US794218A - Electric switch. - Google Patents

Description

No. 794,218.-- PATENTBD JULY 11, 1905.

W. B DOW. I

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION mm 17.9. 1905.

.NITED STATES Patented July 11, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 794,218, dated July 11, 1905.

Application filed January 9, 1905. Serial No. 240,148.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLARD E. Dow, a citizen of the United States, residing at Braintree, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Electric Switches, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention relates to that class of wallswitches adapted for use with various kinds of apparatus where it is desired to have a small neat concealed switch capable of use with two sources of energy (a dynamo and battery or two batteries) and a service-line, cutting out or in either or both, as may be desired.

The constructional details which constitute the full embodiment of my invention will be pointed out in the course of the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which I have illustrated the same.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of the switch in its simpler form, said view showing the internal construction. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on the line 4 4, Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a further detail of construction adapting the switch to further uses.

I have shown the mechanism of my switch as mounted in and carried by a cup-shaped shell a, of vulcanite or other suitable insulating-base, provided with screw-holes a for securing the same to a wall, vehicle-body, or other position of use. Extending diametrically across the bottom a of the shell a is a conductor-plate a provided at its inner end with a shouldered tube or socket a and at its outer end with a corrugated or roughened boss a I make the parts a a in one piece and mold the shell about the same, thereby anchoring the parts immovably, so that they can withstand the pulling and wrenching of continuous rough usage. The end a has at its outer side a shoulder a and a raised center or circular hub a for receiving the movable switch lever or arm a which is secured by a washer a and screw a The inner swinging end a of said switch-lever a is bent flat against the conductor-plate a as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and at its extreme free end has an outwardly-bent notchlike corru ation a, fittin accuratelv over a h b v corresponding projection a in the plate a for frictionally holding the parts in the intermediate or neutral position. At the opposite sides, arranged angularly in the direction of normal sweep of the swinging switch-lever, are similar contact-plates a a having their ends a inturned or bent inwardly into cavities a", formed in the bottom a and their outer ends clamped firmly by nuts a, engaging threaded binding-posts a whose shouldered ends a are anchored in the molded shell in the same manner as the opposite ends of the conductorplate a By bending the inner ends a of said contact-plates as shown a rounded corner is provided for readily receiving the switch-lever a as it is swung in one direction or in the other.

Opposite the inner end of the conductorplate a a contact-plate a is provided, secured by a nut a and anchored binding-post a similar in construction to the post a, said plate a having its inner end outwardly bent and slightly rolled, as indicated at a to be engaged by the grooved end a of a removable plug a fitting the ferrule or socket a and provided with an external button or handle a. Each binding-post is provided with a usual binding-nut a and the. switch-lever has a button or handle a In the form shown in' Fig. 1 the switch-lever a is shown as having the same width as the conductor-plate a so that when it is in the intermediate position in alinement with said plate it is entirely out of contact with the contactplates a a, and in Fig. 5 I have shown the switch-lever a as provided at its inner end with a T-head or spring-bridge a so that when in the intermediate position it bridges both of these contact-plates.

In use one battery or dynamo wire is connected to one binding-post a and a wire from another battery or source of energy is connected to the other binding-post a a servicewire being connected to the binding-post a.

"Thereupon the plug a is inserted as shown in the drawings. Then if it is desired to connect one battery into the circuit the switchlever is thrown to the position-shown in the drawings, Figs. 1 and 5. If it is desired to connect the other source of energy, battery, or dynamo in circuit, the switch lever is thrown to the opposite position. If it is desired to cut out both sources of energy, the switch-lever, Fig. 1, may be thrown to its intermediate position or the plug may be removed, and if it is desired to connect in circuit both sources of energy the switch-lever, Fig. 5, is thrown into its intermediate position. When it is desired to break the circuit, the plug (0 is removed. I prefer to make said plug entirely removable, so that, if desired, it can be placed in the vest-pocket. This is of special value in connection with motor-vehicles, for instance.

One of the advantages of my switch is its extreme compactness, strength, .and durability. The various parts are so formed and secured as to be practically incapable of improperly shifting their positions. Each part also has a broad firm bearing and is so shaped and constructed as not to get out of order, and not only are the parts rendered as nearly indestructible as possible in construction and arrangement, but there are no external joints,

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

1. An electric switch, comprising a central conductor-plate having a shouldered socket portion at one end and a shouldered boss at the other end, a base molded about said oppo-- site end portions, fixed contacts adjacent said plate at the opposite sides thereof, a switchlever pivoted to said boss to cooperate with said contacts, a longitudinally-movable plug said conductor-plate in engagement with said spring-contact.

3. An electric switch, comprising a cupshaped base of molded insulating material, three binding-posts approximately equidistant from each other, a contact-plate secured by each post, a conductor-plate extending between two of said contact-plates in alinement with the third plate, the latter plate having an outturned spring end, and the other two contact-plates having their adjacent ends inturned, a removable plug for connecting said conductor-plate and spring-contact plate and a lever pivoted to said conductor-plate to swing into engagement with said inturned contact-plates.

4. An electric switch, comprising a cupshaped base of molded insulating material, three binding-posts approximately equidistant from each other, a contact-plate secured by each post, a conductor-plate extending between two of said contact-plates in alinement with'the third plate, the latter plate having an outturned spring end, and the other two contact-plates having their adjacent ends inturned, a removable plug for connecting said conductor-plate and spring-contact plate and a lever pivoted to said conductor-plate to swinginto engagement with said inturned contact-plates, all of'said posts and said conductor-plate being provided with shouldered inner ends molded into the material of said base.

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

WILLARD E. DOW.

Witnesses:

SUSIE M. BURKE, OARLOT'IA NIX.

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