US735363A - Electric switch. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED AUG. 4, 1903.

' H. GILMORE.

' ELEGTRIG SWITCH.

APPLIOATION FILED APR 18 1902 no MODEL.

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NITED STATES Patented August4, 1903.

HOWARD GILMORE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 735,363, dated August 4, 1903.

Application filed April 1 8 1 9 02.;

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, HOWARD. GILMORE, of

Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Electric Switch, of which the following is r a specification, reference being bad to the aclimited and it is essential that the switches shall be supplied at low cost and be durable and not likely to get out of order.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan, and Fig. 2 a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, showing One form of my switch and so much of a lampsocket as is necessary to show the application of my switch. Figs. 3 and 4c are sectional views like Fig. 2, except that the switch is off in Fig. 2, half-way on in Fig. 3, and on in Fig 4. Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a section on line 6 6 of Fig. 2. Figs. 7 8, 9, 10, and 11 are details showing the preferred construction-of the key-shaft, supporting-frame, and cam for actuating the moving member of my switch. Figs. 12 and 13 illustrate a modified form of my switch in which a leaf-spring is used in lieu of the spiral spring shown in Figs. 1 to G, andFigs. 14, 15, and 16 are details explanatory of the operation. Fig.

17 shows another modification.

The lampsocket with the preferred form ofmy switch shown in Fig. 1 consists of the insulating-button A, usually of porcelain, to which is secured the frame Bfor the keyshaft 1) and also the arm (I, with the binding screw d for the wire to one terminal of the lamp, the wire for the other terminal being connected to the frame B by arm (I and binding-screw d all as well known.

Myswitch consists of the stationary contact D and the movable contact D, which are held 1 apart when the lamp is not lighted, but which meet with a snap when the lamp is lighted and which separate with a snap when the lamp is put out, for contact D (shown as the usual threaded shell of the lamp-socket) is in elec- Serial No. 103.522. (No modelJ trical contact with one terminal of the filament, and the supporting-frame B,key-s11aft b, cam F, and movable contact D are in electrical contact with the other terminal of the filament, and a circuit through the filament is therefore established when contacts D and D are in contact and maintained as long as they remain in contact, the important point being to bring them into contact witha snap as well as to separate themwith a snap. To effect this I actuate contact D by means of cam F, shaped to first press contact D toward contact D, as shown in Fig. 3, and next drop one end of contact-piece D and thereby tip that piece to the position shown in Fig. 4c,

thus bringing contacts D and D together with a snap and closing the switch. The further motion'of cam F carries both parts of cam F clear of contact-piece D and allows contact D to be thrown back to its off position, as shown in Fig. 2.

I prefer to use aspiral spring I) for moving contact D against the force of cam F, but I .have also shown a leaf-spring b for doing this. (See Figs. 12 and 13.) This leaf-spring b maybe integral with contact D. This feature of my invention is two contacts, the movable one of which is moved bodily by a cam toward the stationary one and allowed by the cam to be moved bodily away from the stationary one by the force of a spring and is also .tipped by the force of that spring on the cam as a fulcrum, so that one end of the movable contact is thrown quickly into. and out of contact with the stationary contact, thereby insuring both a snap-make and a snapbreak.

Another feature of my invention relates to mounting the key-shaft Z) in its supportingframe B, and consists in forming ears b near the end of key-shaft b and making an aperf ture through the plate of frame B, as shown in Fig. 7 to receive theend of the key-shaft and the ears I) when the shape shown in Fig. 7 is changed to that shown in Fig. 8, thereby securing the key-shaft b in the frame B and also centering the shaft with abundant aecu-.

racy.

A third feature of my invention relates to connecting the cam F with the key-shaft, and consists in making a second set of ears 6 on the shaft 1) and making an aperture through cam F, as shown in Fig. 9, so that when the shaft 1) and ears b are in place in that aperture the side walls of the aperture may be depressedinto the depressions which are made by the tools in forming the cars If, as shown in Fig. 11, and thus connect cam F and shaft 1), so that the cam and shaft will always rcvolve together and be prevented from relative movement.

While I have shown the cam-surfaces as integral with a plate which revolves with the key-shaft, it is obvious that they may be integral with the contact D. (See Fig. 17.)

What I claim as my invention is- The switch above described comprising two contacts, one of which is movable; and a cam and spring to move the movable contact bodily toward and away from the stationary'contact, and also to tilt the movable contact over the cam as a fulcrum and snap one of its ends into and out of contact with the stationary contact, substantially as described.

2. In a switch two contacts, one of which is movable; a cam to move the movable contact bodily toward the stationary contact; and a spring to oppose the movement of the movable contact caused by the cam and also to tilt the movable contact over the cam as a fulcrum and thereby throw one end of the movable contact against the stationary contact with a snap when one portion of the movable contact rests on a projection on the cam,

and another portion is opposite a depression in the cam.

3. In a switch a supporting-frame B, one wall of which is slotted as shown with opposed curved recesses in the longer sides of the slot, in combination with key-shaft b and cars 11 extending therefrom, and across the curved HOIVARD GILMORE.

Witnesses:

J. E. MAYNADIER, O. B. MAYNADIER.

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