US2662954A - Rotary electrical switch - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 15, 1953 D. w. SNOW ROTARY ELECTRICAL SWITCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 2, 1952 IN VEN TOR. DA 4 5 14 fiA OM/ ATfZQ/Vfy N O W Y I R m 2 M m M 9 m a MS w 7 e 2 h M W W 6 IV A n0 s L 2 M C e l M f 0 1L Y B D. W. SNOW ROTARY ELECTRICAL SWITCH Dec. 15, 1953 Flled May 2 1952 Patented Dec. 15, 1953 ROTARY ELECTRICAL SWITCH Dale W. Snow, Seattle, Wash., assignor to Boeing Airplane Company, Seattle, Wash., a corporation of Delaware Application May 2, 1952, Serial No. 285,735

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to an electrical current conducting device and more particularly to a plural circuit connecting member that may be used as a rotary switch or a commutator.

The invention comprises the molded plastic assembly of multiple conducting, spacing and insulating segments around a common shaft. The assembly is rotatably mounted with brushes contacting the conducting segments distributing current from and to the respective circuits.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a plural circuit connecting member which is lightweight, compact and dependable.

It is an object of the invention to provide a plural circuit connecting member readily manufactured at a reasonable cost.

It is an object of the invention to provide a. plural circuit connecting member adaptable to varying switching requirements over a wide range of regular and irregular timing sequences.

The purpose and objects of the invention will become more apparent as the following description is read with reference to the drawings Wherein the same part is identified by a like numeral throughout the views. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the plural circuit connecting member and brushes.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the components of the circuit member in Figure 1 prior to being molded in plastic.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the components in Figure 2 comprising a switching unit before assembly.

Figure 4 is a side view of the switching segment incorporated in the embodiment shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

Figure 5 is a side view of a modified switching segment.

Figure 6 is a side view of another modified switching segment.

As shown in Figure 1, the invention is a cylindrical switch or commutator [0, with conducting segments I I and slip rings l2 arranged in a spaced relationship to contact respective brushes 13. The segments H and the rings l2 form part of the surface of the cylinder 10 which primarily appears as a molded plastic form on a central shaft 14. The molded plastic serves the dual function of insulating and holding together the conducting components of the circuit connecting member l0.

Figure 2 shows the assembly of the component parts prior to their incorporation within the molded plastic and Figure 3 illustrates a portion of these parts before assembly. The part I5 is an insulating sleeve for placement over the shaft [4 to insulate it from the multiple switching units l6 mounted side by side on the shaft [4. Each of the units is composed of the following parts: a switching segment H, a conducting spacer l1 adjacent to the segment II, a slip ring 12 on the opposite side of the spacer l1, and an insulating spacer II to insulate the switching unit 16 from an adjacent unit.

During the molding step in the manufacture of the switch I0, all the parts shown in Figure 2 are covered completely with plastic. The holes I 9 in the slip ring insure the proper plastic bonding of the insulating spacer I8 to the slip ring l2. After the molding, a turning operation is employed to acquire the desired diameter of the switch I0. Subsequently grooves 20 are cut through the outer plastic surface to expose the conductors and to establish guides for the contact brushes I3.

The overall design of the plural circuit connecting member I0 is adaptable to irregular switching requirements. A selected number of multiple units [6 are arranged side by side and each unit [6 is especially adapted to transmit current following a specific timing sequence. The switching segments have contact surfaces of different lengths arranged at variable intervals along the circumferential path.

Three illustrative types are presented in Figures, 4, 5 and 6. The switching segment ll of Figure 4 has a contact surface which completes a circuit through one brush during one short period of a single shaft revolution. The switching segment [9 of Figure 5 has a contact surface which completes a ircuit during one half the period of each shaft revolution. The switching segment 2| of Figure 6 intermittingly completes a circuit eight times through one brush during one shaft revolution.

Other sequences and durations of electrical impulses can be acquired by further modifications (not shown) such as providing multiple contacting surfaces of different arcuate dimensions on the respective switching segments and providing multiple take off brushes around the individual switching segments.

The direct mounting of some of the conducting members to the shaft which is at ground potential makes the rotary switch or commutator suitable for opening and closing ground circuits at different intervals and for variable periods.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention and in 10 Number body molded around the slip ring, switching segment, and conducting spacer, with grooves formed in the plastic to guide brushes that contact the slip ring and switching segment as the 5 switching device rotates.

DALE W. SNOW.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 2,277,899 Aufiero Mar. 31, 1942

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