US536803A - Samuel harris - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

s. HARRIS. CONTACT FINGER FOR ELEGTRIG CONTROLLERS.

No. 536,803. Patented Apr. 2, 1895.

Fig!

a; a C) e x '2 a g 3 s Fig.2

WITNESSES IJV' VEN TOR J Zi UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

SAMUEL HARRIS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE STEEL MOTOR COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CONTACT-FINGER FOR ELECTRIC CONTROLLERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 536,803, dated April 2, 1895.

' Application filed December 5, 1894- Serial No. 530,889. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL HARRIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county ofOuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Contact Fingers for Electric Controllers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in the contact fingers of electric controllers. Its object is to increase the efficiency and adaptability of the apparatus; and it consists in the novel construction, arrangement and co mbination of the parts to effect such object, as hereinafter fully described and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 represents in side View a contact finger embodying my invention, shown in engagement with one of the connecting disks of the roller of a street car controller. Fig. 2 represents the same in plan View.

A represents the connecting disk of insulating material; a, the contact strip embedded in its periphery.

B is an insulating disk interposed between each of the disks A, parts of two of which are shown in Fig. 2.

O is the contact finger, composed of the shoe or bearing piece cattached to an endless spring 0 preferably of oval or elliptic shape and of flat metal, which is attached at its opposite side to the carrying piece 0 whereby the finger is secured to the bar D, in position to bear against the disk A, so as to effect the electrical connection of the circuit in the usual way when the roller is appropriately turned by its handle.

It is well understood that the hearing be tween the bearing surface of the finger and the disk must be as complete as possible in order to decrease the resistance and avoid the heating of the roller and the'inevitable burning of the contacts or other parts. For this reason the contact fingers are usually provided with springs to insure their firm contact with the disk, and various forms of coiled and fiat springs arranged in various ways have been adopted in the effort to secure this very desirable end. There is, however,a tendency to an unequal wear on the shoe or contact piece of the finger, which renders it essential to the best results thatit. should have practically universal play, yet a rigidity greater than could be obtained by any joint, which would also introduce resistance and be objectionable on that account.

I accomplish the results aimed at by the construction above described, as the elliptical spring yields readily to pressurein any direction and also transversely, so that the shoe 0 has suificient freedom of motion both laterally and longitudinally and yet is kept to a firm bearing not only throughout its length but also throughout its width. This result cannot be obtained with coiled or flat springs, as the latter do not insure perfect lengthwise contact of the shoe, and neither affords perfect compensation for lateral wear.

The finger is attached to bar D by means of a connecting piece D to whichit is secured by screws 6 e, and in case of burning or greater wearing of the shoe 0 at one end than the other, the entire finger may be reversed by removing the screws 6 e and replacing the fingerinverted, so that thereby the life of the finger may be prolonged.

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

1. A contact finger for electric controllers having the contact shoe rigidly affixed to an endless spring which is free to flex in any direction and is rigidly affixed to a carrying piece, substantially as described.

2. A controller finger for electric controllers having the contact shoe rigidly affixed to an endless spring of flat metal which is free to flex in any direction and is rigidly affixed to a carrying piece, substantially as described.

3. A contact finger for electric controllers having the contactshoe rigidly affixed to an endless elliptical spring which is free to fiex in any direction and to which is rigidly affixed a carrying piece, substantially as described.

4. A controller finger for electric controllers having the contact-shoe rigidly affixed to an endless elliptical spring of fiat metal which is free to flex in any direction and to which is rigidly affixed a carrying-piece, substantially as described.

ICO

5. A contact finger for electric controllers having the contact-shoe rigidly affixed to the long side of an elliptical spring which is free to flex in any direction and whose free portions are without joints, and to the opposite side of which spring is rigidly affixed a carrying piece, substantially as described.

6. A contact finger for electric controllers having the contact-shoe rigidly aifixed to the long side of a flat elliptical spring which is free to flex in any direction and whose free portions are without joints, and to the opposite side of which spring is rigidly affixed a.

carrying piece, substantially asdescribedn 7. A reversible contact finger for electric controllers having the contact-shoe rigidly aflixed to an endless spring to which is rigidly aiiixed a reversible carrying piece, substantially as described.

8. A reversible contact-finger for electric SAMUEL HARRIS.

Witnesses:

P. PRENTISS, ROLAND RIDER.

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