Improvements in Electric Light Switches.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Apr., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 7th Jan., 1892-Accepted, 27th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Light Switches.
We, CHARLES MARK DORMAN of 24, Brazenose Street, Manchester in the
County of Lancaster, Electrical Engineer, and REGINALD ARTHUR SMITH of
24, Brazenose Street, Manchester in the County of Lancaster, Electrical Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
Our improvements relate to that class of switch in which it is desired to have a
safety fuse enclosed in the same case, and also to switches with and without fuses
suitable for insertion in the bases of brackets, pendants or other electric light
fittings, and consists principally in mounting the parts of the switch and fuse on
opposite faces of an insulating base which projects at right angles from the wall or
surface to which the switch is fixed. When this projecting base is fitted with a
suitable cover, the switch and fuse are practically in different compartments and
are thereby rendered safer.
The method of carrying out our invention can be seen from an examination of
the drawings accompanying this Provisional Specification.
Figs. 1 and 2 show a double-break switch with a fuse enclosed in the same case.
Figs. 3 and show a similar switch arranged in the base of a bracket. The
figures are merely diagrammatic and do not show the exact shape of the parts as
made in practice.
Fig. 1 is a section on the line r. r. and shows the switch a and the fuse b
arranged on opposite sides of the insulating piece, the wires being attached to
the switch terminal e and the fuse terminal, the other ends of the switch and fuse
being connected by the conductor d. When the cover g is in position the switch
and fuse are practically in separate compartments.
Fig. 3 is a section on the line y y of the bridged bracket base shown in Fig. 4.
The bracket tube is screwed into the nozzle of the bridge h, the cover being
held down by the nut 4. The insulated piece c is fixed in the position shown, the
switch and fuse being mounted on opposite sides of same. The fuse can of course
be omitted when not required.
We do not confine ourselves to the exact form of switch shown in the
figures, sometimes using a single break switch instead of a double break one.
The case is slotted to allow it to pass over the turnkey spindle, and may be
decorated to any extent.
Instead of the fuse b shown in Fig. 1 another switch may be mounted on the
insulated base c. and being connected with the other switch a by means of an
insulated coupling, a very safe form of double-pole switch results.
Dated this 15th day of April 1891.
CHARLES MARK DORMAN.
REGINALD ARTHUR SMITH.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Light Switches.
We, CHARLES MARK DORMAN of 24, Brazenose Street, Manchester in the
County of Lancaster, Electrical Engineer, and REGINALD ARTHUR SMITH of
24, Brazenose Street, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Electrical Engineer,
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 :-
Our improvements relate to that class of switch in which it is desired to have a

page_text: safety fuse enclosed in the same case, and also to switches with and without fuses
suitable for insertion in the bases of brackets, pendants, or other electric light
fittings, and consists principally in mounting the parts of the switch and fuse on
opposite faces of an insulating base which projects at right angles to the wall or
surface to which the switch is fixed. When this projecting base is fitted with a
suitable cover, the switch and fuse are practically in different compartments, and
are thereby rendered safer.
The method of carrying out our invention can be seen from an examination of
the drawings accompanying our Provisional Specification.
Figs. 1 and 2 show a double-break switch with a fuse enclosed in the same
case.
Figs. 3 and 4 show a similar switch arranged in the base of a bracket. The
figures are merely diagrammatic and do not show the exact shape of the parts as
made in practice.
Fig. is a section on the line r... and shows the switch a and the fuse barranged
on opposite sides of the insulating piece c, the wires being attached to the switch
terminal and the fuse terminal, the other ends of the switch and fuse being
connected by the conductor d.
When the cover is in position the switch and fuse are practically in separate
compartments.
Fig. 3 is a section on the line y. y. of the bridged bracket base shown in Fig. 4.
The bracket tube is screwed into the nozzle of the bridge h, the cover y being
held down by the nut k. The insulated piece is fixed in the position shown, the
switch and fuse being mounted on opposite sides of same. The fuse can of course
be omitted when not required.
"
We do not confine ourselves to the exact form of switch shown in the figures,
sometimes using a single-break switch instead of a double-break one.
The case is slotted to allow it to pass over the turnkey spindle, and may be
decorated to any extent.
Instead of the fuse shown in Fig. 1. another switch may be mounted on the
insulated base, and being connected with the other switch a by means of an
insulated coupling, a very safe form of double-pole switch results.
Our improved form of switch is specially applicable for combination with lamp-
holders, wall connectors, ceiling plates & similar fittings.
For instance when used in combination with a lampholder, the socket or other
attachment for the lamp would be fixed to the metallic base of the switch, the
centre-line of the lamp and holder being in the liner, Fig. 2, the opposite end of
the case g. to that at which the holder is attached being provided with a suitably
insulated hole for the reception of the conducting wires, which hole in those
holders which are for screwing on to fittings is surrounded by a screwed nozzle
for their attachment to the fitting.
When our improved switch is used in combination with a wall-connector or a
ceiling plate, the parts of the switch are arranged on one side of the insulating
piece in the position shown at a. in Fig. 1, and the metallic parts of the wall-
connector or ceiling plate arranged on the other side of the insulating piece c, on
the face occupied by the fuse b. in Fig. 1, thus keeping them practically in a
separate compartment from the switch.
Any suitable type of lampholder, wall-connector, or ceiling plate connection
can be used in conjunction with our improved switch, our object being practically
to divide the single case in which these articles are fitted into separate com-
partments, thereby rendering them safer.
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. The method of mounting the parts of an electric switch on one face and the
parts of a cut-out on the opposite face of an insulating base which projects at right|

page_text: angles from the wall or surface to which the switch is fixed, and of covering this
projecting base with a suitable cover, thereby rendering the compartiments in
which the switch and cut-out are contained entirely separate, substantially as and
for the purpose, de-cribed.
2. The method of mounting the parts of a double-pole switch so that the positive
parts are on one face and the negative parts on the other face of an insulating base
which projects at right angles to the wall or surface to which the switch is fixed,
and of covering this projecting base with a suitable cover, thereby rendering the
compartments in which the positive and negative parts of the switch are contained
entirely separate, substantially as and for the purposes described.
3. In electric light ceiling plates, wall-connectors, and the like the method of
mounting the parts of the switch on one face and the other parts of the fitting on
the opposite face of an insulating base which projects at right angles to the wall,
ceiling, or surface to which the fitting is attached, and of covering this projecting
base with a suitable cover, thereby rendering the compartments in which the switch
and the other parts of the fitting are contained entirely separate, substantially as
and for the purposes described.
4. The combination of one of our improved switches as described with a lamp-
holder.
5. The combination of one of our improved switches as described with an electric
light bracket, pendant, or the like.
6. The combination of one of our improved switches as described with a ceiling-
plate, wall connector or the like.
Dated this 6th day of January 1892.
CHARLES MARK DORMAN.
REGINALD ARTHUR SMITH.