US1365308A - House electric - Google Patents

Description

w. C; DIXON.

SWITCHING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED mmm. 1918.

BY AITORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. `A

WALTER C. DIXON, OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC @c MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENN- sYLvANIA.

T 0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WALTER C. DIXON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Wilkinsburo, in the county of Allegheny and State of 2Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Switching Devices, of which the following is a yspecification.

My invention relates to switching devices and particularly to switch and fuse boxes of the safety first type.

One object of my invention is to provide means whereby an inclosed switch may be so interlocked with the cover members for its fuses that the switch may only be closed when the fuses are protected and the fuses may be removed only when the switch is open.

Another object of my invention is to pro vide a switching device, of the above-ndicated character, that shall be relatively simple and inexpensive to construct and effective in its operation.

In practising my invention, I provide an inclosed switch, a fuse disposed at each side thereof and hinged cover members for the fuses. A rod is connected between the cover members of the fuses and is so disposed with respect to the handle of the switch that the cover members cannot be opened so long as the switch 1s closed and the switch cannot be closed so long as the cover members are n open.

board 2 or other suitable supporting devicey and comprises, in general, a switch 3, here shown as of the knife-blade type, fuses 4 and 5 and a casing 6 for the switch, receptacles 7 and 8 for the fuses and a rod 9 for so interlocking the switch with the covers 15 and 16 of the receptacles 7 and 8 as to preclude the opening of the covers so long as the switch is in its closed position.

The switch 3 may be of the ordinary multi-pole single-throw type comprising stationary contact members 10, movable contact members 11 and an operating handle 12. The switch 3 is mounted on the panel board Specification of LettersiPatent.

SWITCKHKING DEVICE.

Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

Application led March 14, 1918. Serial No. 222,450.

2, and the handle 12 is adapted to extend through an opening 13 in the casing 6 in order that the live terminals of the switch shall be inclosed under all conditions, thereby preventing unauthorized persons from coming into Contact with them. The opening 13 is enlarged at one end to permit re-k moval of the casing 6.only when the switch 3 is in its open position.

yThe covers 15 and 16 are severally hinged at 14; to ends of the body portions of fuse receptacles 7 and 8. The rod 9 is connected to the covers 15 and 16 at the ends that are opposite to the hinge ends and extends across the casing 6 of the switch 3. The rod is disposed behind the handle 12, and latch members 17 are provided for engaging it to hold the covers 15 and 16 in their closed positions.

Since the rod 9 is disposed behind the handle 12, the covers 15 and 16 cannot be moved to their open positions until the switch 3 is open, and, conversely, the switch 3 cannot be closed without closing the covers 15 and 16.

My invention is not limited to the particular structure illustrated, as various modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a switch, the combination with an inclosed switch member having a handle projecting exteriorly of the closure and a fuse-containing receptacle, of means connected to the fuse-containing receptacle only and disposed in the path of movement of the switch handle for opening the switch when the fuse-containing receptacle is opened and for closing the fuse-containing receptacle when the switch' is closed.

2. The combination with an inclosed switch and a fuse-inclosing receptacle, of a projection on the fuse-inclosing receptaclel relatively movable with respect to and adapted to engage the operating handle of the switch to caus"e the switch to be opened when the fuse-inclosing receptacle is opened and to prevent the closure of the switch before the fuse-inclosing receptacle is closed.

3. The combination with a switch, an inclosing casing therefor, a fuse and a hinged cover for the same, of a projection on the hinged cover relatively movable with respect to and adapted to engage the handle of the switch When the cover for the fuse is opened to thereby open the switch.

'-l. The combination with a switch, an inclosing casing therefor, a fuse and a hinged cover for the same, of a projection attached to the hinged cover only and adapted'to engage the handle of the switch When the cover `is opened to thereby open'the switch.

5. The combination with a switch, a receptacle therefor having an opening therein to permit movement of the` operating handle, a fuse containing receptacle disposed on each side of the switch, and hinged covers Jror the fuse receptacles, of a rod disposed between the hinged covers and adapted to be engaged by the handle of the switch under predetermined conditions.

6. The combination with a switch, a receptacle therefor having an opening therein to permit movement of the operating handle,

a fuse containing receptacle disposed on each side of the switch and hinged covers for the fuse-containing receptacles, of means for so interlocking the covers with the operating handle that openingV theV covers opens the switch and closing the switch closes the covers.

7. The combination with an inclosed switch, an. operating handle therefor, a fuse containing receptacle disposed on each side of the switch, and hinged covers for the fuse receptacle, of a rod extending between the covers and attached thereto and adapted to be engagedby the handley for thepurpose of preventing the switclibeing closed so long as the covers are open;

In v*testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 12th day of March, 1918.

WALTER C. DIXON.

Images