US2227434A - Electric switch - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 7, 1941. 'J'. BIE RENFELD 2,227,434 ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Feb. 4, 1958 4 sheets-she t 1 Jan. 7, 1941.

J. BI ERENFELD- 2,227,434 ELscTnIcswI'rCH Filed Feb. 4. 1958 4 Sheets- Sheet 5 4 IN VENTOR crcflf'el l J'asEf'Zz ATTORNEY Jan. 7, 1941- J. BIERENFELD 2,227,434

ELECTRIC SWITC H IN VENTOk J 5 7 ZZerarz/eid.

Patented Jan. 7, 1 941 uNn'so sTArss PATENT orrics I examine a Josef Bierenfeid, Milwauk Wile assignor to Square D tionof Michigan Company, Detroit, Mich a corpora- Application February 4; 1938, Serial No. 188,592 '2 Claims. (Cl. 200-144) This invention relates to electric circuit controlling devices and more particularly to electromagnetically operated electric switches.

One object of the invention provides an electric 5 switch with an improved form of contact chamber providing an entrance opening in the bottom wall through which extends the manipulable means supporting the movable contact and a second top opening in the chamber, both of said openings providing means for venting gases from within the chamber.

Another object of the invention is to provide an electric switch with a contact enclosing chamber formed of two pieces which together cooperate to is form all the chamber walls and venting openings to the exterioroi the chamber. I

Another object of the present invention is an electric switch having an improved form of contact chamber arrangement wherein there is prono vided substantially a single opening providing for the venting of arc gases from the interior oi'ethe chamber.

' Another object of the invention is to provide in .an electric switch a contact enclosing chamber 25 formed of two pieces with the rear pieces beinl provided with formations slidably receiving the stationary contacts and limiting removal thereof to a forward sliding movement.

Other objects andi'eatures oi the invention will so be readily apparentto those skilled in the art 'from the following specification and the appended drawings -illustrating certain preferredembodiments of the invention in which:

Figure l is a front elevational view of an electrlc switch according to the present invention with the front contact enclosure section broken away in parts.

' Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line Il -l1 of Figure 1. 4o Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view on th line IIIlII of Figure 1. s

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the front section of the contact enclosure taken from the rear and bottom faces. a 5 Figure 5 is a perspective view of a stationary contact arrangement.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view through a modified form of contact chamber arrangement. Figure 'l is a perspective view of a top contact 50 spacing slider portion irom the contact enclosure of Figure 8.

The electric switch in the preferred einbodi 'ment of theinvention includes a back metallic supporting plate I having mounted thereon adia- 55 cent the top thereof the insulating back section 2 of the contact enclosing chambers as by means of studs 2. A further insulating sheet 4 may be disposed between the back plate I and the sec- 2 tion 2. Upon the back section 2 is mounted a as complementary front section I as by means-of studs 8. The sections 2- and 5 cooperate to form a plurality of chambers for the cooperating contacts, as herein illustrated three, although it is understood that one or any desired number of chambers may be so constructed.

At the juncture of, the bottom walls of the sections 2 and 5 there are provided openings I providing ,entrance into the contact, chambers and through these opennigs' I extend U-shaped elements I carrying the bridging movable con- 10 tacts O which are pressed against inturned ends II on the U-shaped elements 8 by means of compression springs I2. A spring guide post I3 is rigidly secured with'each of the U-shaped elements I to a movable insulating supporting element I4 common to the movable contact elements. I

Rigidly secured to the supporting plate I is a bracket Ii of inverted L-shape and U-shaped in cross section. Within the U iormed by the oppo- 2 site sides of the bracket is disposed a stationary core member ID of E shape upon the central leg of which is mounted an operating coil II. The core I. is maintained inplace by a pin Iii rigid with the bracket IU-and engaging in aslot in the back of the core piece as shown more particularly in Figure 2 and at its front by a similar but removable pin I8 extending through the bracket I6 and through a similar slot and removably maintained by spring clips 2| on the bracket. At the lower end of the bracket I5 there is pivotally mounted alink 22 also U-shaped in cross section and to the link 22 is pivotally mounted a bracket 23 U-shaped in cross section and also U-shaped in side elevation. The link 22 and the bracket 23 are pivoted together by the pin 24 and upon the pin 24 is also pivotally supported the movable armature member 25. A spring 2e is provided for holding the armature 25 in a desired position while the coil I! is deenergized.

The bracket 23 is rigidly connected to the insulating supporting member I4 and serves to transmit movement of the armature 25 therein so as to eifect substantially vertical reclprocatory movement oi the insulating support I4 and the mov- 4 scribed herein. They are of the ordinary current.

responsive type and serve upon current overload to interrupt the circuit to the energizingcoil II.

The back section 2 forming the contact chamber enclosures is provided with recesses 2| iorming the rear portions of the contact chambers and with top backwardly extending recesses I2 dis- 0 conductor lugs 34 or conductor ends as illustrated. Upon the front portions 35 adjacent the recesses 32 are mounted terminals 3! also receiving conductor lugs I4 or conductor terminals. The recesses 3i and 32 are connected by means of slots 38 receiving portions of the stationary contacts and also providing venting openings into the chambers as will be hereinafter described.

The stationary contacts are'arranged in pairs in each recess 3| spaced longitudinally thereof, the rear contact in each pair being designated at 31 and the front contact at 38. These contacts are relatively massive in form'and are shown in perspective in Figure 5. They include a terminal portion 39 connectible to the terminals 30 and 33, a vertical portion 4| received within the slots 36 and a contact face 42. The recesses and slots within the back enclosure section and the stationary contacts are so formed that the contacts are received and guided by portions on the back section so that their movement is restricted to a'forward sliding movement for removal.

The front insulating section 5 forming the contact enclosures is shown in perspective in Figure 4 and includes recesses 43 cooperating with the recesses 3| to form the chambers and rearwardly extending projections 44 partially filling the recesses 32 in the rear section 2. These projections and other portions on the front section are so Y cation from the slots 3' through the portions of therecesses 32 immediately adjacent the projections 44 to the exterior of the contact chambers. The arrangement of these openings is apparent from an inspection of the upper left hand portion of Figure l and of Figures 2 and 3. Within each of the recesses 48 and 3| in the sections 5 and 2 are disposed U-shaped magnetic elements 45 each disposed with its legs embracing the adjacent stationary contact.

With the construction herein illustrated it is seen that the contact chambers, which may be of any desired number, are formed from two cooperating insulating sections while providing for stationary contacts disposed in pairs within the chambers and spaced apart at right angles to the plane of the sections, which stationary contacts are readily accessible for inspection and removal when the front insulation section for the contact chambers is removed. The openings l at the bottom walls of the chambers through which the supports for the movable contacts extend are seen to be relatively open so that they provide venting means for gases generated within the chambers. Also, the slots 36 in the top walls of the chambers cooperate with the adjacent portions of the front recesses in the back section to provide top vents to the exterior of the chambers. as to provide both a top and bottom vent for each of the contact chambers with the bottom vent further serving as entrance means for the parts supporting and moving the movable contact elements.

A modified form of the invention is illustrated Hence it is seen the construction is such in Figures 6 and '1 wherein the contact enclosing insulating chamber is formed of three sections comprising a rear and partial top section II, a second top section II, and a front section II. The bottom walls of the sections II and II are provided with an opening ll through which extends a U-shaped contact supporting element I in which is disposed a bridging contact plate It, maintained forwardly by inturned ends 51 on the U-shaped element II. The bridging contact I! is biased upwardly by means of a compression spring 58 disposed between the legs of the U- shaped element It and further enclosed by a pair of oppositely directed U-shaped elements II and ii slidably nesting in each other. The U-shaped elements 55, u and ii together form a complete enclosure for the compression spring II and this enclosure is so dimensioned as to substantially enclose the opening I. in the bottom wall of the contact chamber. The top section II which is illustrated in perspective in Figure 7 is received upon the back section II and serves to space the stationary contact elements and I which are relatively loosely engaged therewith. The contact elements I! and N are connectible to terminals rigidly mounted upon the rear section 6| similarly to the terminals II and II in the preferred embodiment of the invention and thus serving to rigidly mount the stationary contact as well as the top section '52. The top section 52 is provided with a vertical slot II and with a top and side recess II which cooperate to pro vide a communicating vent from the interior of the contact chamber to the exterior thereof. The actuating and manipulable portions of the switch of this form are identical with those previously illustrated and described in the preferred form.

In this modified form of contact chamber arrangement it is seen that when the front section It is removed and the stationary contacts 82 and is disconnected from their terminals that the top section I! and the stationary contacts may be readily removed as a unit for removal and/or replacement as a whole. It is seen that this contact chamber is substantially entirely enclosed except for the single vent formed by the slot 64 and recess I. Thus, gases generated within the contact chamber will all be vented upwardly and outwardlyfrom the contact chambers through the top slot since the bottom opening is substantially closed by the spring enclosure formed by the U-shaped elements II, B and II.

While certain preferred embodiments of the invention have been specifically disclosed, it is understood that the invention is not limited thereto as many variations will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and the invention is to be given its broadest possible interpretation within the terms of the following claims.

What is claimed is;

1. In an electric circuit controlling device, a rear insulating section, a forward insulating section, said sections having cooperating recesses forming a contact chamber, a rearwardly extending recess in the front face of said rear section and above said contact chamber forming recess, a slot in the top wall of said rear section establishing communication between said recesses, a stationary contact mounted on said rear section and having a contacting portion disposed within said chamber forming recess, a shank portion disposed within said slot and a terminal portion offset from said contacting and shank portion 7g and disposed in the upper recess and adapted to be rigidly connected to a terminal element therein, a movable contact within said chamber, and means for moving said movable contact to perform the switching operation. a

2. In an electric circuit controlling device, a rear insulating section, a forward insulating sec tion, said sections having cooperating recesses forming a contact chamber, a rearwardly extending recess in the front face of said rear section and above said contact chamber forming recess, a slot in the-top wall of said rear section establishing communication between said recesses, a stationary contact mounted on said rear section and having a contacting portion disposed within said chamber forming recess, a shank portion disposed within said 'slot and a terminal portion offset from said contacting and shank portion and disposed in the upper recess and adapted to be rigidly connected to a terminal element therein, said stationary contact and rear section formations cooperating to limit movement of the contact to a straight line forward removal thereof and providing for self support of said station'- ary contact in its interior position independent of its connection to the terminal element, a movable contact within said chamber, and means for effecting movement of the movable contact to perform the switching operation.

3. In an electric circuit controlling device, a rear insulating section, a forward insulating section, said sections having cooperating recesses forming a contact chamber, a rearwardly extending recess in the front face of said rear section and above said contact chamber forming recess, a slot in the top wallof' said rear section establishing communication between said recesses, a stationary contact mounted on said rear section and having a contacting portion disposed within said chamber forming recess, a-

vshank portion disposed within said slot and a terminalportion offset from said contacting and a shank' portion and disposedin the upper recess and adapted to be rigidly connected to a term-- 5 nal element therein, a backwardly extending projection on said front insulating section disposable in said top recess to cover the stationary contact and its connection to the terminal element, said projection cooperating with a side wall of said recess to effect a continuation of said slot and providing for the openingthereof said chamber forming recess, a shank portion dis-- posed within said slot and a terminal portion oifset from said contacting and shank' portion and disposed in the upper recess and adapted to be rigidly connected to a terminal element therein, a. second-and oppositely oil'set contact element having its terminal portion mounted at 7 the front face of the rear element with its shank portion at least partially disposable in said slot, whereby said stationary contacts are spaced longitudinally of the contact chamber, a bridging movable contact within said chamber, and means for moving said movable contact to perform the switching operation. A 5. In an electric circuit controlling device, arear insulating section,a front insulating sec- 5 tion, and an at least partial top insulating sec- .tion, said sections when properly assembled cooperating to form a contactchamber, stationary contacts loosely supported on' said at least partial top section and' adapted to be rigidly con- '10 nected to and supported by said rear section, said at least partial top section and stationary contacts being' removable as a unit after removal of said front section, a bridging contact element within said chamber movable into and outuof 15, I

engagement with saidstatlonary contacts, means' extending into said chamber for effecting movement of the movable contacts, and a' slot insaid at least partial top section between said stationary-contacts and communicating with the 20 exterior atmosphere to, provide a vent'ior gases generated within the chamber, said slot extend: lng vertically through said at least partial top section and communicating with a recess in the topside wall thereof, the rear section having a 25 top portion engageable with the top or said at least partial top portion, whereby said vent, after t leaving the contact chamber, communicates with I the exterior through an orifice disposed in a vertical plane. a 1 6. In an electric circuit controlling device, a plurality of insulating sections cooperating, when properly assembled, to form a'contact'chamber, with an elongated slot in the-top wall of said chamber leading to the interior thereof, station- 86 ary contacts mounted within said chamber spaced longitudinally thereof. and having inte- 1 gral connection means extending'through'said slot and connected to terminals mounted at the ment within said chamber, the bottom wall of, said chamber being providedwith an opening through which extend the means for supporting and moving said bridging contact element, said v slot serving asa vent forgases generated by an 46 are drawn between said contacts and contact element, with the front and back walls of the slot formed by the integral, connecting means of the stationary contacts. i

7. In an electric circuit controlling device, a 0 rear insulating section, a' forward insulating lection, said sections having cooperating formations which form a contact chamber when the sections are properly assembled, a slot in the top wall of said rear section leading from said oon- 65 tact chamber to the exterior therieof', a stationary contact mounted on said rear'section-and' having integral connection "means extending through said wall and secured toa'terminal v mountedv on said rear section at the ex- '00 terior of the chamber, said rear section and integral connection means for the stationary contact having cooperating formations limiting removalof said stationary contact to a straight I line forward movement whereby to provide for 65 self-support of the stationary contact in its interior position independent ofits connection. to the terminal, a' movable contact within said chamber, and means for eifecting movement of. the movable contact to perform the switching 1 operation. Q

exterior of the chamber, afb'ridging contact elev40'

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