US861800A - Switch for electric circuits. - Google Patents

Description

' minal 22 is preferably formcvdf'of spring Parana Fries.

HERBERT S. BROWN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SWITCH FOR ELECTRIC CIRCUITS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 190'?.

Application filedvM-ly 12| 1906. Serial No. 316,442.

To all urlzom if. may con cern:

Be i1v known 1ha1 l. HERBERT S. BROWN, a citizen ol the l'uitcd Suites, and 11 resident of the city of New Yori-z, county and State of New York, have inverted cerlain ncw and useful Improvements in Switches for Electric Circuits, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to switches, such as are used for connecting an incandescent lamp with the circuit from which it is supplied or for connecting sections of lighting or power circuits. i

The object of the invention is to provide a circuit closing device having a single push button movement so arranged that successive depressions oi the button close und open the circuit; a further object of the invention is to improve and cheapen the mechanical construction ol such switches.

ln the accompanying drawings Figures l to 8 inclusive, illustrate the invention in its preferred forni appliedas a socket switch. Fig. l is asectional side view ot a socket with the casing partly broken away; Fig.V 2 is a view from the rear side of Fig. l with the casing removed; Fig. 3 is a section on line c, d, Fig. l; Fig,- 4 is a plan view on line a, b, Fig. l; Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view to show the switch contacts in an inltermediatc position; Fig. 6 is a section on line g, h,

and switch; Fig. 8 shows the supporting post'and' spring holder for one of the movable circuit terminals of the switch; Figs. 9 and l0 show a modified form of 'switch applicable as a socket, pendent, or similar form of switch; and Figs. ll and l2 show a\second modification in the form of the switch.

The socket, Figs. l to 8'inclusive, consists of a base piece 20 of insulating material to which are fixed two circuit terminals, one of which 2l is a screw terminal; the other or central terminal Z2 is a flat, spring-like comact. Beneath the free vend of the terminal 22 is a post or pillar 23 formed integral with the base 20, and which supports the free terminal of the contact 22 against too vigorous pressure when the translating device is screwed into position. The terminal,.22 is connected to thc insulated.conductor w andftlie terminal 2l is connected 1o the insulated conductor 1v, circuit passing through the switch to be descia'icd and the screw 24, shown in dotted outlincin Fig l. The terbrass and is held in position on the base by means ofa screw 25; formed integral with this terminal 22 is a lug 2G, and there is a screw 27 under which the bared terminal of the wire tu is passed. When the screw is turned the friction tends to carry the wire away'froni the center of the screw, the wire sliding on the surface of the conlact 22 and this lug 2G blocks and holds such movenient without interfering with the ready application "of the bared terminal of the wire w to its position under the clamp 27. AMore than one lug 26 is a disadvantage because it impedes and blocks the ready application ofthe barcd wire terminal around the screw in apparatus where the parts are closely confined by a case or shell. This lug 2G is located on the left hand side of a right hand .screw so that the movement of the screw carries the conductor against the lug.

28 is a circular' shell vof insulating material and 29 is a metal shell which incloses the entire apparatus fitting closely upon the circular bottom of the base 20 over which a supplemental part 30 of theA inclosing shell also fits. There is a single'retaining screw S1 shown in dotted outline in Figs. 4 and 5, thisv screw passes through an aperture in the bottom1 of the base Y20tand through the shell 29, 30, at separat-ed circumferential points 32 and 33. The nut 34 is inserted in the base 20 and blocked in position by cement 35; this nut is inserted through a lateral aperture 36 vbored into the base 20 lfrom'the side or vertical surface of said base.

The switch or circuit breaker forming part of the socket is composed of two movable, spring-retracted interlocking circuit terminals; a yielding actuating finger is caused to engage -first one terminal and then the other to make and break the conducting Contact between them; this fingeris preferably flexible or flexibly supported and the terminals are resilient and interlock. The actuating device is preferably moved'first to make and then to break circuit by a straight line, reciprocating movement Vcharacteristic of the ordinary push button. The simplest form of this switch is shown in Figs. f) and l0; 20 is the insulating base of the socket; a blade spring of conducting material, like spring brass7 is anchored at 47; this spring 40vhas a hook terminal 4l, the othei circuit terminal 42 is of similar material and is anchored at 48. is a retracting push button fixed to the bar 47 reciprocating in the guides 49. 46 is a retracting-spring holding the push button -45 in the position shown. Fixed to this push'button is a. flexible finger 43 having a terminal 50 fixed at an angle with respect to the blade or spring 43. When the push button 45 is depressed7 it being normally in thel position shown in Fig. f), terminal 50 engages blade 42 which makes contact. with blade 40, and the deflection given to both causes the free end of blade 44 to pass the point of the spring 4l and blade 44. becomes interlocked behind the point ofthe hook 4l, this closes the circuit. The next time the button 45 is depressed it engages the ho'ok 4l and the resulting deflection tends to straighten out both springs, thus releasing spring 42 which snaps 4away and breaks the circuit. Upon the release of the but-ton 45 the parts return to the position shown in Fig. 1).' The form of this switch as it appeais in Figs. l to 7 inclusive embodies the same principle of construction and operation but the parts are more substantial and occupy more space in the socket; in these seven figures,

and 42 are the electrical contact points of substantially similar construction, the moving contact 40 moves on a pin 60 formed of a block of metal 61, and there is an adjacent shoulder 62 to receive the spring 63 which is formed into a loop at 64and when forced down between the shoulderl 62 and the block 61, one of its ends is in position to engage with the freeend of the electrical contact 40, and the other end engages a fiat on the side of contact 40, tending to keep contact 40 always in a fixed position. The second contact 42 moves on a similarupin 70. The spring 73 is formed as shown in Fig. 3 and is bent to closely surround the metal base piece forming part of post 7() with which base piece it makes rictional engagement, and is retained in such position by the adjacent insulating base, by this arrangement no rivets or fastening de vices are required to hold the spring in position. 1n a plane below the contact 42 and affixed thereto is a hooked arm 71, and in .the same plane, fast on the contact 4() is a hooked arm 72. The free ends of the arms 71 and 72, and the free endsoi the electrical contacts 40 and 42 are i'n position to interlock, to make and break electrical contact and the parts 4() and 42 are in the same plane, which is parallel to the plane in which the arms 7i and 72 are 4located; the contact 40 and the arm 72 are movable on the pin 60 and the Contact 42 and the arm 7l are movable on the pin 70. 73 is a flat spring having one end fixed in position and its free end engages the free end ot' the arm 71. The flexible finger 43 is fixed to the push button 45. This push button is in a sleeve S0 andthe sleeve is held in position by cement 96. The spring 4G abuts at one end against the insulating base 20, and at the other end spring 46 abut`s against a tubular section` in which the push button is fixed, and which surrounds the finger 43. In its normal position the push button is as shown in Fig. 4, where the contacts 40 and 42 are'shown to have completed the electrical circuit. I n Fig. 7,` the normally open position is shown, where the contact 4() is separated from the contact 42. These two positions are attained by successive depressions of the button 45. 'Assuming the switch is in the normally open circuit position, shown in Fig. 7, when the button 45 is depressed the flexible finger 43 engages lever 71 and deprosses it against the force oi the spring 73; arm 7 i in its movement rotates on the pin 70 carrying contact 42 into engagement with contact 40, which yields, allowing the point of contact 42 to pass and take a position between the end of spring 63 and contact 40; upon releasing button 45, spring '73 forces Contact 42 to ride upon the end of cont-.ict 40 and circuit remains closed between 40 and 42, and the parts come to rest in the position shown in Fig. 4. The next depression of button 45, the parts being as shown in Fig. 4, flexible nger 43 l engages arm 72 and the parts take the position shown in Fig. 7. It will be noticed that the parts 71 and 42 movable on the pin 70, and the parts '72 and 40 movable on the pin constitute two movable, spring-retracted, interlocking circuit terminals.

A modification of this switch is shown in Figs. 11, 12. The circuitterminais 40 and 42 are like those represented in Fig. 9, and are duplicated to form. a double pole switch. The yielding actuating device 43 is modified to operate both switch contacts simultaneously, extensions 90 and 91 heilig attached to it for this purpose. The flexible finger 43 is. supported on a spring 93 land the push button 45 on the rod 47 has a retracting spring 46, all as heretoiore described. The rod 47 on which the push button ,is located passes through an elongated aperture 92 in the actuator 43. This actuator 43 is capable of movement in two directions simuitaneonsly that is, it is yielding and flexible. It is intended that this modification of the switch shall be used in connection with circuits of greater amperage, and in positions where the actuator must have considerable strength Combined with limited dimensions in the direction of the movement of the push button.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. The combination in an electric switch oi two movable spring-retracted interlocking circuit terminals. n yieldingl actuatini.Y finger therefor and means whereby sn id finger is caused to engage first one terminal und then the other to ,make and break conducting contact.

2. The combination in 5i switch of two interlocking;r spring retrnci'ed contacts, and menus for causing said contncts to engage and disengnge consisting of n yieldingr spring retracted device. and nn independent actuator therefor.

.'l. ihe combinntlon ln n switch of two interlocking spring.: retracted contacts and moans for cousin.: said coninctsto engage -nnd disengnirc 'consisting oi n yielding actuating device. und n controlling device morini: in n 4. ln mi electric switch the combination oi two movable interlocking spring retracted contacts und n flexible, spring retracted actuating device therefor.

5. In nn electric switch the combination of two interlocking spring retracted contacts, n iic'ziblc. spring-retracted nctunling device therefor nnd u push button for moving said device. Y f

(i. in nn electricv switch u yielding spring-retracted actuating device combined with two resilient contact terminals and moons whereby sold terminals interlock.

7. In un electric switch u yielding, spring-retracted, actuating device combined with two resilient contact terminals, menne whereby said terminals are caused to interlock, und menus whereby said actuating device is caused to engage first one terminal and then the other. n

B. In nn electric switch the combination. with n movable spring-retracted contact and n complementary contuct,oi a yielding, spring-retracted actuating device therefor.

il.y in un electric switch yxi yielding spring-retracted actuating device combined with' n resilient contact. a complementary contact und menus whereby said contacts are caused to interiock. l

` l HERBERT S. BROWN.

Witnesses: l

Henin' G. Fm'rscnn, A. M. DoNLnvY.

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