US2796479A

US2796479A - Safety switch

Info

Publication number: US2796479A
Application number: US470061A
Authority: US
Inventors: William O Walkup
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1954-11-19
Filing date: 1954-11-19
Publication date: 1957-06-18
Anticipated expiration: 1974-06-18

Description

June 18, 1957 w. o. WALKUP 2,796,479

SAFETY swma Filed Nov. 19, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 5 W/LL A M 0. W44 za June 18, 1957 w. o. WALKUP 2,796,479

SAFETY SWITCH Filed Nov. 19, 1954. 2 Shets-Sheet 2 a I I L 1 0 1 Z 27 V- k? [I 1 /Z 38 E i /3 IN V EN TOR.

WILL /AM 0. 14/4 601? United States, Patent SAFETY SWITCH William O. Walkup, Meadow Bridge, W. Va. Application November 19, 1954, Serial No. 470,061

1 Claim. (Cl. ZOO-61.5)

This invention relates to' automatic safety switches, and more particularly to an improved automatic switch for use on a motor vehicle to open the ignition circuit or other electrical circuits of the vehicle.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved automatic circuit breaker arranged to open an electrical circuit in the event of a sudden jar or collision, or by manual control, if desired, the improved circuit breaker being simple in construction, involving very few parts, and being reliable in operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved automatic safety switch suitable for use in automotive vehicles, aircraft, or the like, the automatic switch being arranged to open responsive to a sudden jar, collision or other unsual impact, and being also arranged so that it may be manually controlled, the improved circuit breaker involving inexpensive components, being rugged in construction, being reliable in operation, and being arranged to render the electrical circuits of the vehicle or aircraft in which the device is employed inoperative as a precaution against fire or theft, or under emergency conditions such as in the event of collision or the like.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross sectional view taken through a vertical wall of a vehicle equipped with an improved automatic circuit breaker constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top view of the circuit breaker of Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical cross sectional view taken through the circuit breaker on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, showing the contacts thereof open.

Figure 5 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken on the line 77 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, the improved circuit breaker is designated generally at 11 and comprises a supporting frame having the parallel

vertical members

12 and 13, the vertical member 12 being adapted to be secured to a suitable vertical portion of a vehicle, for example, to a selected portion of the fire wall of a motor vehicle, for example, a portion of the fire wall 14 thereof. The lower portion of the vertical member 12 is rigidly connected to the lower portion of the vertical member 13 by a disc member 15, and the top portions of the

members

12 and 13 are rigidly connected by a pair of

parallel plate members

16 and 17 secured to opposite sides of the

members

12 and 13 and extending horizontally, as shown in Figures 1 and 3. Rigidly connecting "ice the intermediate portions of the

members

12 and 13 is a disc member 18 which is formed on its bottom surface with the central circular recess 19.

Designated at 20 is a contact plunger which is slidably disposed through a central aperture 21 in the disc member 18. The upper portion of the plunger 20 extends slidably through a central aperture 22 formed in a horizontally positioned bar member 23 rigidly secured at its ends to the

vertical bar members

12 and 13 above and parallel to the member 18. The bar member 23 is of conducting material and is provided with a terminal stud 24, said terminal stud being connected by a flexible wire 25 to the top end of the contact plunger 20.

A coiled spring 26 surrounds the contact plunger 20 and bears between the member 23 and the transverse pin 27 extending through the lower portion of the contact plunger 20, biasing the contact plunger 20 downwardly. Secured to the top end of the contact plunger 20 is a flexible cable 28 which extends over a pulley 29 journaled on a shaft 30 secured between the

rn'embers

16 and 17, the cable 28 extending through an aperture 31 in the fire wall 14 to the dashboard of the vehicle where it is provided, with a suitable manual operating knob, not shown.

It will be understood that by applying tension to the cable 28, as by pulling on its operating knob, the plunger member 20 may be raised, when desired, to cause the switch to be manually opened, .as will be presently explained.

Slidably engaged through diametrically opposite

vertical apertures

32, 32 in the member 18 are the respec tive

vertical rods

33, 33 which are rigidly connected at their top ends by -a horizontal bar 34 and which are rigidly connected at their bottom, ends by an annular disc member 35. The member 34 extends transversely over the bar member 23 and is formed with a central aperture 36 through which the cable 28 extends, as shown in Figure 4. v

The annular disc is formed with a relatively large central aperture 37 through which extends the shank portion 38 of an upstanding contact element, said contact element being formed at its bottom end with a spherical recess 39 which receives the spherical head 40 of a terminal stud 41 centrally secured in the bottom disc member 15. Thus, the shank member 38 is pivotally mounted on the spherical head 40 for universal pivoting thereon in the aperture 37 of the annular ring 35. The annular ring 35 is preferably made of suitable insulating material, as is the member 18 through which the plunger 20 extends.

The top end of the shank 38 is integrally formed with an upwardly flaring conical head 42 of substantial weight, and is further formed with the top contact stud 43 which is received in and is movable in the recess 19, and which may be engaged with the bottom end of the plunger 20 in the manner shown in Figure 2. The force of the spring 26 is sufficient so that when the stud 43 is centered and is engaged by the bottom end of the plunger 20, stud 43 will be held in engagement with the bottom end of the plunger 20 by frictional force and will not be dislodged therefrom except in the event of a collision or other severe impact. Under these conditions, the weight of the head 42 will cause the shank 38 to pivot laterally and to disengage the stud 43 from the bottom end of the plunger 20, causing the stud 43 to swing laterally against the side wall of the recess 19, to a position such as that shown in Figure 4, electrically disconnecting the terminal stud 41 from the terminal stud 24.

Secured to the intermediate portion of the top bar 34 is a 'flexible cable 45 which passes over a pulley 46 rotatably mounted on the transverse pin 30, the cable 45 passing through the aperture 31 to the dashboard of the vehicle where it is provided with a suitable manual operating knob, not shown. By exerting tension on the cable 45, and by pulling its operating knob, the frame comprising the members 33 and their top and bottom connecting elements '34 and 35 may be elevated, whereby the central aperture 37 of the annular member 35 cammingly engages the conical head 42 and rotates said conical head from its laterally swung position, such as that shown in Figure 4, to its centered position, such as that shown in Figure 2, the carnming action being sufiicient .to cause the stud 43 to be engaged beneath the bottom end of'the plunger 20, whereby the switch may be reset to its normal closed position.

Upon release of the cable 45, the frame above described descends to its normal position, either by its own weight, or by the provision of a suitable spring, acting to bias the frame downwardly, not shown.

As above explained, the plunger 20 may be elevated by exerting a manual pull on the flexible cable 28, in which case, the lower end of the plunger disengages from the stud 43, allowing the shank 38 to rotate laterally to the position of Figure 4, thus opening the electrical connection between

terminal studs

41 and 24. To reclose said electrical connection, the cable 45 is elevated by means of its operating knob to restore the shank 38 to its centered position, shown in Figure 2, and to cause the stud 43 to be again engaged beneath the bottom end of the'plunger 20. Thus, the operator of the vehicle may manually open the circuit controlled by the switch by allowing the stud 43 to disengage from plunger 20 in the manner above described, namely, by pulling on the cable 28 by employing its manual operating knob. The circuit can be reclosed by pulling on the cable 45, as above described, when desired.

It will be understood that the switch above described,

While a specific embodiment of an improved safety switch for vehicles or the like has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is: I

In a circuit breaker of the character described, a support, a plate member rigidly secured to said support, a contact plunger slidably engaged through said plate member and guided for sliding movement normal to said plate member, a movable rod-like contact element opposite said contact plunger, a terminal stud in the bottom portion of said support having a spherical head, said contact element being formed with a spherical recess in its bottom end receiving and being rotatably engaged on said head, the top end of said contact element being engageable by the end of the contact plunger, a coiled spring arranged axially with respect to and acting axially on said contact plunger and biasing said contact plunger toward said contact element and exerting sufiicient force on the plunger to cause the end of the plunger to be :f rictionally engaged with the end of the contact element, said contaet element being swingable laterally out of engagement with said plunger, a movable restoring member carried by said suppoit, said restoring member having an aperture through which the rod-like contact element extends and which is arranged to center said contact element for engagement by the end of the plunger responsive to the movement of said restoring member, frame means secured to said restoring member and having a. portion thereof extending slid-- ably through said plate member parallel to said plunger, whereby said restoring member is guided for movement along a path parallel to the axis of said plunger, and respective flexible control-cables connected to said frame means. and said plunger.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,868,365 Paul July 19, 1932 2,188,144 Eytman Jan. 23, 1940 2,190,934 Courtney Feb. 20, 1940