US467540A

US467540A - Charles j

Info

Publication number: US467540A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1892-01-26
Anticipated expiration: 1909-01-26

Description

(No Model.)

0. J. KLEIN.

' ELECTRIC SWITCH.

No. 467,540. Patented Jan. 26', 189 2.

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WITNESSES: 3 I INVENTOH M i d WW m monmav UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES J. KLEIN, OF NE\V YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 467,540, dated January 26, 1892.

Application filed April 6, 1891. Serial No. 387,759. (No model.) I

To whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. KLEIN, of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

I will describe an electric switch embodying my improvement, and then point out the novel features in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated my improvement in a form commonly known as a snap-switch.

Figure 1 is a side view of a snap-switch embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan of parts shown in Fig. 2 in a different position. Fig. i is a central section taken at the plane of the dotted line or :0, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a switch of modified form. Fig. 6 isa View like Fig. 5; but it shows parts in different positions.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, A designates a base-piece, which, as here represented, is intended to be made of insulating material of some suitable kind an d constructed so that it may be readily attached to any support. In the present instance it is provided with screw-holes b for this purpose.

B B designate the contact-pieces of a switch, and O 0 similar contact-pieces for another switch. They are made of metal, and, as here shown, are intended to be resilient, although they might be made merely flexible and actuated by springs in a manner known to be equivalent in the art. The contactpieces are separately fastened to the basepiece A. As here shown, this is done by uniting them with plates 1) b c c and fastening these plates by screws to the base piece. Wires forming part of an electric circuit may be connected by screws or otherwise to the plates b'b c 0 It will be seen that the contact-pieces B B are in the same plane, laterally, of a rotary part and that the contactpieces C O are in another plane, laterally, of a rotarypart. The ends of the contact-pieces B B overlap, and this is equally true of the contact-pieces 0 C D designates a wheel or rotary part mounted upon the base-piece A. It is intended to be made of insulating material. As here shown, it is affixed to a metal shaft d, fitting in a bushing cl, that is inserted in a hole formed through the center of the base-piece. There is a shoulder d on the shaft above the bushing, and a nut 61 is applied to the shaft below the bushing. In this way the shaft is maintained in position. The wheel or rotary part D has two eccentric arc-shaped surfaces cl (1 Between their extremities are formed radial shoulders or surfaces (Z By rotating the wheel D into one position the contactpieces of the two pairs will be separated, and by rotating it into a different position the pairs of contact-pieces maybe allowed to impinge one against another.

Fig. 2 represents the position into which the wheel is adjusted for separating the contactpieces, and Fig. 3 the reverse position. The wheel may be rotated by means of a handpiece 01 which, as here shown, is fastened to the upper end of the shaft by means of righthand screw-threads formed in it and upon the shaft. This is an advantageous way of connecting the hand-piece, because it will prevent the shaftfrom being moved in the wrong direction byturning the hand-piece. This is obviously true, because the hand-piece would unscrew, if turned to the left, as soon as any obstacle to the turning of the wheel D should. arise.

It is of the essence of myimprovement that the contact-pieces of each pair shall directly impinge upon each other and thereby be in direct electrical communication, instead of having electrical communication established between and by a surface of conducting material upon a wheel or rotary part.

I have shown a cylindric shell E fitted to the base-piece and surrounding the parts of the switch.

In Figs.5 and 6, H II designate one pair of metal contact-pieces, and I I another pair.

Normally each pair of contact-pieces will spring together. Awheel or rotary part D is intended to be rotated in the same manner as the wheel or rotary part D, previously de scribed. It is so shaped that when rotated into one position it will separate a contact-piece of each pair of the pairs of contact-pieces away from itsfellowandwhen rotated intoadifferent position will allow the contact-pieces of each pair to come together. These contact-pieces H H I I are mounted upon ablock of insulating material and are intended to be connected in circuit in the same manner as the contact pieces comprised in the first-described example of my improvement. The wheel or rotary part D is in this example of my improvement provided with a handle S, which is loosely connected with it. As here shown, the loose connection is made by fitting the shank of the handle S loosely in a hole formed centrally in the wheel or rotary part D and extending a pin 8 transversely into cavities 5 .9 formed on the top of the wheel or rotary part. Rotary motion can only beimparted by the handle to the wheel or rotary part through the pin 8 coacting with the side walls of the cavities s s orwith the side wall of one of such cavities. The edge of the loosely-connected handle allows of the wheel or rotary part moving quickly in advance of the movement of the handle whenever one of the projecting portions of the wheel or rotary part escapes one of the contact-pieces H or 1 -Obviously this permits such contact-piece H or I to drop suddenly against its fellow. It is clear that whenever one of the projections of the wheel or rotary part moves beyond one of the contact-pieces H or I it will move suddenly away from its fellow.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In an electric switch,the combination, with a base, of the wheel having the eccentric arcshaped surfaces, and a pair of tangential contact-pieces arranged in the same plane opposite the arc-shaped surfaces and one outside of the other and so disposed thatin the rotation of the wheel one contact-piece will escape from an arc-shaped surface of the wheel, leaving the other bearing on the arc-shaped surface, substantially as specified.

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

CHARLES J. KLEIN. Vitnesses:

S. 0. EDMONDS, W. M. ILIFF.