US2057536A - Electric switch - Google Patents

Description

A. H NERO ELECTRIC-SWITCH Oct. 13, 1936.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 20, 1934 im/mm mum/M INVENTOR ARVID H. NERC BY HIS ATTORNEYS Oct. 13, 1936. A. H. NERO ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Jan. 20, 1934 .2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fx samr/ml INVENTOR ARVID H. BY HIS ATTORNEYS NERO Patented @ct. 13, 1936' assists ELECTRIC SWE'ECH Arvid H. Nero, West Hartford, Conn, assignor to The Arrow-Hart & Hegeman Electric Gompany, Hartford, Eonn, a corporation or Connecticut Application January Zil, 1934, Serial No. 707,597

a @laims. (stats-1st) This invention relates to electric switches or circuit breakers. More particularly it relates to an electric switch having a movable contact which is movedwith a snap action into three diflerent 5 positions for the control of circuit containing electric translatingdevices, such as-electric heaters and electric stoves.

It is an object of this invention. to provide a lever actuated snap switch for controlling heater circuits, which switch has a movable contact capable of occupying two closed-circuit positions and an open-circuit position.

Another object is to provide a lever operated snap switch for heater circuits in which the con-- la nections between the fixed contacts thereof may be varied easily to suit the different requirements of use to which the switch may be put.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will occur to those skilled in the art as the invention is described in connection with the accompanying drawings:-

In the drawings:-

Figure 1 is a plan view of the top half of a switch embodying my invention.

Figure 21s a bottom view of the top half of the switch shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the lower half of a switch embodying the principles of my invention.

Figure 4 is a broken sectional view taken longitudinally through the switch shown in Figures 1 and 2, the section being taken along lines ie-d thereof.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view of the switch shown in the preceding figures, the section being taken along line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings the switch embodies a base comprising an upper half it and a lower half l2 which are generally in the form of octagonal prisms. The top half it of the base has formed in its upper surface :3 identical irregularly shaped curved channels it, it, ill and .26, these channels connecting countersunk bores 22 and 2d, '25 and 2d, 86 and' tfi t l and 85 respectively, the bores 22, 2t; 3t and 36 being located at one end of the base while the bores 2t, 28, 32 and 35 are located'at the other end of the base Each bore penetrates the base from one side to the other. The bores '39 and it are positioned symmetrically, at one side of the center line of the base with respect to the bores 22 and Ztwhich are at the other side. Similarly the bores 32 and 85 are positioned symmetrically with respect to the bores 2'6 and 28. In each of the bores there is a mounting screw which takes into a square nut at the other side of the upper half of the base underneath which nut is seated a fixed contact member which is of L shape. For illustration of this construction reference may be had to the mounting screw 23 which is contained in the bore 22 and takes into nut 32 to hold the contact 54 in position.

That portion of the contact 54 which is adapted to be engaged by a movable contact (hereinafter dcs-ribecl) may be seen at 53s. It is in alignment with similar contact engaging surfaces 52s, 56s and 58s, all of these contact surfaces being on one side of the center line of the switch base but the surfaces 52s and 56s are at the-opposite end of the base from the surfaces 56s and 588. Similarly on the other side of the center line of the base are aligned contact surfaces Ms, 36s, 48s and 58s. Preferably the stationary contacts and nuts are seated within rectangular recesses (see for example the recess 43 for the contact 5%).

It will now be apparent that the contact 56 may be connected with the contact #33 by a bus bar 59 which may be seated in the channel 20 and secured therein by the same screws 35 and 3? which mount the switch contacts in their recesses in the opposite face of the base. Similarly contacts 52 and 58 are connected by a bus bar 53 and contacts 54 and 58 are connected by a bus bar 55. In the switch shown no bus bar is placed in the channel 58 and therefore the contacts M and 50 are not connected together. The channels l4, l6, l8 and 28, being identical, it is possible to use the bus bars 619, 53, 55, interchangeably or to omit or add one as dictated by the requirements of the difierent circuits in which the switch is to be used.

In order to bridge the contacts 54 and it and at the same time bridge contacts 52 and 54, bridging members 60 and 62 are mounted upon the end of a switch member $4 which may be movable with a snap action by a hand lever 65 by means of any suitable snap switch mechan, n. for example that shown in the patent to Monroe Guett 1,878,843 patented September 20, 1932.

The bridging members 60 and 62 are mounted upon the end of the switching member 64 by means of pins 68 passing transversely through the end portion of the switching member 84 and having insulating collars l0 and I2 thereon on opposite sides of the switching member. The movable contacts and 82 are secured against the outer ends of the insulating collars by the bending over the ends of the transverse pins 88.

an insulating washer 14 being provided to insu-' late the pins 88 from the'contacts. Thus the contacts are mutually insulated from one another and from the switching member 64.

Referring to Figures 2 and 4 it will be noted that each movable contact or bridging member is made of two laminations of thin sheet metal which are stamped into approximately H shape. The ends of the laminations are bent outwardly to facilitate the engagement thereof with the contact surfaces of the fixed contacts, according to well known switch practice. Preferably the contact arms of the movable contact are arcuate, the inner ones being shorter than the outer ones in order that when they engage with the fixed' contacts, the inner and outer arms'will engage with the inner and outer contacts, respectively. at the same instant.

It will now be observed that when the switch is in position shown in Figure 4 stationary contacts 48 and 50 will be bridged by the movable contact 60 and contacts 58 and 58 willbe bridged by the movable contact 62. When the switch is in the positions shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5, no stationary contact will be engaged by a movable contact. When the switch is in the opposite extreme position from that shown in Figure 4 the stationary contacts I and will be bridged by the movable contact 60 and the stationary contacts 52 and 54 will be bridged by the movable contact 62.

It is desirable to have the stationary and movable contacts completely enclosed in order that the moisture and dirt may be prevented from collectingupon them. Therefore I have provided a lower-half I! for the switch casing. This portion of the casing has a central arcuate recess 80 in its upper or inner face, to permit free movement of the movable contact members.

In order that feed wires may be connected with the stationary contacts wire terminals are provided upon the bottom surfaces of the lower half of the switch' casing, these terminals being connected with the stationary contacts by long screws or bolts passing through the lower half I2 of the casing and taking into the square nuts (see for example nut ll which with its'screw 40 holds in place the fixedcontact M). The screw 82 which takes into nut 4 l and the similar screws which take into the other contacts, not only serve to connect the wire terminals with the fixed contacts but also serve to hold the upper and lower I parts of the base together.

The wire terminals may consist of a washer 8| with a tab or extension 88' which is engaged by the long screws for: example, the long screw 82. The binding screws 34 may be threaded into the washers in order that the feed wire may be turned around and secured thereto according to common practice.

Mam

In case it is desired to mount the switch directly upon the bus-bars of an electric range, angled extensions or conductors 86, as, 90 may be provided and may be secured to the washers by screws 81, 09, 9| respectively taking the place of the binding screws ll.

This switch is capable of and is particularly adapted to use in the circuit shown in my copending application filed coincidentally herewith, entitled "Heater circuit, Serial Number 707,598.

A face plate or cover for the switch is provided as at ll. This maybe of any convenient design.

. base parts of insulating material, fixed and movable switch contacts and mechanism for moving the movable contacts with a snap action on one of said base parts, internally threaded members and screws engaged therewith for holding said fixed contacts to said one base part, wire terminals and bolts on the other base part, said bolts engaging with said threaded members and wire terminals and holding said base parts together.

2. An electric switch comprising cooperating base parts of insulating material, fixed and movable switch contacts and mechanism for moving the movable contact with a snap motion on one' of said base parts, wire terminals on the other of said base parts, and means securing said terminals to their base part and securing said base parts immovably together and electrically conmeeting said terminals to said contacts.

3. An electric switch comprising cooperating base parts of insulating material. fixed and movable switch contacts and mechanism for moving the movable contact with a snap motion on one of said base parts, wire terminals on the back face oftheother of said parts, and means securing said terminals against said back face and securing said base parts immovably together and electrically connecting said terminals to said contacts.

4. Anelectric switch comprising cooperating base parts of insulating material, groups of switch contacts'at opposite ends of one of said base parts, a movable switch member adapted to engage with one orthe other or neither of said groups of stationary contacts at will, an oscillatoryoperating lever extending from the face of said base oppositeto that upon which the switch contacts are. and mechanism for moving said movable contact with a snap into or from any one of its three positions, and rigid interchange-.

able conductors seated in unconnectedchannels in one face of said base and connecting certain of said fixed contacts, wire terminals on the other of said base parts. and-conducting means securing said base parts together and connecting said wire terminals to said switch contacts.

ARVID mac.

Images