US795072A - Cut-out for telephones. - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STAT S Patented July 18, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN L. SMITH, OF RUTLEDGE, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO SHERMAN O. FORGUER, OF RUTLEDGE, MISSOURI.

CUT-OUT FOR TELEPHONES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No 795.072, dated July 18, 1905.

Application filed June '7, 1904. Serial l lo 211,527.

To all whmn if; may concern:

, Be it known that I, MARTIN L. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rut ledge, in the county of Scotland and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Out-Out for Telephones, of which the follow ing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in cut-outs for telephone-lines and the like where it is desirable to protect switchboards and delicate electrical. instruments from injury during electrical storms.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an electrical cut-out which may be placed on the exterior of a building and operated from within the building in order to positively break the circuit and prevent the passage of a direct current, as well as to pre vent sparking between adjacent contacts during an electrical storm.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in a device of this class for the introduction of a sheet or block of rubber or some similar material between the separating con tacts.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a cut-out which may be employed in connection with a large number of contacts, all of which may be operated by means of a single medium. I

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various chan es in the form, proportion, and minor deta' s of the device maybe made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the outer portion of a cut-out constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same, showing the mechanism arranged within the interior of a building for operating the cut-out.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout both figures of the drawings.

During electrical storms there is at all times danger of the line-wires becoming charged and damaging the switchboards at a central station or the local tele hones or other instruments at different loca stations. The present invention is designed to prevent this by breaking the circuit at a point outside the building-line and so arranging the parts that in the event of any of the main lines being overcharged the current will be grounded.

On the exterior of the building is a pair of projecting brackets 1, to the outer ends of which is secured a cross-bar 2, provided on its upper and lower surfaces or on one surface only with a sheet or slab 3, formed of rubber or other suitable insulating material. On the sheet or sheets of insulating material are arranged any desired number of metallic contact-strips 4, that are connected in any suitable manner to the various line-wires 5 entering the building. WVhere the contacts 4 are arranged both above and below the bar the ground-wire 5 is placed at a point midway between the two sets of contacts and both ends of the said wire may be grounded, if desired. The ground-wire is arranged a short distance from the contacts, so that currents may pass from any one of said contacts to the ground. The inner faces of the brackets are provided with guiding-slots 6, in which are arranged horizontallydisposed blocks 7, carrying a cross-bar 8, that is arranged in parallel relation with the cross-bar 2 and is provided on its upper and lower faces with blocks or sheets of rubber or other insulating material. To the blocks or sheets of insulating material are secured spring-contacts 9, of a number equal to the number of contacts 4 and disposed in such relation thereto that when the inner bar is moved outward all of the contacts will be simulta neously brought into engagement and the various circuits immediately established. From the contacts 9 lead the local or indoor wires 11, that are connected to the switchboard or to telephones or other instruments, the number of contacts and wires being of course dependent on the size of the station, or if only a single telephone is to be conducted it is necessary to employ but a single pair of contacts.

To the transverse bar 8 is secured a rod 12, that extends through the wall of the building and is connected by a link 13 to one end of a lever 14, that is pivoted at a point intermediate of its length to a bracket 15, secured to the inner surface of the wall. The bracket is further provided with an arcuate bar 16, extending between the lever and a small guiding-plate 17, carried by the lever, and said plate carries a setscrew 18, which may be turned into engagement with the arcuate bar, thereby to clamp the lever in any position when adjusted. This lever may be operated in either direction to move the contacts 9 into engagement with the contacts 4 and establish the various circuits or to separate the contacts from each other, and thus cut out all of the instruments.

To the opposite brackets 1 are pivoted bell-crank levers 20, that are connected together for mutual movement 01 a transverse bar 21, and to said bar is connected a frame 22, that supports a sheet 23, formed of rubher or some similar material. Theopposite arms of the bell-crank lever are slotted and receive pins 24, projecting from the guided blocks 7, the arrangement being such that each time the inner contact-bar is drawn back the pins, by engagement with the slotted portions of the bell-crank lever, will move the rubber sheet down to a position between the contacts 4 and 9 and will prevent the passage of a spark, so that there will be no danger of the formation of a spark and the passage of a current through the instruments in the building. l/Vhen moved in the opposite direction, the sheet of rubber will be lirst raised, and as the movement of the bar continues the several contacts 9 will be moved into enga ement with the contacts 4:, and

thus establish all of the circuits.

WVlnle the structure has been illustrated as providing a cut-out for a large number of c1rcuits, it is evident that it may be used equally as well in connection with only a single circuit-contact, or the number of contacts may be increased to an almost unlimited extent.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In an electrical cut-out, a pair of contacts, one of which is movable toward and from the other, a pivotally-mounted 'l'rame including a pair o'l parallel arms and a crossbar, a sheet of insulating material carried by the cross-bar, and means for connecting the arms to the movable contact to move said insulating-sheet between the two contacts as the latter are separated.

2. In an electrical cutout, a stationary contact, a movable contact, a carrier-bar for the movable contact, a pair of bell-crank levers having slotted arms, a sheet of noncon ducting material carried by the bell-crank levers, and pins operated by the contact-carrier bar, and extending into the slo 3. The combination in an electrical cutout, of a pair of brackets, a bar secured there to, a plurality of contacts carried by the bar, a ground-line connection also carried by the bar at a point adjacent to the stationary contacts, a movable bar guided in the brackets, a plurality of contacts carried. by the movable bar, a pair of bell-crank levers lulcrumed to the brackets, a connecting-bar extending between the bell-crank levers, a frame carried by said bar, a sheet of non-conducting mate rial secured to the frame, a pin-and-slot connection between the movable bar and the bellcranklevers, an operating-lever, a connectingrod extending between. the operating-lever and the movable bar, and means for clamping said operating-lever in adjusted position.

I11 testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in. the presence o'l two witnesses.

MARTIN L. SMITH.

Witnesses:

C. C. BRADLEY, E. E. WILSEY.

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