US876273A - Fuse device. - Google Patents

Description

No. 876,273. PATENTED JAN. 7, 19.08.

P. B. HALL.

FUSE DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.30.1906.

ends of the fuse conductor are soldered or PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK B. HALL, OF WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA.

FUSE DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7, 1908.

Application filed December 30, 1905- Serial No. 294.026.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK B. HALL, citizen of the United States, residing at Wheeling, in the county of Ohio and State of West Virginia, have invented a certain-new and useful Improvement in Fuse Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to circuit-protecting devices, such as fuses, and its object is to provide more efficient construction and arrangement of the parts thereof.

My invention may be considered an improvement over the well known protecting devices in which a fuse conductor runs .along a body of mica or other suitable insulating material, tipped at its ends with metallic, terminals, these terminals being adapted for engagement with registering terminals of a fuse mounting block or standard. In these protecting-devices of the prior art the fuse conductor proper lies loosely against the mica body or is held in position by shellac or other treatment of the mica body. In these fuses of the prior art the blowing of the fuse proper is very frequently followed by a disastrous are. WVhen a heavy current passes. through the fuse conductor a vapor is formed upon the fusing thereof and the arc establishes itself in this va or, running to the terminal at either end 0 the mica body and destroying the registering terminals of the mounting block.

In accordance with my invention, I provide a rotecting device having a body part prefera ly composed of three sections or strips of mica or other insulating material. The middle stri is provided with a hole at or near the mid dle of its-length. The fuse' conductor passes through this hole, one half lying at one side of the middle strip and the other half at the other side of the middle strip. In order to strengthen the body portion .of the device, I find it desirable to place outside strips of mica or other insulating material at either side of the middle strip and outside of'the fuse conductor, so that the fuse conductor. lies between the middle strip and the outer strip on either side. The

otherwise electrically connected to metallic bands wra i ped about the ends of the three sections to orm the fuse tcrminals. In con- 1 structing the tightening device it is desirable count of the irregular path which the arc must follow. Any gas or vapor which may be formed in the blowing of the fuse can readily escape through the openings between the central member of the body portion and the1 side strips which are associated therewit 1.

My invention will be better understood byreference to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a fuse; Fig. 2 is a view of the left end thereof; Fig. 3 is a view of the right end of the fuse; Fig. 4 is a top view thereof, Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a lan .view showing the manner of assembl o the fuse parts; Fig. 7 is an end view 0 Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 shows a modified construction.

- The fuse body consists of the single section or strip 1 and the outer sections or strips 2 and 3, these strips being preferably of mica, although any other suitable insulating material may be used. The inner section I is provided near the middle of its length with a hole 4, the fuse conduct0r 5 assing through this hole sothat the part 5" t ereof will lie at one side of the inner section and the part 5 at the other sideof the middle section. The

ends of the fuse conductor are soldered or otherwise electrically connected and fastened to the metallic bands 6 and 7. When first formed these bands are preferably straight, as best illustrated in Fig. 6. The three sections 1, 2 and 3 are assembled as shown. in" Fig. 6, and the rotecting device is completed by wrapping t e bands 6 and 7 around the three mica sections or strips, then fastening them together and providing suitable terminals at the ends of the protecting device for electrical connection with the registering terminals of a mounting block. The end of the band (isecured to the part 5 of the fuse conductor will be disposed between the ends of sections 1 and 2, while the end of the band 7 11 between the inner an In Fig. 8 I have illustrated a more simple fastened to the part 5" of the fuse conductor will lie between the ends of the mica strips 1 and 3.

With the exce tion of Figs. 6 and 7 the drawings show t e bands 6 and 7 wrapped around'the mica strips to form termina s 8 and 9. When the fuse blows any are which is-formed must pass through the hole 4 and the irregular path of the arc will be too difficult to be maintained and the arc will be almost instantly destroyed. It will be noted that there is a considerable kink in the fuse conductor at the point where it passes through the hole 4. Thekink thus formed seems to cause a slight diminution in the cross-sectional area of the fuse conductor at this point, or it may be that the edges of the central mica strip produce slight depressions in the fuse conductor where it is drawn through the hole 4, these indentations causing a suflicient reduction in the conductivity of the fuse conductor to locate the initial rupture at or very-near the middle of the length of the fuse conductor. Since, therefore, the arc is initially established at the hole 4, the arc-disrupting effect of the zigzag path will immediate y come into play to reserve the terminals from destruction. I the indentations inthe fuse conductor caused in the bending of the conductor through the hole are not sufficient to assure the initial rupture of the conductor which passes through the hole, the fuse conductor may be cut down to a slightly smaller size at this oint. The gas or vapor generated upon the lowing of the fuse may readily escape through the ventilating dpassageways 10 and outer mic'a strips.

embodiment of my invention, in which there is a single mica strip having a hole through which the fuse conductor is passed, the ends of thefuse conductor being attached to terminals in a manner similar to that described in connection with the other figures. In a protecting device of this modified construction the; arc will be as quickly and effectively destroyed as in the case of the device shown in the other figures, but I prefer to add one or two mica strips on either one or both sides of the inner strip inv order to strengthen the device.

While I have illustrated and described cer tain arrangements coming within the scope of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the precise constructions shown.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Let: ters Patent 1. In a circuit-protecting device, the combination with a supporting 'member having an opening therethrough, o a fuse conductor passin through said opening to lie artl-y on one si e and partly on the other si e of said supporting member,'a strengthening member at each'side of the supporting member, the

i of a body fuse conductor partsv lying between the suporting member and the strengthening memers, and terminal members connected with the ends of said fuse conductor, said terminal members serving to clamp the supporting and strengthening members. together.

2. An electric protecting device, consisting of an inner su porting member, outer strengthening mem ers, terminals wrap ed about'the ends of saidsup orting mem r and said strengthening mem ers, and a fuse conductor passing between one strengthening member and the inner supporting memher at one side thereof and passing between the other strengthening member and the inner supporting member at the other, side thereof.

3. An electricprotecting system, consisting of an inner supportin member of insulating material,.a strengt ening member at each side-thereof, terminals wrapped about the ends of the supporting and strengthening members, a fuse conductor .electricallyconnecting said terminals, said conductor passing through an opening in the inner member to lie partly between said inner member and one strengthening member and partly between said inner member and the other strengthening member.

4. An electric protecting device, consisting of an inner supporting member of insulating material, a strengthening member at each side of the inner su porting member,

ter minals securing sai supporting and strengthening members to ether at the ends thereof, and a fuse con uctor electrically connecting said terminals, said fuse conductor passing throu h an opening in the inner sup- 1 orting mem er to, e partly between said mner member and the strengthening member at one side thereof andpartl between the inner supporting member an the strengthening member at the other side thereof.

5. An electric rotecting device, consisting part 0 insulating material having anopenlng therethrough, a fuse conductor passin' through said opening tolie artly on one si e and partly on the other si e of said body part, and terminals for saidfuse wire in the form of metallic bands w'rapped about the ends of the body part. i

6. A fuse consisting of a supporting. body part and having an opening t erethrough, a

se conductor passing thro h said opening to lie partly on one slde an partly on the other side .of said body part, strengthening members at each side of the body part, an terminals for the fuse conductor in the form of metallic bands wrappedaboutth'e ends of the body art and the strengthening members to ho d the parts rigidly to ether.

.7. In a device of the class escribed, the combination with three similar strips of insulat' material, there bein an opening throng the center strip, of a use conductor passing through said opening to lie at one side of the central strip at one end and on the other side of the central stri at the other end, and terminalsconnecte with the fuse 8. In a device of the class described, thecombination with three similar strips of insulating material, the central strip being rovided with an opening therethrough, of a use conductor passing through said opening to lie partly at one side of the central strip and partly at the other side thereof, and between said central strip and the associated strengthening strips at either side, and terminals for the fuse conductor in the form of imetallic bands wrapped about the ends of member at each side of the supporting memher, the fuse conductor parts lying between the supporting member and the strengthening members, and terminal members con nected with the ends of said fuse conductor,

said terminal members being wrapped about the ends of the supporting and strengthening members to thereby hold said members together.

10. In a device of the class described, the

combination with three similar pieces of insulating material, the central piece being provided with an openingtherethrough, of a fuse wire passing through said opening to lie partly at one side of the central piece and partly at the other side thereof, and between said central piece of the associated strengthening pieces at either side, and terminals for the fuse wire in the form of coppertbands wrapped about the ends of the three pieces to hold said pieces securely-together, said fuse conductor serving also to hold the pieces apart to provide ventilating spaces leading from the fuse wire to the outside.

11. In a device of the class described, the,

combination with three similar pieces of insulating material, the central piece being provided with an opening therethrough substantially at its central\ ortion, of a fuse wire passing through saic opening to lie partly at one side of the central strip ,and partly at the other side thereof, and between said central fuse and the associated strengthening pieces at either side, and terminals for the fuse wire in the form of metallic bands having ends disposed between the supporting member and one of the strengthening members and then wrapped about the ends of the three pieces to' hold said pieces securely together, said fuse wire serving also to hold the pieces apart to provide ventilating passageways leading from the fuse wire to. the exterior.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 16th day of December A. D., 1905.

FRANK B. HALL. Witnesses:

HARVEY L. HANSON, GEORGE E. HIGH'AM.

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