Improvements in or relating to Electric Switches for Electric Valve Controlling Apparatus.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Dec., 1897-Accepted; 19th Feb., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION..
Improvements in or relating to Electric Switches for Electric Valve
Controlling Apparatus.
I, GEORGE BARKER, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents, of
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Consulting Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said invention, as communicated to me by
George Joseph Schoeffel, of 45, York Street, Brooklyn, Kings County, New York,
U.S.A., Manufacturer, and in what manner the same is to be performed to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to electrically operated whistles and particularly to
whistles employed on ships for signaling purposes, and the main object of this
invention is to provide an improved switch for controlling the operation of the
automatic controller and for operating the whistle at will without the intervention
of circuit controlling relays, and more particularly the object of this invention is
to provide a weather-proof switch.
In the accompanying drawings, Figure l'is a diagram of the circuit connection;
Figure 2, an elevation of the improved switch; Figure 3, a vertical central section
of the switch; Figure 4, an elevation and partial section of the switch spindle and
modified form of contacts; Figures 5 and 6, plan views of the switch plates; and
Figure 7, a view of the interior of the hood employed with the switch.
In Figure 1, A and A¹ indicate respectively the ordinary steam whistle and
electro-magnet for operating the whistle valve. The discharge from magnet A¹
when the circuit is opened is taken by a high resistance open short circuit com-
posed of a resistance which may be an incandescent lamp A³ and sparking points A³.
B indicates any well-known or suitable form of automatic circuit controller or
clock. The circuit connections are as follows:-From binding-post 1 by wire 2
to binding-post 3, through magnet A¹ to binding-post 4, and wire to binding-
post 6; from binding-post 6 through the automatic switch in clock B to binding-
post 7, wire 8 to terminal 9 of hand-switch and contact-plate g to terminal 10,
wire 11 to binding-post 12, and wire 13 to binding-post 14. The batteries E or
the circuit wires from some other source of current supply are connected to the
binding-posts 1 and 14. The circuit connections as indicated represent the automatic
controller in circuit to close the circuit to magnet A¹ periodically. To remove the
automatic controller from the circuit, the disk f is turned by the switch-handle in.
the direction indicated by the arrow until switch-plate g is in contact with ter-
minal 10 only, which leaves the circuit open entirely. Further movement of the
switch places switch-plate g in contact with terminals 10 and 15, closing the circuit
direct to the whistle. A further movement of the disk f carries switch-plate g
onto contacts 9 and 15, which opens the battery circuit entirely and the whistle
valve will remain closed until the switch-plate g is moved backward onto contacts 10
and 15 to blow the whistle for a signal or forward onto contacts 9 and 10, placing
the automatic controller into circuit again to blow the whistle periodically, as in
a fog.
The hand-switch, which is designed to be weather-proof, is illustrated in detail in
Figures 2 to 7 inclusive, in which a is a circular body having a flange a¹ provided

page_text: with screw-holes whereby the switch is supported. Into the circular body a is
screwed a hollow cylindrical body b, which when the parts are assembled is held
against removal by a screw. b¹. Within the body b is a circular base c of insulating
material, into which the contact-posts d are screwed, as shown in Figure 3. The
base c is slotted at c¹ to engage a lug on the inside of body to hold the base
against rotation and so that the contact-posts carried by it will have a definite
position with relation to the switch-plate. The lower ends of post d are provided
with hollow heads into which circuit terminals are inserted, as will be hereinafter
stated.
Through the upper part of the cylindrical body b. passes a spindle e carrying at
its lower end a disk f of insulating material provided with a switch-plate g adapted
to make contact with the ends d¹ of the contact-posts d which project through the.
insulating body c. The lower end of the spindle e preferably passes through the
insulating base c, and a pin e' passes through the spindle and serves to hold together
the parts described to enable those parts to be readily assembled with the remain-
ing parts of the switch. The part of the spindle e which passes through the base c
is preferably reduced so as to form a shoulder, and the head c is capable of slight
vertical movement on the spindle e so as to permit the contacts to better adjust
themselves when the parts of the switch are assembled, and when assembled the
the base c is firmly held in position between the shoulders 62 and a¹ of the bodies a
and b. The disk f is loosely carried on the spindle e and held from rotation by a
spline : A coiled, spring. h seated between the disk f and the collar on the
spindle serves to maintain the switch-plate in close contact with the ends d¹ of
the contact-posts.d.
The bearing in the upper end of the chamber through which the spindle e
passes, is made water-tight by rubber packing-rings i and , and a packing-ring.
The joints between the bodies a and b are made water-tight by two rubber pack-
ing-rings a
The circuit wires 11, 8 and 16 are formed into a heavily insulated cable C, which
passes through the shell a¹, into the upper end of which is seated a base 2 of
insulating material secured in position by a screw 3. The wires from the cable
pass through holes in the insulating base to binding-posts which are connected
with the three circuit terminals æ. These circuit terminals are split rods adapted to
fit into the hollow heads of the contact-posts d, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The
portion of the cable which extends through the shell is wrapped with insulating
tape, and the entrance of the cable is made water-tight by a rubber packing-
ring and cap. The shell a¹ is secured to the main body portion a and
terminals are forced into contact with posts d by a screw-collar a screwing onto
the screw-threaded extension of the body a, the collar having a flange as
engaging with the shoulder of shell. Between the end of the extension a³ and
a shoulder within the collar 7 is placed a packing-ring 2.
To prevent the entrance of water around the spindle e, the spindle is provided"
with a hood k, which is seated upon a shoulder formed at the upper end of the spindle e
and firmly secured in place by a nut k₁, a water-tight joint being formed between
the spindle e and hood, by means of white-lead. To turn the spindle in operating
the switch, a handle is, provided; which has a screw-threaded end 1 screwed
into the base of the hood, and. the end. of the screw-threaded portion l' enters a recess
in the spindle, as shown in Figure 3, so that the spindle will turn with the handle
and so that the handle and, switch-plate 9 will have definite positions when the
switch parts are assembled. To prevent the handle working loose, I provide a
cet-screw. The hood k is provided with ribs ka forming notches 3 and 4. A
spring-plate m secured to the lower end of the body b engages with these notches
and serves to hold the switch in the various positions to which it may be set.
spring plate m is preferably V-shaped in cross-section, so that the notches 13 may
be readily disengaged to permit the turning of the switch.
The
In Figure 4 the contact-posts d are hollow at both ends, and in the upper ends
are inserted spring-pressed contact buttons d³, with which the switch-plate y makes

page_text: contact. In this arrangement the head f carrying the switch-plate g is rigidly
secured to the spindle e by means of a pin f. The arrangement of contact buttons
illustrated in Figure 4 permits the contact buttons to adjust themselves against the
switch-plate and insure perfect contact.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
CLAIMS.
1. The combination with an electrically operated whistle, of an automatic circuit
controller for periodically closing the circuit to the whistle magnet, and a single
hand-switch for controlling the connection of the automatic controller with the
circuit and for closing the whistle magnet circuit at will, substantially as set forth.
2. A weatherproof electrical switch having in combination a stationary contact
carrier, a rotating contact carrier mounted upon a rotary spindle, said contacts
being movable relatively to each other to insure contact, water-tight packings for
the entering conductors and the spindle, and a hood for the switch casing, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. An electrical switch provided with contacts, and an operating device, as shown
and described.
4. A weatherproof electrical switch provided with contacts, an operating spindle,
and a hood, as shown and described.
5. A weatherproof electrical switch having a sectional watertight casing, switch
contacts, an operating spindle, and a hood, as shown and described.
6. A weatherproof electrical switch provided with contacts, an operating spindle,
a hood, and a device co-operating with the hood for holding the movable switch
member in its various positions, as shown and described.
Dated this 6th day of December 1897.