US1584366A - Electbic switch - Google Patents

Description

May 11 1926.

F. P. GATES ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Jan. 16, 1924 May ii, i926,

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FEEDERIC P. GATES, OF "WEST HARTFORD. GONNEGTEGUI, ASSILGNOR TO II-IE FULLER- GATES COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, GGIll TllC A CQREOBATIGN OF CGNNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC SWITCI'I.

Application filed January 16, 192%.

My invention relates to the class of devices employed for making and breaking an electric current and more especially to that type of such devices known as snap switches, and an object of my invention, among others, is to provide a device of this class that shall be simple in construction and particularly efficient in operation.

One form of switch embodying my invention and in the construction and use of which the objects herein set out, as well as others, may be attained, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in WhlCl1-- Figure 1. is a view in centralsection on a plane passing through the axis of the spindle.

Figure 2 is a view in section on a plane denoted by the dotted line 2-2 of Figure 1.

- Figure 3 is a view on a plane denoted by .the dotted line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 1 is a view similar to Figure 3 and illustrating in connection therewith the operation. of the device.

Figure 5 is a detail view of the parts making up the controlling mechanism, said parts being separated to illustrate their relative positions.

In the accompanying drawings the numeral 6 indicates the base of my improved switch that is usually constructed of porcelain or other insulating material, said base having switch terminal supports 7 secured thereto in any suitable manner and provided with switch terminals 8 to receive switch blades 9, all of which parts may be of any well known construction and which are secured in place in any suitable manner. A spindle 10 is also rotatably mounted in the base and rises therefrom, being secured in any suitable manner.

A switch unit 11 is secured to the spindle to rotate therewith, this unit, as to the means for securing the switch blades 9 and for insulating them, being of any suitable and well known construction. A spring holding finger 12 is secured to the switch unit and rises therefrom, and a spring tensioning finger 13 is secured to the spindle in a manner to be hereinafter described, said fingers being located between the projecting ends of a tensioning spring 14; and cooperating to place said spring under tension in a manner that will be'readily understood.

In carrying out my invention 1 provide a stop plate 15 that is secured to the under Serial No. 686,645.

side of the switch unit, said plate having a segment 16, the ends of which provide stop shoulders 1718 to be received against detents forming a part of the controlling mechanism now to be described.

This controlling mechanism is located in a recess 19 in the upper part of the base and it comprises guide plates 2021 that are suitably spaced apart and through which plates the spindle 10 extends. The plate 21 has spacers 22 formed by bending the ends of radially extending arms 23 at an angle to the plane of said plate, and this plate is secured to the plate 20 as by means of interengaging projections and notches on the ends of the spacers 22 and radially extending arms 24 on the plate 20. Said arms on bot-h plates have guide slots 2526 within which detents 2? are located for reciprocating movement, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. Each detent has a tooth 28 to receive a shoulder 17 or 18, as hereinbefore described, and each detenthas also a notch to receive an actuating cam 29 that is formed as a flange on a cam plate 30, said plate having a cen tral hole of partially angular shape to receive an angularly shaped or flattened portion of the spindle 10, and as shown in Figure 8 of the drawings. When the plates 20 and 21 are secured together with the actuating cam plate and detents between them the upper and lower edges of the detents are located squarely against the facing surfaces of the stop plate and cam plate and cramping action in the sliding movements of the detents is prevented, and a controller unit is formed located directly under the switch unit 11.

The cam 29 is so formed that when rotated in either direction the detent that is thereby placed in the path of movement of one of the shoulders 17 or 18 will be moved, as to its teeth 28, into such path prior to the time that the detent that is then functioning as a holding detent is moved from engagement with a shoulder 17 or 18. This operation is clearly illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings from which it will be noted that the cam comprises two concentric portions (0 and b, the portion a being of less radius than the portion 6. These concentric portions are united by cam portions 0 and (Z. If force be applied to the spindle 10 to move it in a clockwisedirection, and as indicated by the arrow in Figure 3, the holding detent at the upper side of the structure will remain stationary owing to its engagement with the concentric portion a of the cam and until after the cam portion (Z has engaged the detent at the right of the structure and moved it radially inward so that its tooth 28 will be in the path of movement of the shoulder 18. Just after the detent has been so placed the cam 0, in the continued rotation of the spindle, and consequently'of the cam, will engage the detent at the upper side of the structure and move it radially outward to disengage its tooth from the shoulder18, and the switch unit being thus released will be quickly and forcibly moved from the position shown in Figure 3 to the position shown in Figure 4, this under the force of the spring 14, and in a manner that will be readily understood, the rotation of the spindle moving the finger 13 away from the finger 12 While the latter is held by the switch unit, this'movement of the finger 13 also moving-one end of the spring from the other end thereof and thus placing said spring un der tension.

In the operation just described the parts are rotated more than ninety degrees and when the force exerted upon the spindle to 'efl ect such rotation released the spring will relax, its ends will move together, and a reverse movement will thereby be imparted to the cam 29 to its position of rest,

the not degree of movement 01 the cam at each operation being substantially ninety degrees.

In addition to the structure herein above described my invention also contemplates an improved support for the tension spring 14, this'support comprising a two-part sleeve through which the spindle 10 extends, the lower part 31 of which sleeve is secured as by riveting to a linger supporting plate 32 firmly secured to the top plate of the switch unit, said sleeve member having a shoulder resting upon the plate32, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. The upper member 33 of said supporting sleeve has a hole to lit the flattened; upper part of the spindle, and this member is secured to the base 3-1 of the linger '13, as by riveting, and as shown in Figure 1. Both of the sleeve members 31 and have flanges between which the spring ll is supported, and a thumb piece 85 is movably and rcmovably secured to the spindle 10 in any suitable and desired manner.

I claim I 1. A. switchspindle, means carried by said spindle for conducting an electric current, a two-part sleeve mounted on said spindle, a spring mounted on said sleeve, a holding plate secured to one of said sleeve'parts and having a holding finger projecting therefrom, atension'ing plat-e secured to the other of said" sleeve parts and 3 having a tension-- ing linger projecting therefrom, said lingers engaging opposite ends of said spring, and a knob loosely mounted on said spindle and engaged, with said tcnsioning finger.

An electric switch comprising switch blades and terminals therefor, a spindle operatively connected vith said switch blades, and means for operating said spindle, a s op plate connected with said spindle to be operated thereby, a stop shoulder on said plate, a pair of guide plates having alined slots therein, angle spacers on one plate having an interlocking connection with the other plate, a. detentslidablysupported on one plate and extending into a slot of the other plate, a projection on the detent extending into a slot of the supporting plate,

a detent tooth projecting through'the slotof the other plate to engage said stop shoulder and a cam plate secured 'to'said spindle between said guideplates, a facial cam fian e aro'ectin at ri ht an les from 23 23 D a the cam plate and said detent being notched to receive the cam flange.

0. An electric switch comprising switch blades and terminals therefor, a spindle operatively connected with said switch blades, means tor operating said sp1ndle,"a

stop plate connected with said spindle to beoperated thereby, a stop shoulder on said plate, a pair of guide plates having alined' slots therein, angle spacers on one plate having an interlocking connection with the other plate, a detent slidably supported on one plate and extending into'a slot of the other plate, a projection on the detent extending into a slot of the supporting plate,"

a detent tooth projecting through the slot or the other plate to engage said'stop shoulder and a cam plate secured to said spindle between said guide plates, a facial cam flange projecting at right angles from the cam plate am said detent being notched to receive the cam flange, said detent being freely disposed and having an interlocking engagement with the cam plate to'be positively moved in opposite directions.

1-. An electric switch comprising switch blades and terminals therefor, a spindle operatively connected with said switch blades, means for operating said spindle, a stop plate connected with said spindle, to be operated thereby, a stop shoulder on said plate, a pair of guide plates havlng alined" slots therein, angle spacerson one plate-hav ing an interlocking connected with the other plate, a detent "slidably supported on one plate, and extending into a slot otthe other plate, aprojection on the detent extending into a slot of the supporting plate, a; detent N tooth projecting through the slot of the other plate to engage said step shoulderand' a cam plate secured to said spindle between said guide plates, having a. cam operatively engaged with said'deteiit, saiddetent being resaeee freely disposed and having an interlocking engagement with the cam plate to he positively moved in opposite directions, and said detent reciprocating in a plane parallel with the guide plates and maintaining constant relations thereto.

5. An electric switch comprising switch blades and terminals therefor, a spindle operatively connected with said switch blades, means for operating said spindle, a stop plate connected with said spindle to be operated thereby, a stop shoulder on said plate, a pair of guide plates having alinecl slots therein, angle spacers on one plate having an interlocking connection with the other plate, a detent slidably supported on one plate and extending into a slot of the other plate, a projection 011 the detent extending into a slot of the supporting plate, a detent tooth projecting thronph the slot of the other plate to engage said stop shoulder, and a earn plate secured to said spindle between said guide plates, a facial cain flange projecting at right angles from the cam plate and said detent being notched to receive the cam flange, said detent being freely disposed and having an interlocking engagenient with the cam plate to be positively HTOVQCl in opposite directions, and said detent reciprocating in a. plane parallel with the guide plates and maintaining constant relations thereto.

FREDERIC P. GATES.

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