An Improved Looking and Releasing Device for Electrical Switches.
Year: 1899

page_text: An Improved Looking and Releasing Device for Electrical Switches.
I, FREDERICK PERCY Cox, of 4, Hargreaves Road, Sefton Park, in the City of
Liverpool, Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to electrical switches of the rotary type, and consists
of a means of locking and releasing such switches.
"
In its simplest form, the switch arm is carried by a sleeve, which forms part
of or is fixedly attached to the operating spindle or handle of the switch, and
such spindle is bored out centrally. The sleeve is journalled upon a tubular
pivot which contains a spring-actuated detent or pin which projects through a
slot in the pivot and enters a slot in the sleeve. The slot in the sleeve is at
right angles with the slot in the pivot, so that the pin or detent will not prevent
the sleeve from turning, until the switch arm is resting on its contact piece,
when the detent springs into a recess at the end of the slot in the sleeve and so
locks the latter to its pivot. To release the switch arm a spindle is pressed down
by a push-button or key arranged in the outer end of the bored out spindle
2.6. in the centre of the switch handle, which push button or key and spindle
operate to depress the spring detent and to remove it from the notch in the sleeve,
thereby releasing the sleeve and switch arm. The return of the switch arm to .
the off" position may be due to a spring arranged in any of the well known
methods.
In a modification the press-button above referred to is dispensed with, and
the depression of the inner spindle and detent is effected by a partial turning
of the switch handle itself. This may be done by mounting the switch handle
loosely upon its hollow spindle and providing it with a pin or projection which
enters a spiral slot in said spindle or in a supplementary hollow spindle or
sleeve or in the spindle of the detent, arranged in such a way that as the handle
is turned its pin travels in said spiral slot and so depresses the sleeve and spindle
of the detent.
The advantages afforded by the locking and releasing device are that it is
contained within the spindle and handle of the switch and does not therefore
require a special aperture in the cover or wall of the switch box, and is also
convenient to the hand of the operator.
Dated this 10th day of January 1890

page_text: An Improved Looking and Releasing Device for Electrical Switches.
I, FREDERICK PERCY Cox, of 4, Hargreaves Road, Sefton Park, in the City of
Liverpool, Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to electrical switches of the rotary type, and consists 5
of a means of locking and releasing such switches.
In the drawings horeto annexed Figure 1 is a plan, Figure 2 a sectional
elevation, and Figure 3 a cross-section of a switch constructed according to my
invention. Figure 4 is a plan, Figure 5 is a sectional elevation, Figure 6 a
vertical section, Figure 7 a cross-section, and Figure 8 a detail of an alternative 1
form of switch according to my invention.
Reference to Figures 1 to 3.
The switch-arm a is formed upon a sleeve b. The handle c is screwed into
a metal cap d, such cap being surmounted by a vulcanite cap e. The cap d is
attached to the sleeve by the stud f so that the handle and switch-arm a 1
are rigidly connected. The sleeve bis journalled upon the pipe 9, whose flanged
base is secured upon the porcelain block h. Within the pipe a works a pin i
and projecting from the lower end of this pin is a tooth which passes through
a vertical slot in the pipe g, and enters an annular groove 1, cut in the bottom
of the sleeve b. The pin i passes upward, and projects from the cap e, its upper a
end forming a push-button.
When the switch arm a is turned to the "on" side as shewn in Figure 2,
the spring m raises the tooth into the vertical notch n in the sleeve b, whereby
the sleeve and pipe 9 are locked together, the switch arm a being thus locked
in the "on" position. To release the switch arm, the pin i is depressed so that 2
the tooth enters the annular groove 1, and the switch arm is then caused to
fly back to the "off" position by the spring o.
Reference to Figures 4 to 8.
The letters used in the description of the switch shewn in Figures 1 to 3
are adopted for the description of corresponding parts of the switch shown in 8
Figures 4 to 8. In the switch shewn in Figures 4 to 8 the depression of the
pin is effected by a partial turning of the switch handle c. This is done by
Loosely mounting the cap d upon the sleeve band by providing such cap with a
pin which enters an inclined slot q cut in the sleeve b. Assuming the switch
arm a to be in the on position as shewn in Figure 6, and that the sleeve b 8
and pipe 9 are locked by the tooth k, a partial turning of the handle o will cause
the pin p to travel down the slot g, and the cap d to move downwards on the
sleeve b. This downward movement of the cap d serves to depress the pin i
and tooth and allow the switch arm a to be returned to the "off" position by
the spring o.
56
"
Amongst the advantages afforded by the locking and releasing devices above
described are, that such devices are contained within the pivot and handle of
the switch and do not therefore require a special aperture in the cover or wall
of the switch-box. They are also so disposed as to be most convenient to the
hand of 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 in a onASHA
AL 12

page_text: carrying the switch arm a and handle and journalled upon the pipe g, the
pin possessing a tooth which passes through a vertical slot in said pipe and
enters an annular groove / in said sleeve, said tooth being raised into the notch n
in said sleeve by the spring m so as to lock such sleeve and pipe when the
arm a is in the on position; the release of such arm being effected by
depressing the pin, which permits of the arm a being returned to the "off"
position by the spring o substantially as described.
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2. As a means of releasing the switch arm a when locked in manner herein
described, the cap d loosely mounted on the sleeve band caused to travel down-
wards thereon by the pin p working in the inclined slot q in said sleeve when
the handle is turned, such downward travel of the cap d being utilized to
dislodge the tooth k from the notch n, substantially as described.
3. The improved locking and releasing devices for electrical switches, com-
bined, arranged and operating substantially as herein described, and as illustrated
in the drawings hereto annexed.
Dated this 10th day of Datohen 1200
J. A. COUBROUGH,
Chartered Patent Agent, 10, St. George's Crescent, Liverpool,