An Improved Electric Switch for certain Useful Purposes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application 5th Sept., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 12th May. 1897-Accepted, 24th July, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Electric Switch for certain Useful Purposes.
We, WALTER CHARLES BERSEY, of 39, Victoria Street, Westminster, Electrical Engineer,
ERNEST FRANCIS MOY, of 3, Greenland Place, Camden Town, Electrical Engineer,
and ERNEST F. MOY, LIMITED, also of 3, Greenland Place, Camden Town, Manu-
facturing Electrical Engineers, all of the County of London, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved electric switch, suitable for use in controlling
electro motors used in propelling carriages, rail or tramway vehicles, launches,
electric cranes and lifts, or for similar useful purposes. The object in view is to
provide a very compact and simple switch adapted to control an electro motor so as
to work at different speeds, and in either direction required, by means of a single
handle or wheel, and to safeguard the switch from exposure to rain, dust, or accidental
contacts.
Our invention consists of a cylindrical metal casing, mounted upon a hollow base
or pedestal, suitably formed and supported upon the launch, autocar, tramway
vehicle, or other place of use at a convenient position for the operator. The insulated
conductors, to and from the motor and source of electricity, are led through the
support to the hollow base and thus into the interior of the cylindrical casing
aforesaid.
A flange or rib extends about half way round the upper portion of the interior of
the cylindrical casing, to which is secured a disc of slate or other insulating material.
The disc is thus dependent from the rib in the centre of the cylindrical casing,
and all the essential parts of the switch are mounted upon or connected with the
dise.
The two ends of the cylindrical casing are closed by covers of metal, glass, or
other suitable material, fitted closely to the casing, and one of the covers, herein
termed the front cover, is bored or adapted to form an outer bearing for the axle or
central spindle of the switch. The inner bearing is formed by a bush let into the
centre of the disc. The axle is extended through each bearing, and upon the
extremity of the axle passing through the front cover is mounted the handle, hand,
or rope wheel, by which the switch is worked. A bridge piece is secured upon a
sleeve on the axle, and turns with it, but provision is made by means of a cam
upon the axle, working against two independent pivoted levers-each opening
against a spring-to produce a quick break of contact when the bridge piece leaves
the contact pieces in either direction.
Contact pieces are mounted upon that side of the insulating disc which is next the
bridge piece in the following manner. A single contact piece is mounted upon the
upper part (for example) of the disc, and it extends as an arc of a circle to nearly a
semi-circle, and is made concentric with one of the arms of the bridge piece. But a
portion of the contact making surface is cut away at the centre of its length, so that
when the end of the bridge piece is placed at the space or gap no current can pass.
By moving the bridge piece in either direction from the central gap, contact is made
at the corresponding end, one end being for the forward motion of the motor, the other
end for its backward motion; while the gap is made wide enough to provide for the
anial break action of the switch.

page_text: A similarly shaped contact piece is mounted (also concentrically) upon the
opposite or lower portion of the same face of the disc; the gap corresponding exactly
to that of the opposite contact piece; but the contact making parts at the end are
much shorter.
Six other contacts-three on each side-are interposed between the aforesaid upperand
lower contact pieces; one on each side adjoining the upper contact being independent
contact pieces. The other four are made up of two contact pieces connected across,
clear of the bridge piece, all the contact making points being concentric and adapted
to make proper contact with the corresponding end of the bridge piece. The
electric conductors are suitably connected by terminals at the back of the disc to the
contact pieces arranged for directing the current in the required manner. This is
accomplished by two suitable metal plates carried upon an ebonite dise, mounted on
and turning with the axle. The plates are insulated from each other, and by turning
them in the required forward or backward direction, the current circuits are closed
accordingly. Resistances are interposed between those contact pieces on the lower
part of the front side previously mentioned, and these are cut out in succession in
moving the bridge piece in either direction, so as to increase the speed; and when
either of the aforesaid independent contact pieces is reached, the motor is put at full
speed in the corresponding direction.
Dated this 5th day of Santamban 1906
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433 Strand, London, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Electric Switch for certain Useful Purposes.
We, WALTER CHARLES BERSEY, of 39, Victoria Street, Westminster, Electrical
Engineer; ERNEST FRANCIS MOy, of 3, Greenland Place, Camden Town, Electrical
Engineer; and ERNEST F. MOY, LIMITED, also of 3, Greenland Place, Camden Town,
Manufacturing Electrical Engineers, all of the County of London, 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 an improved electric switch, suitable for use in controlling
electro motors used in propelling carriages, rail or tramway vehicles, launches,
electric cranes and lifts, or for similar useful purposes. The object in view is to
provide a very compact and simple switch adapted to control an electro motor so as
to work at different speeds, and in either direction required, by means of a single
handle or wheel, and to safeguard the switch from exposure to rain, dust, or
accidental contacts.
In the further description of this invention, reference is made to the accompanying
drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a back elevation of the improved switch with the back
cover removed, Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken at right angles to the plane
of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front elevation with the front cover and handle removed;
and Fig. 4 is a diagram indicating the arrangement of the circuit connections with
the switch.
The invention consists of a cylindrical metal casing a, mounted upon a hollow
base or pedestal a¹ suitably formed and supported upon the launch, autocar, tramway
vehicle, or other place of use at a convenient position for the operator. The insulated
conductors, to and from the motor and source of electricity, are led through
the support to the hollow base a¹, and thus into the interior of the cylindrical casing
aforesaid.
A flange or rib a² extends about half way round the upper portion of the interior

page_text: of the cylindrical casing, to which is secured a dise b of slate or other insulating
material. The disc is thus dependent from the rib a in the centre of the cylindrical
casing a, and all the essential parts of the switch are mounted upon or connected
with the disc.
The two ends of the cylindrical casing are closed by covers of metal, glass, or other
suitable material, fitted closely to the casing, and one of the covers a³, herein termed
the front cover, is bored or adapted to form an outer bearing for the axle c or central
spindle of the switch. The inner bearing is formed by a bush let into the centre of
the disc, shown in Fig. 2. The axle is extended through each bearing, and upon the
extremity of the axle passing through the front cover is mounted the handle c',
hand or rope wheel, by which the switch is worked. A bridge piece is secured
upon a sleeve on the axle, and turns with it, but provision is inade by means of a
cam d upon the axle e working against two independent pivoted levers d and d,
each opening against a spring ds, to produce a quick break of contact when the bridge
piece cleaves the contact pieces in either direction.
Contact pieces are mounted upon that side of the insulating disc which is next
the bridge piece c² in the following manner. A single contact piece e is mounted
upon the upper part (for example) of the disc, and it extends as an are of a circle to
nearly a semicircle, and is made concentric with one of the arms of the bridge
piece. But a portion of the contact making surface is cut away at the centre of its
length, so that when the end of the bridge piece is placed at the space or gap, as
shown in Fig. 3, no current can pass. By moving the bridge piece in either direction
from the central gap, contact is made at the corresponding end, one end being for the
forward motion of the motor, the other end for its backward motion; while the gap
is inade wide enough to provide for the quick break action of the switch.
A similarly shaped contact piece el is mounted (also concentrically) upon the
opposite or lower portion of the same face of the dise; the gap corresponding
exactly to that of the opposite contact piece; but the contact making parts at the end
are much shorter.
Six other contacts-three on each side-are interposed between the aforesaid
upper and lower contact pieces; one on each side (e) adjoining the upper contact, being
independent contact pieces. The other four are made up of two contact pieces e³ and
connected across, clear of the bridge piece e, all the contact making points being
concentric and adapted to make proper contact with the corresponding end of the
bridge piece. The electric conductors are suitably connected by terminals at the
back of the disc, which are placed in circuit with the contact pieces as arranged for
directing the current in the required manner. This is accomplished by two suitable
metal plates g and g¹, carried upon an ebonite disc g, mounted on and turning with
the axle. The plates are insulated from each other, and by turning them in the
required forward or backward direction, the various current circuits are opened and
closed accordingly. Resistances (h, Fig. 4) are interposed between those contact
pieces on the lower part on the front side (Fig. 3) previously mentioned, and these
are cut out in succession in moving the bridge piece in either direction, so as to
increase the speed; and when either of the aforesaid independent contact pieces
is reached, the motor (indicated by the field magnet winding m in Fig. 4) is put at
full speed in the corresponding direction.
Assuming the switch handle e to be moved from the position indicated in the
drawings, and the brush c² to rest on the left of e and the right hand contact e,
(Fig. 3), the current will now pass from the cells (Fig. 4) to the terminal marked f,
also shown at the top left hand side of Fig. 1, and through the insulated base b to e
in Fig. 3. Thence across the brush e to e in Fig. 3, and by e' in Fig. 4 through the
resistances to e² (Figs. 3 and 4). From e² the current passes to a terminal f
shown at the lower part of Fig. 1 and at the left hand of Fig. 2, which is in metallic
contact with g, and the latter moving with the handle c, is thus connected with
another terminal f, shown midway between g and g' on the left hand of Fig. 1, and
in the corresponding position in Fig. 4 as connected with the armature of the motor.
This works the motor in one direction, but if the handle c¹ and brush c be put over

page_text: to the corresponding position on the opposite side, the motor would be actuated in the
opposite direction. At the same time that g' is connected to the aforesaid midway
terininal shown on the left side of Fig. 2, the corresponding terminal f (shown on
the right hand side of the same figure) is placed in metallic contact with g, and
through g with the top terminal fin Figs. 1 and 4, which is in the field circuit m
to the cells, thus completing the circuit. Any movement of the handle c¹ which
changes the position of the brush c2 from e to e in either direction modifies the
resistance in the circuit in that direction, and when the brush rests on e' the resistance
is entirely cut out, as before indicated.
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 :-
The herein described electric switch, consisting of a fixed vertical weather proof
casing a having a hollow base or pedestal a¹, an interior rib a2, and front and back
covers a³, a, combined with a switch mounted upon an insulating disc b secured to
and dependent in a vertical plane from the said rib, contact pieces mounted upon
both sides of the disc, a horizontal spindle c passing through the disc and one of the
covers and actuated by an exterior handle, a bridge piece c mounted on a sleeve c'
and adapted to make a quick break by means of a cam d, levers d¹, de, and springs d³,
and contact pieces g, g', mounted upon and turning with an insulated disc g²
secured to the spindle c, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified and
shown by the drawings.
AL: 1041 day of May 1897
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
37 & 39 Essex Street, Strand, London, Agents for the Applicants.