US2578494A

US2578494A - Electric switch

Info

Publication number: US2578494A
Application number: US95714A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wiggins Harry Shaw
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1949-05-27
Filing date: 1949-05-27
Publication date: 1951-12-11
Anticipated expiration: 1968-12-11

Description

Dec. 11, 1951 H. s. WIGGINS 2,578,494

" ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed May 27, 1949 ,2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 I n veulor 50 Harry Shaw Wiggins Dec 11, 1951 H. s. wxeems 2,578,494

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed May 2'7, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 I 71 ventor Harry Shaw Wiggm$ f showing the 'sameas being- Patentecl Dec. 11, 1 951 STATES RATE-NT o FFl-"CE 7 2,578,434 sm'zcrmoswircn llarry Shaw'Wig gins, Long Beach, Calif. Application May27, 1949,. serial No. 95,714

1 Claim. (01.200453) This invention relates to new -and useiuliim provements and structural refinements in-elec- -tric "switches, and the principal object of the invention is to greatly simplify theswitch struc -:ture".and thereby facilitate convenientuand ex- 5 :rpeditious installation and servicing .thereof.

This object is achieved by combiningthe switch mechanism with the usualcoverplate with which :switches are usually-provided so that the'switch ;may be installed vin itshousing or box'by'simp'ly f mounting :the plate. in position.

, Animportant feature of the invention resides .in :the switch mechanism itself which. by employing resilient contactarms, is entirely silent ,in operation.

Some of the:advantages oftheinventionzliein .itssimplicity as aforesaid, in its adaptability to be embodied in switches of various types and sizes, 1 and in its adaptability to economical manufac- "ture.

With the .abovel rnore importantobjects-and ?features in view andsuch:othermbjectsand iea- :tures as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, :the invention. consists essentially of the. constructionandarrangement of partsas shown in theaccompanying drawings. in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the-invention, appliedto theswitch housing or boxzinawall; 1

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the invention per se;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken. substantially in the planeaof the.line'3--.3 iii-Figure 2 "Figure A is ,a group perspectiveview'showing ,;a-pair.of contactzarms used in the invention; p ,Figurej is .a .crossesectional ;view similar to h IS n i ure 2,':but.i1lustrating the inv ventionas embodied in athree-way switch rather than in a single pole switch illustrated; in Figures .1-14; v a

Figure 6 is a group perspective view of the 7 .contact arms used in the embodiment shown in 'fFi urefi; v s V Figure .7 ,is .a vertical cross-sectional view, similar .to that .shown .in Figures sZ and ;5, but illustratinsthe invention as'embQd'ied .in two,

combined, single pole switches; and

Figure '8 is a group perspective view of the contact .arms .used in the embodiment. shown in ..Referring. now to the. accompanying drawings clusively, the. invention .consists vof a single pole electric? switch designated generally by the ref erence character It, this being combinedwith The cover plate. 12 is Thewcontacta arm .lacarries a stationary contact point 24 at one end thereof, while its .re- :mainingendportion is provided with a transverse member 18'; one end of which, in turn, is equippedwith an angulatedlug 26formed with zascrevz threaded aperture :28 to receivea'terminalgscrew (notshown) whereby acon'ductort30 emay'heelectrically connected to the arm l8,1as

willbeclearly apparent.

Therremainmg side or.--end portion: of the con- 'itact 'arm member l8' is equipped with an'angudated wingilterminating in, an angulated, sharp- -edged;flange.34, the-member l8 ofthe arm l8 :being: mountedon theiblock-shaped protuberance M at one-:sideof'therrecess I6,.and-the flange 34 ibeing 'iernbedded in the :protuberance, whereby the entire arm -,l8.isfirmlyesecured imposition.

. The contact pointi24 on thearmlB ispadapted to be engaged .by'ta contact point36ronthe-af0re- :mentionedarm 20, the latter-also being. equipped 'ivithan angulated. lugE38 provided withza screwthreade'd aperture 40 to. receive a terminalrscrew 2-42 wherebya second conductor 44 .may be elec- .'tricallyconnectedzto the arm 20, asrshownin Figure 3. The arm 26 is mounted on the'pro- "'tuberance l4 at therelatively opposite side of the recess 11-6 with respect to the location of the arm 18, the arm 20 also being providedzwith -'a sharp-edged flange 46 which is'embeddedainthe aprotuberance Hi to firmlysecure the arm 20 in "position.

I It is to be understood-that the arm '20, which ispreferably arcuated as shown in Figures Z'and 4, is made irom resilientmaterial, the resiliency thereof being such that the contacts 24,15 are normally-separated and the switch is open. However, the aforementioned actuating lever -22, -which is pivotally attached to the protuberance M by means of -a='pin'48 and projects outwardly through aslot oropening 50 with whichi'the plate I 2 is provided, extends also, into the recess. l6

Mandisformed with a cam-shapedhead-SZyas bestshownjn .Figure, 2.

.This head engages =,-the: adjacent surfacero'f :the arm. and. the. condetail, :more particularly to Figures. 1+4, 1111555 :1

figuration voftthev head such that when the lever 22 is in its depressed position, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the

contacts

24, 36 are separated, as has been already explained. However, when the lever 22 is pressed upwardly as indicated at 54, the head 52 bears against the arcuate, convex, intermediate portion 56 of the arm 20 and presses the contact 36 against the contact 24, thus closing the switch. It is to be particularly noted that. by virtue of the resiliency of the arm 20, the closing and opening of the switch is a silent operation, it being of course understood that the cam-shaped head 52 of the lever 22 will retain the switch in its closed position until the lever is again depressed to the position shown in Figures 1 and 2.

In order to assure silent movement of the lever 22 itself, that is, to prevent the head 52 from impacting against the protuberance I4, a felt washer, or the like, 58 may be interposed between the head 52 and the base of the recess I6, which provision will also prevent foreign matter from entering the switch mechanism through the opening or slot 50.

If desired, a box-shaped enclosure 60 may be applied to the protuberance I4 for the purpose of protecting the switch mechanism, this enclosure being frictionally held in position on the protuberance and being provided with suitable openings, one of which is illustrated at 62 in Figure 3, whereby the

conductors

30, 44 may enter the enclosure for connection to the terminals of the switch.

The switch assembly may be installed in a conventional housing or box 64 provided in a wall 66 by simply mounting the cover plate I2 on thewall so that the switch mechanism is disposed in" the housing 64. To this end, the cover plate H may be formed with a plurality of apertures 58 to receive suitable screws, or the like, whereby mounting of the plate may be'efiected.

Referring now to the accompanying Figures, 5 and 6, these illustrate a modified embodiment of the invention designated generally by the reference character I0 and involving a three-way switch, wherein the cover plate I2 is formed in-. tegrally with a protuberance I4, recessed as at 16, while a movable contact arm I8, similar to the aforementioned arm 20, is secured to the protuberance at one side of the recess.

However, the contact arm I8 is provided with two

contact points

80, 82, these being disposed at the opposite sides of the arm and being engageable with

stationary contact points

84, 86, respectively, provided on

respective contact arms

88, 90. j

The

arms

88, 90 are also secured to the protuberance I4 but at the relatively opposite side of the recess 16 with respect to the location of q the arm 18, the

arms

88, 90 being mutually spaced and the protuberance 14 being provided with a slot, or recess 92 in which the arm 90 may be accommodated, substantially as shown.

If desired, the arms I8, 88, and 90 may be equipped with sharp-edged flanges similar to the

aforementioned flanges

34, 46, but, alternatively,

the contact point 82 is normally urged in engagement with the stationary contact point 86 when the actuating lever I00 is in the-position 4 shown in Figure 5. However, when the lever I00 is tripped, as shown at I2, the

contact points

82, 86 are separated, while the

contact points

80, 84 are brought together, as will be clearly understood. If desired, an arcuate leaf spring I04 may be mounted on the protuberance I4 by means of the screw 94 which secures the arm 18 in position, the spring I04 pressing against the arm 18 so. as to normally maintain thepoints82, 86 in contact. in other words; the purpose of the spring I04 is to assist the resiliency of the arm I8 in keeping the

points

82, 86 together.

Referring now to the accompanying Figures '7 and 8, these illustrate a further modified embodiment of the invention designated generally by the reference character I I0, wherein the cover plate H2 .is provided with a protuberance H4 formed with two spaced recesses I I6, H8, and an arm I20 is secured intermediate its ends as at I22 to the protuberance H4 between the recesses H6, H8.

One end portion of this arm is resilient and is provided with a contact point I24 which is engageable with a stationary contact point I26 on a stationary arm I28 secured to the protuberance H4, as at I38, while the remaining end portion of the arm I20 is relatively non-resilient and carries a contact point I32. The latter is engageable with a contact point I34 on a resilient arm I36 which is secured to the protuberance H4 as at I38, and a pair of independently actuable levers I50, I42 are provided on the plate H2, 1e lever I40 being engageable with the resilient end portion of the arm I20 which carries the point I24, while the lever I42 is engageable with the arm I36 carrying the point I34. The resiliency of the arms I20, I36 is such that the points I24, I28 and I32, I34 are normally separated, but may be selectively and individually closed by simply actuating the respective levers I40," I42, as will be clearly apparent. In this manner, electric'current delivered to the terminal I22 may flow selectively to either or both the terminals I30, I38, whereby the device performs the function of two combined single-pole switches.

It is believed that the advantages and" use of the invention will be readily apparent from the foregoing disclosure, and accordingly, further description thereof at this'point is deemed unnecessary.

Having described the invention, What is claimed as new is:

For use in electrical systems, an outlet box adapted to be positioned in a wall and having an open side, a wall plate of electrical insulating materialclosing'the open side of the box and adapted to be secured to a well, said plate having an integral body projecting laterally from the plate which is received in the box, said body having a recess which opens into the box, electric switch means in the recess operable from the side of the plate opposite said body comprising a fixed contact carried by the body at one side of the recess and a movable contact carried at the other side of the recessior engagement with the fixed contactfmeans for yieldingly urging the contacts into engagement, said plate having an opening therethrough communicating with the recess, a lever extending through the opening and pivoted intermediate its ends to the body, said movable contact having an arched surface normally disposed in the path of the inner end of the lever whereby pivotal movement of the lever in one direction separates the contacts, cam means adjacentthe inner end of the lever associated with the movable contact to cause a snap action in the movement of the lever, combined means in the recess preventing passage of foreign matter through the opening and also limiting and cushioning pivotal movement of the lever, a protective cover in the box embracing and frictionally retained on the body, said box and cover being spaced. and the cover having an aperture therethrough permitting connection of an electrical conductor to the switch means.

HARRY SHAW WIGGINS.

-R-EFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Both Sept. 18, 1928 Watts May 16, 1933 Williams Dec. 5, 1933 Despard May 28, 1935 Sambleson Mar. 9, 1937 Graubner Mar. 28, 1939 Thirlwell Aug. 18, 1942 Shaw Mar. 23, 1943 Bonanno Apr. 27, 1943 Stearns May 21, 1946 Hubbell Dec. 28, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Number France Jan. 22, 1929