Improvements in Electrical Switches.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 17th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 24th Jan., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electrical Switches.
L, JOHN AUGUSTINE KINGDON of 29 Marlborough Hill, St. John's Wood in the
County of Middlesex, Electrical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
My invention relates chiefly to double pole switches for high tension currents, &
las among its objects the operation of the switches without danger to the operator and
the placing of the two poles a distance apart. so that leakage from pole to pole is
reduced to a minimum.
According to my invention, I construct a double pole switch of a long roller of
wood or other insulating material, supported at either end in bearings so as to be
capable of rotation. Near the ends of the rolier metal arms or springs project which
can make contact with springs or other metallic pieces fixed on the base of the switch.
A third arm near the centre of the roller at a distance from the contact arms is
pivoted to a long rod by means of which the switch is rotated through about a quarter
of a turn so as to put the switch on or off. The roller may be conveniently placed
horizontally against a wall so that the electrical contacts are out of reach of the
operator, the rod hanging down vertically before or behind the roller.
The bearings & contact pieces are preferably fixed to slate bases, & in order to avoid
the leakage which takes place when the two poles of a high tension circuit are fixed to
one slate slab, I provide two slate slabs. one for each pole, bolted to cross pieces of
wood. Several of these switches may be used in combination, the rollers being
horizontal & one above the other, and the operating rods hanging down vertically side
by side, one slate slab holding the bearings and contact pieces of one pole, and the
second slab those of the other pole.
I sometimes use a double arm at each pole making contact with two separate
springs, so as to give a double break in each pole. I also sometimes connect
electrically an arm or arms with the bearing through the metal pin at the end of the
roller or through a flexible metallic wire or a spring or a brush.
Two-way switches may be constructed on this principle having more than one pair
of arms. If a single pole switch is required, the contacts at one end are omitted.
The relative positions of the contact arms & operating rod may be altered. I some
times use springs to draw the switch off quickly, and allow play between the roller &
the arm that carries the operating rod.
Instead of making the roller of wood I sometimes use a rod or tube of metal,
insulating the contact arms from it.
1 1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electrical Switches.
I, JOHN AUGUSTINE KINGDON of 29 Marlborough Hill, St. John's Wood in the
County of Middlesex Electrical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this inven
toin and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:
My invention relates chiefly to double pole switches for currents of high voltage,
and has among its objects the operation of the switches without danger to the operator
and the placing of the two poles a considerable apart so that leakage of electricity
from pole to pole is reduced to a minimum.

page_text: Fig. 1. of the accompanying drawings is a front elevation,
Fig. 2 is an end elevation and
Fig. 3 is a plan of any improved switch.
The same parts are indicated by the same letters in all these figures.
R is a roller of wood porcelain or other insulator, or it may be of metal in which
case insulation is provided at the contact arms C and C.
The arms are of brass or copper strips, of the shape shown in Fig. 1. and
are bolted to the roller R.
As shown in the figure they are forced down between the contact blocks A-K
and A-K¹, so as to connect them electrically-A with K and A' with K'.
The arms have some "spring" in them so as to make good electrical contact.
The roller R is supported by metal pins running in the bearings B and B'.
The bearing B--the contact pieces A and K are fixed to one slate slab S.
The bearing Band the contact pieces A and K' are fixed to a second slate
glab, S'.
The slate slabs are bolted to two cross pieces W-W preferably made of wood well
soaked in melted paraffin wax.
An arm or crank D is fixed to the roller R and a rod E is pivotted to it by the
pin P.
The roller and its arms & contact pieces are fixed preferably on a wall high up
so as to be out of reach, and the rods E may be of any convenient length so as to
give control to a number of rollers placed one above another.
The operating of the rod E may be conveniently performed by means of a lever H
pivotted to the rod E and working on a pin J.
When H is depressed the rod E is drawn down and the contact arms Cand Care
turned into the position shown in dotted line in Fig. 2. and the contacts between A & K
and between A and K' are broken.
In order to obtain a quick motion of the arms CC-on leaving the blocks A
and K-A and K' so as to prevent arcing. The pin G fixed to the handle H works
in a slot in the rod E. so that as soon as the roller is moved so as to release the
arms C-C from between the contacts A-K and A'-K'.
The weight of the rod E which may be supplemented by springs causes the roller to
rotate quickly and independently of the handle H. The switch is kept in the
position "on" by the friction between the arms C-C₁ and the block A-K
and A-K'.
Instead of moving the rod E up or down to rotate the roller R, it may be arranged
to make E rotate & communicate its motion to R by means of bevelled wheels or other
equivalent device.
"
A fly of action may also be obtained by allowing the contact arms C-C-to
slip a little round the shaft or roller R springs being used to accelerate the motion.
In Fig. 4 is ilustrated a switchboard composed of several rollers each operated
by a different rod. The switches are two-way arranged for synchronizing two
alternators or for connecting several circuits on to each of two dynamos, but I
sometimes construct a switchboard of a number of switches such as have already
been described and illustrated in Figs. 1. 2. and 3. The rollers are conveniently
placed one above the other as in Fig. 4. and the corresponding contact pieces may be
connected by metal strips, as may be desired.
I will now describe the special arrangement illustrated in Fig. 4.
The bearings T-T₂-T3-T are connected with the positive poles of sections of
alternators which for the present purpose should have their armatures divided into
two such sections.
1
Thus TT, are the poles of one section, and T2-T2 are the poles of another
section of the same alternator K₁-and T-T¹ T-T are poles of two sections of
another independently driven alternator K..
Suppose the first section of K, is supplying the mains, and that it is desired to
synchronize the alternator K, with K, before connecting it with the mains.
The arms A, A,-A, -A, are in contact with the bearings T₁-T,-T-T, and can

page_text: make contact with springs or brushes on the metal strip U which is connected with
one main. The arms B₁-B,-B,—B, are also connected with T₁-T,—T¸—T‚—and
can make contact with springs on the metal strip V. The connections on the other
sets of poles are similar.
The switch R, is in the position "off."
The switch R, is on, so that T₁ is connected with U and T₁' is connected with U¹.
The switches R, and R, are set for synchronising, so that T, is connected with T
through the arms B, and B, and the strip V. The result is that the alternator which
contains the section T3-T will, if run at about its normal speed synchronize exactly
with the alternator which contains the section T-T,', and its other section T-T
can therefore be switched on to the mains without causing a fluctuation of electro-
motive force.
This method of synchronizing is fully described in Letters Patent granted to me
No. 2654 of 1888.
I sometimes insulate the bearings and contact blocks with pieces of ebonite-china
or other material, in addition to the slate.
I sometimes place fuses on the slate bases.
I sometimes vary the relative positions of the contact arins and crank for example
placing the latter outside instead of in the centre.
I sometimes connect the bearing T, with the arms A, B, through a piece of flexible
stranded copper conductor.
Where high voltage currents of 5.0 volts to say 10,000 volts are used the switches
are placed out of reach on the walls or it may be on the ceiling of the dynamo room
or switch room, the operating rods being all brought down the wall or along the
ceiling and then down the wall, by interposing a second crank to any convenient
place. As the cranks on the rollers are well insulated from the poles and contact
arms there is no danger of shock to the operator.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The combination in an electrical switch of a roller or shaft of insulating material
with one or more metal contact arms substantially as described.
2. The combination in an electrical switch of a roller carrying metal contact arms
and an operating rod pivotted to an arm or crank attached to the roller.
3. The combination in an electrical switch of a roller carrying contact arms with
an operating rod at right angles to it and pivotted or geared to it substantially as
described.
4. The combination in a switchboard of horizontal rollers operated by vertical rods
substantially as described.
5. My improved switches and switchboards substantially as described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 15th day of December 1890
J. A. KINGDON.