US2261419A - Electric switch - Google Patents

Description

NOV. 4, 1941. O A sHANN 2,261,419

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Aug. 26,'1959 TO TELEPHONE APPARATUS /6\ I 25 /5 TO LINE [DI I /N|/NTOR 0.14. SHANN Patented Nov. 4 1941 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE I ELECTRIC SWITCH, 7 Oscar A. Sl1ann, ,Bayside, Y., assignor to 3 ell Telephone. Laboratories, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation or New York fApplication August 26, 1939, Serial No. 292,022

-2 claims. (01. zoogleayj t This invention relates to electric switches and more particularly to-ringer cut-out switches for telephone substation apparatus.

One object of this invention is to enable the expeditious establishment of a controllable connection between an electrical conductor and apparatus associated therewith.

Another object of this invention is to facilitate the installation of a ringer cut-out switch in telephone substation apparatus.

In one illustrative embodiment of this invention, a ringer cut-out switch comprises a body member having therein a groove or channel for accommodating a cord for a telephone set, a plate member mounted on the body member and having a pair of terminals or contacts thereon, and a movable finger piece having an electrically conductive portion adapted to bridge the terminals or contacts. One of the terminals or contacts has connected thereto a metallic pin adapt du'c'tors l'fl'and I5 which are connected to terminals l6 in the mounting l0.

Each of the conductors I4 and {5 may be,

' stranded, as shown in Fig. 4, and individually en:

ed to pierce the insulation on the telephone cord and to engage one of the conductors of the cord. The other terminal or contact has connected thereto a conductor which may be connected to a point in the substation circuit such that when the two terminals or contacts are bridged a short circuit is placed across the ringer of the telephone set.

The invention and the features thereof Will be understood more clearly and fully from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a portion of a telephone set and the cord therefor and showing a cut-out switch constructed in accordance with this invention in place upon the cord;

Fig. 2 is a perspective exploded view of a cutout switch illustrative of one embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 3 is a View, mainly in section, illustrating the association of the switch and the cord;

Fig. 4 is a view in cross-section along line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a circuit diagram illustrating the operation of the switch shown in Figs. 2 and 3 as a ringer cut-out.

Referring now to the drawing, the telephone set shown in part in Fig. 1 comprises a mounting III, which may be of the construction shown in Patent 2,096,046, granted October 19, 1937 to John J. Kuhn and George R. Lum, the mounting having therein telephone substation apparatus including a ringer II and a condenser I 2. The substation apparatus may be connected to the telephone line by a cord l3 having a pair of concased in insulation tubing ILfor example or soft rubber, and the insulated conductors may be en'- cased in turn by a fabric covering I8.

Mounted upon the cord [3 is a ringer cut-out switch, which, as shown in Fig. 2, comprises a body member l9, an insulating plate 20 anda finger piece 2 I The body member, which may be formed of metal or insulating material, includes a grooved or channeled bottom portion 22 for accommodating the cord l3, a pair of aligned grooved side portions 23 in which the insulating plate 20 is slidably fitted, and a pair of curved fingers M for frictionally engaging the finger piece 2 I.

The insulating plate 26, which may be of any suitable insulating material, has thereon a pair of terminals or contacts 25 and 26, the terminal 25 having a pointed pin portion adapted to pierce the fabric covering l8 and insulating sleeve I! and to firmly contact with the conductor I4, as shown in Fig. 3. The terminal or contact 26 has extending therefrom a conductor 21, which may be an integral extension thereof, connected within the mounting [0 to one terminal 28 of the ringer ll. Preferably, the conductor 21 is of relatively heavy wire so that, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, it may be inserted easily under the fabric covering [8 of the cord l3.

The body portion of the finger piece 2| preferably is of insulating material and has embedded in or coated upon the base thereof an electrically conductive plate or layer 29. The finger piece 2| is .slidably movable in the groove between the fingers 24 of the body member l9 so that the plate or layer 29 may be out of contact with the con-,

tact or terminal 26, as shown in Fig. 3, or may be in intimate engagement with both of the contacts or terminals .25 and 26 whereby, as will be apparent from Fig. 5, a short circuit is placed across the ringer H and the ringer thereby is rendered inoperative.

It will be appreciated that the cut-out switch shit'able scope and spirit of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An electric switch for attachment to a con-i ductor, comprising a body member, including abase portion, open ended grooved side portions and fingers extending from said side portions, a plate member overlying said base portion and defining therewith a channel for accommodating said conductor, said plate member being fitted in said grooved side portions and slidably insertable therein from one end thereof, a pair of spaced terminals mounted on said plate mem her, one of said terminals having a portion extending into said channel for engaging said conductor, and a finger piece slidably mounted between said fingers and having a conductive surface for bridging said terminals.

2. An electric switch for attachment to an insulated conductor, comprising a unitary member including a base portion having therein an elongated channel, side portions each having therein an elongated groove parallel to said channel and finger portions extending inwardly from said side portions, an insulating plate overlying said channel and slidably fitted in said grooves, said plate defining with said channel an elongated, open ended tubular opening for accommodating said insulated conductor, a pair of terminals mounted on and projecting through said insulating plate, one of said terminals having a pin portion extending into said channel for piercing the insulation on said conductor and engaging said conductor, a conductor extending fromthe other of said terminals, and a finger piece slidably fitted between said finger portions, said finger piece including an insulating body portion and a conductive member overlying said insulating plate and adapted to bridge said terminals.

OSCAR A. SHANN.

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