Improvements in Electric Switches.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1898-Accepted, 17th Sept.,
1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Switches.
I, JOHN GEORGE DIXON, of "Don Villa," Penistone, in the County of Yorks,
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: -
My invention has reference to improvements in electric switches, particularly
main switches, and has for its object to provide a switch in which the contact shall
be reliable and any wear on the contact making surfaces can be readily taken up.
I carry out my invention in the following manner:-
I form the contact making arm or blade of the switch with a forked or V-shaped
end and to this V end a suitable number of copper strips of the same formation
are attached said copper strips forming the contact making brush their ends (when
contact is made) bearing against sliding terminal blocks which are adjustable
to and from each other by means of set screws.
With my invention the current flows from one terminal through the copper
strips or contact making brush to the other terminal and does not traverse the
whole of the contact making blade as in switches now generally in use.
In order that my invention may be better understood and more readily carried
into effect I will describe it with reference to the accompanying drawing in
which,
Figure 1 is a plan of my improved switch and Figure 2 a side view.
The same letters indicate the same parts in the two figures.
a is the usual base of insulating material, 6 the bearing to which the switch
handle c and its contact making blade d are centred; e is the forked or V-shaped
end of the blade d and f the copper strips of corresponding shape said strips, as
before mentioned, forming a contact making brush. 7 are grooved blocks attached
to base a and in which the sliding terminal blocks g¹ are arranged, the terminal
pins or screws h and their nuts h¹ being the means of holding said blocks in the
desired position. j are the set screws whereby the terminal blocks g¹ may be
moved towards or away from each other in order to take up wear.
k is the spring
for retaining the contact making blade d in its upright position out of contact with
terminal blocks g' when the switch handle is operated to break the circuit.
The cable ends fit in sockets formed in the lower ends of the terminal pins or
screws h.
When it is desired to move the terminal blocks g¹ towards or away from each
other it is only necessary to loosen nuts h¹ and then turn the set screws j; when
the blocks g have been moved to the required position the nuts are tightened
up so that the said blocks are held securely in position.
When the switch handle is operated to close the circuit the current, as before
stated, passes through the terminal pins or screws h, sliding terminal blocks g
and through the copper strips or brush f.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
-
1. In electric switches the combination, with the usual operating handle or
lever, of a contact making blade having a forked or V-shaped end to which are
attached correspondingly shaped copper strips (forming the contact making brush),
and sliding terminal blocks such as gl adjustable by means of set screws or the
like, substantially as herein set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. The improved electric switch substantially as herein described and as illus-
trated in the accompanying drawing.
Doted this 12th dow of Tu 1900
JOHN P. O'DONNELL, Fel. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
Agent for Applicant,
70 & 71, Palace Chambers, Westminster, S.W.