Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Aug., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 7th May, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 4th Aug., 1888
We, FREDERICK LAWRENCE RAWSON, of 11 Queen Victoria Street, in the City of
London, Electrical Engineer, and WILLIAM WHITE of 15 St. Dunstan Road, West
Kensington, in the County of Middlesex, Instrument maker, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to an improved construction of electrical switch by which a
quick break of contact is secured and cheapness of manufacture effected.
Our improved switch consists of a base of slate, porcelain, wood or other suitable
material, on which we fix two contact plates at opposite ends of a diameter. The
connection is made between these two plates by a switch arm consisting of several
thin strips of brass or other suitable metal, placed one upon another and bent over at
their ends, so that they press edgeways upon the contact plates. The switch arm is
attached to a handle and a centre pin, which pin passes through the base of the switch
and forms the centre upon which the switch arm turns. The lower end of the centre
pin carries a nut or collar, and between this and the underside of the switch base is
placed a washer, which gives the necessary pressure upon the contact plates.
To secure a quick break of contact, a spring (which in form is commonly known as
a lock spring) is provided, which so comes into action or presses upon a spring arm
just before the switch arm leaves the contact plates, that it has the effect of quickly
driving the switch arm from the contact plates.
We find it economical and advantageous to employ for this purpose two or more
springs of round spring wire which gives greater flexibility and less liability to
fracture and is cheaply manufactured by the employment of a process and tools as
described in an application bearing even date herewith, and numbered 10838A.
We may
add a third plate to the switch for the attachment of one end of the
external circuit, and between this plate and one of the hereinbefore mentioned contact
springs a fusible cut-out is inserted which is conveniently recessed below the level of
the base and thus out of the way of the switch arm.
The usual terminal screws are provided for the attachment of the wires carrying
current.
1
0

page_text: We, FREDERICK LAWRENCE RAWSON, of 11 Queen Victoria Street, in the City of
London, Electrical Engineer, and WILLIAM WHITE of 15 St. Dunstan Road, West
Kensington, in the County of Middlesex, Instrument maker, 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 an improved construction of electrical switch by which a
quick break of contact is secured and cheapness of manufacture effected.
And in order that our invention may be the better understood we now proceed to
describe the same in relation to the drawings hereunto annexed reference being had to
the letters and figures marked thereon.
Our improved switch consists of a base A of slate, porcelain, wood, or other suitable
material on which we fix two or more contact plates B B at opposite ends of a
diameter. The connection is made between these plates by a switch arm or arms C,
consisting of several strips of brass or other suitable metal placed one upon another
and bent over at their ends so that they press edgeways upon the contact plates B B.
The switch arm or arms C are attached to a handle D and a centre pin E which pin.
passes through the base of the switch and forms the centre on which the switch arms
turn. The attachment is made preferably in the following manner:-the centre pin E
is made of round material which is squared at a given part to receive the switch arm
or arms. Immediately above this squared part the pin is tapped or screwed so that
the nut or handle E screwed down on to the switch arm or arms will hold the switch
arm or arms in place firmly. To prevent the nut or handle running back, one or
more holes are drilled through the switch arm or arms and pins or screws F are
inserted, the ends of these pins or screws so projecting as to determine the distance to
which the arm or arms may fall when out of contact. These projecting pins or screws
are used also for the purpose of engaging the springs G and receiving their thrust as
more particularly hereinafter described. That part of the pin or pins which projects
below the contact armor arms C has a piece of tube (brass) upon it so as to make a
rolling contact against the springs.
The handle D is made of non conducting material such as ebony, or a piece of.
insulating material is inserted between the handle and the contact arm, so that the.
handle is insulated; the handle is also thus prevented from making contact with the
metal cover, when one is used.
The lower end of the centre pin carries a nut or collar H and between this and the
underside of the switch base is placed a spring washer J which gives the necessary
pressure upon the contact plates. Or we may use a spirul spring to attain the same
bient

page_text: To secure a quick break of contact a spring G (which in form is commonly known
as a lock spring) is provided, which so comes into action or presses upon the pin F or
other convenient point just before the switch arm leaves the contact plates, that it has
the effect of quickly driving the switch arm from the contact plates.
In order to secure an independent quick break by which the switch arm is out of
the control of the operator at the moment of breaking contact, we prefer to use an
arrangement consisting of a plate of metal or other suitable material which is fixed to
or may be part of the handle or nut D herein before described; in this is perforated
one or more slots of a radial shape and of such a length that a second handle or key
piece pivotted by its centre and having one or more pins on it, may engage and force
it to the contact breaking point when the springs will force it away independently of
any further pressure.
We find it economical and advantageous to employ as springs G, round spring
wire, which gives great flexibility and little liability to fracture and is cheaply manu-
factured by the employment of a process and tools as described in an application
bearing even date herewith and numbered 10838A.
We may add a third or more plates K to the switch for the attachment of external
circuits. Between one of these plates K and one of the hereinbefore mentioned
confact plates B a fusible cut-out L is inserted.
In order to place this out of the way of the switch arm we conveniently recess the
base and bend or otherwise make the contact plate of a suitable shape for the reception
of the fusible cut-out L.
The usual terminal screws M M are provided for the attachment of the wires
carrying the current.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is―
1st. The combination in an electric switch of a switch arm consisting of spring
plates of metal pressed upon contact pieces by a spring washer on its spindle and
pressed by springs in the plane of its rotation so as to cause the switch to break
contact sharply.
2nd. In an electric switch the application of springs composed of pieces of spring
wire to effect the quick breaking of the electrical current, substantially as described.
3rd. In an electric switch the arrangement of a fusible cut-out upon its base, sub-
stantially as described.
4th. In electric double-break switches the combination of a switch arm consisting
of spring plates of metal bent over at either end so as to press upon contact pieces,
with a spring or springs pressing in the plane of its rotation so as to cause the switch
to break contact sharply.
5th. In an electric switch, the combination with the switch arm of a spring washer
situated under the base of the switch & re-acting so as to produce elastic pressure
between the switch arm and the contact pieces.
Dated th 7th 1
C 1000

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Aug., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 7th May, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 4th Aug., 1888
Improvements in the Construction of Springs and Tools Employed
therefor.
We, FREDERICK LAWRENCE RAWSON, of 11 Queen Victoria Street, in the City of
London, Electrical Engineer, and WILLIAM WHITE, of 15 St. Dunstan Road, West
Kensington, in the County of Middlesex, Instrument maker, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
.
Our invention relates to an improved form of springs and to the tools and process
employed in the manufacture of the same and is designed to produce a very cheap and
reliable form of spring.
The springs we make of a series of bent steel wires conveniently in a ✓ form and
to construct them we use two pairs of tools and each spring goes preferably through
two processes for completion.
The first pair of tools cuts off the wire and forms it into a U shaped loop. To
effect this the wire is passed across the top of the female tool of the first pair,
underneath a guard plate, which is grooved, so as to guide the wire, and is provided
with a stop to regulate its length. The male tool has a rounded grooved end, and in
descending enters a hole in the middle of the guard plate over the wire and forces the
wire downwards through a hole immediately underneath in the female tool, thus
forming the wire into a U shaped loop. When this is formed to the proper length, a
shoulder on the side of the male tool cuts off the wire against a cutting edge upon the
female tool and gives the end a slightly curved form. The loop thus formed is then
ready to undergo the finishing process by the next pair of tools.
The male tool of the second pair is a sectional shape, similar to the form of the
finished spring, and has across its lower face two, three, or more transverse bars which
extend to either side, and beyond the end where the head of the loop is formed. The
female tool is at its lower side the exact shape of the finished spring, but is bevelled
out upwards in all directions, so as to be large enough to receive the loop formed in
the first process. At the sides and end of the opening of the female tool are vertical
slots, to receive the transverse bars of the male tool. The wire loop is placed at the

page_text: upper face of the female die, where it is caught by the transverse bars on the male
punch, and carried downwards thereby, being gradually pressed into the proper
shape; when coming underneath the body of the male punch it is finally pressed into
form. A slide may be fitted at the lower face of the female die to facilitate the removal
of the finished spring. It is obvious that these two can be combined into one tool or
to work together as one operation.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Springs and Tools Employed
therefor.
We, FREDERICK LAWRENCE RAWSON, of 11 Queen Victoria Street, in the City of
London, Electrical Engineer and WILLIAM WHITE, of 15 St. Dunstan Road, West
Kensington, in the County of Middlesex, Instrument maker, 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 an improved form of springs, and to the tools and process
employed in the manufacture of the same, and is designed to produce a very cheap
and reliable form of spring.
The springs we make of a series of bent steel wires, conveniently in a V form; and
to construct them, we use three pairs of tools, and each spring goes preferably
through three processes for completion.
The first pair of tools, Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, cuts off the wire and
forms it into a U shaped loop. To effect this, the wire is passed across the top of
the female tool A in a hole a of the first pair, underneath a guard plate, B which is
grooved so as to guide the wire and is provided with a stop 6 to regulate the length.
The male tool c has a rounded grooved end, and in descending enters the hole in the
centre of the guard plate B over the wire, and forces the wire downwards through the
hole immediately underneath in the female tool, thus forming the wire into a U shaped
loop. When this is formed to the proper length, a shoulder on the side of the male-
tool cuts off the wire against a cutting edge upon the female tool, and gives the end a

page_text: slight curved form. The loop thus formed is then ready to undergo the finishing
process by the next pair of tools.
The male tool D of the second pair Figure 2 has an outline like the letter A, similar
to the form of the finished spring, and has across its lower face two, three, or more
transverse bars d, which extend to either side, and beyond the end where the head of
the loop has been formed in the first pair of tools. At the sides and end of the
opening of the female tool E, Fig. 3 are vertical slots e, to receive the transverse
bars d of the male tool D. The wire loop is placed in the upper face of the sloping
female die, where it is caught by the transverse bars on the male punch, and carried
downwards, thereby being gradually pressed into the proper shape.
After the above operations the spring is placed between a pair of dies, with plane
surfaces which flatten it in the plane in which the V lies, so that a number of them
will lie close together one above the other, the flattening process also giving the
springs greater strength.
A slide may be fitted at the lower face of the female die to facilitate the removal of
the finished spring. It is obvious that these two can be combined into one tool or to
work together as one operation..
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 :-
1st. The process of manufacture and the tools used therein for the making of springs
of spring wire, substantially as described.
2nd. The form and construction of a spring of spring wire, produced substantially
as described.
3rd. The construction of compound springs from a series of springs of spring wire,
combined together in any number, to give the desired strength of resilience to the
compound spring, substantially as described.
Ton day of Bay 1000.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, É.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.