US964037A

US964037A - Controlling means for electric circuits.

Info

Publication number: US964037A
Application number: US51593209A
Authority: US
Inventors: Julius K Lux
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1909-09-02
Filing date: 1909-09-02
Publication date: 1910-07-12
Anticipated expiration: 1927-07-12

Description

J. K. LUX. CONTROLLING MEANS FOR ELECTRIC CIRCUITS.

I APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2, 1909.

; 964,037, 1 Patented Jilly 1.2, 1910.

qvit'nemo I r 5 wue goz JULIUS 'K. LUX OFIJER S EYJCITY, NEW JERSEY.

CONTROLLING MEANS FOR ELECTRIC CIRCUITS.

r Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 2, 1909. Serial No. 515,932.

Patented July 12 1910.

T all whom it may concerni 4:

Be'i known that I, JULIUS K.-.Lux, a citizen of; theUnited States, residing at Jersey City, in the State of New Jersey, have invented certain. new and I useful, Improvements in Controlling Means for Electric Circuits.

The. principles of my invention'are embodied in the form of a single pole snap switch, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The subject matter of this application ap-- peared in my application. Serial No. 143139 Feb. 12, 1903 and Serial No. 152092 April 10,1903. 1

Figure l is a plan view of a switch embodying my improvements and showing the hereinafter described impact absorbing addenda integral with the fixed contact brushes. Fig. 2 is a view analogous to Fig. 1, but with the addenda integral with the movable contact. Fig. 3 is a view of the de taining means which is fixed to the base by means of the portions A". Fig. 4 is an under view of turning parts of the device enlarged and showingthe spindle, the eccentric on the spindle, and the movable detaining means or bolt which is operated by the said eccentric. Fig. 5 is a side view of the movable contact partly-broken away at the.

top central portion, and showing the'spindle and actuating spring. partly withdrawn from the said central portion of the movable contact. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the part shown in Fig. 3 and showing the ratchet teeth of unequal lengths and unequally spaced. Fig. 7 is an under View of the cooperative detaining means and the movable contact,

Referring to thedrawings inidetail A indicates the porcelain base.

unequally spaced ratchetrteeth of unequal lengths on the edge of the bearing piece A".

A indicates a bearing piece for the moving parts of the mechanism. The said beari ing is .formed with a downwardly projecting hub at the centra'lportion to afford a 10ngxbearing-for the hereinafter des ib d Spindle-G L 1,1 1 Ai'indicate fingers-bymeans of which the bearing piece is secured to the base.

D" ,-D and D", D indicate detents formed The said detents cooperate with the movin parts of the device so as to detain the sai moving partsduring the initial movements of the hereln'after described energizing -means, and until predetermined amounts of energy are stored in the hereinafter describedyielding actuating means or spring. The said detents also act as stops to limit the successive movementsof the device.

' 1 indicates the movable contact which is revolubly mounted in position to come into rubbing or sliding engagement with the hereinafter described fixed contacts. The said movable contact has .a projection D on its under surface which projection normally engages the hereinafter described cooperativedetaining means or bolt L. It secures the said bolt as against rotation relatively to-the movable contact 1 and permits the required reciproc l movement of the said bolt L. D v is another projection similar to D and' it limits the movement of the bolt L when the hereinafter described handle E is being unscrewed from the, spindle G The said movable contact is formed with a perpendic- ,ular central portion which central portion incloses the yielding actuating spring J, and-v in Which central portion one endof the sald spring is secured or engaged so as to operate the movable contact. The spindle Ur extends through the central portion of the movable contact, and' at its upper part is provided with a projection to suitably eng'age one end of the spring J. At its upper extremity the said spindle is provided with ascrew thread 'to fasten the handle E. The lower part of the said spindle is journaled in the bearing piece A 1 Fixed to the spindle G at a point between the movable contact and the bearing piece is the eccentric F one side of the said eccentric bears 011 the under surface of the mov-, able contact, and the other side of the eccen tric bears on the bearing plece A". The eccentric F moves the bolt L into and out of engagement with the detents D and -D. When the device is assembled, the handle E, the spindle G and the eccentric F operate as one piece.

L indicates a cooperative detaining means or detent. It is formed as an eccentrically operated bolt and'the eccentric F causes it to reciprocate to andafrom the center of the device to respectively detain and release the part L bears against the under surface of the movable contact. The upper surface of the' i movable contact. The major lower surface of;the part L bears against the top of the bearing piece A L' indicates a projection on the under surface of the part L; which projection extends below the upper surface of the bearing iece A and comes into engagement with the edge of the latter and with the faces of' the detents, so as to forma movable detainlng meansto cooperate with the fixed detaining means or detents. In other words the projection L engages the sides and the bottoms of the ratchet teeth.

B, B-' dicate fixed contacts disposed at opposite sides of the axis and having binding screws B B by means of which the conductors B B are secured in. position. When the parts are at rest in either open or closed positions the actuating spring is under moderate stress and the part L bears against the face and the bottom of the detent tooth. The'said engagement with. the face of the detent will hold the movable contact as against rotation, and the said engagement of L with the bottom of the detent tooth re-- vents further relaxation of the said mo erate spring stress.

To operate the device that end of the actuating spring J, which is secured to the spindle Gr is by means of the handle E turned in a 'clock-wise direction, thereby placing the spring J under. increased stress.

The eccentric moves the part L away from the spindle Gr and when a predetermined amount of energy is stored in the actuating spring the part L is caused by the eccentric to pass beyond the extremity of the detent, and the energy previously stored in the yielding actuating means or spring carries the'movable contact and the part L to the next position. The eccentric not being turned with the same celerityas the part L causes the latter part to move toward the axis of the. spindle and to enga e the next detent.

Successive movements 0 the device are ef-' fected in like manner,

In spring closing switches it has been usual to use no less spring power in the opening than in the closing movement. In the clos- -ing movement of the device the fixed contacts act as a cushion or buffer by reasonof the sliding or rubbing contact, but in the opening movement, the movable contact opens with a hammer-like blow on the'stop' or other parts that limit the said movement, and that (increased) power which. is desirable in the closing movement, is objectionable .and detrimental in the opening movement of the device. When the opemn and closing powers are alike each of the sai two powers and their-mean or average are the same (given) quantity. My im roved arrangement subtracts from the said quantity in the opening movement .and adds to the said given quantity in the closing movement of the device; The said arrangement develops more power in-the closing and less power 1n the opening of the device than the mean or average power of the combinedopening and closing movements.

I desire to call special attention to the ar-.

rangemen the proportionin and the functions ofth'e said detents. T e' arrangement. of the detents D, D relatively to thecontacts causes the movable contact to turn less than has been usual to efiect- (a complete) engagement of the movable with the fixed contacts.

' For convenience in description the closing movement will be divided into four periods. 1 maximum spring stress. 2 spring stress at beginning of rubbing connection (of c o- Operative contacts.) 3 spring stress at the effected. And the spring stressvwhich subsists at the time of full engagement of the contacts. subsides during the remainder of ,the closing movement; andin addition it is partly absorbedby the extra rubbing connection which continues fromthe time of full engagement until the movement is stopped by the-cooperating detents D and L The said extra rubbing connection and the continued unwinding of the spring reduces the shock to the parts at the conclusion of the ,opening movement. This arrangement taken {with a given maximum stress contributes to a more "powerful closing action and less powerful impact on the detentsthanhas been usual. p

In the closing moveinentthe energizing means or handle turns farther than has'been usual before the movable contact is freed".

from the detent. By this means the actuating spring is broughtunder greater stress, so as to increase the closing power of a given actuating sprin .without, increasing the opening power t ereof I In the opening movement of the device the handle turns less than has been usual to free the movable contact from thedetent. By this means an actuating spring. of. a v given strength is brought under less stress in the said movement, so as to decrease the'openmg power of the said spring without decreasing the closing power t ereof. In other words, the shorter T detents decrease the opening owe'r. The longer detents increase the closmg power, and theherein described-disposition of the contacting surfaces relatively to the detents D", D further increases the circuit closing power of any given spring stress. v

In my improved switch, the preferred form of detalning means for the movable contact are of the ratchet tooth form, and with the reciprocal, cooperative detaining means shown. I desire itunderstood, however, that the principles of my invention may be applied to all .intermissively rotary circuit controlling devices wherein yielding actuating-means efiects a snap opening and closing of the circuit 'or device. By reason of the increased closing power the cooperating contacts may be made stiffer and with greater contacting and carrying capacity.

The power ofthe yielding actuating means is so related to the impact absorbin capacity of the fixed contacts that the det'ents should be protected from excessive shocli in closing the device. In practice however, this adjustment is difiicult to maintain. I have therefore devised other means for reducing the shock of impact on the detaining means in the closing movement.- Usually in the closed position of switches of this type, the fixed contacts have contacting surfaces equal in area to those of the cooperating movable contacts. When there has been any overlapping it has been equal at each side of the smaller member.

tact as shown in Fig. 1, or to both of these cooperating contacts.

I will notseek to herein broadly claim a snap switch for closing a circuit with more yielding power than is used to open it -as that subject matter appears in Reissue Pat-.

ent #12,490 of May 29, 1906.

I claim- 1. In a snap switch, an electrical contact,

a cooperative movable contact, a torsional spring for yieldingly urging the said movable contact, means for energizing the said.

spring, means for detaining the said movable contact and means for releasing the said movable contact when a prearranged power is stored in the said tor'sionalsprin releasing means having movement, %or releasing the said movable contact to close the circuit after more yielding power is stored than is used to open the circuit.

2. In a rotary snap switch having coiiperative contact members, means for yieldingly actuating a rotary part, means for energizing the said yielding means, means 00- tions, means said ' &

erative contact members, means for yieldingly actuating a rotary part, means for energizing the said yielding means, means coacting to successively detain and release the said rotary part and for releasing the said rotary part to close the circuit after more yielding power is stored than is used to open the circuit, said coacting means including a cam for moving one of the said coacting parts with reference to the other one.

4. In a rotary snap switch having cooperative contact members, means for yieldingly actuating a rotary part, means for energizing the said yielding means, means for detaining the said rotary part and means for releasing the said rotary part when aprearranged power is stored in said yielding means, said detaining andjreleasing means having movement with relation to each other for releasing the said rotary part to close the circuit after more yielding power is stored than is used to open the circuit.

5. In a rotary'sn-ap switch having cooperative contact members, means for yieldingly actuating a rotarypart, means for energizing. the said yielding means, means coacting to successively detain and release the said rotary art and to release the said rotary part at ter a greater movement of the said energizing means to close the circuit than is used to open it.

6. In a circuit controlling device, a suit-- ablesupport, an electrical contact carried thereby, a rotary contact to cooperate with said first contact, yielding means for opening and closing said contacts with snap acor energizing said yielding means, means for detaining the action of said yielding means during the energizing thereof, and means for'releasing said yielding means from said detaining means for more than a quarter revolution in its closing movements, said contacts being located to engage in closing before the completion of the quarter revolution and to malntain engagement during the remainder of the closing movement. a

In a circuit controlling device, a suit able support, an electrical contact carried thereby, a rotary contact to coiiperate with said first contact, yielding means for opening and closing said contacts with snap action, means for energizing said yielding means, means for detaining the action of said yielding means during the energizing thereof, and means for releasing said yield- 8. In a circuit controlling device, a suitnately larger-and smaller for placing said able support, an electrical contact carried yielding means under greater stress to close 10 thereby, a rotary ccntact to coiiperate with the circuit than is used to open the same. the said first contact, yielding means for Jersey City N. J- Sept. 1-.09.

opening and closing said contacts with snap JULIUS K. I JUX- actions, means for energizing said yielding Witnesses: means, detents for detaining the action of WM. G. MEYER,

said yielding means, said detents being alter- FRANK A. BYoNEs