Improvements in Electric Switches.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Aug:, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 8th Mar., 1890-Accepted, 26th Apr., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Switches.
I WALTER THOMPSON of Orange in the County of Essex State of New Jersey
United States of America Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to effectually and in a simple manner secure a perfect
and reliable cut off switch whereby any and all electric lights in a building can be
immediatly disconnected from the electric circuit without disturbing the circuit of
the main line and at the same time prevent or reduce the liability of burning the wires
at the terminals.
In carrying out my said invention I provide a bed plate on which are secured in
any desired manner guiding studs or posts adapted to enter elongated slots in a non-
conducting bar extending longitudinally on said base.
This bar is made of some non-conducting material and slides on spring arms one of
said spring arms being on the upper surface of the before mentioned bar and the other
being on the lower surface of said bar, and between which said spring arms the bar is
clamped, the extent of the movement of said bar being limited by posts.
On the base are secured binding posts or studs preferably in pairs and arranged and
disposed to receive and hold the conducting wires as hereinafter described.
From the top of each alternate post extend spring arms resting on the top of the
bar while from a point near the bottom of the other posts extend like spring
arms.
The before mentioned bar is notched and oppositely hevelled on its upper and lower
surfaces, each alternate series of bevelled notches being covered with metallic plates
connected together by metallic pins, so that when the bar is moved in one direction to
the limit of its movement one series of the spring arms will be in contact with the
metallic plates while the other series of the spring arms will rest in the non conducting
grooves.
The metallic plates on the bevelled grooves of the bar present broad contact surfaces
to the spring arms and thus a perfect and reliable contact is secured and all danger or
liability of producing a spark and destroying the terminals is prevented. The spring
arms having a combined sliding and scraping action are thus kept bright and clean
and ensure a perfect condition of conductivity.
By the arrangement on the bar of the angular metallic plates, the spring arms are
readily passed over the connecting plates into non conducting surfaces and the electrical
current broken or vice versa as described.
Dated this 29th day of August 1889.
POPPLEWELL & Co.,
17 & 18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Switches.
I WALTER THOMPSON of Orange in the County of Essex State of New Jersey U.S.A.
Mechanical 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 :-
The object of this invention is to effectually and in a simple manner secure a perfect
and reliable cut off switch whereby any and all electric lights in a building can be
immediatly disconnected from the electric circuit without disturbing the circuit of

page_text: the main line and at the same time prevent or reduce the liability of burning the wires
at the terminals.
The invention consists in the improved circuit breaker or cut off switch and in the
arrangement and combination of parts substantially as will be hereinafter more fully
set forth and finally embodied in the clauses of the claim.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a top plan view of a cut off switch embodying my invention with the
cup or cover removed.
Figure 2 is a section through line a and Fig. 3 is a section through line y.
In said drawings a indicates a bed plate on which are secured in any desired manner
guiding studs or posts b. b. adapted and arranged to enter, elongated slots c¸c in a non
conducting bar d extending longitudinally on said base.
This bar d is made of some non-conducting material and slides on spring arms e.e
one of said spring arms being on the upper surface of the bar d and the other being
on the lower surface of said bar and between which said spring arms the bar d is
clamped as shown in Fig. 2. The extent of the movement of the said bar d being
limited by the posts as will be manifest. On the base a are secured binding posts
or studs 2, 213, 31 4, 41 and 5, 5¹ preferably in pairs as shewn and arranged and
disposed to receive and hold the conducting wires as hereinafter described. From the
top of the posts 2 3 4 and 5 extends the spring arms e resting on the top of the bar d
while from a point near the bottom of the posts 21 31 4 and 5' extend the spring
arms e¹.
The bar d is notched and oppositely bevelled on its upper and lower surfaces each
alternate series of bevelled notches is covered with metallic plates ƒ ƒ connected
together by metallic pins ii as shewn in Figure 2 so that when the bar d is moved in
one direction to the limit of its movement one series of the spring arms will be in
contact with the metallic plates ff while the other series of the spring arms will
rest in the non conducting grooves.
The metallic plates ff on the bevelled grooves of the bar d present broad contact
surfaces to the spring arms e e¹ and thus a perfect and reliable contact is secured and
all danger and liability of producing a spark and destroying the terminals
prevented.
The spring arms e e¹ having a combined sliding and scraping action are thus kept
bright and clean and thus ensure a perfect condition of conductivity.
In Figure 1 of the drawings I have shown my switch as connected with and
electric lighting system in which 10 represents a dynamo, 6, 6 street or other lamps
outside of the building in which the switch is located and 7, 7 lamps or lights inside
the buildings the circuit being formed by the wires 8 and 9.
In the position of the switch bar as shown in Fig. 1 the lamps 7, 7 are disconnected
from the street or outer circuit, the current from the wire 8 passing directly through
the posts 2, 2, and their spring arms into the posts 4, 4 and their spring arms, and
thence back directly through the wire and connections to the dynamo.
When the switch bar d is moved into the opposite direction the circuit is formed
through the posts 3, 3, and their spring arms and thence through the lamps or lights
in the building and thence through the posts 5, 5, and their spring arms through the
connections outside of the building to the dynamo thus making a complete circuit.
The outwardly extending ends of the bar d are provided for convenience of
adjustment with the words "on " and "off" so that at a glance it can be seen
whether the wires and connections are in or out of a continuous circuit as will be
understood.
I have shown in the drawings a cut off switch arranged for only one circuit but
I do not intend to limit myself to only one circuit as by extending the bar and
increasing the metallic connections and the corresponding cut offs any number of
electrical circuits can be controlled by the cut off switch bar.
By the arrangement on the bar d of the angular metallic plates ff, as shown
the spring arms e and e' are readily passed over the connecting plates into non
"conducting surfaces and the electrical current broken or vice versa as desired.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The improved electric switch herein described combining therein a sliding
bar of non-conducting material provided with upper and lower angular grooves or
depressions as shown each alternate groove being covered with metallic plates con-
nected by a metallic pin as shown, said bar being arranged and adapted to
reciprocate, and upper and lower spring conducting arms all said parts being
arranged and combined as described and for the purpose set forth.
2. The improved electrical switch herein described combining therein with suitable
spring conducting arms and electric conductors connected therewith, a non-conducting
reciprocating bar having upper and lower angular grooves each alternate series of
grooves being provided with metallic terminal plates connected together with a
metallic pin as shown substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. The improved electrical switch herein described combining therein with a non-
conducting reciprocating bar provided with upper and lower grooves each alternate
series of said grooves being provided with conducting plates connected by conducting
pins, and spring conducting arms arranged in pairs and adapted to complete or break
an electric current in connection or disconnection with said conducting plates as
desired all said parts being arranged as described and for the purposes set forth.
DL: OL
SM 1900
POPPLEWELL & Co.,
17 & 18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.