US3156805A - Electric switch assembly including indicator and mounting means - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 10, 1964 H. E. BAKER ETAL 5 ELECTRIC SWITCH ASSEMBLY INCLUDING INDICATOR ANDMOUNTING MEANS Filed July 22, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 HAROLD E. BAKER ERLE H.DODGE MARCELLUS N. GILBERT JR fig. Z I INVENTORS BY 6 M,

ATTORNE Nov. 10, 1964 H. E. BAKER ETAL 3,156,805

ELECTRIC SWITCH ASSEMBLY INCLUDING INDICATOR AND MOUNTING MEANS Filed July 22, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HAROLD E. BAKER ERLE H. DODGE MARCELLUS N. GILBERT JR.

INVENTORS BY C M! ATTOR Y United States Patent 3,156,805 ELECTRIC SWITCH ASSEMBLY INCLUDING INDI- CATOR AND MOUNTING MEANS Harold E. Baker, Danvers, Erle H. Dodge, Beverly, and Marcellus N. Gilbert, Ira, Lynntield, Mass, assignors to Sylvania Electric Products Inc, a corporation of Delaware Filed July 22, 1960, Ser. No. 44,591 7 Claims. (Cl. 200-167) This invention relates to electric switches and more particularly to modifications of conventional electric switches and mounting arrangements employed in locating them in operational positions in various applications.

The type of electric switch with which this invention is particularly concerned is the mechanically actuated type in which an actuating arm is mechanically connected to a switch contact. In this type of switch, displacement of the actuating arm effects a displacement of the switch contact associated therewith to either close or open an electrical circuit through this switch contact and at least one other switch contact associated therewith. Switches of this type are usually provided with threaded receptacles in the bottom thereof for receiving screws. In some cases wires are connected directly to these screws and in other cases metal tabs are supported at one end by these screws and the wires are soldered, welded or crimped to the other ends of these tabs, in order to connect the switch electrically in a circuit. These switches are provided withsome form of mounting means, usually a pair of holes extending transversely therethrough, so that the switch may be'located and positioned on some mounting surface, such as a pair of plugs for example.

In the practical usage of these switches, as those skilled in the art know well, it is quite important that great care be exercised in accurately locating the mounting plugs for these switches because the proper operation of the switch depends thereon. If the switch is not properly located, insofar as its mounting is concerned, its actuating arm will not be properly located and malfunctions will occur. Expediency many times suggests that the actuating arm be permanently bent in a direction and to the extent necessary to compensate for this inaccurateswi-tch mounting. Many times the switch mechanism is damaged when this is done. And in all cases, the problem has not been solved but merely avoided and must be faced again when a new switch is installed at the same location.

Another problem, with which those skilled in the art are familiar, is the difliculty in determining whether or not the switch itself is operating properly when some failure occurs in the electrical circuitry with which the switch is associated. This problem is further aggravated when a whole bank of these switches is used in one general operation. The further question then arises as to which switch is the defective one.

In view of the foregoing circumstances, an object of this invention is to provide a mounting arrangement for electric switches which readily lends itself to adjustment both upon initial installation and during usage.

Another object is to providesuch a mounting arrange ment which further lends itself to a quick and easy replacement of a defective switch by a good one with the assurance that the mounting arrangement will not be disturbed and the new switch will operate properly.

A further object is to providean electric switch assembly with visual indicating means from which it can be readily determined whether or not a detected malfunction is-due' to a faulty switch.

A further object is to provide an electric switch assembly with means for protecting the switch actuating arm aliases from damage and more particularly for preventing abnormal overtravel thereof and thus protect the switch from damage which could well be permanent and necessitate replacement of the switch by a new one.

These and other objects, advantages and features are attained, in accordance with the principles of our invention, by mounting a switch on an adjustable mounting plate which can be adjusted in one or more directions and by incorporating in a switch receptacle a visual indicating means electrically connected to the switch. In the switch assembly of our invention, the locus of the switch itself thereon is always the same but the locus of the mounting plate can be adjusted depending on the circumstances. Once the locus of the mounting plate has been determined accurately it is secured in position so that when a switch replacement is made it is known that the switch will automatically be in the correct position. An actuating lever, pivotally mounted on the aforementioned mounting plate, normally engages the switch actuating arm and limits its travel so that malfunctions due to overtravel of the actuating arm are avoided.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating a specific embodiment of our invention,

FIGURE 1 is an exploded View of a switch assembly.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the switch assembly of FIGURE 1 showing the parts thereof in the assembled state.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the switch assembly of FIGURE 2 disposed on one type of mounting plate. 7

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of a modified switch assembly disposed on another type of mounting plate.

FIGURE 5 is a vertical section through the visual indicating means component of the switch assembly taken along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 6 is a transverse section through the visual indicating means component of the switch assembly taken along the line 66 of FIGURE 5.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, the electric switch It) illustrated therein comprises a body member 12 within which the switch contacts are disposed, a switch actuating arm 14- pivotally mounted at 16 on the body member 12 and a pair of resilient plugs 18 depending from the bottom of the body member 12. A pair of switch mounting holes 20 extend transversely through the body member 12. The switch Ill is the same as a commercially available switch except that the pair of resilient plugs 18 replace the pair of terminal screws and terminal tabs normally a part of switches of this type.

Disposed immediately beneath and in cooperative relationship with the switch it) is a translucent case 22 within which a visual indicating means described more fully below is disposed. The translucent case 22 comprises a base member 24 and a body member 26. A pair of mounting holes 28 extend transversely through the body member 25. A pair of holes 3% extend vertically through the case 22. A pair of hollow screws 32 provided with washers 34 extend into the holes 3% in the case 22 and define receptacles for receiving the resilient plugs 18 depending from the switch til and for establishing electrical connections therewith.

The assembled switch 10 and case 22 are seated in a receptacle 35 with a sleeve 38 of insulating material disposed therebetween. The sleeve 38 is provided with holes 4%, the purpose of which will be described below.

The receptacle 36 is provided with a pair of holes 42' in the body member 2-6 of case 22 when these components are assembled. As will be noted in FIGURE 2, screws 46 extend through this last mentioned series of holes to secure the case 22; in the receptacle 35. The receptacle 36 is provided with a translucent base plate 48 secured thereto by screws 50. The receptacle 36 is also provided with an internally threaded boss 52 for receivng an electrical connector to be described below.

As mentioned above, the translucent case 22 is provided with a visual indicating means. This is shown particularly in FIGURES and 6, to which particular reference is now made. The visual indicating means comprises an indicator lamp 5d and a resistor 56 connected in series across the hollow terminal screws 32 by terminal tabs 58a, 53b and 580. This visual indicating means assembly is mounted on the base member 24 of the case 22 and is enclosed by the body member 26 thereof. The terminal tab 58:: is common whereas terminal tab 581'; or terminal tab 580 will be the tab engaged by one of the terminal screws 32 depending on whether the corresponding plug 18 (FIGURE 1) of the switch 19 is disposed in the normally closed circuit receptacle or normally open circuit receptacle in the bottom of the switch Ittl.

One type of switch assembly mounting structure is illustrated in FIGURE 3. In the modification shown therein, the switch assembly of FIGURE 2 is secured to an adjustable switch mounting plate 65 which is in turn secured to an adjustable base plate 62. The switch mounting plate 65' is provided with a pair of switch mounting pins 64 and a resilient clip Mounting of the switch assembly on the switch mounting plate 69 is effected by positioning the switch assembly thereon with the mounting pins 64 projecting through the holes 29 provided therefor in the body member 12 of the switch and snapping the resilient clip 66 over the outer face of the receptacle as. An electrical connection to the switch assembly is made by a cable 68 having wires 79 running therethrough and a threaded plug 72 on the end thereof, the plug 72 being screwed into the threaded boss 52 and the wires 7i being connected to the terminal screws 32 (FTGURE 1) within the receptacle 36. The switch mounting plate 60 is provided with a pair of openings therein, such as elongated holes 74 for example. Positioning of the switch mounting plate 6t) on the base plate 62 is adjustable within the limits defined by the elongated holes 74 in the plate tit). Once the desired lateral positioning of switch mounting plate 60 has been determined, the plate on is secured to the base plate 62 by screws 76. Vertical adjustment of this assembly can then be eifected by adjusting the position of the base plate 62, which is attached to a suitable member, not shown, of the apparatus with which the switch is to be associated. Positioning of the base plate 62 is adjustable within the limits defined by openings therein, such as the elongated holes 78 for example. Once the desired vertical positioning of the base plate 62 has been determined, it is secured in position by screws 89.

As was mentioned above, one of the objects of this invention is to provide an electric switch assembly with means for protecting the switch actuating arm from damage, including prevention or" abnormal overtravel thereof and thus protect the switch mechanism from damage which could well be permanent and necessitate replacement of the switch by a new one. This means is illustrated in FIGURE 3. As shown in this figure, a lever 82 is pivotally mounted at 84 on base plate 62. The lever 82 overlies the switch actuator arm Li and a portion of the lower longitudinal edge thereof normally engages the actuator arm. The lever 82 is spring-loaded clockwise by spring 86 and is provided with a hole 83 intermediate its ends and through which pin 9t) on base plate 62 extends. A suitable contact arm or member, such as for example contact arm 92., is attached to lever 82 by screws )4.

The assembly just described is shown in its normal rest position in FIGURE 3. In operation, the free end of the contact arm 92 is displaced downwardly as indicated by the arrow shown immediately therebeneath. Downward movement of the contact arm 92 effects a similar movement of the lever 32 to which it is attached, the lever 82 moving counter-clockwise and pivoting about its pivot point 84. Since the lever 82 normally engages the switch actuator arm 14 which is pivoted at 16, the switch actuator arm 14 is similarly displaced and thus actuates the switch. The length of the stroke of the lever 82 is limited by the pin 9:), further downward travel of the lever 82 being arrested as soon as the lever strikes the upper periph ral surface of the pin 99 projecting through the hole 38 in the lever. Thus this pin-hole arrangement prevents an overtravel stroke being applied to the switch actuator arm 14- during the switch actuating stroke thereof. Once the force applied to the free end of contact arm 92 to actuate the switch has been relieved, the spring 86 returns the lever 82 to its normal rest position and thus permits the switch actuator arm 14, which is also a spring loaded member, to return to its normal rest position. One end of spring 86 fits in hole 87 provided therefor in lever 82 whereas the other end thereof fits in one of several holes 39 provided therefor in switch mounting plate 69, the selection of the particular hole %9 depending on the amount of tension which it is desired to have the spring exert on the lever.

Another modification of the switch assembly of our invention is illustrated in FIGURE 4. The modification shown in FIGURE 4 is particularly suitable for applications where damage to the switch such as for example possible overtravel of the switch actuator arm is not a substantial problem and only adjustability of the switch assembly is required. In this embodiment, the switch assembly of FIGURE 2 is positioned on switch mounting plate 9a with mounting pins 98 thereon projecting through roles provided therefor in the body member of the switch, and resilient clip 10% mounted on the plate 96 snapping over the receptacle 101 to hold it on the plate. Actuator arm 14a of the switch, pivotally mounted at 16a, is provided with a roller 102 on the free end thereof. Thus when the roller 102 is engaged, such as by an article of work passing thereover for example, the actuator arm 14a is deflected downwardly and thus effects energization of the switch. Electrical connections to the switch assembly are made in the same manner as described above in connection with FIGURE 3. The mounting plate 96 is adjustable within the limits defined by the elongated slots 1% therein (one of which is shown). When this adjustment has been determined, the plate 96 is secured in posi tion by screws 108 (one of which is shown).

As noted above, the switch assembly of our invention includes a visual indicating means disposed within a translucent case. The specific embodiment of this visual indicating means comprises an indicator lamp 54 across the terminal screws 32. Thus each time the switch is actuated, the lamp glows and provides a readily visible signal that the switch is operating. If the switch becomes defective the lamp will not go oh? and on but stay off or stay on depending on just when in an operating cycle the defect developed. An inspector or operator in attendance will readily note the unchanged state of this visual signal and thus be alerted to the realization that the switch is defective and must be replaced.

Replacement of a defective switch may be effected quite readily by an operator since the switch 10 merely plugs into the hollow terminal screws 32 projecting up through the translucent case 2.2. Since no part of the assembly associated with the switch has to be disturbed during this replacement operation, the new switch, when plugged in as noted, will necessarily be accurately located for proper operation.

One of the more important practical advantages of the switch assembly of our invention is its ready adaptability to a variety of application circumstances. For example, the switch body member 12 may be positioned 1n the receptacle 36 so that its switch actuator arm 14 extends to the left or to the right. The resilient clip 66 of FIGURE 3 and the resilient clip 100 of FIGURE 4 may be relocated on their respective mounting plates to the right instead of to the left as shown in order to permit reversal of the location of the electrical connections. Also, the position of lever 82 of FIGURE 3 may be similarly reversed so that it extends to the right instead of to the left.

What we claim is:

1. An electric switch assembly comprising: a switch body member; a pair of terminal plugs depending from the bottom of said body member; a translucent case disposed in abutting relationship with respect to the bottom of said body member, said case having a pair of holes extending therethrough and in register with said terminal plugs; a pair of hollow terminal screws extending into said holes from the bottom of said case, said plugs extending into and engaging said screws; and a light source disposed in said case and electrically connected across said screws.

2. The combination of claim 1 and a receptacle within which said switch body member and said case is disposed, portions of said receptacle being cutaway to expose substantial portions of said case disposed therein whereby said light source is visible.

3. The combination of claim 1 and a receptacle within which said switch body member and said case is disposed, the bottom of said receptacle having a translucent plate whereby said light source is visible from the bottom thereof, and the sides of said receptacle being cutaway to expose substantial portions of said case disposed therein whereby said light source is visible from the sides thereof.

4. The combination of claim 1 and a receptacle within which said switch body member and said case is disposed, the bottom of said receptacle having a translucent plate whereby said light source is visible from the bottom thereof, the sides of said receptacle being cut away to expose substantial portions of said case disposed therein whereby said light source is visible from the sides thereof, and an end of said receptacle being provided with an opening through which wires may be fed for connection to said terminal screws.

5. In combination with an electric switch having a body member and an actuating arm pivotally mounted on the top thereof for repetitive engagement by objects moving through a path: a pair of terminal plugs depending from the bottom of said body member; a translucent case disposed in abutting relationship with respect to the bottom of said body member, said case having a pair of holes extending therethrough and in register with said terminal plugs; a pair of hollow terminal screws extending into said holes from the bottom of said case, said plugs extending into and engaging said screws; a light source disposed in said case and electrically connected across said screws; a mounting plate; and means for securing said switch to said mounting plate, said mounting plate having a pair of elongated slots cut therein whereby and through which said mounting plate can be adjustably positioned and attached to a base member, said adjustable positioning of said mounting plate providing means for accurately locating said switch actuating arm in said path.

6. In combination with an electric switch having a switch actuating arm pivotally mounted thereon for repetitive engagement by objects moving through a path: a mounting plate on which said switch is mounted, said plate having a pair of elongated slots cut therein and extending in one direction; means on said mounting plate through which said switch is attached thereto; a base plate for said switch mounting plate, said base plate having a pair of elongated slots cut therein and extending in a direction transverse to the direction in which said first-mentioned pair of slots extend; means extending through said first-mentioned pair of slots for securing said mounting plate to said base plate; and means extending through said second-mentioned pair of slots for securing said base plate, said first-mentioned pair of slots and said second-mentioned pair of slots providing means for adjustably positioning said switch in two different planes for accurately locating said switch actuating arm in said path.

7. In combination with an electric switch having a switch actuating arm pivotally mounted thereon: a mounting plate on which said switch is mounted; means on said mounting plate through which said switch is attached thereto; a lever pivotally mounted on said mounting plate and in register with said switch actuating arm with -a portion of the lower longitudinal side of said lever in engagement with said switch actuating arm near the free end thereof for actuation thereof; and means for defining the limits of displacement of said lever whereby the limits of displacement of said arm actuated by said lever are controlled thereby.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,152,005 Clark Aug. 31, 1915 1,503,238 Gall July 29, 1924 2,377,912 Way June 12, 1945 2,454,341 Repka Nov. 23, 1948 2,633,520 Chandler et al Mar. 31, 1953. 2,748,219 Buchanan May 29, 1956 2,767,276 Buchanan et al Oct. 16, 1956 2,785,256 Nina Mar. 12, 1957 2,789,176 Mercier Apr. 16, 1957 2,866,964 Neidenberg et al Dec. 30, 1958 3,027,441 Mullen et a1 Mar. 27, 1962

Claims (1)

1. AN ELECTRIC SWITCH ASSEMBLY COMPRISING: A SWITCH BODY MEMBER; A PAIR OF TERMINAL PLUGS DEPENDING FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID BODY MEMBER; A TRANSLUCENT CASE DISPOSED IN ABUTTING RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID BODY MEMBER, SAID CASE HAVING A PAIR OF HOLES EXTENDING THERETHROUGH AND IN REGISTER WITH SAID TERMINAL

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