Improvements in Electrical Switches.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 24th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 28th Nov., 1891
PROVISIONAL, SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electrical Switches.
I, GUSTAV BINSWANGER of 71, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Electrical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to that form of electric light switch in which the contact
bar is pivotted at one end, and has a compressed spring acting upon it in such a
manner that the spring tends to keep the contact bar in the off or broken-circuit
position, and is maintained in the on or closed-circuit position by a rocking handle
having its centre of oscillation above the bar, which is used to force the bar into
contact with the contact plate or plates, being so shaped at the part which bears
on the contact bar, as to act as a cam, to lock the contact bar in position.
In this form of switch a quick break is entirely dependent upon the action of the
compressed spring which is further compressed by the bar when it is forced into
the on position by the handle, and when the handle is moved to unlock the cam,
the spring is at liberty to throw out the contact bar.
It is evident that should the contact bar from any cause stick on the contact
piece or pieces the spring may fail to act and my invention is designed to obviate
this defect and for this purpose I employ a link connected with and joining together
the contact bar and the rocking handle in such a manner that when the handle is
moved over to release the contact bar, and its motion being continued far enough,
the link serves to communicate this motion to the contact bar and pulls it out of
contact and so either materially aiding the action of the spring or superseding it
altogether.
.It is obvious that it is not necessary to rigidly connect the link to both the
contact bar and the rocking handle; the link may be fixed to one of the two, say
the bar, and being provided with a stop at its other end, slide loosely through a
hole formed in the handle, then the link is active only in case the spring fails to
act properly.
If preferred the contact bar may be locked in my improved switch by the link
instead of by the end of the rocking handle and for this purpose the centres of
motion of the rocking handle and link are arranged to come into a line with each
other and coincide with the line of thrust of the compressed spring.
Dated this Twenty-eighth day of February 1891.
G. BINSWANGER.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electrical Switches.
I, GUSTAV BINSWANGER, of 71 Queen Victoria Street, in the City and County
of London, Gentleman 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 :-
My invention relates to that form of electric light switch, in which the contact
bar is pivotted at one end and has a spring acting upon it in such a manner, that
the tension or expansion of said spring, tends to keep the contact bar in the "off"
or "broken circuit" position, and is maintained in the "on" or "closed" circuit
position by a rocking handle, with the centre of oscillation situated above the bar,
said handle being used to force said bar into contact with the contact plates or
brushes, the shape thereof being arranged to act as a cam, and to lock the contact
bar in position. In this form of switch a rapid break is entirely dependent upon
מ ו

page_text: :
the action of the spring in compression, which is further compressed by the bar
when it is forced into the " on position by the handle, and when said handle is
moved so as to unlock the cam, the spring is at liberty to disengage the
contact bar
f.
In this form of switch, as hitherto made, it is evident that if the contact bar
should from any cause stick to the contact plates or brushes, the spring will fail to
act; and the object of my present invention is to obviate this defect, and cause the
movement of the handle to both make and break contact by mechanical action
independently of the spring.
1.
En order that my invention may be clearly understood I have appended the
accompanying sheets of drawings in which
Figure 1,. Sheet 1 is a plan view of a main circuit switch, and Figure 2 an
elevation thereof.
Figure 3 is an elevation of a smaller switch constructed upon the same principle,
and Figure 4a plan view thereof.
Figure 5,, Sheet 2 is an elevation of a double contact switch, and Figure 6 is a
plan view of the same.
Figure 7 is an elevation of the link arrangement drawn to an enlarged scale, and
Figure 8 is an end view of the same.
Figure 9 is a plan view of a. switch in which the link is not directly jointed to
the handle, but in which the mechanical action is the same as in the foregoing
examples.
Figure 10 is attransverse section thereof upon the line A. B.
Wherever it is possible, without rendering the description unnecessarily
complicated, similar letters of reference are used to indicate corresponding parts
throughout the several views.
In carrying out my invention,. I employ a contact bar A, suitably shaped so as to
engage with one or more contact plates, brushes, or the like a, said bar being
pivotted at D, which point forms the fulcrum thereof, Figures 1 and 2. Sheet 1.
A handle C is pivotted or fulcrummed at to a suitable bracket or brackets
arranged vertically, and attached to the base of the switch. An angular projection c
is formed upon or attached to said handle C, so that when the latter is in its lowest
position, said projection or extension c is at right angles to the contact bar A, to
which it is attached by a jointed link E. A spiral, or other clastic spring Fis
'fitted to the base plate, or adjacent to the contact bar, so that it is compressed
when said bar A is depressed by the action of the handle C, and the intervening
link E. Said spring F therefore tends to raise the bar A, and break the contact
with a,
when the handle C is raised to as to unlock the mechanism as shewn' by the
dotted outline, Figure 2.
C
•
It is obvious that both the depression of A in completing the electrical circuit,
and raising it to break said circuit is performed mechanically by the action of the
link E coupling c with A, and independently of the spring F, and that it is impossible
for the contact to be retarded by "firing" or "sticking" either in the " on or the
"off" positions of A. A modification of the foregoing is shewn by Figures 3
and 4 upon the same sheet; the principle being essentially the same, but the con-
struction and arrangement of the several parts, (which are indicated by similar
reference letters) being modified to suit a different adaptation.
This form of switch is preferably furnished with, a cover; fitted to the-screwed
neck d, and enclosing.the.mechanism, and the handle C is pivotted at. b within a
spherical or similarly shaped recess therein.
The same principle may be applied to switches in which it is desired to establish
more than one. contact, as shewn by Figures 5 and 6,. Sheet. 2. The handle Cis
pivotted at b to a suitable. bracket attached to the base plate, and a pin or stop e is
fixed so as to prevent, the extension.c from being moved too far when operating the
switch. The contact bars are attached to a transverse bar or bars to which the
link E. is attached, and electric contact is established or interrupted in the usual
manner, with the plates or brushes a.

page_text: I
may in constructing a double or multiple contact switch, place two or more of
the contact bars and brushes shewn by Figures 1 and 2, Sheet 1, upon a single
base, and by suitably connecting them, by a cross bar, cause them to be operated
by one lever or handle, link and spring.
The action of the link E and the manner in which it is caused to lock the contact
bar against the tension of the spring F, is shewn by the views Figures 7 and 8, in
which the parts are represented as detached and drawn to a larger scale.
In some cases I may modify the construction of the switch according to my
invention, in the manner shewn by the sectional elevation Figure 10, and plan
view Figure 9. Here the link E is not jointed to the handle C although jointed to
the contact bar A at B, and a stop is fixed to the other end. The link E thus
slides loosely through a slot formed in the lower extension c of the handle C., said
extension c in this case acting as a cam, resting upon the bar A, and depressing it
against the force of the spring F as shewn.
When the handle C is turned so as to
release the pressure imposed by c upon E, the elasticity of the spring F raises it
out of contact with a and breaks the circuit. If, however, the spring F does not
act from any cause, or the contacts adhere, the stop pin engages with the sides of
the slot in c through which E works, and the bar A is mechanically raised,
independently of the spring or any retardation caused by adhesion. Or, as an
alternative arrangement I may joint the link E to the handle at c and cause the pin
or stop f to act upon the contact bar A, and in both cases the link is only active
when the spring fails to act properly, or the contacts are adhering.
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 :-
--
First. In an electrical switch the combination of a link E with a contact bar or
bars A and rocking handle C, said link being jointed to both, substantially as, and
for, the purposes herein described with reference to the appended drawings.
Second. In an electrical switch the combination of a link E with a contact
bar A and rocking handle C, with extension or cam, and spring F, said link being
jointed only to A or to c, and provided with a stop substantially as herein
described with reference to Figures 9 and 10, Sheet 2 of the appended drawings.
Dated this 15th day of October 1891.
FREDK. WALKER,
11, Furnival Street, Holborn, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.