Improvements in Electric Switches.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Feb., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Dec., 1898-Accepted, 4th Feb., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Switches.
We, ALBERT EDGAR TANNER, of 563, Stretford Road, Old Trafford, Electrical
Engineer, FREDERICK AUGUSTUS CORTEZ LEIGH, of 78, King Street, Electrical
Engineer, and GEORGE HILL, of the Trafford Electric Works, Chester Road, Elec-
trical Engineer, all in Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an electric switch of the double break type which is
especially applicable to an incandescent lamp holder.
The base or body of the switch to which the movable and fixed contacts are
attached is formed of porcelain or other suitable insulating material. Upon one
side of this body is pivotted a metallic or conducting lever the two ends of which
are capable of being moved in opposite directions into contact with two fixed
contacts arranged in connection with the circuit which has to be opened or closed.
In the case of a lamp holder one of these contacts will communicate with one of
the leading in terminals and the other will be connected with one of the lamp
contacts, and communication will be established between them when the lever or
movable contact is moved into one of its extreme positions. When the lever
occupies its other extreme position the circuit is broken. The movable contact
is attached to the base of the switch in such a manner that a considerable distance
intervenes between its ends and the fixed contacts when the circuit is open.
The opening and closing of the circuit may be effected in any suitable manner,
as, for example, by means of a turn-button adapted to engage with the movable
contact, but it is preferred to employ a sliding bar or the like. This bar passes
through the base of the switch and moves the contact with it in either direction.
A spring may be combined with this contact in order to accelerate its breaking
movement and to hold it in the open position, and in order to permit this accelera-
tion to take place freely the engagement between the bar, button, or the like and
the contact, is preferably by means of a projection on the former and a slot in
the latter.
A free motion of the contact, limited by the length of the slot, is thus allowed
independently of the operating device.
The leading in terminals and the lamp or other contacts may be arranged
respectively at either end or other convenient parts of the base and the former
may be separated by a wall of insulating material. If desired, this wall may be.
perforated, and the wires may each be led through these perforations twice in
opposite directions so as to form a grip.
Suitable stops may be provided to limit the movements of the lever and the
turn-button or its equivalent.
Dated this 3rd day of February 1898.
W. E. HEYS & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: We, ALBERT EDGAR TANNER, of 563, Stretford Road, Old Trafford, Electrical
Engineer, FREDERICK AUGUSTUS CORTEZ LEIGH, of 78, King Street, Electrical
Engineer,-and-GEORGE HILL, of the Trafford-Electric- Works, Chester Road, Elec--
trical Engineer, all in Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement;-
This invention relates to an electric switch of the double break type which is
especially applicable to an incandescent lamp holder.
The base or body of the switch to which the movable and fixed contacts are
attached is formed of porcelain or other suitable insulating material. Upon one
side of this body is pivotted a metallic or conducting lever or the like the two ends
of which are capable of being moved in opposite directions into contact with two
fixed contacts arranged in connection with the circuit which has to be opened or
closed. In the case of a lamp holder one of these contacts will communicate with
one of the leading in terminals and the other will be connected with one of the
lamp contacts, and communication will be established between them when the
lever or movable contact is moved into one of its extreme positions. When the
lever occupies its other extreme position the circuit is broken. The movable con-
tact is attached to the base of the switch in such a manner that a considerable
distance intervenes between its ends and the fixed contacts when the circuit is 1
open.
The opening and closing of the circuit is effected in any suitable manner,
as, for example, by means of a turn button adapted to engage with the movable
contact, but it is preferred to employ a sliding bar or the like. This bar passes
through the base of the switch and moves the contact with it in either direction.
In order that our invention may be more readily understood we have appended
- a sheet of drawings hereto, to which we will hereinafter refer.
Figure 1 illustrates in elevation one form of switch adapted for an incandescent
lamp holder, the surrounding metallic casing being shown in section.
Figure 2 represents it in plan. Figure 3 is a view from underneath, and Figure 4
is an illustration of a section taken along the line - Figure 1.
As will be seen the switch is provided with a base or body A constructed of
porcelain or other suitable material. Part of the body is cut away or it is other-
wise furnished with a flat or equivalent face upon which the metallic arm or
lever B is pivotted at the point C. This form the movable contact, the two fixed
contacts D D being suitably secured to the base at convenient points. One of
these contacts D, is connected to one of the leading in terminals E, and the other
is connected to one of the lamp contacts F. When the lever B is in the position
indicated by the full lines in Figure 1 the circuit is broken and the ends of the
movable contact are so far from the fixed contacts that there is no danger of short
circuiting. When the lever is moved to the position shown by the dotted lines in
Figure 1, it is in contact with the fixed contacts and the circuit is closed.
The lever may be operated in any well known manner by means of a button,
key, or the like, but it is preferred to move it by means of the sliding bar G..
This sliding bar may be contained loosely within a recess formed in the base of
the switch and it is provided with a device by means of which it engages with the
lever B, so that movement communicated to the bar is imparted to the lever. A
convenient way of effecting this is to form the bar with a pin or projection H
which engages with a much larger slot or opening J in the lever, so that a limited

page_text: amount of independent movement is permitted to the latter. The ends of the bar
pass through the casing N of the switch so that it can easily be moved in either
direcuon. The second leading in terminal E is connected directly, with or
without the interposition of a safety fuse, to the second lamp contact F¹.
A spring K may be combined with the movable contact B in order to accelerate
its breaking movement and to hold it in the open position, this acceleration being
freely permitted by the slot in the contact and the pin upon the sliding bar.
The leading in terminals are preferably arranged at one end of the base of the
switch and the lamp contacts at the other, and it is preferred to form the base
with a circular part à or al at each end so as to completely close the switch casing.
The base A may also be provided at its ends with walls or partitions L, L', the
former separating the leading in terminals, and the latter, separating the lamp
contacts, or only one such wall may be used. If desired, the wall separating the
leading in terminals may be perforated as at 1, 1, 12, and the wires may be led
through the central perforation and returned through the side perforations to their
respective terminals so as to form a grip..
A suitable stop such as M may be employed to limit the movement of the
lever B and its sliding bar or equivalent, and this stop may also form a support
for the spring K.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. An electric switch, consisting of an insulating base or body, a movable con-
tact the two ends of which are adapted to move in opposite directions, two fixed
contacts, and a sliding bar or its equivalent by means of which the movable
contact is operated, all constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore
described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
2. An electric switch, constructed arranged and operated substantially as here-
in before described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 1st day of December A.D. 1898.
W. E. HEYS & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.