US919811A - Electrical switch. - Google Patents

Description

H. A. BEYNON.

ELECTRICAL SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 11, 1907.

V W v WM E0 3 m i m m v m a ELECTRICAL SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 11, 1907 Patented Apr. 27, 1909.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

HARRY A. BEYNON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRICAL SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 27, 1909.

Application filed May 11, 1907. Serial No. 373,146.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known thatI, HARRY A. BEYNoN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of thecity of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Switches; and I do hereby declare that the followin is a full, clear, and exact description of t e same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in electrical switches.

Heretofore in offices, factories, etc., where it is necessary for the employees to move from book to book as in book or stock-keeping or for the operator to move from bench to bench for different mechanical or other works, it isv necessary for the employee or operator to manually switch on the electric light at each book or bench or switch on an individual motor to operate the machines and which he should switch off again on leaving to the next book or machine. I This however in manually operated switches involves some inconvenience and loss of time and often the lights or motors are left in operation when the employees or operators arenot using the same thereby causing considerable expenditure and loss of current.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device adapted to automatically make a circuit by the weight of the person using the light or machine and which automatically breaks the circuit upon the weight of the user being removed.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a device adapted to make and break the circuit quickly or with asna thereby preventing injurious effects ot erwise caused by arcing thus prolonging the life of the 1 contacts.

. independent book.

section of the actuating support with a snap It is a further object of this invention to provide an exceeding simple device which is cheap to manufactureand install. j

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described and more fully pointed out and defined in the appended claims. I

On the drawings; Figure 1 is a view illus trating devices embodied in my invention applied to a plurality of lights each for an Fig. 2 is a transverse switch embodied in my invention secured therein. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the snap switch. Fig. 5 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the same, with one of the binding posts broken away. Fig. 7 is a side elevation with the actuating lever and mechanism omitted.

As shown in the drawings: A indicates lights each of which is appropriated to one of the ledgers A positioned convenient distances apart upon the desk A Said lights are turned on independently by the weight of the operator upon the hinged support A which is similar to the one shown in my prior patent No. 828,373, dated Aug. 14th, 1906, and which comprises a lower board a to which is hinged a top board a and strips (Z2-0/3 are secured to the top and bottom boards to limit the closing thereof. A flexible covering a ofcanvas or other suitable material is secured to the top and bottom boards to 'prevent dirt and obstacles from getting between the boards and which limits the upward movement of the top board a as shown in Fig. 3. I c

The switch comprises a base B provided with suitable apertures to receive the screws or bolts by which it is secured to the board a. Rigidly secured upon said base B is a slab B of suitable insulating and refractory material upon which are rigidly secured tubular internally threaded terminal posts b,-b each of which has a transverse aperture therethrough to receive'the ends of the conducting wires and a screw is threaded axially into each post to firmly bind said wires toinsure good contact.

A support 6 of suitable conducting material is rigidly secured on said slab B and is electrically connected to said post I) b means of a strip 6 which is secured beneat said post and to the support in any preferred manner. As shownin Fig. 6,pivotallyseci 1red on said support is a contact bar 0 having one side thereof from about its middle beveled or slightly inclined inwardly to engage the contact'member c secured rigidly in'position on said slab for such engagement :by the post I). Secured on said base Bin any pre ferred manner is a standard D to which is 1057 ivoted a bent lever E. A spring 2 is coiled intermediate its ends aroun'd an enlarged hub on the pivot d, and its ends are directed light'and a machine or motor at which time Q oppositely and rigidly s ecured respectively to the u per and outer end of the leverE, and to t ev base B, by anysuitable means to hold the u wardly directed end of said lever normally e evated.

a ugf is ivoted to 'a lug f 3 on the standard b Said ever has its outer end f extending into position to beengaged by the insulating washer c and its opposite end f extends beneath the inner end of the contact bar C and acts to give an initial impulse to the Fig. 3,

inner end of the contact bar, thereby coacting with the springfc to break the circuit ins'tanta'neousl A housing or casing G of suitable insulating material is secured on said slab inany preferredmanner and incloses the contacts and mechanism except the lever-E. Said casing is provided with notches for the lead Wires from the binding posts 12-7) and also a notch for the movement of the-pin e as shown in The operation is as follows: The ,base B is rigidly engaged to the bottom board a in any preferred manner and the lead wires con -nected. 1 In this position the upper end'of the lever E bears against the top board a,

normally holding the same elevated and the pin 0 exerts a downward tension on the spring a which holds the outerend of the contact bar depressed in which position the inner end of the contact bar C and the con tact care out of engagement. The. circuit remains open until the operator or employee desires to useth'e' light or motor or both a saidop'erator steps upon the upper board a which may serveas a mat an thus forces the outer end of the lever E, downwardly.

This elevates the inner end of the lever and the pin e thereby exerting anupward ull on the springwhich sna s the outer en of V the .contact bar 0 upwar throwing the inner end into engagement with the contact 0 in which position thecircuit is closed. The

light or machine will obviously remain in operation untilthe operator leaves this desk or machine at which time the spring e having hadits tension increased by the downward movement of the lever forces the dever to normal position. 7 Just before reaching normal position the washer c on the pin 6 strikes the outer end of the lever F thereby throwing the inner end upwardly against the inner end of the contact bar C which together with the tension on the spring a snaps said baout-loingagement with the contact=c.'

prevents arcing which would otherwise soon cause ser ous m ury to the contacts.

:The strips (t -a prevent the hinged support-q, from'closin more than sufiicient y. ,to actuate the switc By beveling the lower half of the contact bar the same is self-adjusting for asthe bar bar is worn down so that it in time becomes beveled or inclined to engage the contact 0 thus insuring good contact. a

While I have shown my device applied to electric light circuits it is obvious that the same may be used in connection with motors in lieu of a hand switch and it is further seen light or machinethes'ame is automatically switched off, thereby preventing any possible waste of light or energy;

' Many detailsof construction invention and I therefore. do not urpose limiting this application for patent ot erwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim ,as my inventionf sulating slab, a "contact rigidly engaged thereto, a standard secured to the'slab, a pivoted contact bar secured to said standard,

to instantaneously break the circuit.

2.,In a device of the, class described the combination with a suitable base of contacts thereon, one having abeveled face means make or break the circuit instantaneously comprisin an oscillating lever, pins, one secured to tie, oscillatable contact and one to the lever, a spring secured at its ends to the ins, insulation on one ofsaid pins and 2. ever actuated by the insulated pin adapted at one end to engage the oscillating contact to impart an initial impulse thereto in breaking the circuit. 4

3. In a device of the class described the combination with a-suitable su port of a contact secured thereon, a mova le contact bar supported on said-base, an operating lever pivoted on said base having an outer, -upwardly directed end, a spring connecting opposite ends of the operating lever and con"- tact bar, a lever having one end positioned beneath the contact bar, means secured at one end to the operating lever for automatically actuating the last named lever 'to I shift said bar out of contact instantaneously It is obvious the snap switch describedwhen pressure is released and a hinged sup-- port adapted to bear on the upwardly directed end of the operating lever.

1. ,An electrical switch comprising an inwears away the upper part of the side of the that immediately'the operator leaves" the may-be 'var1ed and numerous changes may be made without departing from the principles of this mechanismadapted by manual operation to contact bar and coact with said mechanism adapted to oscillate one of saidlconta'cts to 4. In a device of the class described the l slab, a contact bar pivoted to the standard,

combination with a slab of postsisecured thereon, a contact member rigidly secured to one of said posts, a contact bar electrically connected with the otherpost and pivoted to swing to engage the contact member, said bar having a beveled face to engage the con tact member, a lever having the outer end dlrected upwardly, spring connections between the lever and contact bar, means operating the lever to actuate the contact bar to close the circuit by the weight of an operator and a spring connected to the lever and the slab for automatically returning the lever and last named means to normal.

In a device of the class described the combination with an insulating support of posts and said support, a bent lever pivoted terminal posts secured thereon, a movable contact bar on said support, means electrically connecting'one of said posts and said bar, a contact member securedto the other post, a lever pivoted adjacent the contact bar, a pin secured thereto, a spring connecting the pin and contact bar, insulation on the endof said pin and a pivoted lever adapted at one end for engagement with the insulated end of the pin and at its o'pposite end to strike one end of the contact bar to aid the spring in instantaneously actuating the bar to break the circuit.

6. In a device of the class described the combination with terminal posts of a contact member connected with one post, a support, a contact bar pivoted thereon provided with a beveled face to engage the contact member, a strip ofv conducting metal providing connections between one 'of said terminal adjacent the contact bar having a vertically directed end, a pin secured to the lever, an

, insulatin washer on the end thereof, a pin secured to the contact bar, a spring connecting said pins, said lever adaptedto be actuated to swing said bar toengage the contact member and means automatically returning the lever to normal to swing said bar out of engagement with the contact member.

7. In a device of the class described the combination with a base of an insulating slab supported thereon, terminal. posts secured to said slab, a standard secured to the means electrically connecting one of said terminal posts and bar, a lever pivoted on the base provided with an upwardly directed end, operative connections between said lever and contact bar adapted to move the contact bar to make and break the circuit when said lever is actuated, means for manually operating the lever in making the circuit and a spring engaged at one end to the base and engaged around the pivotand secured at its opposite end to the upwardlydirected end of said lever thereby automaticv ally returning the lever to normal.

8. In a device of the class described the combination with a base of an insulating slab thereon, contacts supported thereby, one of which is movable, a spring connected with the movable contact, mechanism actuating the spring to actuate the movable contact, to engage the other contact, meansautomatically returning said mechanism to normal and a lever actuated by a part of said mechanism to strike the contacting end of said movable contact and. coactine with the spring to snap the movable contact to normal position.

-9. In a device of the class described the combination with a base of an insulating slab thereon, contacts supported thereby,

one of which is movable and normally out of contact with the other, a spring connected with the movable contact, mechanism actuating' the spring to actuate the movable cons tact tocngage the other contact, means automatically returning said mechanism to normal, a lever actuated by a part of said mechanism when returning to normal to strike said movable contact and coacting with the spring to snap the movable contact to normal position, a housing or casing covering, the contacts and part of the' mechanism and a hinged support adapted to .bear

against the spring actuating mechanism.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' HARRY A. BEYNON.

Witnesses:

K. E. HANNAH, J; W. ANGELL.

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