US421396A - Cut-out - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. G. A. FREI.

GUT-OUT.

No. 421,396. l Patented Feb. 18, 1890.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-#Sheet 2. G. A. FREI.

GUT-OUT.

No. 421,396. Patented Feb. 18, 1 890.

UNITED STATES PATENT" OFFICE.

GUSTAV A. FREI, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE BERNSTEIN ELECTRIC LIGHT MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

CUT-OUT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 421,396, dated February 18, 1890.

i Application iilcd October l2, 1888. Serial No. 287,935. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Beit knownthat I, GUSTAV A. FREI, of

Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Switches and Cut-Outs for Electric Lights, of y which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and iigures on the drawings representing like parts.

In an application of Mr. O. S. Bussmann, Serial No. 252,122, tiled October 12, 1887, a safety-switch for incandescent lights, dsc., is shown designed to be operated manually to cut into and out of circuit one or several electrically-controlled devices to preserve the continuity lof the main circuit, or the conti-I nuity of both the main and the auxiliary or local circuit containing the electrically-controlled devices, the said safety-switch being provided with an automatic circuit-changing device or contact-maker normally held disengaged by a fusible retaining device, but which, when released, is adapted to preserve the continuity of the circuit. This safetyswitch was designed for use when the circuit containing the lamps or other electricallycontrolled devices was found open-as, for instance, by a broken filament or broken wire, in which instance the main line would be opened; but under such circumstances the automatic circuit-chan ging device or contactmaker was released and the continuityof the main line preserved.

This invention has for its object to improve the construction of lthe switch in several particulars.

It has been found in practice that the contacts between which an arc would be formed if the auxiliary circuit was found open, when placed near enough together to properly establish the arc and fuse the retaining device,

were so near that an arc was liable to be established at other times and accidents therefrom liable to occur. In accordance with this invention I have provided a magnet, preferably an electro-magnet, in the magnetic iield of which the main-line contacts are placed. The magnetic force serves in well-known manner to suppress an arc if established. In lieu of the spring-controlled plugs shown in the application referred to, a pivoted lever or arm held in its abnormal position against the tension of a spring by a fusible retaining de vice, herein shown as a link, is employed, the 1 said link being adjacent to the main-line contacts, so as to be heated by the arc estab lished.

Figure 1 shows in front elevation a safetyswitch embodying this invention; Fig. 2, a vertical section of the switch shown in Fig. 1, taken on the dotted line 0c 0c; and Fig. 3, a detail showing the segmental ccntactplates, the plate on the right being broken away to vshow insulating-disk c.'

The circular disk c., of insulating material, having upon each side two contact-plates, as ai, the shaft as, to which the disk is secured, and the case A, are substantially as in the application referred to. A crank-disk 2 is secured to the shaft c3, it having an arm 3, to which is loosely connected the operating-lever l). A yoke or strap a is fastened to the arm 3, between the upwardly-extending sides of which the lever l) works. Two rods 5 6 are loosely connected to the crank-disk 2 eccentrically but at opposite sides of the shaft c3, the outer or free ends of the said rods passing through guides or brackets 7 8. Spiral'springs 9 10 surround the rods 5 6, the outer ends of which bear against the guides or brackets 7 8 and the opposite ends bear against shoulders formed on the rods 5 6. By this construction it will be seen that as the lever h is moved in one or the other direction it may be moved slowly until the disk a ar rives at a certain position near the limit of its movement in one or the other direction, when one or the other spring 5 6 will tend to continue the movement quickly. The result thus obtained is well known in the art in safetyswitches- Plugs 12 13 le 15 are secured to the ease A, to each one of which, respectively, is attached contact-pens 16 17 1S 19, although for safety a duplicate set of pens is employed to co-opcrate with the opposite side of the disk a. These pens 16 17 1S 19 bear upon the contacteplates a', and, as herein represented, the pens 16 17 will be denominated the mainline contacts and the pens 18 19 the auX- iliary-circuit contacts. As herein shown, the pens 16 18 bear upon the same plate, and

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hence a path is offered for the current through the pen 16, plate a', pen 18, and through the auxiliary circuit in the manner to be described, vreturning through the pen 19, plate a, and pen 17 to the main line. By moving the operating-lever l) into its other position the pens 16 and 17 bear upon the same plate and the pens 1S 19 upon the same plate, and hence the auxiliary circuit is cut out. The contacting ends of the pens 16 17 are arranged close together, so that an are may be established between them if the auxiliary circuit is found open by accident or inadvertence, and the fusible retaining device or link 2O is as near to the contacting ends of the pens 16 17 as possible, it being loosely connected at one end with the bracket or arm 21 and at the opposite end with the short arm 22 of a pivoted lever or arni The link 2O holds the lever 23 in its abnormal position against the tension of the spring 21; but when the said link is fused the lever 2S is released, and is moved by the spring 21 into engagement with the contact-pen 25 to preserve the continuity of the circuit. As the pens 16 and 17 are arranged very close together, an arc is liable to be established when the auxiliary circuit is complete, and to provide against accident in such cases an electro-magnet 26 is provided, the pole-pieces of which receive between them the contacting ends of the pens 16 17, so that the arc established will lie in the magnetic iield.- The coil 27 of said electro-magnet is connected by wire 2S with the block 14, and by wire 29 with the block 30, from which leads the auX- iliary circuit. Thus it willbe seen that when the auxiliary circuit is included the coil 27 will also be included. The magnetic force of the magnet 26 tends to suppress or destroy the are which may be formed between the pens 16 and 17, when another path for the current is offered.

The safety-switch above described is simple, compact, and very eiiieient, and4 not liable to get out of order. The magnet 26 may be connected directly in the main line, if desired.

I claim- 1. In a safety manually-operable switch, the combination, substantially as described, of the following instrumentalities: the movable member and hand-lever for moving it, the main-line contacts 16 17, located adjacent to each other, the auxiliary-line contacts 1S 19, constituting stationary members, with which the movable member co-operates, and the magnetic device in the magnetic field of which the ends of said contacts 16 17 lie, the contact-maker 3, and the fusible link 20, also located near the ends of the said contacts 16 17, for holding the said contact-maker 23 in its abnormal position.

2. In a safety manually-operable switch, the combination, substantially as described, of the disk having two contact-plates constituting the movable member, the hand-lever for moving it, the main-line contacts 16 17, auxiliary-line contacts 1S 19, constituting the stationary members, the pivoted spring-controlled contact-lever 23, and fusible link 20, .located near the ends of the contacts 16 17, connected at one end to and normally holding the said lever 23 in its abnormal position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GUSTAV A. FREL W'itnesses:

BERNIcn J. Novus, F. L. EMERY.

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