Improvements in Electric Switches or Apparatus for Making and Breaking Electric Circuits.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 31st May, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 28th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 28th Mar.. 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Switches or Apparatus for Making and
Breaking Electric Circuits.
I, SEPTIMUS FELIX BEEVOR, of 129, Harley Street, in the County of London,
Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as
follows:
My invention has for its object to protect the contact surfaces and other metallic
parts of switches from leakage and corrosion which might be produced by contact
with water or other surrounding bodies.
For this purpose, I enclose the metallic parts by a flexible or collapsible envelope
of insulating material, one end of which is attached to the part which forms or
carries one of the two metallic contact surfaces, while the other end is attached to
the part which carries the other metallic contact surface.
In the case of a plug switch, with a fixed and a movable contact piece, for
instance, the fixed part may be a disc or plate of porcelain, through which passes
the end of one metallic conductor or set of conductors, which is connected with one
or more metallic socket pieces attached to the inner face of the disc, while the
movable part is a similar disc placed opposite the first and carrying on its (inner)
face one or more metallic plugs connected with the other conductor or set of con-
ductors, or with each other.
The space between the two discs, which encloses the contact pieces, may be
bridged over by a flexible envelope of india rubber or other waterproof insulating
material, similar to the bellows of a photographic camera. The movable disc or
plate may be provided with a rim or handle, or other suitable means for causing it
to approach the fixed disc, so that the plugs enter the corresponding sockets.
The outer face of the movable disc or of both discs, may be connected with
the insulating tube or sheathing of the corresponding cable by an envelope of
india rubber or other insulating material, so as to exclude water and air also
In order to make a
from the outer face of the said plate and from the cable.
good joint with the insulating envelope of the cable, I prefer to use for the
envelope which protects the outer face of the plate and the adjoining end of
the conductor,. the same material which surrounds and insulates the cable.
Instead of using between the plates a flexible envelope similar to the bellows
of a camera, the envelope may have the shape of two Hexible cones or conoidal
bodies joined at their base by means of a ring, or otherwise, and extending
beyond the base-plates or discs which support the contact pieces, as far as the
end of the cable, thus dispensing with a separate envelope between the cable and
the plate.
Suitable guides are provided, for keeping the movable parts in a straight line
or other desired path.
Two LM 1900
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Switches or Apparatus for Making and
Breaking Electric Circuits.
I, SEPTIMUS FELIX BEEVOR, of 129, Harley Street, in the County of London,
Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my 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 for its object, to protect the contact surfaces and other
metallic parts of switches from leakage and corrosion which might be produced
by contact with water or other surrounding bodies.
For this purpose, I enclose the metallic parts in a flexible or collapsible envelope
of insulating material, one end of which is attached to the part which forms or
carries one of the two metallic contact surfaces, while the other end is attached to
the part which carries the other metallic contact surface.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal and Fig. 2 a cross section
of a plug-switch embodying my invention, and showing in what manner the same
may be applied to this class of switches.
:
A represents a stationary disc of ebonite, porcelain or other suitable insulating
material, which contains 4 metallic socket pieces a', a², a³, a', for receiving the ends
of the 4 cables. These socket pieces are secured to the disc by screw nuts and
provided at their inner ends with split plugs - which constitute the fixed
terminals of the four conductors.
B is a moveable disc, also of ebonite and containing 4 tubular metallic caps
placed in line with the plugs - These caps are connected with each other in
pairs by metallic strips m and serve to form electric connection between the cables,
when the dise B is moved to the right, until the tubes & form contact with the
plugs p.
Cis another stationary disc connected with the disc A by stay bolts C. which
serve at the same time for guiding the plate B in a straight line by means of lugs
attached to a circular frame F enclosing the disc B.
D, and D, are the flexible envelopes mentioned above, for protecting the metallic
working parts, the envelope D, extending from the circumference of the disc B to
that of the disc C, while D2 extends from the circumference of B to that of A.
Each of these envelopes is composed of two thick cylindrical parts of vulcanite
fixed to the adjoining vulcanite disc and a conical piece of flexible india rubber
connecting the two cylindrical ends.
F and F are annular metallic frames, each composed of two parts bolted
together, as shown in Fig. 2.
G' is a cylindrical metallic shield or outer casing provided with feet y g
E is a cruciform insulating partition between the plugs p'-', it is made of one
piece with the vulcanite base A and serves to interpose a resistance between
adjoining conductors, so as to prevent the formation of sparks.
Fig. 3 shows the application of my invention to a torque switch, Fig. 4, the
application of the same to a single lever rocking switch, and Fig. 5 its
application to a double lever rocking switch.
In these figures A represents a stationary base plate of ebonite or other
suitable insulating material carrying the fixed contacts, B a moveable plate of
insulating material carrying the fixed contacts, and C the flexible waterproof
envelope.
a' and a² are a pair of metallic socket pieces adapted to receive the ends of
the metallic conductors or cables and connected with fixed contacts which
in Figs. 3 and 4 are situated in the plane of the drawing, while in Fig. 4 one
is placed behind the other. E represents a metallic lever provided with contact
pit ces moveable to and from the fixed contact faces d' d. In Fig. 3 the pin e is the

page_text: fulcrum of the lever E, and e¹ el are a pair of guide pins projecting into circularly
curved slots of the plate B.
In Figs. 3 and 5 the upper plate B serves as a handle, while in Fig. 4 a handle is
formed on the lever E. In the torque switch the elasticity of the india rubber may
be utilized for keeping the contact surfaces together.
If the envelope is made of india rubber, or of india rubber and vulcanite, while
the base plate is made of vulcanite, I form the joint between the base-plate (or the
moveable top-plate) and the envelope, by vulcanising, and employ the same means
also for joining together different parts of the envelope.
In addition to the examples shown by the drawings, other high-tension switches
may be devised, to which my invention is applicable with advantage.
The outer face of the moveable disc, or of both discs, may be connected with the
insulating tube or sheathing of the corresponding cable by an envelope of india
rubber or other insulating material, so as to exclude water and air also from the
outer face of the said plate and from the cable. In order to make a good joint with
the insulating envelope of the cable, I prefer to use for the envelope which protects
the outer face of the plate and the adjoining end of the conductor, the same material
which surrounds and insulates the cable.
Instead of using between the plates a flexible envelope similar to the bellows of a
camera, the envelope may have the shape of two flexible cones or conoidal bodies
joined at their base by means of a ring, or otherwise, and extending beyond the
base plates or discs which support the contact pieces, as far as the end of the cable,
thus dispensing with a separate envelope between the cable and the plate.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In an electric switch, the combination of a plate or disc carrying one or more
stationary metallic contact faces with a plate or disc carrying one or more movable
metallic contact faces, and a flexible waterproof envelope attached at its ends to
the circumference of the said plates or discs but allowing the necessary motion
between the same, substantially as described.
2. A plug switch or pull-and-push switch, comprising in its construction a plate
or disc of insulating material carrying the fixed contact or contacts, a plate or disc
of insulating material carrying the moveable contact, or contacts, a flexible water-
proof envelope secured to the circumference of the said plates or discs and enclosing
the space between the same, and means for guiding the moveable plate or disc in a
straight line, substantially as described.
3. The various forms or types of switches provided with flexible waterproof
envelopes of india rubber, or of india rubber and vulcanite, and with vulcanite base
plates, substantially as described and shown by the drawings.
71
501
17
1001
Dated this 28th day
TO
BI 4A}
1001
זחמ זי
S. F. BEEVOR.
By Fairfax & Wetter,
433, Strand, London, Agents.
S. F. BEEVOR.
By Fairfax & Wetter,
433, Strand, London, Agents.