US2210501A - Electric switch - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 6, 1940. .L sAcHs 2.210.501

imm-mm: sumen' Filed April 15. 19:57 2 sheets-sneer 1 Aug. 6, 1940.v J: SACHS 2.210.501

ELEGTRIC SWITCH Filed April 13. 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 tarngy Patented ug. 6, 1940 Parmi oFFIcE c 2,210,5ll

ELECTRIC SWITCH Iloseph Sachs, West Hartford, Conn., assigner to Colts Patent Fire firms Manufacturing Com pany, Hartford, Conn., a corporation ci Connecticut Application April i3, 11h37, Serial No. 136,629

4i Claims.

One object of the invention is to provide a v switch having certain novel features of construclil In the accompanying drawings l have shown two embodiments of the invention, but it will be understood that the drawings are intended for illustrative purposes only and are not to be construed as dening or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims forming a part of this lspecification being relied upon for that purpose.

In the drawings:

' Fig. l is a front elevation of a switch embody? Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the switch of Fig. l

with a portion of the casing broken away to show a sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views taken on the lines 3 3, and 4--4, respectively, of Fig. l., the switching parts being shown in diiierent positions in the two figures.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of 'another switch embodying the principles of the invention, a portion of the casing being broken away.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6*@ of Fig. 5, the outline of the fuses being shown in dot-dash lines.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 1 1 of Fig. 5,'certain portions being broken away to more clearly show the construction.

Fig. 8 is a View taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 5 with the cover omitted and certain parts vindicated in another position in dotted lines.

Fig. 9 is a'sectional view of the switch itself taken on the line 9 9 of Fig. 5, with the switching parts in the on position.

Fig. l is a view similar to Fig. 9 butshowing the switching parts in the off position.

s Referring now to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 4, I have shown 'a casing which may be of any desired form and may include a box Vportion I having such knockouts 2 asmay be desired, and a cover 3 which is preferably hinged to the box portion at 4. A detent 5 is provided for holding the cover-in closed position.

The. particular switch shown is adapted for use in a twowire system, but the principles of the invention arel applicable to switches having a diiferent number of poles.

A lbase 6 of insulating material is secured in the contacts.

(Cl. Zilli- 1.54)

the box by screws l'. A. sheet or" insulating material t may, if desired, be placed between the block and the back of the box. .d groove il is preferably formed in the rear face of the base E and there is positioned adjacent one wall of this groove a switch Contact iii which may inn clude an angularly extending portion li to which is secured a line circuit connector l2. A

screw 'i3 serves to secure the contact i2 to the base t. Another switch contact lll is provided adjacent the other side wall of the groove 9 and, as shown, it is preferably positioned opposite the contact lli. The contact lf3 preferably includes an angular portion iii which may be secured to the base by a bolt and nut i6 which may also serve as the center contact for a plug type fuse. A screw threaded fuseI receiving means il' is secured to the base and electrically connected to a load circuit connector i8 by a conductor iii.

.For `cooperating with the switch contacts lil and lil provide a switching member which in the illustrated form comprises a member of insulating material and a U-shaped electrical conductor 2l having the legs of the U positioned on opposite sides of the member 2i). The switching member is preferably mounted for rectilinear movement adjacent the rear or' the base. When the base has a groove such as shown at 9 formed therein the switch "uber may be positioned in the groove. i the particular switch illustrated the switch contacts lll and it extend inward from the walls or' the groove 9 and therefore also serve to guide the switching mema ber in its movements. `The length of the mem- -ber is less than the length of the groove t in which it is positioned, it being apparent that as the switching member is -reciprocated in the groove, the legs of the conductor 2l will be moved into and out ofA engagement with the contacts 'l0 and I4 to close and open the circuit through pivotal axis will produce a 'simultaneous recipro` The operatcation of the switching member. ing meinbermay include a handle 21.

In accordance with this phase of the invenf assembly embodying certain other principles of tion, means are provided for effecting a quick action movement of the switching member to at least one of 'its positionsand preferably to both of them. While other means may be used for this purpose, the 4construction which I now prefer includes tension springs 28. These springs have one end thereof anchored with respect tol the base 6, and in the form shown, hooks 29 are provided on the lower ends of the springs for effecting the anchorage as shown at 30. These springs are positioned in slots 3| in the base and have their upper ends secured to proections 32 on the operatingl member. `It is apparent from Figs. 3 and 4 that the longitudinal axes of the springs will move from one side tothe other of the pivotal axis of the operating member as the latter is moved to its circuit closing and opening positions, and due to this over center movement i a quick action will result.

In the construction shown, the springs 28 serve the additional function of and constitute the sole means for holding the base and operating member in assembled relationship and therebyy eliminate the necessity of providing other means for this purpose. v v

It is apparent that a base, operating member, and switching member made in accordance with theprinciples of this phase of the invention may be readily assembled and disassembled. Detachable means are preferably provided for prevent` ing rearward movement of the switching member relative to the base 6 and the contacts I9 and I4, and means may be additionally provided for. preventing endwise separation of the lbase and switching member.. Inthe illustrated switch the rear of the casing l is detachably connected with the base and functions to prevent rearward movement of the switching member. The width of the casing is such that the side walls thereof constitute means for preventing endwise separa- ,tion of the base and switching member. As a result ofv this construction, upon removal of the operating member from the base for any reason, the casing and switch may be freely handled without danger of dropping or losing the switching member, or the switching-member may be freely separated `from the base and switch contaots if desired by merely removing the base from the casing. It should be'understood, howevei. that the side walls of the casing may, if desired, be spaced sufficiently farapart to permit the endwise removal of the switching member from the base while in the casing upon disengagement of the operating member therefrom.

AV solid neutral such as shown at ably provided.

33 is prefer- The casing cover 3 is sultably slotted' at 34 so that the handle 21 may project therethrough and the slot is preferably of such size that when the switch is on, as shown in Fig. 3, the side of the handle almost engages the right hand end wall of the slot. VWith this construction any attempt to open the cover 3 while the switch is on will effect movement of the switch to off position because the just mentioned end wall of the slot 34 will, as it pivots about the hinges 4, push the handle toward o position until the 'latter passes its dead center position whereupon the springs 28"will move'it to its full offposition. v In Figs. .-5 vthrough 10 I have shown a switch the invention.

In accordance withthe broader aspects of, this phase of the invention, any desired form of switch per se may be used, however, for the purposes of this specification, I have illustrated the form of switch which I now consider preferable', and which is in many respects, similar to 1 that shownin Figs. 1 through 4.'

This assembly includes aV box portion 5I having knockouts 52, and a cover 53 which is preferably hinged to thebox at 54. Mounted -within the box isa base.55 of insulating material which is generally similar to the base 6 shown inthe form illustrated in Figs. 1 through 44. 'I'he rear face of the base is grooved at 56 and positioned at the opposite sides of this groovel are switch contacts 51 and 58., The contacts 51 include yangularly related portions 59 through which th:

bolts 69 extend. The bolts 60 in conjunction with the nuts thereon serve to secure the c'ontacts 51 to the base, and also function as line circuit connectors. include angular portions 6I to which maybe secured clips 62 adapted to hold cartridge typeA fuses such as shown at 63. The central portion' of the contacts 58 may have screw threaded apertures therein with which screws 64 may en gage for securing the contacts and associated clips to the base. Fuse clips 65 are secured to the base and electrically connected to load circuit connectors 66 by the conductors 61. The fuse clips 62 and 35 are so mounted on the base that they vproject from one edge surface thereof so as to receive fuses with their' axes extending perpendi'cularly to the back of the casing with the line side contact ends thereof positioned adjacent the back of the casing.

A rectilinearly movable switching member is The contacts 58` preferably provided which comprisesa member 68 of insulating material carrying electrical conductors 69 for connecting the switch'contacts 51 and 58v to complete circuits therethrough. An operating member 10 having pivots 1I thereon'supported in groovesv12 in the front face of the base serves to reciprocate the switching member in a manner similar to that of the form shown in Figs. 1

through 4. Over center tension springs 13 are provided for causing 'quick action movement of the operating member 19 and for holding the p pivots 1I in the grooves 12. The springs 13 are positioned in slots 14 in the base and their opposite ends lare secured to the base and the operating member at 15 and- 13 respectively. A solid neutral 11 is preferably mounted on the base 55.

Attention is called' to the relationship between' the plane of movement of the switching and operating members .and the position of the fuse clips, this being such that the fuse clips are adapted to receive the fuses with their longitudinal axes lying in a plane parallel to the plane of movement of the switching and operating members. As a result of positioning these parts in this manner the vertical dimension of the switch and fuse assembly, as viewed in Fig. 5, is relatively small, and consequently in a given size of casing a maximum amount of space is left lavailable vfor wiring.

If desired', a piece of insulating material 18 may be secured to the ca'sing so as to extend over the line connections, the lower edge being positioned under the members 19. The casing cover 53 is preferably slotted to receive the handle portionof the operating member 'and the end wall of this slot'is adapted to move the operating member to its off position when the cover is opened.

While I have illustrated this phase of the invention as it may be applied to a two pole, solid neutral type of switch, it should be understood that the principles thereof maybe utilized in switches having a greater or lesser number of poles.

I have shown, and more particularly in Fig.V 8, a cover and switch interlocking means for preventing movement of the switching member to on position when the cover is open.. Pivoted to the side of the casing is a lever 30 having a portion 8| extending angularly therefrom and which projects into a recess 82 in the base. The lever is biased by a spring 83 to a position in which the portion 8i is in the path of movement of the switching member and when in this position, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8, it serves to block movement of the switching member to on position, that is, to the left as viewed in Fig. 10. When the cover is closed, the end portion 84 of the lever is pushed toward the rear of the casing to cause the portion 8l of the lever to move out of the path of movement of the switching member against the tension of the spring 83.

Certain of the features of the switch assembly shown in Figs. 5 through 10 are disclosed and claimed in my divisional application Serial No. 183,331, filed January .4, 1938, which has matured into Patent No. 2,168,540.

What I claim is: v

1. An electric switch comprising in vcombination, an insulating base, stationary switch contacts, a movable switching member adjacent the rear of the base and adapted to open and close a circuit through said switch contacts, an operating member pivoted on the base for movement about an axis near the front thereof and incl'uding a portion projecting rearward into engagement with said switching member whereby oscillation of the operating member serves to move said switching member, spring means secured to` the base and operating member for imparting a quick action movement to the operating member, andmean's having a detachable connection with the base for normally preventing separation of the base and switching member, said switching member being removable from the base upon detachment of said means from the base andwithout detachment of said-spring means.

2. An electric switch comprising in combination, an insulating base having an aperture therethrough from front to rear, stationary switch contacts mounted on the base, a rectilinearly movable switching member adjacent the rear of the base and adapted to open and close a circuit through said switch contacts, an operating member pivoted on the base for movement about an axis near the front thereof and including a portion projecting rearward into the said aperture and into engagement with said switching member whereby oscillation of the operating member serves to reciprocate said switching member,

" spring means secured to the base and operating member for imparting a quick action movement to the operating member, and means having a detachable connection with the base for normally preventing separation of the base and switching member, said switching member being removable from the base upon detachment of said means from the base and without detachment of said spring means.

3. An electric switch comprising in combination, an insulating base having an aperture therethrough from front to rear, stationary switch contacts, a switching member adjacent the rear of the base and rectilinearly movable to circuit opening and closing positions, an operating member pivoted on the base for movement about' an axis near the front thereof, said operating member including a portion projecting rearward into said aperture and into engagement with' said switching member whereby oscillation of the operating member serves to reciprocate said switching member, spring means secured to the base and operating member for eiecting a quick action movement of the switching member to atleast one of its positions and constituting the sole means for holding and the sole means for maintaining said base and operating member in assembled relationship, and means having a detachable connection with the base for normally preventing separation of the base and switching member, said switching member being removable from the base upon detachment of said means from the base and without detachment of said spring means.

4. An electric switch comprising in combination, an insulating base having a groove in the rear face thereof, stationary switch contacts mounted on the base, a switching member positioned in said groove and rectilinearly-movable to circuit opening and closing positions, an operating member pivoted on the base for movement about'an axis near thev front thereof and including a portion projecting rearward into engagement with said switching member whereby oscillation of the operating member serves to reciprocate said switching member, means having a detachable connection with the base for normally preventing separation of the switching member and base, said switching member being freely removable from the base upon detachment of said means from the base, and a spring having one end anchored with respect to the base and the other end secured to the operating member so that the longitudinalaxis of the spring moves from one side to the other of the pivotal axis of the operating member as the latter is moved to its circuit closing and opening positions to thereby effect a quick action movement of the operating member to said positions, said spring constituting the sole means for maintaining said base and operating member in assembled relationship. J H SACHS

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