Improvements in and in the Manufacture of Switches for Electrical Purposes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Nov., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 25th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 15th Oct.,
1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in and in the Manufacture of Switches for Electrical
Purposes.
I, ALFRED WATSON, of Hockley Street, in the City of Birmingham, Electrical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to "tumbler" switches for making and breaking the
circuit of an electric current, and has for its object, to simplify the construction.
and to reduce the cost of manufacture, of the cup or socket, wherein the ball
joint of the contact lever is located.
In tumbler switches as ordinarily constructed, the open-bottomed cup or
socket which is supported upon legs or attachment feet, is outside screwed to
take the switch cover, through an opening in the top of which the handle of the
tumbler extends, whilst a pin is directed from side to side of the cup, upon
which the hall joint of the said tumbler turns as a centre. The rivetting in of
this pin is apt to destroy the external threads and distorts the shape of the cup.
thereby rendering the same useless.
According to my improvements, I make the cup or chamber for the ball with-
out screwing, and also dispense with the transverse pivot pin, and this I propose
to accomplish according to one arrangement, by forming, preferably from sheet
metal, a cap open at top and bottom and preferably having formed integral with
it, the supporting legs, feet or means by which it is secured to the base of the
switch. The bottom of this cap is closed by an inserted telescoping cup, secured
by soldering or otherwise and forming a seating for the ball joint of the tumbler,
the handle of which extends through the top opening of the cap, whilst the tail
end or extension which acts upon the contact lever of the switch, extends through
and is guided in its rocking movement by a slot cut across the bottom of the cup.
The contact lever with its terminal plates and other accessory fittings may be
of any approved construction, and a spring is preferably provided for giving a
quick break action to contact lever.
Instead of soldering the seating cup into the open bottom of the cap, it may
be provided with depending ears or the like which may be rivetted or secured to
the supporting frame of the tumbler, or it may be carried upon independent
supports screwed or attached to the base plate.
By thus making up the chamber forming the seating of the tumbler ball
from two tightly socketting sections and providing a slot along the bottom of
the one section for guiding the movement of the tumbler in its proper direction,
thus dispensing with the necessity of drilling through the ball of the joint, and
providing and rivetting-in a pivot pin for the same, the cost of manufacture of
such switches is considerably reduced without impairing the efficiency of the
same.
1
100

page_text: Improvements in and in the Manufacture of Switches for Electrical
Purposes.
I, ALFRED WATSON, of Hockley Street, in the City of Birmingham. Electrical
Engineer, 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 " tumbler switches for making and breaking the
circuit of an electric current, and has for its object, to simplify the construction,
and to reduce the cost of manufacture, of the cup or socket, wherein the ball
joint of the contact lever is located.
In tumbler switches as ordinarily constructed, the open-bottomed cup or
socket, which is supported upon legs or attachment feet, is outside screwed to
take the switch cover, through an opening in the top of which the handle of the
tumbler extends, whilst a pin is directed from side to side of the cup, upon
which the ball joint of the said tumbler turns as a centre. The rivetting in of
this pin is apt to destroy the external threads and distorts the shape of the cup,
thereby rendering the same useless.
According to my invention, I make the cup, or bearing for the ball without
screwing, and I also dispense with the transverse joint pin, thus obviating the
rivetting of the latter in position.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a cross section of a tumbler
switch in which the bearing or seating of the ball part of the jointed tumbler
lever is constructed according to one form of my invention.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same, but with the cover removed.
Figure 3 is a sectional view showing the said tumbler lever and its bearing,
separately and upon an enlarged scale.
Figure 4 is a vertical section of Figure 3 upon the dotted line x.
Figure 5 is an elevation and Figure 6 is a section of the cap and supporting legs
of the said bearing.
Figure represents a plan, elevation and section of the bottom or seating
part of the said bearing and
Figure 8 represents the tumbler lever separately and upon an enlarged scale.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the said Figures 1
to 8.
In carrying out this form of my invention, I make the bearing chamber a,
which receives the ball b, forming the joint of the tumbler lever 6, of a switch
by forming preferably from sheet metal, a cap section c, open at top c¹, and
bottom 3, and preferably having formed integral with it, supporting legs or
feet such as d, or other means by which it is secured to the base e, of the switch.
The bottom of this cap is closed by an inserted telescoping cup, f, secured in
place by soldering or otherwise and forming a seating for the ball joint of the
tumbler the handle of which extends through the top opening of the cap,
whilst the tail end or extension 63, which acts upon the contact lever g, of the
switch, extends through, and is guided in its rocking movement by a slot f',
across the bottom of the cup.
cut
The contact lever, with its terminal plates g¹, and other accessory fittings may
be of any approved construction, and a spring h, is preferably provided for giving
a quick-break action to contact lever.
Instead of soldering the seating cup into the open bottom of the
сар. it may

page_text: be provided with depending ears or the like which may be soldered, rivetted or
secured to the supporting frame of the tumbler, or it may be carried upon inde-
pendent supports screwed or attached to the base plate.
Figures 9 and 10 represent two different sections of the ball joint bearing in
which the telescoping cap and seating elements are secured together according
to the former of these modifications.
Figure 11 represents the seating element separately in side and front elevation,
vertical section and plan, and
Figure 12 represents an elevation of the combined cap and supporting legs.
In this arrangement, c is the cap, having open top and bottom c, c, as before
and integral legs d, whilst f, is the cup or seating having a guide slot f¹, in the
closed bottom for directing the movement of the tumbler lever b, and depending
ears such as, the turned out ends f³, of which take through holes d', in the
supports d, and are secured there by soldering, rivetting or otherwise.
Or the supporting legs of the bearing may be made as an integral or attached
part of the bottom cup and the outer cap section may have ears connected to
the legs of the said cup in like manner as described.
The outside of the cap section e, is usually screwed to receive the cover i, of
the switch.
By thus making up the chamber which forms the seating for the ball of the
tumbler joint from two socketting sections, and providing a slot along the
bottom of the one section for guiding the movement of the tumbler in its proper
direction, thus dispensing with the necessity of drilling through the ball of the
joint, and providing and rivetting in a pivot pin for the same, the cost of manu-
facture of such switches is considerably reduced without impairing the efficiency
of the same.
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
First In tumbler switches, making the bearing for the ball joint of the
tumbler lever from two socketting parts, viz., a cap and a seating cup, secured
together by soldering or otherwise, and with one of the said parts having a cross
gap which forms a guide for the said tumbler lever, whereby the employment
of a cross joint pin is dispensed with, substantially as described and set forth.
Secondly: The modified form of bearing for the ball joints of tumbler switcher
levers, in which the seating or cup is secured within the cap by providing the
one part with ears the ends of which engage in holes of the other part and are
there secured by rivetting, soldering or otherwise, substantially as described and
set forth in Figures 9 to 12.
1808