US1008392A - Electric switch mechanism. - Google Patents

Description

G. S. TIFFANY.

ELECTRIC SWITCH MECHANISM. I APPLICATION FILED 001x29, 1907.

1,008,392. Patente N0v.14,1911

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE STEELE TIFFANY, OF SUMMIT, NEW JERSEY, ASSII'LGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGFI- mmrrs, 'To BANKERS TRUST COMPANY, TRUSTEE, A conroaa'rron or new roan.

ELECTRIC SWITCIE MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented NQV. 14, 1911.

Application filed October 28, 1907. Serial No. 399,427.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE S. TIFFANY, a citizen of the United States, residin at Summit, county of Union, and State of cw Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switch Mechanism, fully described and represented. in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

his invention relates to improvements in switch mechanisms for electric circuits, and particularly to mechanisms desi ed for controlling, through a plurality of eys, a num ber of electrical circuits.=

As a full understanding of the improvements of the present invention can best be had from a detailed description of an organization embodying the same, such description will now be iven in connection with the accompanying rawings, in which- F i re 1 is a front view of a switch-board provlded with switch mechanism embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a plan side view thereof, partly in section. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the same. Fig. 5 is a similar view with some of the parts in a different position so as to illustrate the operation of the switch mechanism inclosing circuits. Fig. 6 is asection on theline 6 of Fig. 2 illustrating a detail. of construction which will be hereinafter referredto; and Fig. 7 illustrates a modification which will be hereinafter described.

Referring to said drawings, 1 represents a switch-board, to which is secured a metal face plate 2, in which (as shown in the other figures of. the drawing) are mounted the several parts of the switch mechanism embodying the resent invention. this plate 2, y means of screws 3 passing therethrough, 1s' a. pair of inwardly projecting arms or brackets 4, connected atone end by rods 5, 6, and at the other or inner end by a plate 7 in which are mounted a plurality. of group of superposed, spring contact plates, eac group comprising two independent sets, one consistin of four plates 8, 9, 10, 11, and the other of our contact plates 12, 13, 14, 15. The twosets of plates are insulated from each other and the plates of each set are also insulated from each other and from the plate 7 by strips 16 of insulating material a ternating with said plates and interposed between them and the plate 7 and Secured to plates controlled by contact plates 10, 14, res

the head of the bolt 17 bywhich, and the metal clamping plates 18,-19, they are cured to said plate 7, and they are H189 insulated from said bolt 17 by a tuba or insulatin material through which said holt passes. ach set of contact plates 5, 9, 10, 11 and 12, 13, 14, 15 controls two circuits; for example, contact plates 8, 9 consti auto the terminals of one circuit, contact plates 10, 11 the terminals of a second circuit, contact plates 12, 13 the terminals of a third circuit, and contact plates 14, 15 the terminals of a fourth circuit,- and these several sprin gplates normally occupy the position in which the are illustrated in Fi 3, that is to ss. wit their free ends out 0 contact with can other and their circuits therefore open. Thr closin of these circuits is controlled by a series 0 keys 21'pivota1ly mounted in openingsin the face plate 2, one such key being prov: dad for each -two sets of'contactplates 8, etc., and- 12, eth.

The pivotal connection between each of the keys 21 and plate 2 consists of a ball 22 formed on the key intermediate its ends and closely fitting and substantiallyclosing a correspondingly shaped openin ii -plate 2- and a pin 23 passing through t e Saank the key and entering a groove 24 in t 19 inner t insulating material for engaging thfhwer:

most plate of each set of contapts 8 ate, and 12, etc., and movin each pair of into engagement wit each other to closethe contacts c1rcu1t of which they are the'termirals. In

the position in which the key is shown in Fig. 3, which is its normal position, the several plates of the two sets of contact that key are out of one gagement witheac other and their circuits therefore open. When the handle 01? the key is depressed however,the inner enc thereof will, throug "its block 25 engaging the ends of the plates 11, 15 raise those plates to the position shown in Fig. 5, and, 1n so raising them, will force them into contact with the ively, tius closin the circuits of whic these plates con statute the terminals. At the same time the plates 11, 15 will, by reason of the i11terposition between them and the plates 11, 13,"re-

spectively, of plugs 26 of insulating mate- -For the purpose of retaining the several plates in their contacting position upon the depression of the handle of the key 21 controlling them, there is provided a wing 27' pivotally mounted in the arms land the upper edge of which normally overlies the inner ends of the keys. 21,'as shown in Fig.

2, and when the outer'end of a key is depressed it is swung rearwardly thereb and then passes under the inner end 0 that key andthus locks the key in such depressed position. The lower end of said wing 27 as connected with it one end of a spring 28, the other end of. which is secured to plate 7 this spring normally tending to rock the wing inwardly'toward the face plate, or, in other words, to the lockin position in which it is shown in Fig. 5. s a result of this construction, upon the dep'rfion of the outer end of any key 21, the er end thereof, engaging wing 27, will me the wing rearwardly and thus releasing all of the reyiously depressed keys 21, which are tl ien restored to their normal position shown in Fig. 3. Means are also provided in the present case whereby should all the keys be depressed for the purpose of closing all the circuits they may .be released when desired, the means provided for this purpose consisting of a. supplemental push key 29 mounted in the plate 2 and in a projection 30 from one of A the arms 4, the shank of this keybein'g provided with a button 31 at its inner end for' engagement with a pin 32 projecting from the win 27. When key 29 ispushed 111- wardly, its button 31, engaging the in 32 will rock the wing rearwardl and t ereby release all of the keys 31 w 'ch are then returned to their normal position shown in Fig. 3. Asshown .in Fi 7 two rows of keys 21 may have their wings 27 connected.

by links '27 in such way that on the move-' ment rearwardly of the wing for one row by the depression of a key therein or the supplemental key 29, the wing of th will be correspondingly moved and the previously operated keys in both rows thus released.

The: contact plates in the switch mechanism comprise in their construction and assemblage certain features of novelty which will now be described.

.As shown in the plan View Fig. 2, each contact late consists of a stri of metal provided with an approximate y semi-circular recess at one 0 its edges conforming substa'ntiall to the bolt 17 and itsjnclosing tube 20. It will be observed that in the the upper edge of the and to the plate 7.

e other row 9 plates constituting the two sets of each group of contacts, these semi-circular recesses in the edges of the plates face each other so that when such two sets of plates are, assembled together, the bolt 17 and its inclosing tube 20 are embraced thereby. It will also be observed on reference to Fig. 2 and also to Fig. 6 that the several contact plates are provided with teats or projections 33 which are formedtherein by any suitable punching device, "and-that the sheets of insulating material alternatin with these contact plates are provided with corresponding recesses or countersunk portions 34. The result of this construction is may be readily and quickly superposed and otherwise assembled in proper relation to each other, the "teats 33 entering the depressions 34 and thus accurately centering or positioning the plates with reference to each other. It will also be observed" that the clamping plate 19 is provided with teats 35 entering correspondin recesses in the upper face of the plate and that in its upper face said clamping plate 19 is provided with recesses 36 for the reception of the teats on the under side of the adjacent insulating sheet, formed therein by the punching of its upper face to provide the recesses for the reception of the teats on the contact plate above-it. From this con struction it results, not onl that the several contact plates are. accurate ypositionedwith advantage of this construction-is that it entirely v avoids the necessity for usin -or screws for the purpose of centering the bolts lplates withrelation to each other, only one olt (17) being necessary, and that only for the purposeo -clamping, by means of the plates 18, 19, the several plates together A further feature of the invention consists in making the clamping plate 18 of spring sheet-metal and giving it an inverted diskshape or set, as "s own in Fig. 6 (where the bolt 17 is shown as. slightly loos ened),-so that, when bolt 17 is tightened, plate 18 will bear firmly at all points againstthe uppermost contact plates and have no tendtact I What I clai m is':-.-

In a switch mechanism, the combination -ofa plurality of independent sets of contacts, a circuit closing key for each set, a

ency to bend upwardly and thus fail to 1,9 8,392; I Bf spring-pressed key-locking wing common to ball-shaped parts substantially filling said all the keys and normally restmg over the openings, substantially as described. 5

ends thereof, whereby as a key is operated In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set said win is moved rearwardly and takes my hand, in the presence of two sub scrib- 5 under an the operaed gey in thepoing Witnesses.

sition to w 'c, it is move an releases any i previously operated key, said vkeys being GEORGE L TIFFANY pivotally mounted in a plate or support Witnesses:

ving circular openings and said keys be- W. P. DELAUBBURE, Jr.,

10 ing provided intermedlat'e their ends with R. W. Arias-mono.

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