Electric Switches.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 25th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 26th Apr., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
.Electric Switches.
I, CHARLES EBENEZER CHALLIS of 30 Navarino Road, Hackney, London N.E.
Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In my improved "quick make and break" switches, being improvements upon
my previous Patents No. 77250 and 4689", I mount a polygon or other suitably
shaped plate upon the base, and on this I place the contact bar, which has a lip
turned over one side of the plate and arms, which may for flexibility rise vertically
to a certain height, and then curve downwards to the contact plates. I also use a
central spindle encircled by a helical spring, the two ends of which press upon the
respective arms of the contact bar aforesaid or its equivalent, and a handle carrying
a lifting or tripping piece is also loosely mounted upon the spindle, but is prevented
from turning beyond a certain arc by a stop formed on a suitably shaped washer, or
its equivalent.
Upon turning the handle in one direction, the trip piece upon it forces one end
of the spring from the contact bar and carries it towards the other end, and in its
course lifts one end of the contact bar until the lip is beyond the angle of the
contact plate, after which the spring causes the motion to be continued round to
the "off" position, upon turning the handle the reverse way, the contact bar is
similarly carried to the "on" position.
The contact bar is provided with an elongated hole where the spindle passes
through it to admit of displacement from the centre line, for the lip to pass over
the angle of the polygon shaped base plate.
In order to avoid the sideway movement of the contact bar occasioned by the
lip or locking piece being a part thereof, I may employ a separate locking plate
having a tongue or bolt which rests in a notch in the polygon shaped plate or its
equivalent, while arms upon it rest on the contact bar, being pressed against it by
the spring
When the handle is turned, one end of the spring is carried round by the
tripping piece before mentioned, until sufficient force for the stroke is accumulated,
and then it lifts one arm until the tongue or bolt is out of the notch (the other end
or arm of locking piece acting as the fulcrum of a lever, with the bolt or tongue in
the middle) upon which the contact bar flies round until the locking bolt drops
into the next notch, the action being similar in either direction.
L A1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Electric Switches.
I, CHARLES EBENEZER CHALLIS of 30 Navarino Road, Hackney, London N.E.
Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
Baine is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :—
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 represents the plan of a "bridging" or double contact switch of a similar
type to that shown in my Specifications and drawings No. 7725/1890 and
No. 4689/1891 but with a lip formed on the pivotal portion of the contact bar for
the "rest" or "lock" and a trip or lifting piece to lift the contact bar substituted
for the " cam piece" and "locking piece," a levering or lifting movement therefore
effecting the release instead of an eccentric, undue wear being thereby avoided.
.
•

page_text: The same letter indicates similar parts throughout. A is the base, made of an
insulating substance; BB are the contact plates, to which the wires are attached
by means of the terminals CC; D is the contact bar or bridge for connecting and
disconnecting the contact plates when the switch is "on" and "off" respectively,
to obtain some flexibility the arms of the contact bar rise vertically from the 5
central portion to a certain height and then curve outwards and downwards to the
contact plates; on one side of the central portion of the contact bar the lip E is
turned down so as to rest against one side of the base plate K, and an elongated
hule is made in the middle of contact bar to admit of the lateral displacement of
the contact bar as the lip passes over the angle of base plate in turning; I is the 1
spindle upon which the moving parts turn; K is the base plate fixed in the centre
of base and upon which the moving parts are mounted; F is the washer, the central
portion lying between the contact bar and a shoulder on the spindle, and the tail
portion which (when free) effects the lift or drive of the contact bar; or, if fixed
by a screw through the base plate, forms a stop to prevent the handle being over-1
turned or turned in other than opposite directions alternately, as presently described;
GG are the wings of the trip piece which depend from a plate fixed to the handle,
these bear the ends of the spring H jointly with the arms of the contact bar and
wind up the spring in whichever direction the handle is turned (the opposite end
of the spring being borne entirely by the arm of contact bar as the corresponding 2
wing of the trip piece retires) until sufficient force is stored to effect the desired
movement, the contact bar meanwhile remaining stationary because the tangential
angle of the base plate against which the lip presses and around which it must
pass is of greater radius than the arm of contact bar against which the spring is
pressing; but the movement of the handle being continued the wing of the trip 2
piece overtakes the tail of washer and forces it against the free arm of contact bar,
thereby lifting that end of the lip from the base plate until its radius is greater
than that of the angle of the base plate, when the spring is free to effect its
rotation to the next position.
Fig. 2 shows the section through elevation of same, A is the base; AA is the 3
cover of base to enclose the metal parts; D is the contact bar; F is the washer;
G is the trip piece; H is the spring; I is the spindle; K is the base plate; and
00 the screws for fixing same; L is the fixing nut for securing the spindle;
M is the handle by means of which the switch is operated; N is a plug in handle
to insulate the top of spindle.
3
It is therefore shown that on the handle being turned a wing of the trip piece
lifts one end of the spring and carries it round and by thus winding it up increasing
the pressure on the other end of the spring, but the contact bar cannot turn
because the thrust is exerted within the angle of the base plate; as the move-
ment of the handle is continued however the opposite wing of trip piece to that 4
turning the spring presses upon the tail of the washer and pushes it round, this in
its turn presses against the arm of the contact bar and lifts it until the lip upon it
is beyond the angle of the base plate when the spring continues the movement of
the contact bar to the next position. Should the spring for any reason fail to
effect the desired movement a positive drive is effected by the trip piece acting 4
through the tail of washer. By making the tail of the washer stationary and
effecting the lift of the contact bar by the wing G¹ Fig. 4 upon the trip piece
the handle cannot be turned other than in opposite directions alternately.
Multiple way switches may be constructed by prolonging the base plate to one
side and attaching a terminal thereto, the contact bar having but one arm and 5
the contact plates being arranged according to the number of "
"
rests
base plate. The lip on contact bar may be curved or enclose an angle of the
base plate; the action is precisely similar in either direction.
on the
Fig. I represents the elevation of a bridging switch with a separate locking
piece, to avoid the sideway movement of the contact bar, A is the base, BB the 5
contact plates, D the contact bar, E is the locking piece of which ee are vertical
wings resting against the arms of contact bar and e¹ is the tongue or bolt that

page_text: passes through the central portion of contact bar and engages in the notch in
base plate K. is the plate portion lying between the base plate and contact bar,
GG are the wings of trip piece, H is the spring, I the spindle, K the base plate.
Fig. IV shows a plan of same A being the base, D the contact bar, ee the
vertical wings of locking piece, G³
intended for lifting the spring and of the wings of trip piece, of which 99 are
for lifting the locking piece, H is the spring,
the ends of which press the wings of locking piece against the contact bar, I is
the spindle, K Fig. V shows the base plate and E the locking piece detached.
When the handle is turned in either direction one of the wings of the trip
piece engages with the spring and carries it round until the wing G₁ engages
with a vertical wing of locking piece and lifts the bolt out of notch (the opposite
wing acting as a fulcrum) the spring then drives the contact bar round until the
bar drops into the next notch.
Multiple way switches may
be constructed by prolonging the base plate to one
side and attaching a terminal thereto, the contact bar having but one arm and
the contact plates being arranged according to the number of rests on or notches
in the base plate. Fuses may be fitted in the usual manner.
It is thus shown that the contact bar is locked in each position and is released
(when sufficient force is stored in the spring to effect the movement required) by
levering it over the restraining part, or by lifting out the locking piece by means
of the trip piece upon the handle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
Electric switches constructed substantially as described and set forth in the
accompanying drawings.