Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Feb., 1887
Complete Left, 3rd Nov., 1887
Complete Accepted, 6th Dec., 1887
We, SAMUEL SUDWORTH, and CHARLES KRAUSS FALKENSTEIN, both of the Falcon
Works, Bentham Road, South Hackney, London, E. do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for making and breaking
electrical circuits and has for its object the providing of means whereby the wearing
or rubbing parts of such apparatus can be readily renewed.
Furthermore in apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention the united
areas of the parts when in contact are, owing to their flexibility considerably greater
than obtains in such apparatus where the contact making and breaking device consists
of two rigidly plane surfaces.
n constructing apparatus in accordance with this our invention a base of wood, or
other suitable insulating material, preferably circular, has mounted concentrically with
its centre any desired number of contact pieces. Mounted perpendicularly to the
plane in which the faces of these contact pieces lie is a vertical spindle. This spindle
passes through the centre of the base, to which it is attached in any suitable manner
so as to allow of its free rotation, and has projecting from it, at some little distance
above the base, two diametrically opposite arms or limbs. These arms extend from
the spindle for such a distance as will ensure, when the spindle is rotated by a suitable
handle or key, their sweeping through a circular path coinciding with the arrange-
ment of the contact pieces about the periphery of the base. The arms terminate at
their outer extremities in enlargements which are suitably slotted to receive a number
of thin flexible metallic plates, the slots being so cut as to allow of the plates being
placed in them either perpendicular to the arms or at any desired angle to them.
These plates are held in place in the slots by set screws or other suitable means and
are of such a length as will enable their lower ends to make contact with the variou

page_text: contact pieces over which they sweep, the slacking of the set screw admitting of one
or all of the plates being removed or adjusted as required.
The spindle passes through a deep flanged collar, suitably attached to the base and
is provided at its lower end with a spiral spring whose tendency is to draw it down
and by ihus lessening the distance between the arms and the base an intimate yet
flexible contact is maintained between the ends of the metallic plates and the various
contact pieces on which as occaission requires they may rest.
It will be readily understood that the contact pieces may be channelled concen-
trically, or slightly eccentrically, to the spindle, the ends of the flexible plates being
then so disposed as to conform to the contour of the channel, or the contact piccos
may each be formed so that their rubbing faces are more or less oblique to the plane
of the base, in which case the ends of the flexible plates would be cut parallel to the
faces and would when contact was being made ride up the inclined face of the contact
piece.
ז'
F. SEATON SNOWDON,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: We, SAMUEL SUDWORTH, and CHARLES KRAUSS FALKENSTEIN, both of the Falcon
Works, Bentham Road, South Hackney, London, E. 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for making and breaking
electrical circuits and has for its object the providing of means whereby the wearing
or rubbing parts of such apparatus can be readily renewed.
Furthermore in apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention the united
areas of the parts in absolute contact are, owing to their flexibility considerably
greater than obtains in such apparatus where the contact making and breaking device
consists of two rigidly plane surfaces.
In constructing apparatus in accordance with this our invention a base of wood or
other suitable insulating material, preferably circular, has mounted upon it and con-
centrically with its centre any desired number of contact pieces. Mounted perpen-
dicularly to the plane in which the faces of these contact pieces lie is a vertical spindle.
This spindle passes through the centre of the base, to which it is attached in any
suitable manner so as to allow of its free rotation, and has projecting from it, at some
little distance above the base, two, or more, diametrically opposite arms or limbs.
These arms extend from the spindle for such a distance as will ensure, when the spindle
is rotated by a suitable handle or key, their sweeping through a circular path coin-
ciding with the arrangement of the contact pieces about the periphery of the base.
The arms terminate at their outer extremities in enlargements which are suitably
slotted to receive a number of thin flexible metallic plates, the slots being so cut
as to allow of the plates being placed in them either perpendicular to the arms or
at any desired angle to them. The plates are held in place in the slots by set
screws or other suitable means and are of such a length as will enable their lower
ends to make contact with the various contact pieces over which they sweep, the
slacking of the set screws admitting of one or all of the plates being removed or
adjusted as required.
The spindle passes through a deep flanged collar suitably attached to the base,
and is provided at its lower end with a spiral spring whose tendency is to draw it
down and by thus lessening the distance between the arms and the base an intimate
yet flexible contact is maintained between the ends of the metallic plates and the
various contact pieces on which, as occaission requires, they may rest.
It will be readily understood that the contact pieces may be channelled concen-
trically, or slightly eccentrically, to the spindle, the ends of the flexible plates being

page_text: then so disposed as to conform to the contour of the channel, or the contact pieces
may each be formed so that their rubbing faces are more or less oblique to the plane
of the base, in which case the ends of the flexible plates would be cut parallel to the
faces and would when contact was being mado ride up the inclined face of the contact
piece.
Or the flexible plates may form prolongations of the arms by being let into slots
projecting inwardly towards the spindle about which the arms rotate, or they may be
clamped upon or otherwise suitably secured to the arms so as to form a prolongation
of the same, the fixed contact pieces in this case projecting sufficiently above the
base to allow of the flexible plates making contact with their inner circumferential
faces.
In place of the flexible plates constituting the movable part of the apparatus they
may be fixed to or otherwise suitably mounted upon the base, the arms then forming
the connecting part between the respective sets of flexible plates or terminals. These
flexible plates or terminals may be so disposed about the periphery of the base as to
form a switch of two, three, or more ways" or they may be so disposed in sets one
above the other, corresponding arms, or other contact making and breaking devices,
being provided, as to admit of any desired grouping of the circuits of which they
respectively form the terminals, in the manner well understood by electricians.
.
«
Having thus set forth and indicated the nature of our invention we will now proceed
to more particularly describe the same, reference being made to the accompanying
drawings for that purpose.
Figure 1 is a sectional clevation of a switch wherein provision is made for renewing
the movable rubbing surfaces, while figure 2 is a similar elevation of a switch pro-
vided with means for renewing the fixed rubbing surfaces, figure 3 being a plan of
the same and figure 4 an elevation showing the method of attaching the flexible plates
to their supports.
As seen from Fig. 1 the base A has mounted upon it any desired number of
terminals B, B, and is provided with a central spindle C whose arms D D terminate
in the enlargements E, E. These enlargements are slotted out to receive the thin
flexible metallic plates a, a, a, a, which are held in place by the studs b, b, and lock
nuts c, c.
The spindle C passes through the flanged collar, or guide tube F, secured
to the base A by the screws dd, and is drawn downwards by the spiral spring e acting
against the nut and washer, the ring, or thickness piece G limiting the downward
pull of the spring. The spindle is prolonged upwards and provided with a handle H
by which motion is imparted to it.
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation and Figure 3 a plan of a switch provided with
means for renowing the fixed rubbing surfaces or terminal pieces. A rectangular base
of wood, or other suitable insulating material, A has bolted to it in the manner shown
two upright supports of insulating material K. K. These carry a series of metal
arms D, D, having at one of their ends slotted enlargements E, E, in which the thin
flexible metallic plates a, a, a, a, are secured by the set screws b, b. The arms are
secured to the uprights by the bolts and nuts g, 9, (which also serve as terminal,
or binding, screws) and studs h, discs, or washers, of india rubber being placed
between the arms and supports at i, i, to render the attachment flexible. The contact
pieces B, B, are secured to but insulated from the six-part casting (which is capable
of rotating upon the spindle F, secured to the base A by the screw studs d, d. The
handles H, H, secured to the casting C by the screws e, e, admitting of this rotation
being effected.
Though the various contact pieces B, B are shown separate and insulated from
each other it will be readily understood that any desired system of cross connecting
may be made. For instance as shown by the dotted lines of Figure 2 the contact
pieces on each of the arms 1, 2, of the six-part casting C, may consist of a single
strip of copper, that on the arm 1 being joined to that on the arm by a broad strip
of copper t, t, as indicated in dotted line on Figures 2 and 3.
Figure shows in olovation the method of securing the arms to the support.
The vertical support Kisecured to the base A as shown in Figure 2 carries, one

page_text: above the other and arranged alternately right and left, the arms D, D. These are
provided with the slotted enlargements E, E, carrying the flexible plates a, a.
The plates are secured in the slots by the set-screws b, b, acting against the side
pieces k, k, which, bearing on the edges of the plates hold them firmly in position.
It will be understood that in a simple form of switch such as Figure 1 the contact
pieces B, B, may be enlarged upwards so as to provide sufficient metal to allow of
a slot being made in which the thin flexible metallic plates may be placed and
secured, the arms D, D, in this case terminating in simple rubbing contact pieces.
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 :-
First. The method of constructing apparatus for making and breaking electrical
circuits so as to allow of the movable contact making surfaces being readily renowed
or adjusted, in the manner substantially as herein before described and illustrated by
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.
Second. The method of constructing apparatus for making and breaking electrical
circuits so as to allow of the terminals being readily renewed or adjusted, together
with the method of rendering such terminals flexible, in the manner substantially as
hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figures 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying
drawings.
11
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1
1007
F. SEATON SNOWDON,
Agent for the Applicants.