US2486677A - Electric switch - Google Patents

Description

A. RAPPL ELECTRIC SWITCH Nov. l, 1949.

Filed June 26, 1946 d! w1 n w E 7o wm wn lm A a /AY f B 2 w 3 oo r 6 l u Il Il 4 j l MW 0.,. www l? H H4 m Va/ ffy.

Patented Nov. 1, 1949 ELECTRIC SWITCH Anton Rappl, Eggertsville, N. Y., assignor to Trico Products Corporation, Buffalo, N. Y.

Application June 26, 194.6, Serial No. 679,346

13 Claims. (Cl. 20G-6) This invention relates to electrical switches and primarily to a two-way switch in which the actuator is selectively moved in one direction or the other to effect the closing of one or the other of two circuits.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an electric switch of simple construction which may be economically produced by mass production methods and one which is of durable and practical design.

A- further object of the invention is to provide an electric switch having its several parts designed to be readily assembled into an interlocked unity; and further to provide a switch of this character which is capable of being operated momentarily to secure a closed circuit for a brief time interval.

The foregoing and other objects will manifest themselves as the following description progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional View through an improved switch embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2` is a similar View through the switch casing or housing taken at right angles to the plane of Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are plan and side elevational views respectively of the terminal carrying block;

Figs. 5 and 6 are views in side and front elevations respectively of the switch knob or actuating lever; and

Fig. 7 is a detailed view through a modied embodiment of the terminal block.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral I designates an inverted cup-shaped casing having a side wall 2 and a top wall 3 from which latter depends a concentric shell 4 terminating short of the lower edge of the inverted cup shaped body I and forming a chamber orsocket I3 to receive a terminal carrying block 5.

The terminal block 5 has a centrally located contact point 6 and on opposite sides thereof other contact points 1 and B. These contact points are mounted in the block 5 of insulating material to the circuit wires 6', 'I' and 8' respectively. The contacts 'I and 8 may project upwardly above the flat face of the contact block 5 while contact 6 is countersunk within a socket 9 for more readily holding the coil spring I0 in place. Since the spring telescopes the contact point 6, it will be held against displacement therefrom in the absence of thesocket. Such an arrangement is seen in Fig. '7 wherein the contact Ba projects from the upper face of the block- 5a. 55

The inner wall of the chamber is provided with a rib II to t a groove I2 in the periphery of the terminal block 5 to thereby insure the proper placement of the block within the chamber. The chamber is formed with a reduced extension I4 which forms a shoulder I5 to support the terminal block 5 where it is held in placeby peening over the rim I6 of the shell.

The terminal block when correctly positioned within its chamber will have its contact points 6, 'I and 8 disposed in a plane which extends substantially normal to the axis of the pivotal mounting for the actuating lever. This actuator I 'I has oppositely extending trunnions I8 pivoting in bearings I9 provided within the chamber extension I4. A contact bridging plate in the form of a disk 20 is flexibly supported by the coil spring Ill, the upper end of which is received within a cap 2|. The cap may protrude through the plate and center itself within a recess 22 in the actuator I'I. If desired, an insulating disk 23 may be interposed between the rockable actuator and the contact plate 20.

The entire assemblage of parts provides a contact plate yeldably suspended above the contact points 'I and 8 and adapted to be tilted into contact with either one of said switch points. The contact plate, being electrically connected to the hot terminal 6 through the spring I0, will therefore close the selected circuit in accordance with the direction in which the cap is caused to dip by the actuator. The bottom edge of the actuator I'I may be beveled in opposite directions as shown at 24 to accentuate the rocking movement of the actuator.

The top wall 3 of the cup shaped body I may be increased in thickness to more readily receive the chamber extension I4, such upward extension being indicated by the numeral 25 in Fig. 2. This body extension may be continued upwardly, if desired, upon opposite sides of the rockable actuator I'I and carry a transverse bar 2S which overlies the outer end of the actuator, as shown clearly in Fig. 1. The actuator has its fore and aft portions flaring outwardly to project in opposite directions from beneath the cross bar for being readily engaged by the thumb or nger, the extension being shaped along arcuate lines on opposite sides of the cross bar, as at 21, to nestingly receive the nger when depressing the actuator in one direction orv the other. The spring serves to normalize the actuator, urging it to an upright neutral position from which it may be rocked to opposite sides. The cross bar provides a' steadying support for thenger when so depressing the actuator and thereby enables the switch to be quickly operated for a brief interval of time.

The switch may be mounted in any desired manner, such as by having ears 28 extending outwardly from the base of the body I to receive attaching screws 29.

The construction is of simple design and durable construction. The switch casing may readily be formed by a simple die casting procedure. A terminal block is supported elevated above the plane of the lower edge of the casing to facilitate the mounting of the switch on a wall the casing having marginal notches 30 through which the wires may be carried. In assembling the parts the actuator may be initially dropped into the inverted casing so as to engage the trunnions I8 in the bearings I9. Thereafter the contact plate 2E) and the spring I0 will be disposed within the chamber extension I4 along with their associated partsy and this will be followed by the placement of the terminal block 5 and the peening over of the rim I6 so as to lock the parts in one composite whole.

While the foregoing description has been given in detail, it is apparent that the inventive principles may be incorporated in other physical embodiments without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A two-way switch comprising a body part having a chamber with an opening through one wall and trunnion bearings in the chamber wall on opposite sides of the opening, a knob inserted through the opening and having trunnions detachably engaged in the bearings for rocking action, the trunnions and their bearings having flat faces in full facial contact when the knob is in an intermediate position from which it may be moved in either direction by rocking the trunnion flat face on the bearing ilat face, a contact bearing member fixed in the chamber, and a spring interposed between the contact bearing member and the knob and acting to hold the flat faces of the trunnions and bearings fully engaged.

2. A two-way switch comprising a body part having a chamber with an opening through one wall and trunnion bearings in the chamber wall on opposite sides of the opening, a knob inserted through the opening and having trunnions detachably engaged in the bearings for rocking action, a contact bearing member xed in the chamber, and a spring interposed between the contact bearing member and the knob and acting to hold the trunnions of the latter in their bearings, said body part having portions extending on opposite sides of the knob and outwardly beyond the latter to provide a linger rest.

3. A switch having a body part provided with an opening in one wall thereof, said body part having portions tapering outwardly and joined together by a cross bar to form a finger resty a rockable actuator pivotally arranged in the opening and having linger contact portions normally extending outwardly in opposite directions from beneath the cross bar, and circuit closing means carried by the body and having a part engaged by the actuator for being rocked thereby to a circuit closing position.

l. A switch having a chamber casing provided with an opening in one wall thereof, said casing having portions extending outwardly and joined together by a cross bar to form a finger rest, a

rockable actuator arranged in the casing opening and having finger contact portions extending outwardly in opposite directions from beneath the cross bar, circuit closing means carried by the casing and having a part engaged by the actuator for being rocked thereby into Contact with a contact point on the casing for closing a circuit, and a normalizing spring interposed between the casing and said switch part and acting through the latter to restore the actuator to a neutral position beneath the cross bar.

5. A switch having a chambered body provided with an opening in one wall thereof and having portions extended outwardly and joined together by a cross bar to form a nger rest, a rockable actuator arranged in the body opening and having finger contact portions extending outwardly in opposite directions from beneath the cross bar, and circuit closing means carried by the body and having a part engaged by the actuator for being rocked thereby to a circuit closing position, the body portions on opposite sides of the cross bar being of arcuate shape to conformably receive the actuating nger of the hand, and the oppositely extending portions of the actuator normally extending beyond such shaped portions of the body.

6. A switch having a body formed with an opening therethrough and trunnion bearings on opposite sides of the opening, an actuator arranged in the opening and having trunnions on its inner end detachably engaged in the bearings for rocking movement, a contact bridging member carried by the inner end of the actuator for rocking therewith, and contact means cooperating with the bridging member for closing a circuit therethrough.

'1. A switch having a body part formed with an opening therethrough and adjacent fiat trunnion bearings, an actuator arranged in the opening and having trunnions with flat faces engaging the flat bearings for rocking movement, a contact bridging member carried by the inner end of the actuator for being rocked thereby, and contact means cooperating with the bridging member for closing a circuit therethrough, said contact means including a spring acting to hold the bridging member operatively engaged with the actuator and to hold yieldably the flat faces of the trunnions engaged with the bearing flats.

8. A switch comprising a body having a socket with an opening in the bottom wall of the socket, an actuator inserted through the socket and detachably engaged in the opening for rocking movement, a contact plate arranged in the body and having a part detachably interfitting with the actuator, a contact bearing block opposing the plate, and a spring interposed between the block and the plate and holding the latter so interlocked with the actuator for being rocked thereby.

9. A switch comprising a body having a socket with an internal shoulder on its side wall and an opening in its -bottom wall with a pair of trunnion bearings in the bottom wall one at each side of the opening, an actuator arranged in the opening and having trunnions detachably engaged in the bearings, the trunnions and their bearings having substantially flat faces cooperating to restore the actuator to a normal intermediate position, a contact plate rockable in either direction by the actuator to selectively close one or the other of two circuits, a contact bearing block arranged in the socket and seating on the shoulder in spaced relation to the contact plate, and a spring interposed between the block and the plate and acting through the latter upon the at faces to normalize the actuator.

10. A switch comprising a body having a socket with an internal shoulder on its side Wall and an opening in its bottom wall with a pair of trunnion bearings in the bottom wall one at each side of the opening, an actuator arranged in the opening and having trunnions detachably engaged in the bearings, a contact plate seating on the inner end of the actuator and interlockable therewith upon relative axial movement between the actuator and the'contact plate, a contact bearing block seating on the shoulder in spaced relation to the plate, and a spring interposed between the block and the plate and normally acting to hold the latter in an open circuit position and also acting to hold the trunnions in their bearing and the contact plate so interlocked with the actuator.

ll. A two-way switch comprising a body part having a chamber with an opening through one wall and trunnion bearings in the chamber wall on opposite sides of the opening, a knob inserted through the opening and having trunnions detachably engaged in the bearings for rocking action, the inner end of the knob being formed with a recess, a disk arranged in the chamber and having a part detachably engaged in the recess to relate the disk to the knob for being rocked thereby to a circuit closing position, a contact block arranged in the chamber beneath the disk in spaced relation thereto and having contact means engageable by the disk when rocked, and a coil spring interposed between the block and the disk and yieldably holding the latter spaced from said contact means, said spring acting to hold the trunnions engaged in its bearings and the disk part engaged in the knob recess.

12. A switch having a front wall provided with an opening, switch means arranged to the rear of the wall, and an actuator for the switch means extending through the wall opening and movable in opposite directions from a neutral position to actuate the switch means, the front wall having portions on opposite sides of the actuator extending outwardly therealong and joined together by a cross bar to form a nger rest beneath which the actuator is disposed in its neutral position, said actuator having fore and aft portions flaring outwardly to extend to opposite sides of the nger rest to enable finger engagement for operating the actuator in one direction or the other, with the finger rest serving to support the nger in such operation of the actuator.

13. A switch having a chambered body provided with an opening in one Wall thereof and having a portion extended outwardly to form a finger rest, a rockable actuator arranged in the body opening and having finger contact portions extending outwardly in opposite directions from the nger rest, and circuit closing means carried by the body and having a part engaged by the actuator for being moved thereby to a circuit closing position, the opposite sides of the finger rest forming portion attenuating outwardly to receive the actuating finger of the hand, and the oppositely extending portions of the actuator normally extending beyond such finger rest portions of the body.

ANTON RAPPL.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,912,623 Douglas June 6, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 440,662 Germany Feb. 11, 1927

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