US2603727A - Snap action switch - Google Patents

Description

July 15, 1952 W F, AUER 2,603,727

SNAP ACTION SWITCH Filed NOV. l5, 1950 V M mmn \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\W l Hlllllllllll Il 16/ 17B /nor.

Patented July 15, 1952 UNITED STATES y--PA'EN'I -,-OFFICE f y `v t' l-12,603,727rf t 'ff' .,zfgf

sNAPAc'rIoN SWITCH t v 'Wiuiam'mie eicel-6,111.,assignortd Y Y Raymond'T.- Moloney, Chicago, Ill. a Application Ndvexibei 13, wsa'srii A195,337' A v The, presentdisclosures pertain to improvements in a snap iactinl switch relating principally to a new type ofj over-center or snap-'action two-point rocking' seat on' the" operator j blade with thethirdjpoint of 4 suspeitisionon the. movable bladesituatedin 'triangular array with' the other two points. y The foregoing objects and Will become apparent as thev following descrip'- tion proceeds in view' of the annexed drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the improved switch; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; Y

Fig. 3 is a magnified vertical section of the snap-action part kof .the switch Fig. 4 is a sectional view like th'atof Fig. 3, but showing the snap mechanism actuated; Y

Fig.,5 is a perspective detail of the new bow spring; Y Y v Fig. 6 isA a perspective fragment of the overpassing operator blade for thebow spring.

Theptype of switch to which the improvements are applied for illustration herein is commonly known as a stack switch, which, as seen in Fig. 2, consists of a stack of insulating wafers generally indicated at I0, between which are clamped (by action of bolts and nuts II) a pair of relatively rigid flanking or outer contact blades I2 and I3.

Mounted in the stack to flex between said flanking contacts I2 and I3, is a thin springcontact blade I4, having at its outer or free end a small tongue I (Fig. 3).

An over-center bow spring I6, such as shown in Fig. 5, made from thin flat metal stock or ribbon, is provided at one of its ends with a small diepunched slot IBA intertting with tongue vIiito provide one of the endwise rocking mounts or three-point assemblies of the spring with the exible or movable contact blade.

At its opposite or remaining end, the bowk spring is somewhat wider than the adjoining spring stock, and has punched in the widened part a cut-out, for instance, in the form of otherr f of novelty and utility inherent in the improvements y a claims. (emot-.67.)

(Fig. `5l an arcuate transverse slot` IBB iianked" byopposite side rwings IBC whichv aftordar1 -Y expanse of metal stock to provide the opposite 01T- vhe wings and offsets IEC-IBD constitute a pair of yrockersat the outer 0r remote vside of the The assembly is ompleted by provisionof anI operator bl'ade'I'I, also flexible, and as seen in Fig. 6having a central eut-out IIA large enough to permit vup and down flexing ofgrthe moyable and-down past4 the Acontact blade, byfreasonof freet en'dfo'f the` `iiexiblev contact blade- ,'Illjf'the op-v admitthrocker formations ogoffsets; TI SCI lfili).Y

axis'of'the'bladejsofas to afford' astraig'ht knife-Y end-"oi the bow'spring relative to the operatori' bow spring IS urging the movable contact down- Wardly against the lower stationary contact I2.

When a downward pressure is applied to the free end of the operator blade I'I so as to displace the latter from the condition of Fig. 3' toward the operated condition of Fig. 4, the operator blade is seen to over-pass the contact blade I4, and the bow spring I6 will pass reversely into an overcenter relation to its mounting at I-5A-I6A with the movable contact blade, and abruptly reverse its thrust to urge the movable contact I4 up-v wardly into the snap-operated condition shown in Fig. 4, the opposite end parts IC--IBD of the bow rocking easily in a two-point seating in notches I'IB in such action.

Actually,` the bow spring has a three-point suspension in which the points of suspension are in a triangular array, one point on tong I5 and the other two in notches IIB. When the operating required in mounting them in operative position; -j y Also the snap-action is satisfactory in bothne and coarse throws of the movable blade, as where Y contacts I2 and I3 are spaced relativelyiarlapart or close together.

The improved construction requres. no inter- K Vmediate moving or connecting partsy between eitherV the bow and the movable contaot,=or the ,1'

bow and the operator blade; and the two-point site sides of'the operator blade affords a greatly enlarged area of rocking sup-port for thebow spring in the region where its displacement is greatest, while at the same time the bow is very secure against accidental dislodgement, it being noted in this connection, also, that the Acurved or forked cut-out 16B prevents any upwardmovement of thebow spring which-might disengage the latter fromritsl rocking seat.`

Once assembled, the bow spring is practically locked in position in its three-point suspension. The novel construction is also advantageous in that it Yis, equally effectivewithlvery shortcon-7 tacts |2-I3,-l4, orthelonger blades'frequently emp1yed.- o.. l., v

Ienimzf 1. In al snap switch of the type having Yamovf` able contactblade cooperable with an over-passing operator blade, improvements,comprising, to`

witg'over-center snap-action spring means in the form of a bow of flat springmetal, one end kof said bow being enlarged and having a transverse cut-out'withv its opposite side portions terminat-4 ing inoifsets constituting a pairofrockers, said operatorblade having a pair of transversely--` aligned edgewise f ulcrum notches each receiving and seating-oneof said rockers with said cut-out underlying vthe transverse region of the blade between said notches, the opposite Aend 'of said bow' being supportably engaged iorslight movement with an end portion of said movable blade.

2.In a snap-action switch of the known type which includes a ilexible contact blade with an over-passing operator-blade and a lsnap-acting 4 4 over-center spring interposed operatively between a free end portion of the contact blade and a confronting part of the over-passing blade, improvements comprising, to wit: improved over-center spring means including a bow spring having one end forked with a cut-outA portion to dene two prongs, said prongs being offset to afford a pair of laterally spaced rockers flanking said cut-out portion, said over-V-.passing'blade having a pair of laterallyf-spaced notches "in `which ,said vrockers are respectively received, the opposite end region off` said spring being supportably engaged with said free end portion of the contact blade, so as Vto be compressible by movement of the operator l lao`le relative to the contact blade, said cut-out portion being of va depth toclearthe operator `blade in operational movements of the latter.

3. In a snapf switch of the known variety which includes an elongated contact blade xed at one end and free to be flexed from its opposite free end, snap-action means comprising: an elongated operator blade also fixed atone .end with said contact blade -and spring-biased to a normal posi-'f tion and also having a central vcut-out whichcan pass over said free end of the contactjblade inv leXures of the operator blade, and a bowed, flat-i stock over-center spring having tongue and slot engagement at one of its ends with said free end of said contact blade, and having at its Opposite end `forked with opposite rocker offsetsrockably seated in edgewise notches in the operator-blade' adjacent the free end region of the flatter, said bow spring being normally )under compression and acting in over-center snap-action with said movable contact responsive to operative displace-V ments of said operator blade relative to said normal position to throw the movablev contact back.

and forth between normal and operated positions, and stationarylimiting means, includingatleast one stationary contact, flanking said movable blade to ydetermine said positions. ,n wILLIAivLF.AUVER.)Vv

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES 'eATENTs Q Date

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