US2087935A

US2087935A - Electric switch

Info

Publication number: US2087935A
Application number: US52855A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hugh W Batcheller
Original assignee: Standard Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: Standard Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1935-12-04
Filing date: 1935-12-04
Publication date: 1937-07-27
Anticipated expiration: 1954-07-27

Description

y 1937- H. w. BATCHELLER 2,087,935 4 ,ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Dec. 4. 1935 Patented July 27, 1937 PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC SWITCH Hugh W. Batcheller, Waltham, Mass., assignor to Standard Mfg. 00., Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 4, 1935, Serial No. 52,855

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an electric switch of the tell-tale variety, the invention being embodied in a switch of compact structure adapted to be secured to the dashboard of an automobile vehicie for any desired use such as the control of an electric motor in a heating unit.

An object of the invention is to provide improvements in details of structure of switches of this type, and to make possible more economical and expeditious manufacture and assembling of such switches. I

Other advantageous features will be apparent to one skilled in the art from the disclosure of the invention in the following description and on the drawing of which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the several parts constituting a switch embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the assembled switch.

Figure 8 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view similar to Figure 3, but showing the parts in a diiferent position of operation.

As indicated in Figure 1, the switch may comprise an operating knob l0, preferably of molded translucent material, the knob having a tubular shaft II of brass or other suitable material inserted prior to the molding operation so as to form a substantially integral structure with the molded material. The switch structure also includes a cylindrical housingmember |2, preferably of metal which receives loosely a longitudinally split sleeve member 3. A lamp socket I4 is located within the sleeve band is adapted to receive and hold the base of a lamp |5. The sleeve also contains a pair of disks 2!) and 2| of insulating material, these disks being pushed apart by a compressed spring 22. The housing member |2 may be externally threaded as at 23 to receive one or more nuts 24 by which the switch may be attached to a dashboard or other support. The rear end of the housing member I 2 is closed by a plate 25 of insulating material. This may be secured in place by any suitable device. As shown, the rear portion of the housing member is thinned to form an inner shoulder 26 against which the plate 25 seats, the plate being held in place by end edge portions of the housing member which are crimped or spun over toengage the rear face of the plate as at 21. v

The cylindrical housing member I 2 is cut away from its rear end as at 28 to form an arcuate edge portion 29. If desired, another such portion may be cut away as at'30' to form a similar arcue fromjthis-s pring is exerted through a cup-shaped which may be provided with a pair of radially projecting ears'64 adapted to ride inthe slots bears against a metal piece'lmpreferably of sheet ate edge 32 diametrically opposed to the arcuate edge 29. Each of these arcuate edge portions preferably terminates at both ends in a shallow notch or depression 34 for a purpose hereinafter explained. 5 The sleeve |3 may be made with two portions of difierent diameters, the rearward portion 36 having a slightly larger diameter than the for- Ward portion 38. Projecting radially from the rear end of the sleeve I3 is an ear 40 which is adapted to ride on the arcuate edge 29 of the housing member l2 as the sleeve I3 is rotated relative to the housing. If the housing is provided with two cut-

away portions

28 and 30, an additional ear 4| may be provided to ride on the arcuate edge 32. The side edges of the cut-outs in the housing member l2 limit the travel of the

ears

40 and 4|, and-hence limit the angle of ro- 'l2. The edge-engaging faces of the ears 4!! and 4| are preferably rounded so as to fit in the notches 34 andto ride easily out of the notches when the sleeve is turned. Since the sleeve I3 25 is normally pressed forward, as hereinafter described, the engagement of the ears in the notches 34 serves as a yielding detent to maintain the sleeve releasably in one or the other of its extreme positions of operation.

Nested within the portion 38 of the sleeve 3 is the lamp socket I4. From the rear end of this socket, a pair of ears 44 and 46 project radially and engage in a pair of slots 48 and 50 in the sleeve l3 so as to hold the socket against rota- -tion when a lamp is inserted therein. The socket may be loosely inserted in the sleeve l3 or may be permanently secured therein as by a drop of solderfl As illustrated in Figure 1; the socket is designed for use with alamp having a base with 'radialpins 52 and a central contact point 54. The

metallic element which is adapted to bear against the contact point 54 of the lamp |5. The

element 60 is mounted in and projects through the disk 20 which is of insulating material and 50 and 50. The rear end of the spring 22 extends through a central aperturelilljgin the disk 2| and copper, which is provided with a pair of elements I2 and 14 projecting rearwardly from the face thereof. These elements may be portions of the sheet itself bulging from the plane thereof.- The metal piece may be secured to the disk 2| by any suitable means such as a pair of tabs 16 bent to engage the opposite face of the disk 2|, the tabs being disposed in peripheral notches 18 in the disk so as to avoid contact with the sleeve l3 in which the disk 2| is loosely mounted. The disk 2| is provided with radial ears 80 engaging the slots 48 and 50 of the sleeve I3 so that the disk rotates with the sleeve when the latter is turned. The insulating plate 25, which is secured at the rear end of the housing member [2, is provided with a pair of

conductors

84, 86, these conductors having portions extending through the plate 25 and ending flush with the front face thereof. As indicated in Figure 4, the

conductors

84 and 86 are so arranged as to be engageable simultaneously by the

elements

12 and 14 when the disk 2| is turned to a suitable angular position. Thus rotation of the sleeve I3 and disk 2| is adapted to move the conducting

elements

12 and 14 into and out of simultaneous contact with the

conductors

84 and 86. Since the elements l2 and 74 are always electrically connected by the metal piece Ill of which they are a part, such simultaneous contact with the

conductors

84 and 86 serves to connect these conductors electrically so as to close the switch. Since the spring 22 engages the metal piece 18 and the element 60, and, since the latter presses against the contact point 54 of the lamp l5, a conducting path is thus provided for current to light the lamp l5 when the switch is closed, the circuit being completed through the pins 52 which are grounded through the socket M, the sleeve I3 and the housing l2. For operation of the switch, the hollow shaft portion II of the knob H! is provided with a slot 90 which interlocks with an ear 92 struck out from the sleeve l3. The hollow shaft II is adapted to fit snugly over the forward portion 38 of the split sleeve 53 and to be in telescoped frictional engagement therewith. It is evident that rotation of the knob It! will result in rotation of the'sleeve l3 and of the disk 2|. This moves the conducting

elements

12 and 14 into and out of simultaneous engagement with the conductors '84 and 86, thus closing or opening the switch as desired, the switch being held in its closed or open position by the engagement of the

ears

40 and 4| in certain of the notches 34 in the sleeve [2 under the pressure of the spring 22. When the switch is closed and the

elements

12 and 14 are connected to a source of potential, a path for current to the lamp I5 is provided through the spring 22 and the element 60, the shell of the lamp base being grounded, so that, when the switch is in use, the lamp is lighted when the switch is on.

It is evident that various modifications and changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention herein shown and described without departing from the spirit or scope thereof as defined in the following claims.

I claimzi 1. An electric switch comprising a cylindrical housing member having a portion cut away from the rear end thereof to form an arcuate edge in a transverse plane between the ends of the housing, a split sleeve loosely fitted in said housing, said sleeve having an ear projecting radially from its rear end and riding on said arcuate edge whereby rotation of said sleeve relative to said housing member is limited, a plate of insulating material closing the rear end of said housing member, a pair of conductors extending through said plate and ending flush with the forward face thereof, a disk fitted in the rear end of said sleeve and rotatable therewith, a pair of electrically connected conducting elements projecting rearwardly from the face of said disk and movable by rotation of said disk into and out of contact withthe forward ends of said conductors, a knob having a shaft projecting into the forward end of said housing and frictionally telescoping said sleeve, means locking said knob and sleeve against relative rotation, and means resiliently pressing said disk against said plate.

2. An electric switch comprising a cylindrical housing member having a portion cut away from the rear end thereof to form an arcuate edge with a shallow notch at each end of said edge, a split sleeve loosely fitted in said housing, said sleeve having a radially projecting car at the rear end thereof adapted to ride on said arcuate edge from one said notch to the other as said sleeve is rotated in said housing member, a plate of insulating material closing the rear end of said housing member, a pair of conductors extending through said plate so that their forward ends are flush with the forward face of the plate, a disk fitted in the rear end of said sleeve to rotate therewith, said disk having a pair of electrically connected conducting elements projecting from its rear face to bear against the front face of said plate and movable into and out of simultaneous contact with said conductors when the ear on said sleeve moves from one said notch to the other, a knob removably attached to said sleeve for rotation therewith, and means resiliently pressing said sleeve forward and said disk rearward whereby said ear is pressed against said arcuate edge.

3. An electric switch comprising a cylindrical housing having a portion cut away from the rear end thereof to form an arcuate edge, a split sleeve having an ear projecting radially from its rear end and riding on said arcuate edge to limit the angle of relative rotation between said sleeve and said housing member, a tubular lamp socket within said sleeve having bayonetslots for engagement with pins on a lamp base, means holding said socket against rotation and forward movement relative to said sleeve, a plate of insulating material closing the rear end of said housing member, a pair of conductors extending through said plate and ending flush with the forward face thereof, a pair of disks of insulating -material loosely carried in said sleeve and rotatable therewith, one said disk having a pair of electrically connected conducting elements projecting from the rear face thereof and movable into and out of simultaneous contact with the flush ends of said conductors by rotation of said sleeve, the other disk having a central conducting element adapted to bear against the central contact point of a lamp mounted in said socket, a. compressed spring between said disks electrically connecting all said conducting elements, and an operating knob of translucent material operatively engaging said sleeve for rotation therewith.

4. An electric switch comprising a cylindrical, housing member, a plate of insulating materia secured across the rear end of said housing member, a pair of conductors extending through said plate and ending flush with the forward face of said plate, an operatingknobhaving a shaft portion projecting into the forward end of said housing, a tubular sleeve member in said housing in telescoped relation with said shaft portion and keyed thereto for rotation therewith, said sleeve having a pair of notches in its rear end portion,

an axially movable member disposed in the rear end of said sleeve and provided with a pair of radial ears engaging in said notches for rotation 10 of said axially movable member with said sleeve,

said axially movable member having a pair of electrically connected conducting elements projecting rearwardly for sliding engagement with the forward face of said plate and movable by rotation of said sleeve into and out of simultaneous contact with the flush ends of said conductors, and means within said housing simultaneously pressing said conducting elements rearwardly against said plate. HUGH W. BATCHELLER.