US2708225A

US2708225A - Panel switch

Info

Publication number: US2708225A
Application number: US302190A
Authority: US
Inventors: George E Fitzgerald
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1952-08-01
Filing date: 1952-08-01
Publication date: 1955-05-10
Anticipated expiration: 1972-05-10

Description

May 10, 1955 G. E. FITZGERALD 2,708,225

PANEL SWITCH Filed Aug. l, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I5 if l ,4 TTORNEY May 10, 1955 G. E. FITZGERALD 2,708,225

PANEL SWITCH Filed Aug. l, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY 0mm ,I TTOR NE Y United States Patent O PANEL SWITCH George E. Fitzgerald, Stratford, Conn.

Application August 1, 1952, Serial No. 302,190 s claims. (el. zoo-154) The invention herein disclosed relates to switches of the panelboard type, in which switch and fuse elements are mounted on insulating bases which can be secured over the bus-bars'to constitute the complete panelboard, the whole usually contained in a wall cabinet or box.

Objects of the invention are to provide a switch unit of simple, practical, low cost construction which without sacrifice of strength, current carrying capacity or desirable operating features, will require but a minimum of insulation and metal, and in which the insulating base and the metal parts will be of simple, one-piece construction and quickly and easily assembled.

Special objects of the invention are to provide a quiet acting switch structure, with positive circuit opening action, insuring against burning or welding of contacts.

Further objects or' the invention are to provide a simple, inexpensive form of toggle mechanism for actuating the switch, consisting of the fewest possible nurnber of parts and attording direct positive action between the actuating toggle lever and switch contact.

Other special objects of the invention are to provide a panel switch such as indicated, in which the parts will all be compactly arranged and the switch as a whole, oi relatively small size and thus adapted for use where space is limited.

Other desirable objects and the novel features through which the purposes of the invention are attained are set forth or will appear in the course of the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrate a present commercial embodiment of the invention. Structure, however, may be modied and changed as regards the immediate illustration, all within the true intent and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

Fig. 1 in the drawings is a plan view of one of the panelboard switch units;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view as on substantially the plane of line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the device;

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional View as on substantially the plane of line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Figs. 6 and 7 are broken cross sectional details as on substantially the plane of line 6 6 of Fig. 4, illustrating the action of the toggle springs for holding the toggle levers in place in their open bearings and. for snapping these levers past dead center in opposite directions;

Figs. 8 and 9 are perspective views of the companion switch contacts.

The base of the device is shown as an elongated block of insulating material molded or otherwise formed as a hollow shell having integrally connected top land side walls 10 and 11. Y

The sides of these blocks are notched as indicated at 12, 13, to accommodate the bus-

bars

14, 15, over which these panel switches are applied, the bases being secured 2,708,225 Patented May 10, 1955 in this relation by screws 16 extended through the top or' the base into screw seats provided in the buses.

Additionally, the switch base is shown as having screw seats 17 in the ends of the same for screws which may be used for securing the block to the back of the cabinet or other structure in which the switch panel is mounted.

The unit shown is for the control of four fused circuits and therefore comprises four switches independently operable by projecting toggle levers 1S and connected with adjoining fuse sockets.

The toggle levers 18 are shown as projecting up through motion limiting slots 19 in the top wall of the base and as having transversely projecting

trunnions

20, 21, at opposite sides of the same, engaged in open bearings 22, 23, in the underside of the top wall at opposite sides of the slots 19.

The levers are pressed upwardly in these open bearings by helical springs 24 engaged at their upper ends over downwardly projecting studs 25 on the trunnion elements 20 and supported at their lower ends on the angled lugs 26 at the ends of supporting brackets 27 secured to the underside of the top wall by screws 28.

lt will be noted in Figs. 6 and 7 that the lugs 26 support the toggle springs 24 directly beneath the trunnion bearings 22, so that these springs will operate with toggle action to snap the levers 18 in toggle fashion in opposite directions past dead center.

These toggle springs are strong enough to hold the toggle levers solidly in their bearings, as shown in Fig. 5, and in addition, to serve as spring toggles for shifting and then holding the levers rocked to the extreme positions indicated in Figs. 6 and 7.

The inner projecting ends 29 of the toggle levers are rounded and positioned to operate with toggle action over the spring contacts 30.

These contacts are shown in Fig. 3 as having upwardly angled bends 31 disposed to cooperate with the ends of the levers as spring toggles, and downwardly angled bends 32 disposed to afford clearance for the inner ends of the levers.

These two conditions are illustrated in Fig. 3, the toggle lever 18 at the left standing in the on or closed circuit position with the inner end 29 of the same in line with the depression 32 and entirely free of the contact e spring, and the toggle lever at the right swung over the hump 31 with the point 39 of the leverserving as a toggle hoiding the spring contact depressed in open circuit position.

Companion switch contacts are arranged in pairs to cooperate each pair with a pair of the movable spring contacts described.

Each stationary Contact is made with a fiat base portion 33 pinned or otherwise secured at 34, over the underside of the base in position to overlie and be engaged by a bus-bar, this portion having an opening 35 for free passage of the screw 16 secured in the bus-bar. The tightening of these screws thus effects solid mechanical and electrical connection between the bus-bars and these stationary contacts. y

From the at base portion 33 an upright leg 36 is extended, carrying a transverse T-head portion 37 having Contact points 38 at the opposite ends of the same in line with contact points 39 on the ends of two adjoining spring contacts Sil.

The clamping of the stationary contacts in place by the bus-bar securing screws 1 6 also has the eect of holding these contacts 33 solidly in place against the base, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, with the contact points 38 carried thereby properly aligned with contact points 39 of the movable spring contacts 30.

VThe spring contacts 30 are shown in Fig. 9 as having transversely elongated T-head base portions 40 to iit in correspondingly .shaped positioning seats 41 in the underside .of the hase and with laterally .offset ,openings 42 for passage of screws 4,3 from the fuse sockets iuto clamp plates 46 underlying these base portions.

The screws 43 .constitute the center terminals of -the fuse sockets .and thus serve to pass current .from the springcontacts up to the center contacts of the fuses.

The shell terminals 44 of the fuse sockets have terminal lug extensions 45 exposed at the ends of .the switch block.

rlie fuse sockets are thus directly connected with the switches in immediately adjoining relation and 'with the shortest possible electrical .connecting means.

The .spring contacts of the Vswitches may. be of bronze strip stock or the like and the reverse V-.bends 3i and 32 may he put into `4them in a Ysirnple die operation. The bend `2,2 4may be deeper than -the bend 31 .to assure ample clearance between the end .of the togglev lever and the spring contact Vwhen thespring contact Vstands in the closed circuit :position shown at Vthe left in Fig. 3.

The angle or bend 31 may be relatively shallow since it merely provides .a hump over which the inner end of the toggle lever may pass .as a dead vcenter point to provide a toggle locking action, as shown at the right in Fig. 3.

With this construction the .contact springs thus act as spring toggles, assisting the toggle springs 24 in holding the toggle levers in the oif or open circuit position.V

The .stamped electrical parts are .all small, simple, onepiece items and the insulating base isr a light weight, thin walled hollow shell .containing a minimum amount of insulating material.

The parts are quickly and easily assembled and Vthe securing of the base .on the bus-bars connects the .unit in place and rrnly holds the stationary switch contacts .in position where they will properly cooperate with the movable switch contacts.

The compact relation of parts 4and their small size keeps the iinished article down to .minimum dimensions, making its use possiblewherespace is limited. Thiscompactness permits close spacing of busesand small size Wall cabinets. All this contributes to low =cost Aand a special feature in .thisrespect is the complete interchangeability and reversi- Y bility of parts.

toggle levers canl be interchangeably used in all four n locations on .the switch base. The spring contacts may be interchangeably used at either side or end lof the base. the perforated T-.head structure dll, as shown in Fig. 4, permitting use at either side or either end of the block', one of the openings, 42, in either event lining up with .the center Contact screw 43 of one of the fuse sockets, Yand the flat clamp plate 46 with the single screw opening 47 being reversibly engageable, end-for-end over the basfevof the'contact spring to locate the screw seat in line with the center securing screw 43.

The stationary Spanner Contact lwhich carries the contact points -38 for two adjoining switches, 'like the spring contact, may be made up as a single piece of strip material.

A neutral terminal barffor the four circuits may be mounted on the switch base, as shown at 48, Figsfl and 4, by `means of a screw 49 passed down through the top of the base into a mounting lug Sil attached to the bar.

- The .invention avoids the Yneed for pivot pins and other such parts. The ltoggle springs 24, in addition Vto Vholding the finger levers seated in vtheir open bearings,

operate to ysnap these levers over into position fully clear of the contact springs when these levers are shifted in the switch'closing direction. This assures `that the levers will vbe free of the contact springs when the switches are closed, as at the left in Fig. 3. Snap action of the switch throwing levers in :the opposite, `circuit opening direction is assured by the inner ends of the levers riding over the inclined toggle forming 'humps 31 on the contact springs, .as at the right in Fig. 3, the conta-ct springs'and toggle springs thus assisting each other in this instanc and assuring positive., 4switch opening action.

What is claimed is:

l. A panel switch comprising a one-piece hollow insulating base having integrally connected top and side Walls, said top Wall having slots therethrough and open bearing seats in the underside of the same at opposite sides of said slots, toggle Vlevers projecting through said slots and having trunnions at opposite sides of the same engaged in said 'open 4bearing seats, toggle springs engaged with the trunnions of said levers and holding the same journaledin said seats,rsu'bstantially straight dat Contact springs secured on .the underside of said top Wall and having shoulders inclined toward and engageable by the inner ends of said toggle 'levers and V-shaped end portions inclined away from and disposed to be clear of the inner ends of the toggle levers and relatively stationary contacts mounted on the underside of the base in position to be engaged .by theends of said spring contacts when the toggle levers are in .position with the inner ends of the same in line with the V-shaped depressions'therein and to be separated from said :spring contacts when the inner ends of said toggle levers are engaged over said rst mentioned inclined shoulders.

2. A panel switch :comprising a Vone-piece hollow insulating base having integrally connected top and side walls, said topY wail lhaving slots therethrough and open bearing seats in the underside of the saine at .opposite sides of said slots, toggle levers projecting through said slots and having -trunnions at opposite sides of the same engaged in said open bearing seats, toggle springs zengaged with :the trunnions of said levers and holding the same journaled in said seats, substantially straight ilat Contact springs secured on the underside of said .top wall and having shoulders :inclined toward and engageable by the inner ends of said toggle levers and V-shaped end portions inclined away from and disposed to be clear ot' the inner 4ends of the toggle levers and relatively stationary contacts mounted on the underside of the base in position to be engaged vby the ends of said spring contacts when the toggle levers are in position Iwith the inner ends of the sante in line with the bshaped depressions therein and to be separated from said spring contacts when the Ainner ends of said ltoggle levers are engaged over said first mentioned inclined shoulders, Y

said spring contacts being arranged in pairs'and there being a single stationary contact between the spring contacts of Veach pair and being .branched laterally into cooperative relation with said spring contacts.V

3. A panel switch comprising a -onepicce hollow inr sulating base having YVintegrally connected top and lside walls, Vsaid top wall 'having slots therethrough and open Y nearing seats in the underside of the saine at opposite sides of said slots, toggle levers projecting through said slots and having trunnions at opposite sides of the same engaged in said open bearing seats, toggle springs .engaged'with the trunnioes `or said 'levers and holding the same 4journaled in said sea-ts, substantially straight at i contact springs secured on the underside .of sai-d top wall and Vhaving shoulders inclined `toward and .engageable by the inner ends of said toggle Alevers and V-Shaped end portions inclined away .from .and disposed to the clear of the inner ends -of the toggle levers :and relatively stationary contacts mounted on the underside of the base in-pos'ition to ibe engaged by therenrds of saitl spring contacts when the toggle levers are in position with the inner ends of the same in line with the V-shaped depressions therein and to oe separated from said Ispring contacts when the inner ends of said toggle 'levers are engaged over said `first mentioned incl-ined shoulders, said stationary Vcontact having a dat portion exposed at the underside lof the oase for engagement over a busbar and having contact points spaced into cooperative relation with Vadjoining pairs of the spring contacts.

4. A panel switch comprising a switch hase having @Joanne slots therethrough and open bearings at the underside of the base adjoining said slots, toggle levers projecting through said slots and having trunnions engaged in said open bearings, toggle springs holding said toggle levers engaged in said open hearings and switch Contact springs having toggle engagement with the inner ends of said toggle levers, including inclined humps on said switch Contact springs over which the inner ends of the toggle levers may ride in the travel of the toggle levers in one direction, and said Contact springs further having V-shaped depressions spaced from said humps to afford clearance between the inners ends of the toggle levers and the Contact springs in the reverse position of said toggle levers.

5. A panel switch comprising a spring contact and a relatively stationary Contact engageable thereby, said spring contact having an inclined hump and a V-shaped depression adjoining the same, a hase mounting said contacts, said base having a bearing open toward said spring contact, a toggle lever proieeting rom the base and having a trunnion seated in said open bearing and aving a rounded inner end slidingly engageable over said spring contact, a toggle spring holding said toggle lever seated in said open bearing and operable to rock said lever past dead center in opposite directions and said lever positioned to have the inner end of the same in line with said V-shaped depression and clear of the spring Contact in the engaged, closed circuit positions of the contacts and to ride over said inclined hump past dead center relation in movement of the lever in the opposite, switch opening operation.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,883,126 Tregoning Oct. 18, 1932 2,269,171 Benander Ian. 6, 1942 2,352,936 Bryant July 4, 1944 2,626,335 Landin Ian. 20, 1953