US2964600A - Switch actuating mechanism - Google Patents

Switch actuating mechanism Download PDF

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Publication number
US2964600A
US2964600A US659509A US65950957A US2964600A US 2964600 A US2964600 A US 2964600A US 659509 A US659509 A US 659509A US 65950957 A US65950957 A US 65950957A US 2964600 A US2964600 A US 2964600A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
cam
shaft
follower
arm
actuating
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US659509A
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English (en)
Inventor
Marvin S Blemly
Adelbert J Schenk
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Jervis B Webb Co
Original Assignee
Jervis B Webb Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority to BE560266D priority Critical patent/BE560266A/xx
Application filed by Jervis B Webb Co filed Critical Jervis B Webb Co
Priority to US659509A priority patent/US2964600A/en
Priority to GB23535/57A priority patent/GB814583A/en
Priority to FR1181393D priority patent/FR1181393A/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US2964600A publication Critical patent/US2964600A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H21/00—Switches operated by an operating part in the form of a pivotable member acted upon directly by a solid body, e.g. by a hand
    • H01H21/02—Details
    • H01H21/18—Movable parts; Contacts mounted thereon
    • H01H21/22—Operating parts, e.g. handle
    • H01H21/24—Operating parts, e.g. handle biased to return to normal position upon removal of operating force
    • H01H21/28—Operating parts, e.g. handle biased to return to normal position upon removal of operating force adapted for actuation at a limit or other predetermined position in the path of a body, the relative movement of switch and body being primarily for a purpose other than the actuation of the switch, e.g. door switch, limit switch, floor-levelling switch of a lift
    • H01H21/285—Operating parts, e.g. handle biased to return to normal position upon removal of operating force adapted for actuation at a limit or other predetermined position in the path of a body, the relative movement of switch and body being primarily for a purpose other than the actuation of the switch, e.g. door switch, limit switch, floor-levelling switch of a lift having an operating arm actuated by the movement of the body and mounted on an axis converting its rotating movement into a rectilinear switch activating movement
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H19/00—Switches operated by an operating part which is rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof and which is acted upon directly by a solid body external to the switch, e.g. by a hand
    • H01H19/54—Switches operated by an operating part which is rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof and which is acted upon directly by a solid body external to the switch, e.g. by a hand the operating part having at least five or an unspecified number of operative positions
    • H01H19/60—Angularly-movable actuating part carrying no contacts
    • H01H19/62—Contacts actuated by radial cams

Definitions

  • This invention relates to an improved construction for mounting and actuating a switch elementparticularly a switch element of the sensitive push button type-to enable such' an element to be used in industrial applications.
  • Switch elements of the type mentioned are widely employed for limit switch uses, and in this application a need has existed for a satisfactory unit in which such a switch element can be mounted and actuated in response to the operation of moving components of machinery. Such a unit must impart the small amount of movement required for actuation of the switch element in response to contact between a moving machinery part and an actuating arm. Contact forces are large as are contacting movements relative to the amount of movement required for actuation of the switch element.
  • a number of constructions have been devised for such a unit.
  • these include a housing in which the switch element is mounted, an actuating shaft joumalled in the housing with an actuating arm secured to a position of the shaft projecting from the housing, a cam carried by the shaft and a cam follower.
  • Some means are included for actuating the switch element in response to movement of the cam follower.
  • the present invention offers a simplified arrangement of and relation between these elements which results in a greater degree of flexibility of the unit particularly in terms of the amount of permissible movement, direction of movement and over-travel of the actuating arm, and which will provide improved service life under the conditions of use outlined above.
  • the cam follower is pivotally mounted in the housing and includes a follower element mounted to contact the periphery of the actuating cam which is formed with a notch to receive the follower element and thereby define one position of the follower arm.
  • Spring means are employed to bias the follower arm into contact with the cam periphery and as a result the follower arm acts to define one position of the actuating-cam when the element on the follower arm is in engagement with the notch thereof.
  • a centering spring is employed to urge the actuating shaft, actuating arm and cam to the centered position defined by the actuating arm.
  • this spring is a coil type wound about the shaft and has its ends formed to extend-radially from the center of the shaft to provide a pair of action and reaction arms.
  • a pair of members are provided, each being positioned to contact either of the spring arms.
  • One of these members is fixedly mounted in the housing and the other is rotatable with the actuating shaft. As a result these members and centering spring will return the shaft and cam to a centered position for retention therein by engagement by the follower element on the follower arm and the notch in the cam.
  • one of the centering spring actuating mem bers is secured to the cam and the other to the housing adjacent the cam and these members are relatively positioned in spaced relation to the center of the actuating shaft and are in radial alignment with the center of the shaft when the cam is in its centered position.
  • the housing is made to provide very rigid support for the actuating shaft and for the actuating arm.
  • An improved mounting of the actuating arm on the end of the shaft is also provided so that the position of the arm relative to the centered position of the shaft and cam can be positively fixed in a great number of positions.
  • Fig. 1 a plan view of the construction with the housing cover being broken away;
  • FIG. 2 a sectional elevation taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;
  • FIG. 3 an end elevation of the unit shown in Fig. 1;
  • Fig. 5 a sectional detail taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4.
  • the unit includes a housing having a base 10 and a cover 11.
  • a switch element 12 and an actuating button 13 is secured to the base by screws 14.
  • the base 10 includes a thickened, counterbored portion 16, mounting a pair of ball bearings 17 and 18 which support an actuating shaft 19.
  • the bearings 17 and 18 are located by an intermediate spacer 20.
  • a coil centering spring 21 is mounted on the shaft 19 between the cam and inner-face 22 of the counterbored portion. This spring is formed so that its ends 24 and 25 extend radially outwardly from the center of shaft 19. These spring ends function as action and reaction arms in combination with a member 26 secured to the cam and projecting toward the counterbored portion of the hous-- ing and a fixed member 27 mounted in the counterbored portion. As can be seen in Fig. 1, these members 26 and. 27 are mounted in spaced relation to the center of theshaft 19 and are radially aligned with the center of the shaft with the parts in the position shown. A plate 28 is secured to the underside of the cam (Fig. 1) and acts as a stop in combination with the fixed member 27.
  • This position will be referred to as the centered position of the components. It is additionally defined by engagement between a roller follower 30 carried by an actuating arm 31 and a notch 32 formed in the periphery of cam 23 on the approximate radius of the roller follower 30.
  • the actuating arm is secured to a collar 34 which is: pivotally mounted on a screw 35 engaging a boss 36 of the housing.
  • the arm includes an L-shaped actuating tab 83 which is secured to the arm and projects downwardly to engage the push button 13 of the switch.
  • a coil spring. is mounted on the collar 34 and normally urges the roller follower 30 into contact with the periphery of the cam 23 through the reaction of one end 40 of the spring against the housing and the other end 41 of the spring against the tab 38.
  • roller follower 30, notch 32 and the actuating cam and location of the tab 38 are inter-related with two considerations in mind, first, to impart a proper amount of actuating movement to the switch push button 13 upon movement of the roller follower out of the notch 32 and onto the circular cam periphery; and second, to give sufiicient depth of engagement of the roller follower 30 in the notch 32 so that the follower arm will act to retain the actuating cam 23 and shaft 19 in normal centered position.
  • An actuating arm 44 is removably secured by set screws 47 to an arm mounting member 45 which has a hub 46 mounted on the shaft 19 for free rotation.
  • the hub is held on the shaft by a snap ring 48.
  • the hub includes a projecting circular portion 49 equipped with teeth 50' around the outer circumference thereof.
  • a square drive 52 (Fig. 5) is provided on the end of shaft 19 and a locking element 53 engages this square drive and is held on the end of the shaft by a screw 54.
  • the locking element has an inwardly projecting portion 56 (Fig. 5) which has internal teeth 57 to engage the external teeth 50 of the hub 46. This arrangement offers a multiplicity of fixed radial positions of the actuating arm 44 on the shaft 19.
  • the hub 46 is provided with 25 external teeth 50 and the lock member 53 can be mounted in any one of four positions on the square drive 52, a total of 100 positions of the actuating arm are provided. In other words, the setting of the arm may be changed in increments of approximately 3% degrees.
  • a switch construction of the type comprising a closed housing, a shaft journalled therein with at least one end of the shaft projecting from the housing and carrying an actuating arm, a cam mounted on the shaft in the housing, a cam follower arm pivotally mounted in the housing and a switch element having an actuating button operable by movement of the follower arm; characterized by a roller mounted on free end of the follower arm for contact with the periphery of the cam, said periphery being generally circular and having an arcuate notch formed therein on the approximate radius of said follower arm roller, spring means normally urging said follower arm into contact with said cam periphery whereby said follower roller acts to retain said cam in centered position when engaged in said notch, switch actuating button contacting means carried by said follower arm at a location between the pivot axis thereof and said follower roller, a coil centering spring carried by said shaft axially adjacent said cam, the ends of said spring forming a pair of action and reaction arms extending radially of said shaft,
  • a switch construction of the type comprising a closed housing, a shaft journalled therein with at least one end of the shaft projecting from the housing and carrying an actuating arm, a cam mounted on the shaft in the housing, a cam follower arm pivotally mounted in the housing and a switch element operable by movement of the follower arm; characterized by a follower element mounted on said follower arm for contact with said cam, said cam having a circular periphery with a notch formed therein to receive said follower element and define one position of said follower arm, spring means biasing said follower arm into contact with said cam whereby said follower arm acts to define one position of said cam when the follower element engages the notch thereof, a centering spring carried by said shaft with the ends of said spring forming a pair of action and reaction arms extending radially of said shaft, a pair of members each positioned to contact either of said arms, one of said members being fixedly carried by said housing and the other being rotatable with said shaft whereby said members and centering spring will return said
  • a switch construction of the type comprising a closed housing, a shaft journalled therein with at least one end of the shaft projecting from the housing and carrying an actuating arm, a cam mounted on the shaft in the housing, a cam follower arm pivotally mounted in the housing and a switch element having contact means operable by movement of the follower arm; characterized by a follower element mounted on said follower arm for contact with said cam, said cam having a notch formed therein to receive said follower element and define one position of said follower arm, spring means biasing said follower arm into contact with said cam whereby said follower arm acts to define one position of said cam when the follower element engages the notch thereof, means carried by said follower arm for engaging said switch element contact means, a centering spring carried by said shaft with the ends of said spring forming a pair of action and reaction arms extending radially of said shaft, and a pair of members each positioned to contact either of said arms, one of said members being fixedly carried by said housing and the other being rotatable with '

Landscapes

  • Switches With Compound Operations (AREA)
  • Rotary Switch, Piano Key Switch, And Lever Switch (AREA)
US659509A 1957-05-16 1957-05-16 Switch actuating mechanism Expired - Lifetime US2964600A (en)

Priority Applications (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
BE560266D BE560266A (de) 1957-05-16
US659509A US2964600A (en) 1957-05-16 1957-05-16 Switch actuating mechanism
GB23535/57A GB814583A (en) 1957-05-16 1957-07-25 Improvements in or relating to electric switch actuating mechanisms
FR1181393D FR1181393A (fr) 1957-05-16 1957-08-21 Mécanisme de commande d'un interrupteur

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US659509A US2964600A (en) 1957-05-16 1957-05-16 Switch actuating mechanism

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US2964600A true US2964600A (en) 1960-12-13

Family

ID=24645685

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US659509A Expired - Lifetime US2964600A (en) 1957-05-16 1957-05-16 Switch actuating mechanism

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (1) US2964600A (de)
BE (1) BE560266A (de)
FR (1) FR1181393A (de)
GB (1) GB814583A (de)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3407278A (en) * 1967-04-17 1968-10-22 Essex Wire Corp Oscillatory electric switch construction
FR2509517A1 (fr) * 1981-01-08 1983-01-14 Tri Tech Dispositif de commutation a depassement comportant un mecanisme de transmission a came et a lame pivotante

Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1774440A (en) * 1928-01-18 1930-08-26 Gen Electric Limit switch
US2328266A (en) * 1941-10-28 1943-08-31 Bliss E W Co Operating mechanism for switches
US2338365A (en) * 1943-06-19 1944-01-04 Fulton Co Switch assemblage
US2422320A (en) * 1944-04-01 1947-06-17 Reeves Pulley Co Preset control
US2522278A (en) * 1947-11-12 1950-09-12 Furnas Electric Co Cam type limit switch assemblage
US2673468A (en) * 1951-07-28 1954-03-30 Westinghouse Electric Corp Limit switch operating mechanism
US2785256A (en) * 1952-10-18 1957-03-12 Honeywell Regulator Co Switch mechanism
US2822439A (en) * 1955-02-10 1958-02-04 Square D Co Electric switch
US2879352A (en) * 1956-06-18 1959-03-24 Gen Motors Corp Control device

Patent Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1774440A (en) * 1928-01-18 1930-08-26 Gen Electric Limit switch
US2328266A (en) * 1941-10-28 1943-08-31 Bliss E W Co Operating mechanism for switches
US2338365A (en) * 1943-06-19 1944-01-04 Fulton Co Switch assemblage
US2422320A (en) * 1944-04-01 1947-06-17 Reeves Pulley Co Preset control
US2522278A (en) * 1947-11-12 1950-09-12 Furnas Electric Co Cam type limit switch assemblage
US2673468A (en) * 1951-07-28 1954-03-30 Westinghouse Electric Corp Limit switch operating mechanism
US2785256A (en) * 1952-10-18 1957-03-12 Honeywell Regulator Co Switch mechanism
US2822439A (en) * 1955-02-10 1958-02-04 Square D Co Electric switch
US2879352A (en) * 1956-06-18 1959-03-24 Gen Motors Corp Control device

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3407278A (en) * 1967-04-17 1968-10-22 Essex Wire Corp Oscillatory electric switch construction
FR2509517A1 (fr) * 1981-01-08 1983-01-14 Tri Tech Dispositif de commutation a depassement comportant un mecanisme de transmission a came et a lame pivotante

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
BE560266A (de)
FR1181393A (fr) 1959-06-15
GB814583A (en) 1959-06-10

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