin and engaging said central bulb contact, at least one high resistor carried within the switch-base and having a fiexibleterminal to engage said pivot pin,

terminal connected.

said resistor havingits other to one of the main switch terminals,

LEON s. BEACH.