US2410746A

US2410746A - Magnetically operated switch

Info

Publication number: US2410746A
Application number: US456992A
Authority: US
Inventors: Adele S Raettig
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1942-09-02
Filing date: 1942-09-02
Publication date: 1946-11-05
Anticipated expiration: 1963-11-05

Description

Nov. 5, 1946. A. s. RAETTIG 2,410,746

MAGNETICALLY OPERATED SWI TCH Filed Sept. 2, 1942 N71: /6 a 20 2/ 5 a g INVENTOR. #01525 ,5. EAL-T776 aamw Patented Nov. 5, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MAGNETICALLY OPERATED SWITCH Adele S. Raettig, Hoboken, N. J.

Application September 2, 1942, Serial No. 456,992

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a switch and refers more particularly to a magnetically operated selective switch used for energizing or otherwise influencing any one of several circuits.

An object of the present invention is the provision of an effectively operating circuit controller or switch of simple, compact and sturdy construction, which is inexpensive to manufacture and which may be conveniently utilized for the purpose of closing any one of a comparatively large number of circuits.

Another object is the utilization of a permanent magnet for the purpose of actuating selectively any one of several levers used for establishing an electrical connection between a number of terminals.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent in the course of the following specification.

In accomplishing the objects of the present invention it was found desirable to rovide a central terminal, which may be grounded, if desired, and to arrange other terminals about the central terminal, each of said other terminals being provided with a separate magnetizable conducting swingable member which may be attracted by a permanent magnet to provide an electrical connection between the terminal carrying the member and the central terminal. The magnet may be carried by means making it possible to shift the position of the magnet in order to be able to energize or deenergize any one of the several swingable members.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing showing, by way of example only, a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a top view, with a part of the cover removed, of a switch constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a section along the line 2-2 of Figure 1. 1

Figure 3 is a section along the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a swingable element.

The switch shown in the drawing is situated in a round insulating box 5 closed by an insulating disc or cover 6 which is firmly attached to the box 5 by screws 7. Partitions 3 extend radially within the box 5 and are firmly connected to its bottom 9 and side wall 10. The partitions 8 separate the interior of the box into compartments II, the number of which is equal to the number of terminals I2 which are to be controlled by the switch.

Each terminal l2 has the form of a conducting bolt l3 extending through the bottom 9 of the casing and carrying a nut l4 and a wire l5 leading to any suitable circuit not shown in the drawing. The upper end of the bolt l3 has the form of a cylinder IS having recesses which contain two opposed ends ll of a swingable conducting plate l8 shown separately in Figure 4. Thus the plate I8 is pivotally or swingably supported by the cylinder 16. The plates [8 are made of any suitable conducting and magnetizable material.

In each compartment ll there is a separate plate l8 carried by its terminal 12. The terminals 12 are preferably arranged along a circle in the center of which the central terminal is is located. The plates [8 are normally situated in a somewhat inclined position with their lower end located below a conducting disc 20 carried by a cylinder 2| constituting a part of the central terminal 19.

The cylinder 2| is integral with a conducting bolt 22 extending through the bottom 9 and carrying a nut 23 and a wire 24.

the terminals :2.

The electrical connection between the central terminal l9 and a selected terminal I2 is established by the use of a permanent magnet 25 which attracts the swingable plate l8 of the selected terminal l2 and thereby raises it to a position shown in broken lines in Figure 2; in this raised position the plate I 8 engages the disc 26 and thus provides an electrical connection between the central terminal [9 and the selected terminal 2.

The magnet 25 fits into recesses 26 provided in the upper surface 2'! of the covert and situated directly above the compartments II and the swinging plates I8 which are located therein. The recesses 28 may be designated by suitable indicia 28 by means of which the various terminals l2 may be distinguished one from the other;

The magnet 25 is carried by a rod 2-9, the upper end of which is connected wtih a manually operated disc or button 30. The rod 29 extends through a sleeve 3! constituting a part of an arm situated in a recess 34 provided in the sleeve 3|. One end of the spring 33 engages the disc 30 while the other end presses against the bottom of A coiled spring 33 encloses the rod 29 and is shame the recess 34. The lower surface of the arm 32 has a recess 35 into which the magnet fits and the spring 33 tends to move the magnet into the recess 35 (Figure However, the rod 29 is locked in a downward position, in which the magnet 25 is situated in one of the recesses 26, by a locking member 36 which into a recess 3'! provided in the rod 2;). The locking member 35 is pressed against tie rod 29 by a spring 36 situated in a passage 39 which is formed in the sleeve 3! and which is closed by a screw 40.

The arm 32 has an outer end 4! which have the form of a pointer slidable over the surface 21 and adapted to be placed opposite any one of the indicia 2B. The indicia 28 are so located that in these positions of the pointer ll, the recess 35 and the magnet 25 are located directly above a recess 26.

The inner end of the arm 32 has the form of a sleeve 42 whichis mounted upon a pivot 43. The pivot 43 is firmly mounted in the cover 6 of the casing.

The switch is operated as follows:

Let it be assumed that an operator desires to use the switch for the purpose of providing an electrical connection between that termina1 :2 which is designated by the numeral 4 in Figure 1, and the central terminal l9. Then the operator turns the arm 32 by holding the knob until the pointer 4| of the arm is situated directly opposite the numeral 4. In this posi tion the magnet 25 which is held in the recess 35 of the arm 32 by the spring 33, will be located directly above a recess 26.

Then the operator inserts the magnet 25 into that recess 26 by depressing the knob 30 and the arm 29 connected therewith. The recess 3i of the arm 29 will find itself opposite the 39 in the course of the downward movement of the arm 29, and then the locking member 36 will be pressed into the recess 31 by the spring 38. Thus the arm 29 will be locked in its depressed position in which the magnet 25 is located in the recess 26.

The plate l8 of the terminal l2 will be placed then in the magnetic field of the magnet 25, so that it will become magnetized and will swing from the position shown by full lines in Figure 2 to the position shown by broken lines ther in. In the magnetized position the plate i S in ment with the disc 23, so that an electrical connection is established between the wire 24, the terminal IS, the disc 20, the plate I8 and the terminal I2.

The partitions ii and the location of the magnet 25 in a recess are such that only one plate 16 situated directly below the magnet is influenced by it.

In order to disengage the switch, the operator pulls the knob 39 upwardly, causing the locking member 36 to recede into the passage 39. Then the magnet 25 is raised and moved into the recess 25 of the arm 32 by the 1 lg 33. The arm 32 may be conveniently move over the surface 2! oi the cover 6, since the attractive force of the magnet is insuflicient to actuate the plates [8 while the magnet 25 is located in its upper position in the recess 35 of the arm 32.

It is apparent that the switch shown above has been given by way of illustration and not by way of limitation and that it is capable of many variations and modifications without exceeding the scope or the extent of the present invention. All of such variations and modifications are to be included within the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

In a switch, in combination, an insulating hollow casing, radially extending partitions situated within said casing and dividing the interior thereof into a plurality of segment-like compartments, terminals located within said compartments close to the outer walls thereof, comparatively wide plate-like magnetizable conducting members located within said compartments, said terminals comprising means pivotally supporting the outer of plate-like members at a distance from the bottom of said compartments, whereby said plate-like members are downwardly inclined in the direction toward the common center of said compartments in the inoperative positions of said plate-like members, a central terminal carried by said casing substantially in the middle thereof and extending above the inner ends of said platelike members, an insulating cover mounted upon said casing and having a plurality of radial recesses formed therein, said recesses being narrower than said plate-like members and being located directly above them, a permanent magnet fitting into said recesses, an arm mounted upon said cover and rotatable over said recesses, and means carried by said arm and carrying said magnet for moving said magnet into and out of any of said recesses, whereby said magnet may raise the inner end of any plate-lilze member 10- oat-ed below it into engagement with said central terminal.

ADELE S. RAE'I'IIG.