Improvements in Electrical Magazine Fuse Blocks.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Dec, 1897-Accepted, 15th Jan., 1898
[Communicated from abroad by WILLIAM EHRHARDT, of Union Hill, Hudson
County, State of New Jersey, and WILLIAM B. THOм and GEORGE A. CONNOR,
of the Times Building, in the City, County, and State of New York, all in the
United States of America, Electrical Engineers.]
Improvements in Electrical Magazine Fuse Blocks.
I, WILLIAM GEORGE HEYS, of 70, Market Street, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Chartered Patent Agent, 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:—
The invention is an improvement in magazine fuse blocks, the object being to
provide a construction wherein the destruction of a fusible strip by the electric
current will not damage the adjacent strips or the fuse block itself, and in which
by simple mechanism, perfect contacts are always maintained and the shift from
a destroyed fuse to a perfect one may be made quickly and with facility.
The invention consists of the details of construction which will be described
hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a per-
spective view of the improved fuse block: Fig. 2 a modification of a portion thereof
and Fig. 3, a detail.
Referring to the drawing by letter, a is a central cylinder or shaft mounted to
turn in suitable supports a¹ beyond one of which it extends and carries a hand
wheel or cross head a² by which it may be rotated. At each end of the shaft and
adjacent to the bearings, a star-shaped end piece 6 of insulating material, is fixed,
the arms or projections of which pieces are in corresponding radial planes and
these projections terminate in rounded or cylindrical portions between each pair
of which there is a depressed seat for a contact clip c. Between the end pieces,
radial partitions or wings d extend, the longitudinal V-shaped spaces between
them, constituting the compartments for the respective fusible strips e.
fusible strips e are secured at each end to the contact clips c by means of suitable
binding posts c¹. The contact clips consist of two parallel plates standing at right
angles to the shaft.
The
The contact devices for maintaining connection with the clips ceach consist of a
pair of spring plates f, attached to a conducting base f¹ to which the main wire is
connected, and a rotatable disc g clamped between the plates f. This disc is pro-
vided with a short shaft which projects through slots in the plates f and against
which the ends of a spring / bear. The outer edge of the disc enters the spaces
between the clips c while the inner edge or portion, is clamped between the spring
plates f. If the device is a single-pole cut-out, as shown in the drawing, only
two of the devices f, g, etc. will be used, but if it is a double pole cut-out, another
pair of said devices will be arranged upon the opposite side in the same manner,
as shown, and as will be fully understood.
The cut-out is shewn in normal operative position in Fig. 1, wherein it will be
seen that the circuit leads from one of the base plates fi through the plates f,
disc g, clips c, fusible stripe and through the clips disc and plates at the opposite

page_text: end of the block. When the fuse is destroyed by an excessive current, the hand
wheel a¹ is turned in either direction. This causes the cylindrical projections b¹
to pass under the edge of the disc g forcing the latter to move backward bodily,
while at the same time allowing it to roll over the surface of the projection and
drop quickly between the plates of the next succeeding clip c. This operation is
repeated as often as necessary until the fusible strips are exhausted, when the
block may be reloaded with strips. The cylindrical projections between the
clips c effectually prevent the jumping of the current from one clip to another
while at the same time affording a comparatively easy movement for the block when
shifting from one position to the next. The arrangement of the yielding rotating
disc between the spring plates of provides for good contact at all times and also
facilitates the shifting of the block.
A modified form of this device is shown in Fig. 2 wherein the arm i takes the
place of the plates f, the arm being pivotted at its base and having a motion towards
and away from the clips c which carry the disc g with it. The form shown in
Fig. 1 however, is preferred.
One of the clips is separately shown in sectional side elevation by Figure 3.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
Foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. In an electrical magazine fuse block, the combination of a rotary cylinder or
shaft provided with star-shaped end pieces the arms of which terminate in rounded
formations of insulating material, contact clips to which the fusible strips are con-
nected located between the said rounded projections, and spring mounted rotating
discs adapted to make connection with said contacts and to roll over said rounded
projections when the block is shifted, substantially as hereinbefore described and
as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
2. In an electrical magazine fuse block, the combination of a plurality of pairs
of contact clips c arranged between the arms of a star shaped carrier and a rolling
spring mounted contact disc adapted to roll out of contact with one pair of clips
and into contact with the next and over the intervening arm of the carrier, sub-
stantially as described.
3. The combination of a disc g, the two spring plates f between which it is
clamped, said plates being provided with slots in which the shaft of the disc is
located, a spring h bearing against the shaft of the disc and a rotating body carry-
ing a plurality of contact clips separated by projections of insulating material, said
clins being adapted to be brought successively into contact with the disc, substan-
tially as described..
Dated thin 6th day of Da
בד*
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