Improvements in Electric Cut-outs or Apparatus for Controlling the Flow of Currents of Electrical Energy.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 1st July, 1890-Accepted, 30th Aug., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Cut-outs or Apparatus for Controlling the
Flow of Currents of Electrical Energy.
We JAMES LEONARD KIMBALL and HERBERT CLARENCE WIRT of 620 Atlantic
Avenue, Boston in the State of Massachusetts, in the United States of America,
Electricians 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:-
This invention relates to electric cut-outs especially adapted to be used in incan-
descent electric lighting.
Our present invention is particularly applicable to main and branch cut-outs used
in connection with a molding concealed or cleat work secured to the walls of a
building, and has for its object to improve the construction of the same, whereby a
smaller, neater, and cheaper cut-out is obtained.
The particular features of our invention will be pointed out in the claim at the end
of this specification.
Fig. 1 represents a branch cut-out embodying our invention.
Fig. 2, a plan view of the base with the cap removed.
Fig. 3, an underside view of the cap removed.
Fig. 4, a side elevation of the cut-out shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 5, a top or plan view of the base of a modified form of cut-out and
Fig. 6, an underside view of the cap employed with the base shewn in Fig. 5.
Our improved cut-out is composed of a base A which may be of wood, porcelain,
or other suitable insulation adapted to be firmly secured to a wall or ceiling of a
building by screws inserted through holes 2, 3, in the said base and a cap A¹ preferably
of insulating material.
which
may
be
The base A, as shown in Fig. 2, is made oblong in shape and is provided with end
elevated portions a, a¹ and a central bridge or elevated portion a² forming with the
raised end portion a, a slot or channel a³, and with the raised end portion a¹ a channel
or slot which is subdivided into two parts a, a, by a centre piece aº,
an independent piece, or it may be integral with the base.
The raised end portion a is provided with shallow longitudinal slots in which are
secured contact pieces a, a, the upper faces of which are substantially flush with the
surface of the said end portion.
One of the contact pieces, as a³, is extended beyond the end of the base and has
secured to it, as by screw a³, one line wire a while the contact piece a is extended
down into and across the slot a³ where it has secured to it, as by screw a¹º, the other
line wire a¹².
The raised end portion a¹ has secured to it, as by screws b contact pieces 61, 62,
having their inner ends bent downward and extended across the slots a, a' and the
said bent ends have secured to them, as by screws, 63, 64, line wires 65, 66, which, as
shown, are carried out to the sides of the base and extended in the direction of the
length of the base substantially at right angles to the line wires a³,
a12
The contact pieces a, a, and 6, 6 have co-operating with thein two sets of contact
arms c, c, d, d, secured to the inner side of the cap c², on substantially diametrically
opposite sides thereof, as by screws c³, and having their ends extended beyond the
opposite sides of the cap and each provided with a slot c¹ to engage the shank of the
screw 68.
The contact arms on opposite sides of the cap are electrically connected by fusible
connections preferably strips or wires d², d³, which may very readily be replaced
when burnt out, by removing the cap, the electrical connections or wire attached
to the base remaining intact and undisturbed.

page_text: The cut-out shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is designed to be used as a branch cut-out, the
wires a, a being the positive and negative wires of the main circuit, and the
wires 66, 66, being the positive and negative wires of the branch circuit.
When the cap A' is secured to the base, the circuit from the positive main line a³
may be traced as follows:-Positive line a³, contact pieces a³, contact d, fuse d²,
contact arm c contact piece b¹, wire 6, through the lamp, not shown, to wire 66, thence
by a contact piece 32, contact arm c¹, fuse d³, contact arm d', contant piece de to
negative wire a¹².
The cap A¹ shown in Fig. 6, is designed to be used in connection with the base A
shown in Fig. 5 to form a main line cut-out, the said base being provided with contact
blocks e, e¹, e, e³, fitted in sockets on opposite sides of the base, and having their outer
faces preferably flush with the sides of the base.
The contact blocks are provided with holes into which the ends of the wires e*,
are inserted and secured as by screws e..
ed
By securing the fusible connections d², d³, to the contact arms attached to the
cap, we are enabled to make the base much smaller, thereby economising in material,
space, and cost of construction, besides obtaining a much neater cut-out.
It will be noticed that the fusible connections joining the contact arms on the cap
form part of the main or branch lines and afford additional protection to incandescent
lamps or other devices which may be tapped into either the main or branch lines,
the said lamps or devices in practice being also provided with fuse wires.
We have herein shown, for sake of distinction, the cap of the main cut-out
made larger than the cap of the branch cut-out, but in practice they may and
preferably will be made of the same size, so that they may be interchangeable.
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. In an electric cut-out, a base provided with two sets of contact pieces, a
removable cap having two sets of contact arms secured to it, and fusible connections
joining the contact arms on the cap, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2. In an electric cut-out, a base provided with two sets of contact pieces, a
removable cap having two sets of contact arms secured to it and each set extended
beyond the said cap on its opposite sides, fusible connections joining the contact
arms on the cap, and forming part of main or branch lines, and means to secure
the said contact arms to the base outside the cap, substantially as described.
3. In an electric cut-out, a base provided with a slot a³ and slots a*, a³, a contact
piece a extended outside the base, and to which a line wire may be attached, a
contact piece a extended into the slot a³, and to which a line wire may be secured,
contact pieces 61, 62 secured to the opposite end or side of the base and extended into
the slots a, a, and to which branch wires may be secured, and a cap having contact
armis secured to it, and extended outside the cap, and fusible connections joining the
contact arms on the cap substantially as described.
Dated the First day of July 1890
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicants.