US1511440A - Lever switch for electric sockets - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 14 1924. 3,531,440

R. B. BENJAMIN LEVER SWITCH FOR ELECTRIC SOCKETS Filed June 28, 1922 14 I3 37 25 7 2o v 33 38 7 :Lfill in V a3 I" 1/ HTT'DRNEYE i of breaking comparatively heavy current tion.

Patented Oct. 14, 1924. v I

UNITED STATES PATIENT" OFFICE. v

REUBEN is. BENJAMIN, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BENJAMIN ImEc'rBIo MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF GHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

LEVER SWITCH Fo a ELEo'rEIc so'cxE'rs.

Application filed June 28, 1922. Serial No. 571,893.-

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REUBEN B. BENJAMIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Lever Switches forElectric S0ckets, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a partof this specification.

My invention relates to lever switches and more particularly to lever switches arranged for use in electric light sockets.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved lever switch which will be of comparatively small size and capable and one which may be easily confined within the limits of the base of an ordinary electric lamp socket.

Another object of my invention is to provide a lever switch which will be durable and efiicient in use, simple in construction, of few partsand cheap to manufacture.

A further object of my invention is to improve certain features of switch construe- Further objects will appear from "the detailed description to follow and from the appended claims.

In the drawings in which an embodiment of my invention is shown;

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section showing my improved switch as used in an ordinary lamp socket, the operating lever being shown in full lines;

I Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the socket interior and switch as shown in Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the socket interior;

Fig. 4 is a to plan. view of the lower base of the soc et interior showing the switch mounted thereon;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken on line 66 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a section through the socket interior and the switch and taken on line 77 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a transverse section taken on line 88 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one'of'the contacting members; and

Fig. 10 is a sectional view of theswitch" showing the parts in the on-position, the off-position being shown by, dotted lines.

Referring now to'the drawings in detail, in my invention as illustrated, I provide a lower insulating switch base 10 on which are mounted a threaded shell contact 11 and a center contact 12, and an upper insulating base 13 on which are located the binding terminals 14.- and 15, the socket interior thus formed being enclosed in an ordinary "casing 16.

a The switch illustrated is mounted between the bases 10 and 13 and comprises a U- shaped member 17 having a pair of switch blades or arms 18, a slide portion 19, and a coil compression spring 20 which holds the slide portion 19 against the inner end of the switch lever 21 as shown in Figs. 1, 7 and 10.

The switch lever .21 is provided with a cam member comprising two oppositely inclined portions 22 and 23 meeting at a crest 24.

When the handle 25 of the switch lever 21 is pushed upwardly in the position shown by dotted lines .in Fig. 10, the U-shaped member 17 is pushed outwardly agalnst the tension of the compression spring 20 until the crest 24 of the cam member passes the point of application of pressure of the spring 20; the slide 19 is oscillation from a position rom which it is in engagement with one of the inclined port-ions, as shown in full lines in Fig. 10,

ivena quick to the position in which it is in engagement ing member 27 which is seated in the bear ing notches 28 in the U-shaped member 17. This transversely extending portion 27 also serves to guide the end of the sprin as it extends into oppositely disposed gui e slots 29 and 30- between the bases 10 and 13 as mounted switch arm,

16 and is arranged of the thumb or finger to produce a quick make or. break action of the switch.

shown in Fig. 4, the opposite end of the spring bearing against t e insulating, bases as shown in Fig. 1.

The U-shaped contact member 17 controls the circuit between the wiring terminals, and for this purpose a pair of contact members 31 and 32 are provided, the contact member 32 being electrically connected with the center contact 12 by means of the eyelet 33, and the contact 31 being electrically 0on nectedwith the wirin terminal 14 by means of the screw 34 as s own in Fig. 5. Th shell contact 11 is electrically connected to the wiring terminal-15 b means of the screw35 as illustrated in ig. 5.

When the contact blades 8 of the switch snap down into engagement with the contacts 31 and 32, the circuit is completed between these contacts, as the switch blades 18 are formed as a part of th U-shaped sheet metal stamping 17; when the contact blades 18 snap out from between these con.- tacts 31 and 32 the circuit is broken.

The handle 25 of ,the switch lever 21 extends through an opening 36 in the casing to be operated by means The switch lever 21 is supported on the bearing 37 which extends into the notches 38 in the insulating bases 10 and 13.

While I have shown. but one form of my invention it is obvious that it may be embodied in other forms as covered and defined by the appended claims.

aving thus described my invention, what I' claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A lever switch comprising a pivoted operating lever, a pivotally and slidably the pivot of which is slidable toward and from the pivot of the operating lever, spring means for forcing the pivot of the switch arm toward the pivot of the operating lever, said switch arm carrying a bearing member having a bearing surface extending transversely of the line of spring pressure, said pivoted operating lever having a bearing point movable along said surface past the dead center between said pivots, to cause a. snap action of the switch arm when said dead center.

2. A lever switch comprising a pivoted operating lever, a pivotally and slidably mounted switch arm, the pivot of which is point passes the said v slidable toward and from the pivot of the of spring pressure,

operating lever, spring means for forcing the ivot of the switch arm toward the pivot of t e operating lever, said switch arm carrying a bearing member having a bearing surface extending transversely of the line said pivoted operating lever having a bearing point movable along said surface past the dead center between maid pivots, to cause a snap action of the 3 switch arm when said point passes the said dead center, said operating lever having a stop portion engaged by said bearing surface to limit the snap movement. v

3. A switch comprising a pivoted operating member, a pivotally and slidably mounted switch arm, the pivot of which is slidable toward and from the pivot of the operating member, spring means for pressing the pivot of said switch arm toward the pivot of said operating member, said switch arm carryin a bearing member having a bearing sur ace extending transversely of the line of spring pressure, said pivoted operating member having a bearing point movable along said surface "past the dead center between said pivots to cause a snap action ofthe switch arm, and a two-part insulating base between the parts of which said switch mechanism is housed.

4. A switch comprising a pivoted operat-' ing member, a pivotally and slidably mounted switch arm, the pivot of which isslidable toward and from the pivot of the operating member, spring means for pressing the pivot of said switch arm toward the pivot of said operating member, said switch arm carrying a bearing member having a bearing surface extending transversely of the line of spring pressure, said pivoted operating member having a bearing point movable along said surface past the dead center between said pivots to cause a snap action of the switch arm, an insulating base on which .said switch mechanism is mountedfhaving a recess therein, said spring means comprising a coil compression spring mounted and guided for movement in said recess.

5. A switch comprising a pivoted operating member, a pivotally and slidably mounted switch arm, the pivot of which is slidable toward and from the pivot of the operating member, spring means for pressing the pivot of said switch arm toward the pivot of said operating member, said switch arm carrying a bearing member having a bearing surface extending transversely of the line of spring pressure, said pivoted operating member having a bearing point movable along said surface past the dead center between said pivots to cause a snap action of the switch arm, and a two-part insulating base between the parts of which said switch mechanism is housed, the pivot of said switch arm being slidable between and guided for movement gy and between the parts of said insulating ase.

6. A lever switch-comprising a pivoted opslidably the pivot of which is from the pivot of the Y having a bearing rying a bearing member having a bearing surface extending transversely of the line of spring pressure, said pivoted operating lever having a bearing point movable along said surface past the dead center between said pivots, to cause a snap action of the switch arm when said point passes the said dead center, said spring means and the pivot of said switch arm being formed as parts of an integral wire bent to provide a coil compression s ring and a transversely extending slidab e pivot pin.

7. A lever switch comprising a pivoted operating lever, a pivotally and slidably mounted switch arm, the pivot of which is slidable toward and from the pivot of the operating lever, spring means for forcing the ivot of the switch arm toward the pivot of the operating lever, said switch arm carrying a bearing member having a bearing surface extending transversely of the line of spring pressure, said pivoted operating lever oint movable along said surface past the sad center between said pivots, to cause a snap action of the switch arm when said point passes the said dead center, said switch arm comprisin a U- shaped member, the arms of whic form contact members and the cross-bar of which forms the bearing member.

8. A lever switch comprising a pivoted operating lever, a pivotally and slidably mounted switch arm, the pivot of which is slidable toward andfrom the pivot of the operating lever, spring means for forcing the ivot of the switch arm toward the pivot of t e operating lever, said switch arm cararms of which form contacts straddling the coil compression spring.

9. A lever switch comprising a pivoted operating lever, a pivotally and slidably mounted switch arm, the pivot of which is slidable toward and from the pivot of the operating lever, spring means for forcing the pivot of the switch arm toward the pivot of the operating lever, said switch arm carrying a bearing member having a bearing surface extending transversely of the line of spring pressure, said pivoted o erating lever having a bearing point movable along said surface past the dead center between said pivots, to cause a snap action of the switch arm when said point passes the said dead center, said spring means comprising a coil compression spring, and said switch arm comprising a U-shaped member, the arms of which form contacts straddlin the coil com-' pression spring and have openings therein to receive the slidable pivot member of the switch am In witness whereof,I scribed my name REUBEN B. BENJAMIN.

have hereunto sub-

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