US2285561A

US2285561A - Switch manipulating means

Info

Publication number: US2285561A
Application number: US387586A
Authority: US
Inventors: Botuck Eli
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1941-04-09
Filing date: 1941-04-09
Publication date: 1942-06-09
Anticipated expiration: 1959-06-09

Description

Jupe 9, 1942-.-. BoTucK swIToH MANIPULAMNG MEANS Filed April 9,' 1941 l w III/l -K\.H,

Patented June 9, 1942 UNHTED STATS OFFICE 11 Claims.

truding through a slot in an escutcheon or wall plate. The present invention provides means whereby the handle is more conveniently operated. It also enhances the external appearance of the switch.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon further study of the description and drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a section through the manipulating means in its lower position showing also portions of a toggle switch.

Fig. 2 is a section taken similarly to Fig. 1 with more parts of the switch omitted and shows the manipulating means in its upper position.

Fig. 3 is a section taken similarly to Fig. 2 and shows the manipulating means in its middle position.

Fig. 4 is a View looking along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section taken to an enlarged scale along the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an elevation of the attaching means shown by itself, said means being turned at right angles from its position shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a section through an attaching meansv provided with a spiral spring, said means being shown by itself.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a tapered attaching means shown by itself, and

Fig. 9 is an end elevation of the attaching means of Fig. 8.

The form of the device shown in Figs. 1-6 comprises a sheet metal housing I 9 provided with pivot pins II projecting inward from opposite side walls. Mounted on pivot pins II is the attaching means denoted in its entirety by the numeral I2. Attaching means I2 is formed of two substantially U-shaped resilient members I3 and I4 set at right angles to each other, one within the other, the heads of the members where they cross being attached to each other as by welding. A rivet, not shown, through the members where they cross, also could be used to fasten them together instead of welding. Member vI3 has a flange or wing I5 extending from the outer end of each leg back in a direction substantially parallel to the leg. Each ange I5 is provided with a slot I6 for slidably and pivotally mounting it on a pin II. Extending from one lil end of housing I0 to the other in a longitudinal direction and between attaching means I2 and the front wall of the housing, is a plate spring II normally pressing back against said means.

The switch I8 shown in the drawing is the Well known toggle switch having a pivotally mounted handle I 9 which projects through a slot or opening 26 in escutcheon plate 2|.

The switch manipulating device is attached to handle I9 by pressing the attaching means I2 over said handle, spreading apart somewhat against their resilience the legs of members I3 and I4. This causes a friction grip of attaching means I2 to handle I9. With handle I9 turned down, as in Fig. l, pivot pin is located in the forward end of slot I6, and the head ends of members I3 and I4 flex spring I'I so that the latter tends to maintain attaching means I2 and housing I0 in the position set. With handle I9 turned up, as in Fig. 2, pivot pin is again located in the forward end of slot I6 and the head ends of members I3 and I4 flex spring I'I so that the latter tends to maintain attaching means I2 and housing I0 in the position set. In passing from the down position of Fig. 1 to the up position of Fig. 2, as shown by Fig. 3, housing IU may be moved parallel to escutcheon plate 2| by causing pivot pins II to travel rearward in slot I6, or in other words allowing means I2 while it is pivoting about pins II also to have a motion of translation toward the forward Vwall of the housing. This travel is resisted to a certain extent my spring I'I. Spring I1 is a light spring although the drawing shows it thick for clarity. Usually the weight or pressure of the hand against housing I0 in throwing it from upper to lower position substantially keeps it from moving in an arc away from escutcheon plate 2|, means I2 traveling forward, said motion being permitted by the change in position of pins II in slots I6. Besides holding housing I0 rmly in its upper and lower positions, spring I1, when the device is separated from handle I9, normally holds means I2 away from the forward wall of the housing, helping in pressing the open end of means I2 over the end of handle I9.

While the drawing shows a slot I6 in each of wings I5, the device can be constructed without the slot, just a hole being provided in the Wings `to t the relative position shown for pin II in Fig. 1. Under these conditions, when the handle of the switch is thrown from one of its extreme positions to the other, housing IU and attaching means I2 are moved in the arc of a circle instead of substantially parallel to escutcheon plate 2|, as when slots I6 are provided.

In the form of attaching means shown in Fig. '7, in addition to members I3 and I4 a helical spring 22 is mounted in the cup formed by said members. Spring 2'2 is tapered toward its place of attachment to the head of member I4. With this construction, instead of using the resilience of members I3 and I4 frictionally to grip handle I9, spring 22 is forced over the projecting end af the handle.

In the attaching means illustrated in Figs. 8- and 9 instead of using separate members I3 and I4, a one piece cup 23 is used which is tapered, the small end being at the closed or forward end of the cup. Wings 24, having slots I6, are provided extending from opposite sides of cup 23.

It will be readily understood that various other forms of attaching means can be used in addition to those disclosed and still come within the scope of the invention. Further, box or housing IIJ need not necessarily be of the square type shown but may have other forms and also come within the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. Electric switch manipulating means for throwing the swingably mounted handle of a switch, said handle projecting through an opening in the escutcheon plate of the switch, said means having a member for gripping the projecting portion of the handle, and a housing over said member, said housing being open on its side toward the escutcheon plate, said mem,- ber being pivotally mounted in the housing to accommodate the swinging of the handle when the housing ismoved opposite the escutcheon plate to throw the handle into its positions for opening and closing the switch.

2. Electric switch manipulating means for throwing the swingably mounted handle of a switch, said handle projecting through an opening in the escutcheon plate of the switch, said means having a substantially cup-shaped member with its open end toward the plate and formed to slip over the projecting end of the handle and to hold frictionally thereon, a housing for said member, said member being pivotally mounted in the housing to accommodate the swinging of the handle when the housing is moved opposite the escutcheon plate to throw the handle into its positions for opening and closing the switch.

3. Electric switch manipulating means for throwing the swingably mounted handle of a switch, said handleprojecting through an opening in the escutcheon plate of the switch, said means having a member for gripping the projecting portion of the handle, a housing for said member, and means for mounting the member in the housing, said mounting means permitting a pivotal motion and a motion of translation of the member with respect toi the housing to accommodate the. swinging of the handle when the housing. is moved substantially parallel to the escutcheon plate to throw the handle into its positions for opening and closing the switch.

4. Electric switch manipulating means for throwing the swingably mounted handle of a switch, said handle projecting through an opening in the escutcheon plate of the switch, said means comprising a spring member and a housing over said member, the latter being formed to be slipped against its resiliency over the projecting portion of the handle, means for pivotally mounting the member in the housing to accommodate the swinging of the handle when the housing is moved opposite the escutcheon plate to throw the handle into its positions for opening and closing the switch.

5. The combination with an electric switch having an escutcheon plate and a swingably mounted handle for opening and closing the switch, said handle projecting through an opening in the escutcheon plate, of a housing outside the escutcheon plate, and means pivotally mounted in the housing for attaching the housing to the projecting portion of the handle, said means accommodating the swinging of the handle when the housing is moved opposite the escutcheon plate to throw the handle into its positions for opening and closing the switch.

6. Electric switch manipulating means for throwing the swingably mounted handle of a switch, said handle projecting through an opening in the escutcheon plate of the switch, said means having a member for gripping the projecting portion of the handle, a housing for said member, the latter being provided with slots on opposite sides thereof, and oppositely disposed pins projecting inward from the walls of the housing, said pins slidably and pivotally engaging'said slots for. accommodating the swinging of. the handle when the housing is moved substantially parallel to the escutcheon plate, to throw the handle into its positions for opening and closing the switch.

7. Electric switch manipulating means for throwing the swingably mounted handle of a switch, said handle projectingtthrough an opening in the escutcheon plate of the switch, said means having a member for gripping the projecting portion of the handle, a. housing for said member, resilient wings extending from opposite sides of said member in a direction substantially parallel to said. sides, each wing being provided with: a slot, and oppositely disposed pins projecting inward from the walls of the housing, said pins slidably and pivotally engaging said slots for accommodating the swinging of the handle when the housing is moved substantially parallel to the escutcheon plate to throw the handle into its positions for opening and closing the switch.

8. Electric switch manipulating means for throwing the swingably mounted handle of a switch, said vhandle projecting through an opening in the escutcheon' plate of the switch, said means comprising a tapered helical spring for gripping the projecting portion of the handle, a member upon which the spring is mounted, and a housing over said member and spring, said member being pivotally mounted in the housing to accommodate the swinging of the handle when the housing is moved to throw the handle into itspositions for openingand closing the switch.

9. Electric switch manipulating means for throwingthe swingably mounted handle of a switch, said handle projecting through an openingin the escutcheon plate of the switch, said means comprising a. pair of substantially U- shaped resilient members, one set within the otherwith their heads substantially at right angles to each other and fastened together forming substantially a cup adapted to slip over the projecting end of the handle and to hold frictionally thereon, and a housing for said cup, said cup being pivotally mounted in the housing to accommodate the swinging of the handle when the housing is moved to throw the handle into its positions for opening and closing the switch.

10. Electric switch manipulating means for throwing the swingably mounted handle of a switch, said handle projecting through an opening in the escutcheon plate of the switch, said means comprising a pair of substantially U- shaped resilient members, one set within the other with their heads substantially at right angles to each other and fastened together forming substantially a cup adapted to slip over the projecting end of the handle and to hold frictionally thereon, a housing for said cup, and resilient wings extending from opposite sides of one of said members in a direction substantially parallel to said sides, each wing being provided with a slot, and oppositely disposed pins projecting inward from the Walls of the housing, said pins slidably and pivotally engaging said slots for accommodating the swinging of the handle when the housing is moved substantially parallel to the escutcheon plate to throw the handle into its positions for opening and closing the switch.

11. Electric switch manipulating means for throwing the swingably mounted handle of a switch, said handle projecting through an opening in the escutcheon plate of the switch, said means comprising a member for gripping the projecting portion of the handle, a housing over said member, said member being pivotally mounted in the housing to accommodate the swinging of the handle when the housing is moved opposite the escutcheon plate to throw the handle into its positions for opening and closing the switch, and a spring in the housing engaging said member yieldingly resisting the rotation of the member with respect to the housing.

ELI BO'I'UCK.