Improvements in or connected with Switchboards for Electrical Purposes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 27th July. 1891
Complete Specification Left, 27th May, 1892-Accepted, 27th July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Switchboards for Electrical
Purposes.
We, TOM HAWKINS, and FRANCIS MURRAY NEWTON, both of the Newton
Electrical Engineering Works, Taunton, in the County of Somerset, Electrical
Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :—
Our invention relates to switchboards the various parts of which are so
constructed and arranged as to greatly facilitate their operation or the operation
or handling of parts or devices connected therewith.
Our invention, whilst applicable to the various purposes of electrical distribution
in its wide sense, is particularly. applicable for electric lighting and telephone
purposes. Our chief object in so far as the invention relates to switchboards used
for electric lighting and others of a similar class is to render the connections of the
various cables and wires, and the attachments of the various instruments and
devices mounted upon the said switchboards easily accessible at all times so that
the labour required for fixing the said instruments and devices and attaching the
cables and wires may be greatly diminished and the switchboards be placed and
supported in the position most convenient for examination or repair. Our main
object in so far as our invention relates to telephone switchboards is to enable
as many lines and switching devices to be handled by a single operator as
possible.
In carrying our invention into effect we support the switchboard by means of
suitable hinges which are attached on one side of the hinged joint to the switch-
board itself and on the other to a suitable support of any convenient kind such for
example as one fixed against or built into a wall or partition, or as a standard of
suitable construction which may be bolted to the floor or supported in any other
convenient manner. In this case the switchboard is hung somewhat after the
manner of a gate on a gate post.
As an alternative mode of supporting the switchboard, instead of hinging it
direct to one of the forms of support just mentioned, and which for the purpose of
distinction we shall hereinafter term a primary support, we hinge it to an inter-
mediate support, hereinafter termed a secondary support, which secondary support
is adjustably attached by any convenient mechanical device to the primary support:
or we attach the switchboard in an adjustable manner by any convenient
mechanical device to a secondary support which secondary support is hinged to the
primary support.
For the purpose of fixing some or all of the parts constituting our invention
rigidly and in any desired position so as to enable operations in connection with the
switchboard to be carried on conveniently we employ a binding device of any
convenient form such for example as a threaded stud or bolt in a straight or curved
slot and furnished with a winged binding nut.
We sometimes attach several switchboards to the same primary support and
either with or without intermediate secondary supports so that they may be moved
round or in respect to the said primary support, like the leaves of a book for
example. In some cases in order to enable two or more switchboards so mounted
to be moved together without movement relative to one another we provide them
with devices (a hook and staple for example) by which they can be attached to one
another and so be capable of being moved as one piece.
The switchboards may in some cases serve as lids or doors to boxes or recesses

page_text: into which the ends of the cables or wires may be brought and the said lids or
doors may be secured in position by locks or other suitable fastenings.
Dated this 25th day of July 1891.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Switchboards for Electrical
Purposes.
We, TOM HAWKINS and FRANCIS MURRAY NEWTON, both of the Newton
Electrical Engineering Works, Taunton, in the County of Somerset, Electrical
Engineers, 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 invention relates to switchboards the various parts of which are SO
constructed and arranged as to greatly facilitate their operation or the operation or
handling of parts or devices connected therewith.
Our invention, whilst applicable to the various purposes of electrical distribution
in its wide sense, is particularly applicable for electric lighting and telephone
purposes. Our chief object in so far as the invention relates to switchboards used
for electric lighting and others of a similar class is to render the connections of the
various cables and wires, and the attachments of the various instruments and
devices mounted upon the said switchboards easily accessible at all times so that
the labour required for fixing the said instruments and devices and attaching the
cables and wires may be greatly diminished and the switchboards be placed and
supported in the position most convenient for examination or repair. Our main
object in so far as our invention relates to telephone switchboards is to enable as
many lines and switching devices to be handled by a single operator as possible.
In carrying our invention into effect we support the switchboard by means of
suitable hinges which are attached on one side of the hinged joint to the switch-
board itself and on the other to a suitable support of any convenient kind such for
example as one fixed against or built into a wall or partition, or as a standard of
suitable construction which may be bolted to the floor or supported in any other
convenient manner. In this case the switchboard is hung somewhat after the
manner of a gate on a gate post.
As an alternative mode of supporting the switchboard, instead of hinging it
direct to one of the forms of support just mentioned, and which for the purpose of
distinction we shall hereinafter term a primary support, we hinge it to an inter-
mediate support, hereinafter termed a secondary support, which secondary support
is adjustably attached by any convenient mechanical device to the primary support:
or we attach the switchboard in an adjustable manner by any convenient mechanical
device to a secondary support which secondary support is hinged to the primary
support.
or the
purpose of fixing some or all of the parts constituting our invention
rigidly and in any desired position so as to enable operations in connection with the
switchboard to be carried on conveniently we employ a binding device of any
convenient form such for example as a threaded stud or bolt in a straight or curved
slot and furnished with a winged binding nut.
F
We sometimes attach several switchboards to the same primary support and
either with or without intermediate secondary supports so that they may be moved
round or in respect to the said primary support, like the leaves of a book for
example. In some cases in order to enable two or more switchboards so mounted
to be moved together without movement relative to one another we provide them
with devices (a hook and staple for example) by which they can be attached to
one another and so be capable of being moved as one piece.

page_text: The switchboards may in some cases serve as lids or doors to boxes or recesses
into which the ends of the cables or wires may be brought and the said lids or
doors may be secured in position by locks or other suitable fastenings.
In Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying sheets of drawings we show in front
elevation and in plan respectively a form of our invention in which the switchboard
is hinged to a standard bolted to the floor. A is the standard and B the switch-
board, the latter being hinged to the former as shown at the points C, C, C. The
voltmeters, ammeters, fuses, switches and other instruments which are usually
affixed to the face of a switchboard used for electric distribution are indicated in
Figure 1 by the symbolic outlines b, b, b. The cables are brought to the back of
the said switchboard, sufficient slack being left to allow of the necessary movement
of the board. D is a handle for facilitating the movement of the board.
Figures 5 and 6 show in front elevation and in plan respectively a form of our
invention in which the switchboard instead of being hinged to a standard is hinged
to a wall bracket. As the switchboard in this case is usually lighter than in the
case in which it is hinged to a standard we generally dispense with the handle D.
Figure 3 is a front elevation of a small part (the lower left hand corner) of
a form of our invention in which the binding device hereinbefore referred to is
illustrated. Figure 4 is a plan of the complete switchboard of which Figure 3
illustrates a part. In these figures b, is a threaded stud fixed to the bottom of the
switchboard and moving in the arc shaped slot b, as the switchboard is moved
angularly round its hinges. b. is the winged nut of the stud b₂ which serves to
clamp the board in position.
Figures 7 and 8 illustrate in plan and elevation respectively that form of our
invention hereinbefore referred to in which several switchboards are so attached
that they may be moved round with respect to their support like the leaves of
a book.
In the form illustrated in these figures it will be seen that each switchboard B
not only moves on its hinges C, but also on the collars a, the said collars
constituting in fact a form of the secondary support herein before referred to.
When these switchboards are moved separately in an angular direction they move
on the hinges C, but when as herein before referred to we attach two or more of
these switchboards together in order to enable them to be moved together in an
angular direction without movement relative to one another, the movement takes
place not round CC as centres but round A as a centre, the collars of the respective
switchboards turning on the support A.
The form of our invention in which several switchboards are arranged so as to
move relatively to one another like the leaves of a book is one specially adapted
for telephone work, as it enables a large number of lines to be brought within
reach of a single operator.
In all the forms illustrated we have shown the switchboards as hinged at one
side, but we frequently find it convenient especially in a crowded station to adopt
the following plan. To the primary support we attach one or more brackets
constituting secondary supports capable of angular movement round the said
primary support. To the secondary supports the switchboards are attached as
shown diagramatically in Figures 9 and 10, Figure 9 being an elevational diagram
and Figure 10 a plan diagram. It will be seen that the switchboard may be
rotated on the pivots bы, b, so that it shall occupy a plane at any desired angle with
the plane of the supports with which it is connected. The board is shown in
several such angular positions in dotted lines in Figure 10. Any convenient device
may be employed for binding the board in any desired position with respect to the
secondary support or supports.
In the figures herein before referred to similar letters refer to similar or
equivalent parts.
We desire it to be understood that the devices which we have shown for
suspending the switchboards and for binding parts in position are indicated merely

page_text: as types or examples. Any competent engineer could modify the mechanical
details to an indefinite extent without departing from the spirit of our invention.
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. A switchboard suspended or hung so as to be capable of angular movement
with respect to a support substantially as set forth.
2. A switchboard suspended or hung so as to be capable of angular movement
with respect to a secondary support which said secondary support is capable of
angular movement with respect to a primary support substantially as set forth.
3. The combination of two or more switchboards, a secondary support and a
primary support so that two or more of the said switchboards may be moved
together round a support without relative movement to one another substantially
as set forth.
4. The combination of a switchboard so hung or suspended as to be capable of
angular movement with respect to a support and a binding device for fixing the
.said support and switchboard together substantially as set forth.
Dated this 26th day of May 1892.
J. G. LORRAIN, M.I.E.E., M.I.M.E.,
Norfolk House, Norfolk Street, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.