US1278780A - Electric switch. - Google Patents

Description

c c. STIRLING. ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED 11m.1i.191s.

Patented Sept. 10,1918.

A fjarngy 7 suitable supporting body generally made of insulating supporting body 2.

U TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ULH-ENGE C. STIRLING, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE HART 8c HEGEKAN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORA- rrou or OONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 10, 1918.

Application filed January n, 1918. Serial No. 211,443.

To all whom it ma concern.

Be it known t at I CLAnnNcn C. Srin- LING, a citizen of the United. States; residing at Hartford, in the county of Iglur. ford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements 1n Electric Switches, of which t e following is a s ification.

his in ention relates to electric switches. The invention may be incorporated in switches of various styles. It is of particular advantage however, when incorporated in what is own as a pendent snap switch. One of the primary purposes I have in view is the provision of a structure which is exceedingly compact and which can be readily and easily snapped between on and off positions. In the drawings acc'ompanyingnnd forming part of the present specification I have shown in detail a form of embodiment of the invention which I will set forth fully inthe following description to enable those skilled in theert to practise theinventlon. not necessarilyrestricted to this particular disclosure; I may depart therefrom in several res cots-within the scope of the inven tion deiined by the claims following said d'cscri tion.

Refgrring to said drawings: I

Figure 1 is an elevation of a switch comprising the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same, the section being from front to rear.

Fig. 3 is 'a Section on the line .3-3 of y 2, looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig; 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4-.4 of Fig. 2, also looking in the direction of. the arrows.

Likecharacters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Thes'witch comprises ini-ts construction a insulating material such as porcelain or vulcanized rubber.- The body shown is denotmi in ageneral way by 2am] it is prod tically of cylindrical sha c. It fits-within a shell-as 3 generally 0 sheet metal, the

shell being practically of hell form and re-- ceivlng comparatively closely within it the edges of the parts mentioned are ordinarily flush; said parts may unitedm any de- Iam.

The lower sir-able manner. As a matter of advantage :1 single element such as the pin 4 is shown for this purpose, this pin being usually driven through regislcring openings in the two parts. The )in in addition to connecting the body and shell also as will hcreinafter appear presents a suitable pivot for an actuator for a switching member. The supporting body has diametrically opposite slots as 5 and 6 which extend for the major part of the depth or'height of the supporting body; The material of the supporting body between the two slots 5 and 6 at the top presents the maximum diameter of the supporting body and is contiguous to the inner surface of the inclosing shell 3. To the bottoms of the two Slots 5 and 6 are suitably fastened the shanks of the contact members 7 and 8, scrcws'as 9 bein provided to hold the contact members in place. The contact members above the screws as shown are extended inward and are then prolonged upward to act as the complemcntul contacts 10. The contacts 10 as well as the inwardly prolonged portionsof the connecting and contact members 7 and 8 are obviously re two screws 9. The supporting body 2 has adiametrical slot 13 into which the cylindrical seats 14 open. These seats 14 receive for rocking motion the cylindrical rocker 15.- The seats 14 in fact intersect the opening 16, the u per portion 17 of the wall of which is on a are or downward or inward taper, diametrically opposite parts of-this flared portron acting as stops for a switching member such as that denoted in a general way by 18.

The rocker 15 has a transverse central perforation 19 to receive the shank .20 of they switching member, this shank being slidable through the perforation. The shank 20 has at its upper end the head .21 and at its lower end the" foot 22. The shank 20 is also surrounded by the coiled sprin r 23, the lower end of which bears against 1; e foot 22 and the upper end of which bears against. the.

ion

rocker 15 this .sprinp; generally being under compression at all times. 1

T e actuator for the switching member is denoted in a general way by 24. It comrises a body as 25 preferably made of 1511- i ating material such as vulcanized rubber. This oscillating bod 25 is supported practically centrally of its length by the pin 4 to which I have already referred. It will, therefore, be clear that the insulat ng body of the actuator can rock on the pm. Said body 25 is fitted in the slot 13 and at all times either one end or the other projects from the slot. It is'equipped w .th the buttons 26 and 27 presenting a convenlent means for obtaining the necessary oscillation of the body. Other means might conceivably be provided for this purpose; as a matter of fact in some cases the buttons might be omitted and the body 25 d1rectly manipulated. Said body has on its Inner side the an cuate controlling surface 28 which is in the construction shown the meansby which the circuit controlling or switching member 18 is operated; that is moved between the on and the off positions.

In Fig. 3 the full lines show the parts as off, it being clear that the foot 22 is at all times contiguous to the arcuate or concaved surface 28. The foot 22 is shown in fact near the left end of the said face. To effect the closed circuit relation the followin action may be adopted: The button 26 wi 1 be pushed upward, thus rocking the actuator toward the dotted line position. This particular motion of the actuator causes the core or pin to move upward, and at the same time traverse the arcuate face 28 toward the right in Fig. 3. This action will continue, the result being the further compression of the spring 23 as the foot rides along the face 28. There will be an instant when this face will release the foot 22, and as a consequence the switching member 18. When the switching member is released the coiled spring 23 then under maximum compression will react and thus swing over the switching member 18, so that the portion 21 will be projected automatically between the two contacts 10. To open the switch the action described will be reversed.

VVhat' I claim is:

1. A witch comprisin [a supporting body provided with contac s, roc er su ported by'the body, a shank freely exten "ing through the rocker and having a head and a foot at opposite sides ,of the rocker,

the head when the switch is .on bein adapted to engage said contacts, a coile' spring, the sprin actingagainst the rocker and against the oot portion of the shank, and 'an oscillatory actuator having'a face engagea'ble by the foot, the actuator-as it oscillates being adapted to cause the foot to traverse said controlling face and thus compress. the spring, the actuator when it is moved a. certain distance freeing the foot and therefore the shank to cause the spring I against the foot portion of the shank, and

anoscillatory actuator having a face engage-able by the foot, the actuator as it oscilates being adapted to cause the foot to traverse said controlling face and thus compress the spring, the actuator when it is moved a certain distance freeing the foot and therefore the shank to cause the spring by reaction to oscillate the shank and there fore the rocker to move said head to the off relation, the rocker being provided with buttons secured to it at opposite sides of its center of motion.

3. A switch comprising a supporting body provided with contacts, a rocker in the body,

a shank freely extending through the rocker and having av head and a foot at opposite sides of the rocker, spring means acting against the rocker and the foot, and an oscillatory actuator having a controlling face cngageable by the foot, the actuator as it is oscillated being adapted to cause the foot to traverse said cont-rolling face and to release the foot and therefore the shank when it has traveled a certain distance,'the spring means when the foot is thus released actin to impart a snap movement to the shan and therefore the rocker for thus causing the movement of the head to on and 01! positions alternately.

4. A switch comprising a supporting body provided int-eriorly thereof wlth contacts, a rocker in the body, a shank freely extending through the rocker and having a head and a foot at opposite sides of the'roc'ker, a. coiled s against t 'tion of the shank, and an oscillatory actuator mounted within and extending from the body, the actuator having a controlling face engageable by the foot the actuator as it is oscil foot to traverse said controlling face and thus compress the spring, the actuator when moved a certain distance freeing the foot to cause the spring and therefore the shank by reaction to oscillate the shank and thus the rocker to cause the head to alternatel moye between the on and the off pos1 tions. a

5. A switch comprising a supporting body provided with contacts, a' rocker in the body, a shank freely extending through the rocker and having a head and a footat opposite ring around the shank acting e rocker and against the foot por-- ated being adapted to cause thesides of the rocker, the head being adapted to engage the contacts when the switch is in the on relation, a coiled spring around the shank act 'ng against the rocker and against the foot portion of the shank, and an oscillatory actuator having an arcuate face on its inner side engagea ble by the foot, the

actuator as itis oscillated being adaptedto cause the foot to traverse said face and thus compress the spr1ng,. the actuator when moved a certain distance freeing the foot and therefore the shank to cause the spring by reaction to oscillate the rocker and thus move said" head alternately between on and ofl' positions.

6. A switch comprisin an insulating supporting body, a shell wit in which the body is disposed, a pin uniting the shell and the body, an actuator supported within the body by the pin, and a switching member supported by and within the body, and

means within the body to causesn'ap movements of the switching member between on and off positions by and on the movement of the actuator.

7; Aswitch com rising an insulating sup-' porting body, a be l-like shell within which the body is disposed, a single pin uniting the shell and the body, an actuator su ported for oscillation by the pin within't 6 body, and switching means carried by the body within the same, and means within the body to cause snap movements ofythe

Images