US2536914A - Electric switch - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 2, 1951 L. DAY 2,536,914

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed 061;. 22, 1945 U m rllll lllllllolllgs INVENTOR. LESLIE DAY Patented Jan. 2, 1951 Lcsliellag, .fihicagn; 111., assignor of-one-lialfto Lamar 1:.Day; St; George; N.

Applicationaflctoher: 22, 1945;.SeriaLNoM623312 This: invention relates; to. switches: generally I and;- more; particularly: to electric: switches for useinelectrical systems. fr:contro1ling;thebrakesl of? railroad tr.ains,-,. this. application. being; a. division; of; applicantis: copending; apnlication,v for. Gontrolsystems- SeriahNm. 45.3.,8.7;2', filed August. 6;, 1942, nowBatenir No; 2;391:',228;;., December 18., 19 5;.

Arr; object. of; intention: is; to; provide an electrical; switch. which; may baa attached; to; raili way. cars 821Id=S0, positionediaszto; be actiialter};-v

upon. derailment; at: said; cars; and; (2.0:? there llw control. theelectrical; brake: control. systenr- Another: object ofif the mention; is: to. provide a devicerofi: this:v character having a; control mems bez: adaptedito be. PQSitiOHGdLJSOF.asitoi-strike aii rail and beeactuated upon:derailment oi 'the' car-c.

Stillanother objecfiof theinventionsisato pro vid'e-a a device ofi this charactephaving" yielding? means incorporated therein: which willgene-ra ny prevent injury to the switch when the control member strikes -a rai'l 'andis actuatedl Still another; objectiof the invention: is -to prc vide ardevice ofithi' character oi simpleconstruc ticrr-andoperation and thatisz turdy andreliable:

Other objects and advantages: of the invention beapparent to: those sin-lied? in the; art" from th following description or may"- be ascertained froma study ofi'the accompanying drawihge in; whiclrone embodiment of thei'mreniiion has been shown. It will be -evident that the -principles'of the" invention may be; incorporated invarious" fcrms-a-nd l contemplate the-employmentwf'amr structures; arrangements; or modes-of operation that are-properly*within thesc'cp'e ofthe append ed claims: 7 1

Hrthe drawingsr Figure 1 is an end view; partly'irr sectiomcf-fa switch embodying the invention;

figure are a view' of same; partly'i'rr sectiom takenat'right anglesrelative' to Figural; and

Figure sis asectionalviewtakerr on line -3? ofFigurerl.

Referring to, the" drawings" there are a pair. of!

U'-shapedframe.members. [10. secured; toithe spring;

plate l1!" ofa railroad cannot. show-mby bolts L2, The; members. III are. spaced. apartandi receive. therebetween amovable switch member including. a body portion. IA. having. laterally, extending; shafts L5. pivotedin. respective. frame members IIL. Theend'tportion of each.shat.-l-.6-is provided. with'a. sleevev l.8.-. oi; electrical insulating material. such.as..Bakelite. or. the'like. Within thesmema r-cnthsi. (.01. zea -r) and projects outwardly longitudinally of said? body, |4. Caps 2'01 and. 22 are screwed; on the upper; and? lower ends respectively of said'i pipe and. said caps. abut. against respective adjacent ends. ofthe body I141 Cap. 20" closes, the upper" end. of. body [4 and? can 22j is. provided with a. square. opening. in. which. is. slidably received a: rod". 2.4i which is square. in. cross section, said'rodi' havinggaliead zfiwitlii'nthepipe. 1.9 and'is adapt:

ed: to slide. freely therein... Aspring 28, r.eacting against. cap. 20. andlhead; 26f yieldingly urges. rod

24 outwa-rdly.., Thelower endlofJrodJ; 2'4. is pro:

vided' with. a. block. 3!] of. steel or. other suitable: material which. is received; on. a... reduced. portion; 3220f rod 2.4L. Thefree; end'of the reduced portion 3.2L- is,.overturned. at. for retention. of" said block: on.r,od 24.

Semi-circular. electrical. contact. members. 3E are disposed adjacent. oppositesides of. the movable switch. member.. The. semi-circular mem. here 36 include lateral arms 38 adjacent to the. respective: ends, thereof,, said. arms. having end portions secured to respective. frame members; Hi by bolts or. screwsAZ, thus holding said.con;

tact members. in position. and. grounding them,

to. the. frame. of. the. car. through frame members. l'fl' and'spri'ng plate HI The contact members 36 are di'sposedin .paral lel planes. between. which; the. switch. member.v is adapted. to. swing... and; the radiusv of said. contact members. coincidewith the, radius of the. path; offthe. upper. end. of. said". switch. member... The. positioning and. spacing, of; the contact members. 36.. is. such that whenv the. switch. member. swings from. a vertical: position the. upper.v end. thereof; which. is showlras comprising thecap 20, will; contact. same... Howeven. to. prevent"- contact. bfir tween the. switch memberand the. contact: menubers whentheibrmer is in a vertical. position, said.v contact I members. are v provided with central. U -shaped. portions. which extend outwardly and; in. which blocksv Mare. secured by screws 46 or by any other suitable-means. The blocks 4.4- are. f; Bakelite? fibre or. other; suitable.- electrical;

insulating. material. andhave. opposed concave;

portions 45 in which the. cap 20 is received, the resilienceof the. contactmembers-urges the blocks 44.! against. the cap. Z0. and. normally retains theswitch member inits vertical position.

A. wire 41? of the electrical circuit. is. secured?- to. the body why a screw 48.. Inasmuch as the: switch member. is: insulated: by sleeves l8 from? the. frame.- members: in. no: electric, current. will; flow.- through:the.switchuwhm,.the: switch member:

her. ll'iisamipe lB eachl endogwhich islthreadedi is; ii -the. verticali p sm can. 2 is;

held against contact with the contact members 36 by the blocks 44.

The switches of the embodiment shown are located on the spring plates with the blocks located above the top plane of the rails and outwardly thereof. Considering a single switch, upon derailment of a car carrying said switch, the block 30 thereof will strike the top or ball of the rail, not shown. The rod 24 is forced upwardly, compressing the spring 28 which absorbs the resulting shock. At the same time the forward motion of the car will cause the movable switch member to swing a indicated by the dotted line 52 in Figure 1. The upper end of the switch member will swing into contact with the contact members and complete the circuit through the switch thus closing the control circuit of the train which in turn effects operation of the main circuit and the application of the brakes as fully described in the above referred to application, Serial No. 453,872.

In order to use a switch of this character in a closed circuit system it would be necessary to arrange the contact members so that when the movable switch member is vertical there would be an electrical contact between members 35 and said movable switch member, and when said switch member is swung out of the vertical position the electrical contact would be broken.

-If desired, a casing or cover 54 may be provided to enclose the switch and said casing may be secured by indentations 56 therein which engagethe upper edge of the lower horizontal portions of the frame members H]. A slot 58 is then provided in the bottom side of the casing in which the depending portion of the movable switch member is received, said slot being wide enough to prevent contact of the switch member with the sides thereof and long enough to permit swinging of the switch member for completion of the circuit through the switch.

' It will be understood that many variations of the invention can be made from the disclosed embodiment and it is not intended that the scope thereof shallbe limited to the form shown and described, nor otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

:I claim: I

l.'In an electrical switch for the circuit of an electrical system for controlling the application of brakes of railroad trains: a frame; a hollow swingable member pivotally mounted in the frame and having an annularly shaped head adjacent the upper end; a plunger having a portion thereof adapted to be slidably received in the depending end of said hollow swingable member, said plunger normally extending outwardly of the lower end of said member; yielding means adapted to urge the plunger to its outward position and cushion sudden inward movement thereof; a pair of resilient arcuate shaped contacts spaced apart and disposed on opposite sides of the head of said swingable member, said ,contacts having a radius substantially coincidentalwith the path of said head and. adapted to be slidably contacted by said head when the latter swings in either direction from a substantially vertical position, and each of said contacts having a centrally U-shaped outwardly extending offset portion; and a piece of insulating material secured in each of said offset portions, the inner faces of said insulating pieces being concave for the reception of the head of said swingable member and for releasably retaining said swingable member'in a substantially vertical position when 4 the switch is operably mounted on a train unit.

2. The invention defined by claim 1, wherein the plunger is provided with a cross member adjacent the lower free end thereof.

3. In an electrical switch for the circuit of an electrical system controlling the application of air brakes on a railroad train: a frame; a hollow swingable member pivotally mounted in the frame; a plunger having a portion thereof adapted to be slidably received in the hollow swingable member, said plunger normally extending outwardly of one end of said member;

apart adjacent the free end of said plunger adapted to contact the rail of a track upon derailment of the train; yielding means adapted to resist inward movement of the plunger; a resilient. contact member of substantially arcuate shape adjacent the opposite end of the swingable member; insulating means for releasably holding the swingable member in a predetermined position out of electrical contact with the contact member, said insulating means being yieldably urged against said swing-able mem'-' ber by said contact member and said swingable member being adapted to be swung to another position whereat it makes an electrical contact with said contact member; and means for insulating one of said members from the frame.

4. In an electrical switch for the circuit of an electrical system ior controlling the application of brakes of railroad trains: a frame; a hollow swingable member pivotally mounted in the frame.

and having an annularly shaped head adjacent the upper end; a plunger having a portion thereof adapted to be slidably received in the depend' ing end of said hollow swingable member, said plunger normally extending outwardly of the lower end of said member; yielding means adapted to urge the plunger to its outward position and cushion sudden inward movement thereof; a pair of resilient arcuate shaped contacts spaced apart and disposed on opposite sides of the head of said swingable member in planes parallel to the path of movement of said swingable member,

said contacts having a radius substantially coin-:

cidental with the path of said head and adapted to be slidably contacted by said head with a wiping action when the latter swings in either direction from a substantially vertical position, and eachof said contacts having a centrally U-shaped outwardly extending offset portion; and a piece of insulating material secured in each of said offset:-

portions, the inner faces of said insulating pieces being concave for the reception of the head of said swingable member and for releasably retaining said swingable member in a substantially vertical position when the switch is operabl mounted on a train unit.

5. In a self contained electrical switch: a frame wherein is a pivoted lever contact member havsaid pivoted contact member to a pos tion whereat it contacts said fixed contact member.

6. In an electrical switch for the circuit of an electrical system for controlling the application of brakes of railroad trains: a frame having a pivoted contact member including a yielding telescoping part; a fixed switch part including a resil ient generally arcuate fixed contact member having a generally U-shaped portion; insulating means secured in said U-shaped portion, said switch part being biased toward the pivoted contact lever to frictionally maintain the status quo of an electric circuit when established by external means actuating the pivoted contact member to a position whereat it contacts said fixed contact member; and a cross member secured adjacent the outward end of the yielding telescoping part, said cross member being positioned transversely to the path of movement of the pivoted contact member.

7. In an electrical switch for an electrical system controlling the application of air brakes on a railroad train: a support; a swingable contact member pivotally mounted on the support; a plunger telescopically associated with said swingable contact member; a part adjacent the free end of said plunger adapted to contact a track rail upon derailment of the train; yielding means adapted to resist telescoping movement of the plunger; means, including a fixed resilient electric current conducting contact member and insulating means carried thereby for insulating a part of the contact member from the swingable member, said contact member being disposed adjacent the opposite end of the swingable member and being substantially arcuate in shape with the radius substantially coincidental with the path of movement of said opposite end of the swingable member, said means being biased against said opposite end of the swingable member and being so constructed and arranged as to provide a recess for reception of said opposite end of the swingable member for releasably retaining same in one position, said opposite end of the swingable member being in electrical contact with said fixed contact member when in one position and insulated therefrom by the insulating means when in another position and being frictionally restrained from movement by the resiliency of the fixed contact member when moved to a position outside of said recess by external force.

LESLIE DAY.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 703,145 Muller June 24, 1902 1,156,082 Jones Oct. 12, 1915 1,205,549 Kruesheld Nov. 21, 1916 1,230,098 Belofi June 19, 1917 1,559,407 Carter Oct. 27, 1925 1,609,410 Karl Dec. 7, 1926 1,638,983 Crone Aug. 16, 1927 2,191,205 Rogers Feb. 20, 1940 2,391,228 Day Dec. 18, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 791,580 France Sept. 30, 1935

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