US380766A - Electric cut-out - Google Patents

Description

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G. G. PERKINS & J. T-REGONING ELEOTRIU 0UT-OUT. No. 380,766. Patented Apr. 10, 1888.

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ELEGTRIO OUT-OUT.

Patented Apr. 1'0, 1888.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES G. PERKINS AND JOHN TREGONING, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC CUT-OUT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 380,766, dated April 10, 1888.

Application filed July .2, 1887. Serial No. 243,224. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CHARLES G. PERKINS and JOHN TREGONING, citizens of the United States, and residents of the city of Hartford, county of Hartford, and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Cut-Outs, of which the'following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The main object of our invention is to provide easy and certain means for connecting up electric circuits with interposed safety catches or strips; and to this end it consists, broadly, of a block or base of insulating material supporting one or more safety-strips, in combina tion with a second block or base with which the first can be conveniently connected in such a manner as to make a spring-connection between the terminals on the respective bases.

Our invention is embodied in a device which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the cut-out for connecting up main and branch wires, showing the position and manner of binding the main wires. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of same. Fig. 3 is a plan of the cutout block with cover removed; Fig. 4, a vertical section on line 00 w of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a

similar section on line 3/ y, Fig. 3; Fig. 6, a

perspective view of the block supporting the safety strips. Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10 are details.

Referring to the first ten figures of the drawings, the cut-out consists of the body A and its cover A. These are constructed of wood, papier-mach, or other suitable insulating material. The cover fits over the body andis held in place by spring-catches a. The cover serves to protect the mechanism from dust and injury. The edges of the body or base A are cut away, as shown, leaving a ledge, which is occupied on the ends of the cut-out block by the cover, while at the sides the space is left clear, the cover being cut away, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, for the purpose. Along this space the two main wires 13 B are run, and are held in place by the slips or brackets b b, which are provided with set-screws b for clamping the wire in place. The brackets are of conducting material, and have inward extensions, b over the top of the block. One of these bracketsis provided for each wire, and

they are located near diagonally-opposite corners of the block. At the other two corners of the block,and arranged in like manner, are secured two metallic plates, 0 c, which carry binding-posts c c for the tap or branch wires C C. These four metallic plates-via, b I) and c c-are countersunk in the block, so that they are flush with the upper surface thereof. The center of the block is perforated, and in the perforation lies a bolt, D. This bolt projects above the face of the block and has a conical head. Its lower end carries a screw, d, whose head extends beyond the sides of the bolt and serves as a shoulder against whicha coiled spring, d, occupying an enlargement of the central perforation, may exert its force to draw the bolt downward. The movement ,of the bolt in this direction is limited by a shoulder on the upper part of the bolt, as shown.

Fig. 6 shows a perspective of an insulatingblock, E, provided with a button-hole slot, e, adapted to he slid under the head of the bolt D. The block is also provided with a perforation in each of its four corners. In the perforations are inserted postsffand ff, which are of peculiar construction.

Referring to Figs. 5, 7, and 8, the posts are shown as having at their upper ends a clamping-screw, f while their lower ends are bored longitudinally to receive a plug or presserfoot, f which is spring-supported therein. Figs. 7, 8, and 10 show two different ways of supporting the foot by springs. In Fig. 7 the spring is coiled and placed at the bottom of the boring, and in Fig. 8 a spring-washer is inserted between the lower end of the post and the shoulder of the presser-foot. Fig. 10 is a face view of the washer. As before stated, one

of these posts is inserted in each of the perfo rations in the block E, and when so located they are coupled up in pairs by means of a strip of some good conducting metal or alloy which will fuse at a comparatively low temperature. This strip is shown in detail in Fig. 9. The hooked ends pass under the heads of screws f and are clamped in place. The reduced portion at the middle of the strip determines the point at which the strip will fuse.

Block E is secured to the base A by sliding it under the head of the bolt D, which operates as a clamp to hold the parts together. The block is moved along, with the bolt in the slot, until the head of the bolt drops into the enlarged part of the slot. The block is then held securely in place by the power of the spring acting on the bolt.

The presser-feetf of the several posts stand normally below the block E, so that when the block is inserted in place they press against the plates 1) b" and c c and make good springconnection therewith. This is effected not only by the spring acting through the bolt D, but also by the springs acting on the several presser-feet.

A guide-pin, p, is inserted in the face of the block A to indicate and determine the position of block E with reference to block A, and the posts in block E are coupled up in pairs by the safety-strips in such a manner that a current of electricity may have free passage from the main to the branch wires. The course of the current in the block shown is obvious and need not be detailed.

Where there are four contacts to be made, as in the described form of cutout, there is great danger that one of the contacts will be imperfect, or will not be made at all. This might easily be caused by a slight warping of the insulatingblock or the base to which it is attached. By the spring-connections above described the danger is obviated.

It will be seen that the blocks can be easily inserted in place or withdrawn, while the springs afford a practical certainty that the contacts will be electrically good.

What we claim is- 1. An insulating-block carrying two or more fusible strips for separate circuits, combined and detachably connected with a suitable supporting-block carryingterminals to separate circuits, substantially as described.

2. An insulating-block carrying two or more fusible strips for separate circuits, at suitable supporting-block carrying terminals to separate circuits, and a spring-clamp for coupling said block to its support.

3. An insulatiug block carrying circuit-terminals connected in pairs by safety-strips, the said block having a button-hole slot, as described,in combination with a spring button bolt for securing the block in place, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a block supporting the terminals of a main and a branch circuit, of a movable block supporting safetystrips, said strips, when the block is in place, making connection between the main and branch circuit terminals.

5. The combination, with a block supporting circuit-terminals, of a removable block supporting corresponding spring-terminals, the latter beingjoined in pairs by safety-strips, as and for the purpose set forth.

, In testimony whereofwe affix oursignatures in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES G. PERKINS. JOHN TREGONING.

Witnesses:

LEONARD MoRsE, A. N. PREscoTT.

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