US1368398A - Ernest h - Google Patents

Description

E. H. JACOBS. ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FlLED 1ULY30| 1917.

Patented Feb. 15, 1921 Inventor. Ernest H. Jacobs,

bk i I Hi5 fflt tovneg "(UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

ERNEST H. J'ACOIB S, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOI$, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL ELECTRIC GOM- PANY, A CORPORATION 01* NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC S'WITCH.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, ERNEST H. JACOBS, a

citizen of the United States, residing at a which only two insulating members or bushings are required to support the contacts for the switch.

It is the usual practice in switches of the four break type comprising two pair or four fixed contacts with cooperating movable contacts, to provide a separate bushing or support for carrying each fixed contact thus requiringfour bushin s or supports extending into the oil vessel. uch switches'are thereforecostly, dueto the number of bushings vand to the larger oil vessels required and such switches also require a greater amount of space than switches of the usual type.

In the switch embodying the features of "my invention only two bushings or insulating members are required, each bushing terarated by an insulating barrier.

min'ating at its lower end in a special in 'sulating member or contact support upon which is mounted two fixed contacts sep- Cooperau ing movable contacts adapted to engage similar fixed contacts are mounted in close proximity to each other and movable as a unit by any suitable actuating mechanism.

The novel features which I believe to be I characteristic of my invention will be indicated in theclaims appended hereto, while the features of construction and mode of operation willbe understood byreference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which y I Figure 1 is a front elevation showing an electric switch embodying the features of invention, Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the bushings or contact supporting members for the switch showing the arrangement of the contact members, and Fig. 3 is an end elevationof the contact carrying portion of one bushing with the contacts in switch opening position.

In Fig. lis shown a switch comprising an Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb, 15, 1921,

Application filed July 30, 1917. Serial No. 183,435.

oil vessel 1, having a cover portion 2 upon wh ch is mounted two bushings 3 and 4 whlch carry the terminal members 5 and 6 respectively, for the switch. The bushings fixed contacts 13, 14 and similarly mounted on the opposite sides of barrier 12 are contacts 15 and 16, as best shown in Fig. 2. Barriers l1 and 12 extend considerably below the end of their corresponding fixed contacts. a Cooperating with each pair of similarly mounted fixed contacts 13, 15 and 14, 16 are longitudinally movable contact or bridging members 17 and 18 respectively carried on operating rods 19 and 20 respectively which are in turn controlled by any suitable mechanism to move the contact members 17 and 18 into and out of engagement with their respective fixed contacts. In Fig. 2 for purposes of clearness l. have shown the movable contacts 17 and 18 with a portion broken away.

As the contacts 13 and 14, and similarly contacts 15 and 16'are only separated by a comparatively small space, occupied by the barriers 11 and 12 respectively, asbest shown in Fig. 3, the movable contacts 17 and 18 are mounted in close proximity and the complete contact structure for the switch requres therefore a minimum amount of space and can be operated in an oil vessel of the size ordinarily used for two break switches.

In order to provide a switch having four breaks in series as the switch opens, one of contacts 13 or 14 for instance, contact 14 is in direct electrical connection through the usual conducting member carried by the bushing 3, with terminal member 5. A conductor 21 connects the other contact 13 permanently with the contact 16 carried by portion 10 of supporting means 8 as best shown respectively, extending in Fig. 2 and contact 15 is connected similarly to contact 14:, to terminal member 6 carried by bushing 4E.

The operation of my switch is evident from the foregoing description. When the switch is closed, the circuit through the switch is -from terminal member 5 to contact 14, through movable contact 18 to fixed contact 16 thence by conductor 21 to fixed contact 13 and through movable contact 17 to fixed contact 15 and thence to the other terminal 6 for the switch. As the switch opens, movable contacts 17 and 18 break engagement with their fixed contacts 13, 15 and 14, 16, respectively, moving downwardly on each side of barriers 11 and 12. A break occurs between each fixed contact and its movable cooperating contact causing four breaks to occur in series. Due to the fact, however, that the barriers 11 and 12 extend a sufficient distance beyond their contacts, the arcs formed at the four breaking points occur on opposite sides of the insualting barriers and are separated thereby so that there is no danger of arcing taking place between contact members 13, 14: and between members 15 and 16.

I have thus provided a switch of the four break type which is simple, compact, requires little space and in which only two bushings or supports are required for the contact members thus enabling the use of a four break switch with no material increase in cost and with no increase in space required for the installation 01 the same.

IVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In an. electric switch, the combination with two insulating terminal members, contact supporting means carried at one end of each of said members, two pairs of fixed contacts, one pair of said contacts mounted on each of said supporting means and insu-.

lated from each other, and means for connecting the four contacts to form a ser1es circuit.

2. An electric switch comprising two insulating members, contact supporting means carried by said members having a top portion and a downwardly extending portion, contacts mounted on each top portion on opposite sides of said downwardly exending portion, terminals 'for said switch to which one fixed contact on each supporting means is connected, a conductor permanently connecting the other fixed contact of each supporting means, and movable contact members adapted to cooperate with said contacts to control the current through the switch.

3. An electric switch comprising two insulated terminal members, contact supporting means carried at one end of said members, fixed contacts carried by said supporting members connected to said terminal members, another fixed contact carried by each of said supporting members adjacent said first mentioned contacts, a permanent conductor between said other fixed contacts, and movable contact members cooperating with said fixed contacts to form four breaks in series as the switch opens.

1. In an electric switch, the combination with two insulating members, switch terminals carried thereby, a fixed contact in direct connection with each of said terminals, a second fixed contact adjacent each of said first mentioned contacts, contact supporting means for said adjacent contacts carried by said insulating members including a barrier portion extending between and below said adjacent contacts, and bridging members cooperating with those contacts on the same side of said barrier portion.

0. In an electric switch, the combination ."Fl'cli a vessel adapted to contain oil, two insulating members Within said vessel, contact supporting means carried by said insulating members, including a top portion and a downwardly extending central portion integrally related thereto, fixed contacts carried by each top portion and separated by said central portion, and bridging members cooperating with those contacts on the same side of said barrier portion.

6. An electric switch comprising a vessel adapted to contain oil, two insulating members within said vessel, contact supporting means carried by said members, two fixed contacts mounted on each of said supports, insulating barriers extending downwardly between the fixed contacts on each support, 119111111121l members for the switch connected to one of said fixed contacts carried by each of said supports, a permanent connection between the other of said contacts, and movable members adapted to engage said fixed contacts to control the current through the switch.

7. An electric switch comprising two insulated terminal members, contact supporting means carried by said members, a pair of fixed contacts carried by each supporting means, a permanent connection between one of each pair of fixed contacts, and bridging members adapted to engage the similarly located contacts of each pair.

8. In an electric switch, the combination with two insulated terminal members, contact supporting means carried by said members, two fixed contacts carried by each of said supporting members, an insulating barrier carried by each contact supporting means and extending between the two fixed contacts, two cooperating movable contacts adapted to bridge the fixed contacts on similar sides of said barriers, and a permanent connection between one of each pair of said fixed contacts.

9. An electric switch comprising two insulated terminal members, contact supporting means carried at one end of said memcontacts of each pair, and movable bridging bers, two fixed contacts carried side by side members cooperating with similarly located on each of said supporting means, a permacontacts of each pair to connect all said con- 10 nent connection between one of each pair tacts in series.

of fixed contacts the other contacts of each In Witness whereof I have hereunto set pair being connected to said terminal memmy hand this 26th da of Jul 1917.

bers, barrier members extending between the ER EST JACOBS.

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