US665352A - Electric fuse-box. - Google Patents

Description

No. 665,352. Patented Jan. I, l90l. E. W. STULL.

ELECTRIC FUSE BOX.

(Application filed Mar. 21, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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EMME'IT W. STULL, OF JOlINSTOvVN,

PATENT OFFICE.

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE LORAIN STEEL COMPANY, OF PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC FUSE-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 665,352, dated January 1, 1901.

Application filed March 21, 1900. Serial No. 9,558. tNo modem T ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EMMETT W. STULL, of Johnstown,in the county of Oambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Fuse-Boxes,

of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

to My invention has relation to electric fuseboxes, and more particularly to fuse-boxes of that type in which the fuse-holders are automatically thrown apart to increase the distance between them upon the destruction of the fuse to prevent the formation of arcs between them.

One object of my invention is mainly to provide means for facilitating the return of the holders to position to receive a new fuse,

which will obviate the necessity for manually returning the same to and holding the same in such position while the fuse is being placed.

Other objects of my invention relate to the improvement of various specific features of the device, as will hereinafter appear.

With these objects in view my invention consists in the combination, with a pair of pivoted fuse-holders arranged in a suitable box or closure and means whereby said hold- 0 ers are thrown away from each other upon the destruction of the fuse, of a pivoted door forming a part of said closure, and means whereby as said door is opened for the purpose of replacing a destroyed fuse said hold- 5 ers will be automatically brought to and held in position to receive such fuse.

The invention also consists in means for holding the door in both opened and closed positions and in certain other novel features 40 of construction, combination, and arrangement,all as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

5 In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved fuse-box with the door removed and the fuse-holders in their normal or working positions. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is afront elevation of the box with the door closed, and Fig.

4 is a detail view showing the fuse.

The letter A designates a suitable box or closure, which is preferably of metal, with a lining A of refractory material. 13 is a door which forms one side of the said box, being 5 pivoted at its lower edge portion on a pin or pintle b, which is supported in lugs b of the box.

0 is a spring-guide which is pivoted at one end to a lug c at the lower central portion of the door, its opposite end working loosely in a tapered opening 0' in a lug c on the box.

D is a spring which is coiled around said guide, with a bearing at one end against the door and at the opposite end against the lug c This spring, as will be seen, in its normal position (shown in Fig. 2) exerts its force to hold the door closed; but when the door is swung open to a position at substantially right angles to its closed position the pivoted end of the guide will be moved past the center of the pin or pintle b to the'position indicated in dotted lines, and said spring will act to hold the door open.

E E designate two fuse-holders, which consist of arms of conducting material pivoted at their lower ends on pins or studs E, also of conducting material, and supported in lugs or castings E which are secured to but insulated from the inner rear wall of the box. The terminals of the line in which the instrument is placed are respectively connected to these lugs or castings through the insulating-plugs F. G are coiled springs which act upon said arms to release them, the arms being normally held against the action of said springs by the loop-form fuse H, which is slipped over the ends of said arms.

I I designate brushes which insure electrical contact between the arms E and the 0 lugs E independently of the pins or studs E.

K K designate two plungers which extend through the bottom wall of the box and whose upper ends are provided with heads K, which are preferably of fiber or other non-conduct- 5 ing material. L L are projections on the bottom edge of the door for engagement, respectively, with the lower ends of the said plungers.

M is a division-piece of refractory material, which is placed vertically between the arms E E, with its upper portion in the form of a trough. The purpose of this device and of the peculiar shape of its upper portion is to break any are that might attempt to form between the fuse-holders as the latter separate, the two edges of the trough portion forming a double barrier of a peculiarly effective character.

N is a vent-opening in the top of the box.

WVhen a fuse burns out, the springs G at once throw the arms E into the positions shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, with projections E thereof resting upon the heads of the plungers K. WVhen the door Bis opened for the purpose of replacing the fuse, the projections L force the plungers upwardly, and thereby move the arms E into position to receive the fuse, and as the door is held open by the action of the spring D said arms are held in such position while the fuse is being placed. This relieves the operator from the necessityot' having to hold said arms with one hand.

I do not wish to limit myself to the particularconstruction and combination of parts which I have herein shown and described, as it is obvious that various changes may be made in the details thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as set forth in the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a fuse-box, the combination with pivoted fuse-holders, and means for automatically increasing the separation of said fuseholders upon the destruction of a fuse, of a door forminga portion of said box, and means actuated by the opening of said door for returning said holders to position to receive a new fuse.

2. In a fuse-box, the combination with pivoted fuse-holders, and means for automatically increasing the separation of said holders upon the destruction of a fuse, of a pivoted door forming a part of said box, and members engaging the said holders in their separated positions and actuated by the opening of said door, to return theholders to position to receive a new fuse.

3. In a fuse-box, the combination with a pair of pivoted spring-actuated fuse-holders, normally held against the action of their springs by the fuse, a pivoted door forming a portion of said box, lifting devices for said holders, and means on said door arranged to engage and actuate said lifting devices when the door is opened.

4. In a fuse-box, the combination with a pair of pivoted spring-actuated fuse-holders, normally held against the action of their springs by the fuse, a pivoted door forming a portion of said box, lifting devices for said holders, and means on said door arranged to engage and actuate said lifting devices when the door is opened, together with a spring arranged to hold said door in both open and closed positions.

5. In a fuse-box having a swinging door, the combination of pivoted fuse holders, springs for separating the same, plungers engaged by said holders in their separated positions, and means on said door arranged to engage said plungers when the door is opened.

6. In a fuse-box, the combination with a pair of fuse-holders, and means for automatically separating the same when the fuse is destroyed, of means whereby the act of obtaining access to said box to replace the fuse automatically returns said fuse-holders to position.

'7. In a fuse-box, the combination of a pair of pivoted fuse-holders, and springs for separating said holders upon the destruction of a fuse, of a division-plate of refractory material between said arms and having a broad trough-like upper portion.

8. A fuse-box having a door pivoted atone of its edges, a spring-guide pivotally connected to said door at one end and loosely engaging a fixed portion of the box at its other end, said guide being arranged to have that end which is connected to the door carried past the center of the door-pivot as the door is opened or closed, and a spring on said guide and bearing at one end directly against the door and at its other end against the box.

9. In a fuse-box, the combination with pivoted fuse-holders, springsfor separating said holders and having their action normally restrained by the fuse, a hinged or pivoted door formingpart of the said box, andlifting members which are moved upwardly against the fuse-arms by the outward movement of the said door.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EMMET" IV. S'IULL.

W'itnesses:

B. M. SMITH, H. W. SMITH.

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