Improvements in Cut-outs for Electric Lighting and other uses.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cut-outs for Electric Lighting and other uses.
I, ALFRED WATSON, of 180, Hockley Street, in the City of Birmingham,
Electrical Accessory Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:
This invention relates to electrical cut-outs, principally of the circular type,
for electric lighting and other uses.
In installations, accidental short-circuiting often occurs owing to shortness of
the fuze wire which passes across the flat top or surface of the circular outstand-
ing raised piece of the china base to which the contacts and connections of the
leads are fitted.
My invention has for its object, the increasing of the length of the fuze wire,
thereby rendering short-circuiting less likely to occur, owing to the fuze being
made to take a circular or indirect course between the contacts of the connection.
By thus arranging the fuze, besides reducing the possibility of short circuiting
to a minimum, the cut-out admits of being made much shallower than those of
the ordinary kind.
In carrying out one form of my improvements, I take an ordinary earthenware
base, with a raised piece or circular inner boss directed from its middle, and being
gapped at two contiguous points for receiving metallic contact plates, separated
by parts of the walls of the boss, and each having sockets for the reception of the
leads and binding screws for the affixing of the same. These contacts are also
provided with fuze connection plates, to which the terminal ends of a fuze wire
are connected by soldering or other means so as to effect electrical conduction.
The fuze wire then passes circumferentially around some two-thirds, more or less,
of the periphery of the raised boss of the base in making connection between the
metallic contacts, hence considerably increased length of fuze is provided than
is obtainable in cut-outs in which the fuze-wire passes directly or diametrally
across the top of the boss, or on straight projections.
The whole of the cut-out is covered in by a china or earthenware cover, which
may be affixed by a screw or other means of connection passing through it and
taking into the middle of the boss.. The whole can then, if necessary, be embel-
lished by ornamentation.
It is understood that the boss need not be circular, as it may be ellipitical or
of other suitable figure, so long as the fuze wire passes around the periphery of the
same.

page_text: Improvements in Cut-outs for Electric Lighting and other uses.
I, ALFRED WATSON, of 180, Hockley Street, in the City of Birmingham,
Electrical Accessory Manufacturer, 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 electrical cut-outs, principally of the circular type,
for electrical lighting and other uses.
In the cut-outs commonly employed in electrical installations, accidental short-
circuiting often occurs between the lead-wire terminals, owing to shortness of the
fuze wire which passes across the flat top or surface of the circular outstanding
raised boss of the chain base, to which, the contacts and connections of the leads
are fitted.
My invention has for its object, to increase the length of the fuze wire, thereby
rendering short circuiting less likely to occur, and this I propose to effect by
making the fuze wire take a circular or indirect course in passing from one lead
terminal of the cut-out to the other. By this arrangement, besides obtaining an
increased length of fuze and thereby reducing the possibility of short circuiting
to a minimum, the cut-out admits of being made much shallower than those of the
ordinary kind.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a topside plan (with the
cover removed) of an electrical cut-out constructed according to one form of my
invention.
Figure 2 is an elevation of the same, showing the disposition of the lead wire
terminals and fuze connections.
Figure 3 is a topside plan of the base of the cut-out, with the fuze wire and its
terminal connections removed.
:
Figure 4 is an elevation of Figure 3, looking at it in the same direction as
Figure 2.
Figure 5 is another elevation of Figure 3, but looking at the same in a direction
at right angles to that of Figure 4.
Figure 6 is another elevation of Figure 1, but showing the opposite side of the
base to that represented in Figure 2.
Figure 7 is a further elevation of Figure 1, looking at the same from a point
of view at right angles to that of Figure 6.
Figure 8 is a cross section of Figure 1 upon the dotted liner.
Figure 9 is a cross section of Figure 1 upon the dotted line
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the aforesaid
Figures 1 to 9..
In carrying out this form of my improvements, I take an ordinary earthenware
cut-out base a, with a raised piece or circular and concentrically arranged boss a¹,
of less diameter than the said base directed from its middle and being gapped
at two contiguous points to form semi-circular recesses a², a³ for receiving tho
metallic lead terminal plates b, c, which are separated and insulated from one
another by an intervening part 4, of the boss. Each of these plates have a
socket b, c, for the reception of the lead wires and binding screws, &, for the
affixing of the same. These contacts are also provided with fuze connection
plates 63, 3, to which the terminal ends d', d, of a fuze wire d, are respectively
connected by small screws b, c, or by soldering or other means so as to effect
electrical connection between them. The fuze wire then passes circumferentially
around sonic two-thirds, more or less, of the periphery of the raised boss of the

page_text: base in making connection between the metallic contacts, hence considerably
increased length of fuze is provided than is obtainable in cut-outs in which the
fuze wire passes directly or diametrally across the top of the boss or on straight
projections.
The cut-out is covered in by a china or earthenware cover, which may be affixed
by a screw or other means of connection passing through it and taking into the
middle of the boss. The whole can then, if necessary, be embellished by ornamen-
tation.
It is understood that the boss need not be circular as it may be elliptical or of
other suitable figure so long as the fuze wire passes around the periphery of the
same. Several modifications in the shape of the boss around which the fuze wire
passes are represented in Figures 10 to 18.
Thus, Figure 10 shows a plan of a cut-out in which the boss or raised part a¹,
of the base a, is somewhat of a cruciform figure, with the terminals b and c, being
separated by the intervening part a, whilst the fuze wire d, passes around the
boss and comes upon the ends or tips of the several arms a², a³, a, and in addition
to being increased in length, it is surrounded with air on all sides except where
it contacts with the base at the points referred to above. Or the fuze wire may
also be placed round the boss in a curve as represented by the dotted line d.
In the modification represented in plan in Figure 11, the fuze wire d, is
directed around the angular sides a³, a", of the boss a', which is somewhat of a
triangular or spade-like figure.
י,
Figure 12 represents another form, in which the periphery of the boss a¹, is
scolloped so that the fuze wire d, only comes into contact with the earthenware
at separated points a³, with the spaces between them bridged by the fuze wire.
Figure 13 represents partly in edge view and partly in section a form of my
invention in which the fuze wire d, lies in a gutter a, of suitable section and depth,
formed around the periphery a', of the boss a¹, whilst below the fuze wire is a
ledge as, provided with another gutter or channel a, adapted to receive the
fragments of the fuze wire should the same flame or be melted.
Figure 14 represents partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, a still
further modification of my invention, in which the fuze wire d, in following the
required circuitous path around the boss a¹, is supported upon a ledge or shelf a³,
surrounding the said boss.
Figure 15 represents another arrangement of the cut-out in which a trough-
sectioned gutter a, is formed in the ledge a³, surrounding the boss a¹, (which may
be of any suitable shape in plan) and below the fuze d, and into which the pieces
of the fuze fall when broken by flaming or fuzing.
Figure 16 is a plan of a still further modification of my invention for obtaining
a greatly increased length of fuze wire without adding to the size of the cut-out.
Figure 17 represents the same partly in edge view and partly in vertical section.
Figure 18 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the whole of the periphery of the
cut-out and showing the disposition of the separated ribs on the periphery of the
boss, around which the fuze wire is made to pass in a circuitous manner from
the one terminal of the cut-out to the other.
Thus, the part of the periphery of the boss a', around which the fuze wire d, passes
is provided with a pair of separated ribs or projections as, a³, arranged one above
the other as best seen in Figure 18, and the fuze wire passes from the one
terminal b, along the top of the rib a8, and round the end a thereof, and back
between the two ribs and next over the end ", of the lower rib and then along the
underside of the same to the other terminal c. By this arrangement, a very great
length of fuze wire is employed, and the courses of it are kept out of contact and
perfectly insulated from one another.
Figure 19 represents a plan of a still further form of my invention, in which
the boss a¹, is somewhat of a hook figure in plan, and has a rib or elongated stud
extension coming between the jaws of it, so that the fuze wire d, passes from the
terminal b, around the outside periphery of the boss, then into the side gap a³,

page_text: and around the inner end a³, of the rib at, and thence returns outwards to the other
terminal c.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
First: In electrical cut-outs, increasing the length of the fuze wire by causing
the same (when passing from the one terminal to the other) to take a circuitous or
indirect course around a boss or a raised part or parts on the base of the cut-out,
a portion of which is interposed or comes between the said terminals, which are
thus insulated from one another and short circuiting between several metallic
parts is prevented.
Secondly-In electrical cut-outs, increasing the length of the fuze wire by
causing it, in passing from the one terminal to the other, to take an indirect
course around separated points or supports on the periphery of a boss or extension
of the base of the cut-out, the spaces between which points are bridged by portions
of the said fuze wire, substantially as described and set forth in Figures 10 and 11.
Thirdly The modification of cut-out for electrical purposes shown in
Figures 16, 17 and 18, in which the fuze wire passes in returned courses between
and around rib formations on the periphery of a boss or raised extension of the
base, substantially as described and set forth.
VAD
Con est
1000
ALFRED WATSON,
By Henry Skerrett,
24, Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.