US2254729A - Electric switch - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 2, NM.l F. D. BRYANT ET AL 2,254,729?

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed July 2, 1938 Fig. 4.

Patented Sept., 2, 1941 ELECTRIC SWITCH Frank D. Bryant,v Stratford, and William R. Young, FairiielcL' Conn., asslgnors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application July 2, 193s, serial No. 217,196- c claims. (cl. zoo- 154) This invention relates to electric switches, and

more particularly to electric switches employing rolling contacts.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved construction and r arrangement of switches of this type and one which is easily assembled and manufactured at low cost.

In th accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is` an elevational view of the switch; Fig. 2 is a sectional View through the switch housing showing the switch elements in operative position; Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the switch parts.

Referring to the drawing the numeral 9 desig- 'nates a switch housing formed with an inner recess III. The housing may be formed of insulating material such as a phenolic condensation product and ller. The bottom of the housing is provided with a plurality of spaced grooves II and I2. The grooves are arranged in pairs on material is secured to and depends from the switch handle 23. 'I'he handle and arm are pivotally mounted upon a mounting collar 24 by means of a pin 25. The collar 24 is screw threaded so that the switch may be mounted on a panel. In order to support the mounting collar' and associated switch handle upon the switch housing,

` the mounting collar is provided with a 'ange 26 which engages the lower side of a plate 21 clamped on the top o f the housing. The plate 21 is provided with arms 2li-disposed in slots 28' on each side iof the housing and the arms are formed with prongs 29 which are bent around the bottom of the housing to clamp the plate 2l and thel collar 24 to the housing structure.

- insulating plate 30 is clamped betwe'en the plate each side of a central slot I3. The groove I2 ofeach pair is made deeper than the corresponding groove II and receives a contact member I4.

According to the invention, the contact members I4 are substantially L-shaped and have agroovedV contact arm I5 and a depending terminal leg I6. The contact arms I5 are located within the respective grooves I2 while the terminal legs I6 -are inserted in vertically disposed slots I'I and extend below the housing 'as shown in Fig. 2. Notches I6' in the terminal legs frictionally engage the wall of the housing. Inasmuch as'the grooves I2 are deeper than the grooves II, ther thickness of metal in the contact arms I5 builds up the depth of the groove until theedges ofthe grooved arms I5 are ilush with theA bottom of the recess and the grooves in the arm are of thesame depth as the grooves II. y

A'plurality of rolling contacts I8, which take the form of ball bearings, cooperate with the grooves I I and the grooved arms I5. One of the ball bearings is disposed on each side of the contral slot I3 and the bearings are interconnected by means of a flexible spring slider member I9 which is provided with anged openings 20 at each end adapted to receive the ball bearings. The flanges of the openings 20 provide a raceway for each of the ball bearing contacts and hold the bearings in assembled position. The slider member spans thedistance between the Apairs of grooves and causes the ball bearing contacts to move in unison. A central slot 2I is formed in the slider member and is adapted to coact with an operating arm 22.

21 and the top of the housing and functions to close the recess III, to provide a completely enclosed switch mechanism. The plate is pro. vided with an opening 3| to .receive the collar ange 26 and with oppositely disposed recesses 32 in which the clamping arms 28 are seated.

The koperating member. 22 is connected to thev slider member I9 by a tang 33 which rests in the central slot 2 I. On each side of the tang 33 the operating member is provided with a curvededge 34 which engages the 'top surface of theslider member. The lengthof the operating member 22, depending from the pivot point 25, is so pro`- portioned that the iiexible resilient slider element I9 is flexed or bent downwardly as shown in Fig. 2, to exert a compressive forceupon the ball bearing contacts and maintain a rm con tact between' them and the contact arms I5.

It will be seen from Fig. 2 that as the operating member 22 is moved to and fro by means of the switch handle that the resilient slider member will be flexed to a greater degree as the operating member passes over dead 'center thereby l increasing the pressure upon the ball bearing contacts so that as the tang moves the slider from side to side the ball bearings will roll up the side of the one groove and be Asnapped over into the adjacent groove by the increased compression in the resilient slider. As'the operating member is rocked to and fro the arcuate edges34 roll or pivot upon the upper surface of the slider member thereby depressing the slider and accomplishing a smooth and quick snap-action of the switch as the slider is moved longitudinally by the tang 33 seated in the slot 2 I. The end of the tang projecting below the slider moves freely in the slot I3.

In the position shown by Fig. 2, the switch is on and current flows from one of the terminal The operating member or arm 22 of insulating 55 legs through the corresponding ball bearing con- Aiiber4 www,

tact and then through the slider I9 to the other ball bearing contact-and terminal leg. By moving the switch handle to the right the ball bearing contacts are snapped over intothe grooves Il formed in the insulated base thereby placing the switch in oi position. Due to the Iact that the ball bearings ride up the sides of the grooved contact arms l under the movement of the operating member, it will be seen that the slider is iiexed considerably; at the same time the flexible slider member is tensioned or iiexed further by movement of the operating membertoward dead center, so that as the bearing contacts reach the top of the grooved contact arms they snap over into the adjacent grooves Il, as the slider moves longitudinally, thereby releasing the fiexure stresses in the slider and causing the switch quickly to assume its new position. This action gives a quick break of the circuit through the switch.

By the construction described a quick-break switch is provided which embodiesrelatively few parts and which may be easily and quickly assembled. 'Ihe exible slider and operating arm provide a simple and 'improved means for operating the ball bearing roller contacts.

What We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a switch structure, an insulated housing having a recess therein, spaced pairs of grooves in said recess, a grooved contact in one groove of each pair, a flexible slider element longitudinally movable in said recess and having a anged opening in each end, a ball bearing contact seated in each of said openings and each cooperating with a grooved contact respectively, and operating means connected to said slider for moving it longitudinally to position said ball bearing contactsV either in said grooved contacts or in the grooves in said recess to close or open said switch, said operating means exing said slider as it is moved longitudinally to provide a quickmake and break of said switch.

2. In a switch structure, a housing oi insulated material, spaced pairs of grooves in said housing, a grooved contact in one groove of each pair, a exible slider longitudinally movable and having a flanged opening in each end, a ball bearing contact seated in each of said openings and cooperating with said grooved contacts and an operating arm pivotally mounted on said housing and and having a tang engaging said slot for moving said slider longitudinally to position said ball bearing contacts either in said grooved contacts ate edges on each side or said tang for engaging the surfaces of said ilexible slider to ilex it as it is moved longitudinally oi' the housing and thereby providing a quick make and break of said switch.

4. In a device of the class described, a housing of insulating material having a recess therein, spaced pairs of grooves in said recess. a substantially L-shaped contact having a. grooved arm in one groove of each pair and having a terminal portion extending beyond the confines of said recess, a exible slider longitudinally movable in said recess and having a flanged opening in each end, a ball bearing contact seated in each of said openings and each cooperating with a grooved contact arm, and an operating member 4rnunted in said housing and having a tang conted to said slider for moving said slider longitudinally to position said ball bearing contacts either in said grooved contact arms or in the grooves in said recess to close or open said switch, said operating means having arcuate sur-l faces on each side of said tang for engaging the surface of said slider to flex it as it is moved longitudinally-to provide a quick make and break of said switch mechanism.

5. In a switch structure, an insulated housing having a recess therein, spaced pairs of grooves in said recess, a grooved contact in one groove in each pair, a flexible slider element longitudinally movable in said recess, a rolling contact mounted on opposite ends of said slider and each cooperating with a grooved contact respectively, and operating means connected to said slider for moving it longitudinally to position said "roller contacts either in said grooved contacts or in the grooves in said recess to close or open said switch, said operating means iiexing said slider as it is moved longitudinally to provide a quick make and break or said switch.

6. In a deviceof the class described, a housing or insulating material, spaced pairs of grooves in said housing, a grooved contact in one groovev of each pair, a ilexible slider movable longitudinally in said housing having a centrally disposed engaging said slider for moving it longitudinally to position said ball bearing contacts either in said grooved contacts or in the grooves in said housing to open or close said switch, said operating arm exing said slider as it is moved longitudinally -to provide a quick make and break of said switch. .y

3. In a device of the class described, a housing of insulating material, spaced pairs of grooves in said housing, a grooved contact in one groove of each-pair, a flexible slider movable longitudinally in said housing and having a iianged opening in each end and a centrally disposed slot, a ball bearing in each of said openings and cooperating with s'aid grooved contacts and an operating handle pivotally mounted in said housing slot, contact means including rolling contacts at each end of said slider, said contacts cooperating with said grooved contacts, and an operating handle pivotally mounted in said housing and having a tang engaging said slot for moving said slider longitudinally to position said rolling contacts either in said grooved contacts' or in the grooves in said housing to close or open said switch, said operating member having arcuate edges on each side of said tang for engaging thesurace of said flexible slider to flex it as it is Ymoved longitudinally of .the housing and thereby providing a quick make and break of said switch.

FRANK D. BRYANT. WILLIAM R. YOUNG.

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