US761466A - Electric cut-out. - Google Patents

Description

No. 761,466. PATENTED MAY 31, 1904.

' P. H. FIELDING.

ELEGTRIO GUT-OUT.

APPLIOATION FILED 00T.10,1903.

no MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented May 31, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP H. FIELDING, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC CUT-OUT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 761,466, dated May 31, 1904.

Application filed October 10, 1903.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PHILIP II. FIELDING, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of New'Yorlgin the borough of Manhattan and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Gut-Outs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to electric switches or cut-outs, the object being to provide a form of switch in which ordinary inclosed fuses of commerce can be readily used as the circuit-closing element of the switch. The switch also embodies several features of construction which render it specially acceptable to the boards of fire underwriters in that the contacts are sunken in the face of the switchbase insuch a manner that accidental contact with them by foreign objects cannot be easily made.

Further details will be explained in the description which follows and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in -wl1ich Figure 1 is a plan of my improved switch. Figs. 2 and 3 are sections on line w w of Fig. 1, showing the switch in its closed and open positions, respectively. .Fig. 4: is a perspective view of an inclosed fuse used in my device as a circuit-closing element. Fig. 5 is a perspectiveview of the carrier for the circuit-closer. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the operating-handle. Fig. 7 is a detail of one of the contact-clips. Figs. 8 and 9 are two views of a modification of my invention.

The switch, as illustrated, is of the doublepole variety; but the fourcontact-clips which it embodies could be connected up in Various ways with main and branch circuits, as may be found expedient. The base of the switch consists of a rectangular block A, of porcelain, comparatively thick and having formed in its upper face two parallel oblong openings or cavities a 0, arranged upon opposite sides and connected together at the middle by a crossopening a, giving the shape of the letter H to the interconnected openings. In each end of each of the openings or cavities 0/ is firmly fixed a metallic contact-clip, said clips being lettered 6, Z), -6 and b", respectively. These clips are fixed in place by screws 12*, passing Serial no. mam. on) model.)

through the top and entering the porcelain base. They are of such dimensions that they are depressed below the upper or outer surface of the base and are surrounded on all sides except the front by the porcelain of the base. The cross-connecting opening or cavity a is for the reception of the operating-handle (shown in Fig. 6) and the two circuit-closer carriers. The handle consists of two parallel plates 0 0, connected near their inner ends by a flat cross-plate 0 and at their outer ends by a handle 0 The plates 0 c occupy offset portions of the cavity a, as shown in Fig. 1, and their inner extremities or feet work in openings cl, passing through or' partially through the base and which serve as guides therefor. The circuit-closer carriers (indicated by e and e) are arranged each side of the operating-handle and occupy the remainder of the cross-cavity a and project somewhat into the cavities a a. The carrier consists of a block of insulating material provided on its inner end with two jaws e and e and on its outer end with a cylindrical holder 6. The carrier is of porcelain, while the holder is preferably of fiber orsome tough insulating material and may be either a continuous cylinder or an open cylinder permitting of expansion to admit the circuitclosing element hereinafter referred to. The carrier is pivoted upon a metal rod f passing through the base, and the two jaws on its inner end embrace the cross-plate 0 of the operating-handle. In each side of the carrier a cavity 0 is formed for a spring a. The spring encircles the pivotal rod f and is fastened at one end to the carrier or rests'against a shoulder thereon, as shown, while its other end passes freely beneath the cross-plate 0 of the operating-handle. Four of these springs are provided, two for each carrier.

The cylindrical holder o is adapted to receive an ordinary inclosed fuse, such a device consisting, essentially, of a tube g, of insulating material, having metal ends of caps g 9, connected together electrically by a fusible strip g passing through the center of the tube. The holder 0 embraces the middle portion of the tube, while the metal ends g project in opposite directions at each end of the cavities a. in the holder by the point of a screw which enters the holder in the ear c on the carrier.

The space. between the jaws and of the carriers is wider than the thickness of the cross-plate c of the operating-handle, so that the cross-plate has a certain movement independent of the carriers.

The operation of the switch is as follows: The parts are shown in the closed-circuit po sition in Figs. 1 and 2, wherein it will be seen that the terminals of the inclosed fuse are in frictional engagement with the contact-clips in each side of the circuit and the operatinghandle is at its extreme outward position. To open the circuit, the handle is pushed inward. It will be seen that in the first part of the movement of the handle the cross-plate 0 moves independently of the carriers 0 a; but this motion serves to compress the springs e by winding them more tightly around the pivoted rods f. Eventually the cross-plate c strikes the inner jaws c of the carriers and overcomes the frictional engagement between the ends of the inclosed fuses and the clips. The moment they are sufliciently released from such engagement the springs, in which the power has been ,previously stored, exert their force upon the outer ends of the carriers and lift them quickly to break the circuit without the formation of a destructive arc, the final open position being substantially as shown in Fig. 3.- To again close the circuit, the handle is pulled outward, whereupon the cross-plate c engages with the jaws e of the carriers and their outer ends are tilted downward until the inclosed fuses are brought firmly into connection with the clips, as shown in Fig. 2, while in the closed-circuit position it will be seen that the fuses perform their usual function in the same manner as they would if mounted outside and entirely independent of the switch, and by using them in the manner described I avoid the expense of the blade or cross-bar ordinarily used as the circuitclosing element in switches. \Vhenever the fuse is destroyed by a condition which it is intended to guard against, the tube can be readily withdrawn from the holder and a perfect fuse inserted in its place. WVith the circuit either closed or open it will be seen that a short circuit on the switch can occur only with the greatest difliculty, because the live terminals 1) b, &c., are so far below the surface ofthe switch-base as to be inaccessible to external objects which may accidently be brought close to the switch.

Figs. 8 and 9 show a slight modification of the switch on a small scale. The springs are not used and the side plates 0 c of the handle The inclosed fuse is held rigidly are provided with two lugs d which after the handle has been forced part way in engage with notches 2' v1 in the circuit-closer carriers to fold them more closely inward against the handle, and thus remove the circuit-closer farther from the clips. On closing the circuit the lugs act upon the notches to swing the circuit-closer carriers outward, and then the cross-plate c of the handle comes into engagement and forces the circuit-closers into the clips.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. In an electric switch, the combination of a pivoted circuit-controllingelement provided with two jaws and an operating-handle having a portion adapted to play between and engage said jaws to open and close the circuit.

2. In an electric switch, a base of insulating material having two elongated parallel cavities, contact-clips in said cavities, a third cavity between the other two, a push-and-pull handle guided in the third cavity and two circuitcontrolling elements adapted to be moved by said handle into and out of contact with the clips in the respective cavities, substantially as described.

3. In an electric switch, a base of insulating material having two elongated parallel cavities, contaetclips in said cavities located wholly below the face of said base, a third cavity between the other two, a push-and- 'iull handle guided in the third cavity and two circuit-controlling elements adapted to be moved. by said handle into and out of said cavities to make and break the circuit, substantially as described.

4. In an electric switch or cut-out, the combination of a pivoted circuit-controller carrier provided with two jaws, an operatinghandle having a portion adapted to play between said jaws and a spring encircling the pivoted carrier an il engaging at its opposite ends respectively with the carrier and the operating-handle, for the purpose set forth.

5. In an electric switch or cut-out, the combination of an operating-handle consisting of two parallel plates and a cross connectingplate and two circuit-controller carriers arranged each side of the handle, each carrier provided with two jaws loosely embracing said cross connecting-plate and aspring adapted to be compressed by the movement of the handle to move the jaws independently thereof, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I subscribe my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PHILIP H. FIELDING.

IVitnesses:

F mm; S. Onnn, \VALDo M. OHIAPIN.

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