US2520270A

US2520270A - Multipole electric switch

Info

Publication number: US2520270A
Application number: US713233A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hugh W Batcheiler
Original assignee: Ark Les Electronic Products Corp
Current assignee: Ark Les Electronic Products Corp
Priority date: 1946-11-30
Filing date: 1946-11-30
Publication date: 1950-08-29
Anticipated expiration: 1967-08-29

Description

Aug. 29, 1950 H. w. BATCHELLER MULTIPOLE ELECTRIC SWITCH 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 50, 1946 FF 8 O m .m@ w v A C 1 I w Q My 8 %z 4 w w In r l ml H w 3 w 7 2050. 5 MW E A, h-

Aug. 29, 1950 H. w. BATCHELLER 2,520,270

MULTIPOLE ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Nov. 30, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Invent 6r FT 8 HU h uJBdTchel Ier 510%,5ww, M E W Aug. 29, 1950 H. w. BATCHELLER 2,520,270

MULTIPOLE ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Nov. 50, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 n2 RE N Inverflfir Huqh LU. BdUhel ler iatented Aug. 29, 19 50 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MULTIPOLE ELECTRIC SWITCH Application November 30, 1946, Serial No. 713,233

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a multi-pole electric switch adapted for use with electric ranges and for similar purposcs where it is n cessary or desirable to connect tOTGthBI' various electrical ele ments in different combinations. In using electric ranges, it is desirable to have a considerable number of different degrees of heating, ranging from a very low heat to the highest heat to be had from the heating unit employed. For this purpose it is desirable to connect a range or the like to a three-wire circuit so that two different voltages are available. By connecting the heating unit in various combinations with two resistance units of different magnitudes, seven different degrees of heating can be obtained. It is an obiect of the present invention to provide a switch which is adapted to connect such resistance units and the heating unit to a three-wire circuit in different combinations so as to give seven different degrees of heating as desired, the switch. being compact in structure, easy to assemble and consisting of a minimum number of parts. To this end, the switch hereinafter described is characterized by a rotor which has a series of annular faces against which a number of arms are resiliently pressed, each arm having a boss thereupon which is adapted to move into and out of recesses in the annular faces so as to spring the respective arms away from contact with the annular faces and thus to make or break contact between contact elements on the end portions of such arms and fixed contact elements engageable thereby.

In order to make the connections for which the switch is designed, six such arms are required. According to the invention, these arms are arranged in pairs in parallel planes, and the annular faces of rotor on which the arms bear are likewise in parallel planes. This makes for compactness of structure. In order to facilitate assembling of the part which go into the casing, the rotor is preferably made so that its annular faces are of different diameters, this resulting in a stepped or terraced structure as illustrated.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following description thereof and to the drawings, of which:

the line 4-4 of Figure1;

Figure 5 is a section on the line 55 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 3;

Figure '7 is a section on the line 'l-'! of Figure 3;

Figure 8 is an isometric view of the rotor;

Figure 9 is an isometric View of th various conductors within the switch, shown in their relative positions;

Figure 10 is a face view of the rotor;

Figure 11 is a section on the line H-H of Figure 4.

The switch comprises a casing 29 preferably of insulating material which encloses the Working parts of the switch and acts'as a support for the several conductors contained therein. These conductors, as hereinafter described, are conveniently secured to the casing 20 by rivets which extend through the wall of the casing. In molding the casing, it is economical to mold the holes through which the rivets are to extend. The casing is designed so that all such holes are through the rear wall thereof. In this Way all of'the rivet holes can be formed in the molding operation. A cover plate 22 is adapted to be secured to the open front of the casing 29 to act as a closure therefor.

As indicated in Figure 4, a rotor 24 which is preferably of insulating material and which is mounted on and keyed to a shaft 26 is journalled in the casing 25 as at 28, the shaft 26 also bearing in an opening in the front cover plate 22. A suitable finger knob 30 is mounted on the forward end portion of the shaft 26 to facilitate manual rotation of the shaft 26 and the rotor 24 which is mounted thereon.

In order to hold the rotor yieldingly in any one of eight angular positions, one or more de tents are provided, such detents being preferably in the form of small balls 32 which are pressed by springs 34 housed in bores extending into the front face of the rotor 24 near the shaft 26. The balls 32 are pressed by the springs into shallow recesses 36 (Figure 11) in the rear face of the cover plate 22. Thus the rotor is yieldingly held in any one of eight angular positions equally spaced by angles of 22%}. The rotor 24 is illustrated in Figures 8 and 10 and is characterized by three

annular faces

38, 46 and 42 which are in parallel planes perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotor and which are preferably of different diameters, the face 38 having the largest diameter. This results in a stepped or terraced formation on the rear end of the rotor. The casr 9 and several of the other figures.

3 ing 20 serves as a support for a number of conducting parts, such as are illustrated in Figure These conductors include two U-shaped conductors 4e and 46 which are mounted on the support 20 in parallel planes which are substantially the planes of the annular faces li and 40. 'Iheconductor 44 is the larger'of the two U-shapd "conductors and includes a pair of arms 48 and 59, the ends of. which are free, these ends having

contact elements

52 and 54 which are pressed by the'resili ence of the arms against

fixed contact elements

56 and 58, respectively, the fixed elements being mounted on the support 20 and being electrically connected respectively to external terminals 6E." and 62. The arms 43 and 5!} of the U-shaped" conductor 44 extend across spa'c'ed portions of' the annular face 38 of the rotor 24, the rotorbeing disposed between these arms when it is mounted for rotation within the casing. The arm" 48* is provided-with a raised element 'or boss 64 which projects from the front face ofthis arm: and bears-onthe annular face 38*of the'rotor 24. Similarly, t e arm 59 is provided with a boss GG Which pro ects 'from 'its'front face and-bears on the face 38. As indicated in Figure 9, the'b'cs's 64 is'at a greater radialdistance from theaxis of the retor than is the -boss' fib; Hence, asthe rotor rotates; the bosses 64 and SE describe different concentric paths on the ahnular'face 38, the boss 64 describing an outer path and the boss 66 describin an inner path; As shown inFigures 8 and 10, an arcuate recess or depression'fiii isprovided in the outer path onthe face 38, and.

two-rec ses H! and 12 are provided in the inner path. The relative'arrangernent of 'the face 38, the'bosse's 64 andfiii'a'nd the contact'elements 52-; 54, 55 and 53'issucht 'atwhen the-boss'fi l' is in the'depress'ion 6B, the '

contact elements

52 and 56 are pressed togeth r, but when the boss 54' is bearing on the normal sur-faceofthe face 38, thecontact element 52*is 'held awayirom the element'fie. In like manner," the contact elements 54' and 58 are-pressedtogetheromy when" the bosses is in the recesslU-or 12. Thus the lengths and angular posi ions of the'recesses determine whether t e" contact elements are engaged or disen' d for the various angularpoeitionsof the rotor 24.

The small U-shaped'co'nductor '46 is somewhat similanin shapeto the larger-conductor and includ s a-n'air of ar-rns l-daiid i-fi which extendoverdiem tricall-y' oppositeportions f the annuilar'race'se on. thefrotorl" The'arrir isTe a'ndl'ii are provided re pectively with besse's 18 andiifi' wh-ich' follow outer and inner-pathson'the annular face 40 since t ey are at different radiaPdista-nccs' from the axis of the rotor-'24: As indi'cated' 'in Figure 10-, in the outer path o'n'the race 49 are recesses 82, 84 ahdBfi, the inner path having two recesses-88 and 9e. These recessesdetermi-ne tl-ie engagement or disengagement of cerr sponding

contact elements

92, 94", 96} and 93, since} the elements 92 and-9'5 are ontheend portien's of the a r-ms 14'-and-16; respectively, and =the elements 94-"a'nd- 98 are fixed and are'conn'ected electrically" to-the fixed elements :56;--58 respective1y and hence to the terminals 69 and 6-2e Instead of-- a third iii-shaped conductor; two separate conductors lefi'andl'IZIZ aremounts'd' on the support 23 substantially in -the'- plane of the annularface 42. The annular face' 42 diftersf from'the annular faces 38 and 'd-byrea-sonof the" fact 7 that most of it is recessed so thatthe raceis at its normallevel only at thre'point 4 I04, I96 and I68, the remainder of the face being recessed. The conductors Hill and we are provided respectively with bosses HE) and H2 which are adapted to bear against the annular face 42 and to move in and out of the recesses which constitute most of this annular face. When the bosses H9 and?! I Z enga'ge an-y of the elevated elements I84, Hit or I08, the"corrsponding conductor arm is swung away from the face 42 so as to disconnect a contact element H4 on the end of the'arm lfifi'from contact with a fixed element I H5 or to disconnect a contact element 1 l8 on the end of the conduotor'arm 182 from the fixed ele- In'ent H6. Sin'cemost of the face 42 is recessed,

l it:followsthat-thecontact elements H4 and H8 are in contact with the fixed element M6 for i connections are made, by means of hollow rivets -meta1 mounted on said support substantially HQ, 132, I3 and l'3fi'which-"extend through su.it' able. holes in the, back wall of'thje casing, the interior of each rivet;being.- screw threaded to. re-

ceive a binding; screw which is inserted'from" The-contact elements 56 are "parts ofa;

single pieceof'sheet metal \vhich is secured-to the casing: 2-9 and; electrically: connected to the terminal SBby a'pair of rivets'l ieg- The contact;- elements 58;-and;-98ar.6:parts ofai single; piece of.

metal which is secured to the casing 2:5 and the terminal 62' by-apair of rivets 1.4-2: All of these.

rivets extend through'holes' inthe: rear wall of' he c sinslm- When the va'rious terminals are properly con-v nected-to power lines. and-suitable resistances; suitable connections will result'from' turning therotor to its various angularpositions;

One embodiment of' the:-- invention herein shown and des ribed isib y way of illustration andnot-limitation, the invention being subject to such mo'difications'and changes as in'ay'cornewithinthe scope of 'the appended claim.-

I claim: Amulti-pol'eelectric switch comprising a support, a rotor journal-led in}- said support, said rotor having a stepped formationywith three an nular faces of different. diameters,-eae h of-said; faces havingrecesses therein, a U. -shaped conductor of sheet spring metal mounted. on said supportsubstantially 1n the plane of the rotor face of largest diameter; the arms. of said conductor traversing spaced'portions' of said face.

n hav b se resil i li e r ng' on said, a

at differentfradial distances fromthe axis of the rotor, said face having recesses adapted to receive said bosses when the rotor is revolved, a smaller U-shaped conductor of sheet spring the plane of the annular face of medium diameter on the rotor, said smaller conductor having arms with bosses resiliently bearing on said medium diameter face at spaced points so that the bosses move into and out of recesses in said face when the rotor is revolved, fixed contact elements on said support engaged respectively by the end portions of the arms of both said U-shaped members when the corresponding bosses are within recesses, conductors mounted on said support with bosses bearing resiliently against the annular face of smallest diameter to move into and out of recesses in said smallest face, and fixed contact elements engageable by the end portions of the last named conductors when the corre- 15 545 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,392,160 Hipple Sept. 27, 1921 2,172,396 Meuer Sept. 12, 1939 2,203,224 Kimball June 4, 1940 2,254,509 Bassett Sept, 2, 1941 2,301,704 Kempton Nov. 10, 1942 2,325,440 Townsend July 27, 1943 2,416,897 Brady et a1 Mar. 4, 1947 Gates Nov. 23, 1948