US2432476A - Electrical switch device - Google Patents

Description

9,1941. H. R. HESSE 2. 31416 ELECTRICAL SWITCH DEVICE Filed Nov. 30, 1944 3 Sheets-Shet 1 1 4 .1. a Fi ,2.

. 27 26 26 28 mum 11 6'2 5 Z i 32 32 33 5 2 5.9 3 u 36 3.9; g 33 37 39' 5 3 3 v i i 30 9' 9 a 5/ 30 j; g 2 f; 18 1.9- 811 .58 .56 5 L J /20 I 21/ 53 23 mvemon f/E/VRY 16 5565 ATTORNEY Dec. 9, 1947. R H5555 2,432,476

ELECTRICAL SWITCH DEVICE Filed Nov. 30. 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 a2 6560 I 7a- 1 76 4/ v 70 a7 L 6 7/ g v 1 7g 69 57 69 I i ,1]

INVE NTOR f/E/VRY R. f/kssz:

ATTORNEY Dec. 9, 1947. H. R, HESSE 2,432,476

ELECTRICAL SWITCH DEVICE Filed NOV. 30, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 X7 l" 12. 27 i r7333 2 43 INVE NTOR M YR. 16 535: BY /JM ATTORNEY preciable characteristic enema Dec- 9, 1947 2,432,476 nLEc'rmcAL swrrcn DEVICE Henry R. Hesse, Hempstead, N. Y., .asslgnorjo Sperry Gyroscope Company, Inc., a corporation of New York Application November 39, 1944, Serial No. 565,919

14 Claims. 1

This invention relates to switching of shielded cables, such as coaxial cables, including an outer shielding conductor and one or more inner conductors. It is especially related to apparatus for frequenc circuits, a plurality of circuit terminals are arranged at points on a circle, at the center of which is pivoted a cooperating contact arm, By rotation of such an arm to a position at which it contacts an appropriate circuit terminal, a desired circuit may be made operative. In such a switch, the rotary movement of the contact arm produces wiping" of the contact surfaces. Pressure of the contact arm against the selected circuit terminal usually is maintained by resilience of either the contact arm or the terminal, or both. Either or both of these switch parts may be constructed of thin, springy material such as spring brass or beryllium copper.

Although such switches are satisfactory for operation at low frequencies, they have been found unsuited for switching circuit conducting currents of frequencies as high as, or higher than, 1,000 megacycles per second. For such extremely high frequencies, it is very important that circuit portions at appreciable potential diiference from ground be maintained completely shielded. Also, it is important that the cables and associated circuit elements be so constructed that internal dimensional discontinuities are kept at a minimum, since large discontinuities produce apimpedance variations along the cable, resulting in high-intensity standing waves, accompanied by appreciable energy loss. Obviously, a switching device for use with such cables should be so constructed and arranged as to introduce minimum discontinuity in a selected cable circuit.

It has been found that the .most satisfactory junction between two coaxial cables, or between two shielded cables of any other type is provided by adapting their ends for telescopic engagement, i. e., for nesting the outer and inner conductors of one cable portion with the outer and inner conductors, respectively, of another, along appreciable-length portions at the ends of the cables. It is highly desirable, then, that a cable selector switch can be so constructed and arranged as to provide telescopic connection of the outer con- 2 ductors and the inner conductors of the joined cable portions.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved cable selector switch.

It is a further object to provide a cable switch adapted for telescopic junction of a relatively movable cable portion with one or more fixed cable portions.

It is still another object to provide a rotary cable selector switch adapted for telescopic contact of the conductor portions thereof.

Yet another object is to provide a'cable selector switch adapted for cooperation with a conventional low-frequency circuit selector switch, so that high-frequency cable circuits and related low-frequency circuits may be selected simultaneously by the operation of a single control element.

An additional object is to provide a coaxial cable switch adapted to provide complete, telescopically joined shielding of the ends of cable circuits terminating therein.

Yet another object is to provide a cable selector switch adapted to provide telescopic connection of a common cable to a selected cable, and to provide telescopically joined short-circuiting connection of other cable circuits.

In accordance with the present invention, a cable selector switch is provided with a manually controllable selector element adapted for rotary movement to align a movable cable portion axially with a selected cable end or terminal, and for translatory movement to provide telescopic or axially overlapping contact with the selected cable.

The above objects and general description of the present invention will become more clearly apparent, and other objects will be visualized, from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a view, in longitudinal cross-section, of an embodiment of the present invention adapted for connecting a common shielded cable through a movable cable portion to any one of a plurality of shielded cables;

Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly in section, of the switch shown in Fig. 1, the movable portion thereof having been moved axially to provide engagement of a selected cable;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modljfline fied form of the present invention adapted to provide complete, individual shielding of non-selected cables, while providing circuit connection between a common cable and a selected cable, the movable portion of the switch being shown disengaged from the selected cable;

Fig. 5A is a view showing details of an indexing dowel and cooperating indexing body included in the structure shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 6 is an elevation view, partly in section, of the cable switchshown in Fig, 5, the movable portion having been depressed, or moved axially downward, to provide connection to the selected cable;

Figs. 7 and 8 are sectional views taken along the lines 1-1 and 8-8, respectively, of Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 illustrates the combination according to the present invention of a cable selector switch with two conventional rotary selector switch sections, to provide simultaneous low-frequency circuit switching with the selection'and switching of ultra high frequency cable circuits;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken along the line iii-l0 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a detailed sectional view of one of the conventional switch elements shown in Figs. 9 and 10;

'Fig. 12 is a longitudinal sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention arranged for selective connection of one or more movable cable sections simultaneously to two or more selected cables, in uch a manner that the two selected cables may be interconnected by telescopic junctions with a movable cable section upon depression of the movable section; and

Fig. 13 is a sectional view taken along the line |3.|3 of Fig. 12.

Referring now to Figs. 1 through 4, a switch device ii is shown comprising a cylindrical supporting member I2 including two disc end portions l3 and M. The disc portion l3 includes a threaded bushing l5 adapted to extend through a mounting hole in a suitable mounting panel IS. The switch device |l may be secured to the panel is by a principal mounting nut l1 cooperating with the bushing i5. Within end disc portion ll of the supporting member I2 are rigidly positioned a plurality of cable ends or cable terminal members 8, l9, 2|, 22 and 23, each consisting of a threaded outer sleeve and an inner wire terminal element. Each of these' cable terminal members is adapted to receive the end of a shielded cable, as illustrated at 24 in connection with cable terminal member 8.

The switch device includes a shlftable switch member 26 supported for rotary and translatory movement in a cylindrical.passage through bushing i5 and disc end portion I3. The shiftable switch member 26 includes a manual control knob 21 having a pointer 28, a coaxialcable shaft portion including an outer sleeve 29 and an inner conductor portion 3|, and a branch coaxial cable portion including an outer shielding sleeve 32 and an inner conductor part 33 connected respectively to the outer sleeve 29 and the inner conductor 3 The coaxial- cable shaft portion 29, 3| telescopically-engages the fixed central coaxial cable, which latter is illustrated as including an outer tubular portion 36 and an inner tubular portion 31 extending upward from the cable terminal member 23. These telescopic connecting portions provide for relative rotary -and translatory movement between the cable portion 29, 3| and the central fixed cable or cable terminal member 23 with positive electrical contact maintained at all times between the respective outer and inner conductors thereof.

The branch cable portion 32, 33 of the shiftabfe switch member 28, rigidly connected mechanically as well as electrically to the coaxial shaft portion 23, 3| is adapted to engage telefour outer terminal members l3, l9, 2| and 22 likewise includes or extends into a tubular portion 30 forming a receptacle for the inner conductor part 33 of the branch cable portion 32, 33.

As shown in Fig. 1. the shiftable switch member 23 is in the raised or extended position, so that the branch cable portion 32, 33 is disengaged from any of the four outer cabl terminal members. In this raised position, the shiftable switch member 23 may be rotated to align the branch cable portion 32, 33 with any desired one of the four outer terminal members i3, i3, 2| or 22. Upon axial alignment of the branch cable portion 32, 33 with a selected cable terminal member, as for example cable member l3, the control knob 21 may be depressed in order to provide telescopic engagement between the branch cable portion 32, 33 and cable terminal member i9. Fig. 2 shows the position of the shii'table switch member 23 after the control knob 21 has been depressed to provide telescopic engagement of the branch cable portion 32, 33 with the cable terminal member N. In the switch device shown in Figs. 1 through 4, the lower end of the outer shielding sleeve 32 enters a cylindrical opening 39 in the lower disc in portion ll of supporting member |2 when the shiftable switch member 23 is depressed. The portion of the cylindrical opening 39 extending upward from the top of the threaded tubular outer part 29 of the cable terminal member |9 serves, in

efiect, as an enlarged-diameter upward extension of the cable terminal member, especially suited to receive outer shielding sleeve 32 of the branch cable portion 32, 33. For ease in starting the outer shielding sleeve 32 into telescopic engagement with this upward extension of the cable terminal member outer conductor, the cylindrical opening 33 may be chamfered at its upper end, as shown at 39.

When the shiftable switch member 26 is in its raised position, it maybe rotated while lightly depressed, so that outer shielding sleeve 32 of the branch cable portion 32, 33 moves lightly around the upper surface of the end disc portion ll until it reaches the chambered mouth of a cylindrical opening; 39, whereupon the shiftable member moves downward into full telescopic connection with inner wire terminal element and outer sleeve of a cable terminal member.

If desired, a somewhat morev positive indexing arrangement may be provided as by a disc 3| secured to the outer sleeve 29 of shiftable switch member 23, and including a plurality of slots 32, l3, l4 and 45 for cooperation with an indexing dowel pin 33 rigidly positioned in the cylindrical wall of supporting member I2. With this arrangement, after retraction of the control knob 21 to disengage the shiftable switch member 28 from contact with cable terminal member IS, the control knob 21 may be rotated while lightly depressed toward panel l6 causing disc 4| to bear lightly against dowel pin 46, until one of the slots in the disc 4| registers with the indexing dowel pin 46, permitting the disc 4| and the rigidly connected shiftable switch member 26 to move axially downward and thus maintaining accurate alignment during telescopic engagement of the branch cable portion 32, 33 with one of the four outer cable terminal members.

A calibration disc 48 may be secured to the supporting member |2, |3 by an outer nut 49 cooperating with the threaded bushing l5 and clamping the disc tightly against nut By the cooperation of the pointer 28 and appropriate markings on the disc 48, the operator may readily ascertain which one of the four outer cable terminal members |8, |9, 2| and 22 is connected to the central or common cable terminal member 23 through the shiftable switch member.

The inner wire elements 5|, 52, 53, 54 and 55 of the cable terminal members may be positioned rigidly in coaxial relation with the outer sleeve portions of the cable terminals by means of solid dielectric bodies, such as those shown in crosssection at 56, 51 and 58. Similarly, the inner conductor part 33 of the branch cable portion may be positioned rigidly with respect to outer sleeve 32 by means or a solid dielectric body 59 positioned therebetween. The inner conductor portion 3| may be secured at its end within outer sleeve 29 by means of a bushing 6|, which may be constructed of dielectric material or of conductive material, as desired. If the body 6| is constructed of conductive material, this body should be separated from the junction 62 of inner conductor portion 3| and inner conductor part 33 by a dis tance equal to an odd-integral multiple of a quar ter of the wavelength corresponding to the ire-Q. quency of operation of the switch device H, as, for example, at one-fourth or three-fourths of the wavelength at which this device is operated, thus insuring that the short-circuit between the upper ends of the outer sleeve 29 and the inner conductor portion 3| does not exert appreciable effect upon voltage appearing between inner con ductor part 33 and outer shielding sleeve 32 during the transmission of ultra high frequency energy through the switchdevice i While elements l8, l9, 2i, 22 and 23 have been illustrated as short lengths of coaxial cable, it will be readily apparent that these may be the ends of long coaxial cables extending to various apparatus units. The mechanical details of the cable ends and the methods of attachment of course may readily be varied according to the types of cables and fittings with which the switch device is to be used. The essential feature, of course, is that the supporting member structure be so arranged that cable ends will be presented parallel to the axis and in such a manner as to admit of the required telescopic connection of the coaxial cable carried by the shiftable switch member.

Thus, in Figs. 1 through 4, there is shown a relatively simple embodiment of the present invention, adapted for rotary movement of a shiftable switch member to select a desired cable circuit, and for axial movement of the shiftable switch member to provide telescopic engagement 6 with resultant positive connection-to and complete shielding of the selected cable circuit.

I1 desired, the 'shiftable member of a-switching deviceconstructed in accordance with the present invention may be provided with auxiliary sleeve portions so positioned on the shiftable member as to engage telescopically the outer conductor portions of the non-selected radially positioned cable terminal members, and thus to provide faultless shielding of the non-selected cable circuits.

A modified version of the present invention incorporating the shielding feature outlined above is shown in Figs. 5, 5A, 6, 7 and 8. In this modified version of the invention, the shiftable switch member 26' is connected-rigidly to an indexing head 4| within which are supported a cable connector portion 65 including an inner conductor 66 and consecutively connected cylindrical outer conductor portions 61, 68 and Ill. The inner conductor 66 may be provided at its centrally positioned end with a sleeve portion 69 adapted to be maintained in telescopic engagement with the inner conductor 12 of the central cable terminal 73. This inner conductor 66 also may be provided at the outer end with a tubular portion 1| adapted to engage telescopically the inner con:-

ductor of any selected one of the radially positioned cable terminal members upon depression of the shiftable member 26.

Within indexing body :2! are positioned three sleeve members M, 55 and 16 adapted to engage telescopically the cylindrical upper extensions of the non-selected cable terminal members, simultaneously with the telescopic engagement of outer sleeve 10 and inner conductor tubular end H with the outer and inner conductors, respectively, of a selected cable terminal. I

For convenience in construction, the indexing body 4 may be made as a composite assembly of two cooperating portions 1'! and i8, rigidly interconnected by one or more screws is. The upper portion 78 may be made as a casting, while the lower portion 7'! is conveniently made from sheet stock.

The slots 8| milled in the indexing body 4| cooperate with an indexing dowel pin 82 to restrain the shiftable switch member 26' from 0 downward movement until the sleeve ill and tubular part H and the shielding sleeves l5, l5 and '11 are aligned with the four outer cable terminal members. In Fig. 5A is shown a detail view of the manner in which dowel pin 82 cooperates with the indexing body M to prevent mechanical contact of the shielding sleeves 68, l4, l5 and 16 with the lower disc end of the switch housing and supporting member l2 during the rotation of the shiftable member 26 between circuit connection positions.

As shown in this embodiment of the invention, a compressed helical spring as may be utilized to urge the indexing body il against the indexing pin 82 when'the shiftable member 28 is rotated between positions of alignment with the outer cable terminal members; and to depress the shiftable member 26 into the position for full engagement, as shown in Fig. 6, when a slot 8| in the indexing body 4| registers with the indexing pin 82.

As shown in Figs. 9, 10 and 11, a cable selector switch device may be combined in tandem relation with a rotary disc selector switch of the type commonly employed for interconnecting lowfrequency circuits. In Fig. 9, a switch ll" of con- I G struotion generally similar to that shown in Figs. 5, A. 6, I and 8 is mechanically interconnected with a dual-section selector switch including selector switch sections II and 82. The sections II and I! are mechanically supported in fixed relation to the supporting member I2 of the switch device II. as by studs 83 extended to and connected with the upper end II of the switch de-' vice supporting member I2. The details of selector switch sections II and I! per se, do not form part of the present invention. Inasmuch as these details are especially suited for combination with the cable selector switch of the present inven-' tion, however, these switch sections are described below.

The switch disc elements ii and 82, as indicated in Figs. 10 and 11, each include a phenolic or ceramic dielectric outer disc portion 94 having a large circular central opening and an inner phenolic or ceramic dielectric disc portion ll of thickness substantially equal to that of the portion 84 and of such diameter as tolit rotatably within the central opening provided through the portion 9|. Upper and lower thin metallic discs 98 and 91 having large circular central openings are secured to the inner dielectric disc portion 95 as by rivets 98 and 89. These thin metallic discs 98 and 9'! bear against the upper and lower surfaces of the dielectric disc 94 to maintain the inner dielectric portion 85 in fixed axial relation with respect to the disc 94, while permitting rotation of the inner disc 95 with respect to the outer disc 8|.

The upper disc 96 serves a further function as an electrical slip-ring cooperating with a metallic spring brush IIII. The lower thin metallic disc 97, electrically connected to the upper disc by the rivets 98 and 99, includes a. radially projecting tab adapted to make contact with any selected one of a plurality of stationary connectors I 02, I03, Ill and I05, dependent upon the position to which the inner dielectric disc 95 and the asso-' ciated metallic discs 96 and 91 are rotated.

The inner dielectric disc 95 includes a rectan gular passage I08 through which a rectangular shaft I01 may be passed. The shaft IIII may be moved axially through the disc 95 without any adapted to telescope with the inner conductor'li and may b urged by a small compressed spring,

Ill toward a position of complete engagement with the cable terminal II. 'Ihus, upon depression of the control knob 21. or upon expansion of spring l4, moving the shiftable member It" downward, the outer tubular portion ll of the cable connector portion I! is enabled by the slight flexibility of short-circuiting plug Ill to connect fully with the cooperating surfaces of the selected cable terminal, and thus to determine the depth to which the shiftable member 26" may be depressed.

In all of the foregoing embodiments of the invention. the cable connector switch devices II, II and II" are arranged for connection of a common cable terminal positioned along the central axis of the switch device to any selected one of the cable terminals radially displaced from this axis, the latter having heretofore been referred to as the outer cable terminals." Each of these embodiments has been illustrated with four such radially displaced or outer connector terminals, but it will be obvious that the number of such radially displaced terminals may be greater or less than four, as determined by the apparatus requirements for which the cable connector switch is provided.

The principles of rotating a shiftable cable section for selecting a desired set of cables, and

depressing the shiftable section to provide teledisturbance thereto, but rotation of the shaft I01 produces rotary movement of the disc, operating the conventional selector switch this provided. As shown in Fig. 9, the shiftable portion 26" of the cable connector switch device I I' is connected as by dowel pins III to the rectangular shaft I01 provided for cooperation with the conventional rotary switch'members 95 and 95'. A control knob 21 having a pointer 28 is connected through a circular cross-section shaft portion I I2 and by a dowel pin II3 to the rectangular shaft portion I01 to enable an operator to control the conventional switch sections 9i and 92 and the cable switch II" by successive rotary and translatory movements of knob 21.

An additional feature of the invention is illustrated in the embodiment of Fig. 9 and comprises the use of a short-circuiting plug II4 fitted within the indexing body 4i" and adapted to join telescopically with and short-circuit any or all of the non-selected cable terminals, such as that designated I8 in Fig. 9. The short-circuiting plug I includes an outer tubular part H5 adapted to cooperate telescopically with the outer conductor cf the cable terminal It, and an inner scopic engagement of the shiftable cable section with fixed cable terminals, may be utilized in an arrangement wherein no single cable terminal is selected as the common or principal terminal. One or more cable portions may be carried by the shiftable switch member, and each may be adapted to interconnect two selected cable terminals. An embodiment incorporating these principles applied to a cable switch device for almultaneously interconnecting two selected pairs of cable terminals is shown in 1"lgs. 12 and 13. This cable switch device III embodies a cylindrical supporting member I32 having an upper disc end I" and a lower disc end I, for supporting a plurality of cable terminals I", I, It! and Ill, the latter two being hidden from view by the former pair of terminals in the illustration of Fig. 12. v

A shiftable member II! includes a knob 21 and pointer II, a shaft portion Ill movably fitted within a cylindrical opening through upper disc end In and a boss I" thereon, and an indexing body I. The shiftable member III may be' urged downward by compressed spring 84. The body I may include one or more cable connector portions adapted to be disengaged entirely from contact with any of the cable terminals I35, I", II! and I", to be positioned above any pair of adjacent cable terminals, as for example I" and I", and to be telescopically connected simultaneously to any such adjacent pair of cable terminals.

In the embodiment shown in 'Figs. 12 and 13, two cable interconnecting portions I and I" are carried by the body portion I of the shiftable member Ill, so that two pairs of adjacent cable terminals may be interconnected simultaneously. For example, as when the shiftable member I is depressed from the position shown in Fig. 12, cable terminal III may be interconnected with cable terminal I". while cable terminal I31. may be interconnected with cable terminal I38. The cable connector portion I46 thus may be urged into telescopic connection at its two ends with the cable terminals I35 and I36, while the connector cable portion I4! is urged into telescopic connection with the-cable terminals I31 and I38. Then, by raising the control knob 21 against the action of spring 84, rotating the control knob through an agle of 90 and permitting the shiftable member I39 to be depressed by the spring 84, one connector cable portion may be made to interconnect terminals I36 and I38, while the other cable connector portion may be made to interconnect the cable terminals I35 and I31.

If desired, indexing slots 8| may be provided within the body I and a cooperating index dowel pin 80 may be provided within the cylindrical wall of the supporting member I32, for permitting the shiftable member I39 to be depressed only when the shiftable member I39 has been rotated by the. knob 21 to the proper position for telescopic junction with the cable terminals.

In all of the cable switching devices illustrated, the end disc portions supporting the cable connector terminals are shown employed as enlarged-diameter extensions of the outer or shielding terminal sleeves of the cable terminal members. If desired, however, the outer terminal sleeves may be made somewhatmore massive,

with their upper end portions reamed to the desired increased diameter to permit insertion therein of the outer sleeves of the cable connector portions carried by the shiftable members. With such alternative construction, the outer sleeve is one continuous piece of metal, with the end disc portion of the supporting member lending only physical support therefor. Such details, of course, may be varied greatly according to the manufacturing processes by which these switching devices are constructed.

Thus, in accordance with the present invention, telescopic connection resulting in positive contact, freedom from major discontinuities of cable dimensions, and faultless shielding, are provided in a cable selector switch by arrangement of the shiftable portion thereof for rotary movement in cable selection and translatory movement in connection or disconnection of a selected cable. If desired. the shiftable switch portion may be urged toward its position of contact with the selected cable terminal by a resilient member such as the illustrated helical spring, and, if desired, an indexing plate or body may be incorporated within the device for permitting translatory movement of the shiftable member only when it has been rotated to one of the selected cable positions.

Non-selected cables may be individually and completely shielded, if desired; and furthermore the inner conductors of these cables may be short-circuited to the outer conductors thereof. In addition to these features, it has been shown that a cable selector switch according to the present invention may be combined with conventional circuit selector switches in such a manner that low-frequency circuits may be switched in coordination with ultrahigh frequency cable circuits.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above 10 description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

.1. A switch device for connecting two of a. plurality of cables, comprising a supporting member, cable terminal members for the respective cables supported therein and consisting of outer terminal sleeves and inner terminal elements insulated therefrom, said cable terminal members being arranged in said supporting member with their axes parallel, and a shiftable switch member having a length of cable including a conductive outer shielding sleeve and an inner conductor fixedly supported therewithin and insulated therefrom, said shiftable switch member being adapted for translatory movement along an axis parallel to said axes of said cable terminal members, the outer sleeves and inner elements of at least one of said cable terminal members and the outer conductive sleeve and inner conductor of said shiftable member being mutually adapted for selective telescopic engagement and disengagement upon translatory movement of said shiftable member relative to said supporting member.

2. A switch device for interconnecting two of a plurality of cables, comprising a supporting member, cable terminal members for the respective cables supported therein and consistin of outer terminal sleeves and inner terminal elements in sulated therefrom, said cable terminal members being arranged in said supporting member with their axes parallel, a shiftable switch member having a length of cable including an outer conductive sleeve and an inner conductor fixedly supported therewithin and insulated therefrom, said shiftable switch member being supported for rotary movement about an axis parallel to said terminal member axes and translatory movement along said axis with respect to said supporting member, the outer sleeves and inner elements of said cable terminal members and the outer conductive sleeve and inner conductor of the length of cable in said shiftable switch member being mutually adapted for selective telescopic engagement and disengagement upon axial movement of said shiftable member relative to said supporting member, and said cable terminal members being so positioned in said supporting member that their axes are located at a predetermined radius from said axis of rotation of said shiftable member whereby said shiftable member may be rotated for selection of the cable terminal member with which it is to be connected.

3. A switch device for interconnecting two of a plurality of cables having inner and outer conductors, comprising a supporting member having mutually parallel tubular portions for receiving the ends of the .cables, an angularly and longitudinally shiftable switch member having a length of cable including a conductive outer shielding sleeve and an inner conductor fixedly supported therewithin and insulated therefrom, said shiftable switch member being supported for rotary movement about an axis parallel to said tubular portions and translatory movement along said axis with respect to said supporting member, the outer conductive sleeve and inner conductor of the length of cable in said shiftable switch member being adapted for selective telescopic engagement with mating conductor ends upon translation of an end of said length of cableinto a selected one of said tubular portions upon axial movement of said shiftable member relative to '(5 said supporting member, and a plurality of said assure tubular portions being so positioned in said supporting member that their axes are located at a predetermined radius from said axis of rotation of said shiftable member whereby said shiitable member may be rotated for selection or the tubular portion corresponding to a desired cable.

4. A switch device for connecting a first cable to any selected one of a group of cables, comprising: a supporting member; a first cable terminal member for said first cable supported therein; a plurality of cable terminal members for said group of cables supported therein at a predetermined radius from said first cable terminal member, the axes of said plurality of terminal members being parallel to the axis or said first terminal member; and a shiftable switch member supported for rotary movement about and translatory movement along said axis of said first terminal member; said shiftable member comprising a cable portion extending along said axis of rotation thereof, then outwardly from said axis of rotation to the radius of said plurality of terminal members, then along an axis parallel to said axis of rotation, said cable portion and said cable terminal members being mutually adapted for telescopic connection, whereby said shiftable member may be rotated for alignment with a selected one of said plurality of cable terminal members and translated for telescopic connectiontherewith.

5. A switch device as defined in claim 4. further including resilient means for urging said shiitable member into telescopic connection with one of saidplurality of cable terminal members.

6. A switch device as defined in claim 4, further including indexing means for restraining said shiftable member from translatory movement during rotation of said shiftable member.

7. A switch device as defined in claim 4, further including resilient means for urging said shiftable member into telescopic connection with one of said plurality of cable terminal members during alignment therewith of said cable portion, and

indexing means for restraining said shiftable member from translatory movement during rotation of said shiftable member between positions of alignment of said cable portion with successive ones or said plurality of cable terminal members. 8. Apparatus as defined in claim 4, further including telescopic cable shielding elements carried by said shiftable member and positioned thereon for telescopic junction with non-selected ones of said cable terminal members;

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 4, further including cable short-circuiting elements carried by said shiftable member and positioned thereon ior telescopic Junction with non-selected ones of said cable terminal members simultaneously with the telescopic connection of said cable portion and a selected one of said cable terminal members.

10. A switch device for completing a circuit between a common cable and any selected one of a group of cables, comprising a supporting member, and an angularly and longitudinally shiftable switch member supported in said supporting member for rotary movement about an axis and translatory movement along said axis, said shiftable switch member comprising a cable portion extending along said axis of rotation, then outwardly from said axis of rotation to a predetermined radlus and then parallel to said axis of rotation at said predetermined radius, saidcable portion including a tubular conductor forming an outer shielding sleeve and at least one inner conductor substantially coextensive therewith. and the ends of said, outer and inner conductors at the end oi said cable *portlon radially displaced from said axis of rotation being arranged for telescopic interconnection with mating conductor ends upon translation 01' said shiftable switch member along said axis, and said supporting member including a plurality of cable-receiving tubular extensions, a first one of said tubular extensions being aligned with said axis 01' rotation for receiving the common cable and at-least two 01 said tubular extensions being positioned parallel with said axis but displaced thereirom at a radius equal to said predetermined radius for receiving the cables among which the selection is to be made.

11. A switch device for interconnecting two or a I plurality of cables comprising a supporting member, cable terminal members for the respective cables supported therein and consisting of outer terminal sleeves and inner terminal elements insulated therefrom, said terminal members being arranged in said supporting member with their axes parallel, and a shiftable switch member adapted for rotation about and translation along an axis parallel to the axes of said terminal elements and having a length of cable including an outer conductive sleeve and an inner conductor fixedly supported therewithin and insulated therefrom. one end of said length of cable being adapted to be positioned coaxially with one of said cable terminal members when the other end of said length of cable is positioned coaxially with another of said cable terminal members, the ends of said length or cable and said cable terminal members being mutually adapted for telescopic interconnection between two selected cable terminal members and the two ends of said length of cable by translation of said shil'tablej member.

12. A switch device for completinga circuit between two cables, comprising a supporting member, and an angularly and longitudinally shiftable switch member borne for rotation about and translation along an axis in said supporting member and having a length of cable including an outer shielding conductive sleeve and an inner conductor fixedly supported therewithin and insulated therefrom, the ends of said length of cable extending parallel to said axis or rotation, said supporting member having aplurality of tubular extensions thereon extending parallel to said axis 'and adapted to receive the ends of'a plurality of cables, said tubular extensions being so positioned relative to said axis and said shiitable switch member as to permit rotation of said shiftable member to a position of simultaneous alignment of the ends of said cable portion with a selected pair of said tubular extensions and translation of said shiftable switch member into a position of simultaneous insertion of the ends of said cable portion in said selected pair of extensions.

13. A=selector switch for interconnecting one hollow energy conductor with a selected further hollow energ conductor and simultaneously interconnecting one circuit terminal with another circuit terminal, comprising: a. supporting member having a plurality of hollow conductor terminals' positioned therein along parallel axes and also having a plurality of circuit terminals afllxed thereto; a rotatable and translatable member including a hollow conductor interconnector section, said rotatable and translatable member being supported in said supporting member for rotation about and translation along an axis parallel to the axis or said hollow conductor terminals.

and said hollow conductor interconnector section being adapted for telescopic engagement with said hollow conductor terminals upon translation of said rotatable and translatable member; and means rotatably coupled to said rotatable and translatable member for interconnection of two of said circuit terminals simultaneously with the interconnection of two of said hollow conductor terminals.

14. A selector switch as defined in claim 13, further including at least one inner conductor within said hollow conductor interconnector section, and at least one inner conductor element positioned within at least one of said hollow conductor terminals and arranged for telescopically engaging said inner conductor of said interconnector sec- 14 tion when the hollow conductor terminal telescopically engages the hollow conductor end of said lnterconnector section.

HENRY R.HESSE.

' REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 70,912 Germany Feb. '7. 1893 251,027 Italy Nov. 16, 1926 337,851 Great Britain Nov. 30, 1930

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