Improvement to an Electrical Double Pole Fused Lamp Post (or Bracket) Water Tight Switch to Prevent Fusing of Main Fuses.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvement to an Electrical Double Pole Fused Lamp Post (or
Bracket) Water Tight Switch to Prevent Fusing of Main Fuses.
FRANK CARTER, Tailor, 2, St. James's Street, Brighton, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My improvement consists of cutting in two the spindle on the inside of the
switch box, so that in taking off the outer cover the switch is left inside the
box. The switch spindle I slot & bore & fix right angle pins on the cover spindle
to fit the slotted part of the switch spindle.
Round the switch spindle I fix an insulating collar or cheek.
The fuses I pass through holes in the collar, or cover the fuses with rubber,
so that they are covered in the event of fusing & do not arc to the switch spindle,.
my insulating collar is star shaped, that is having points to prevent the switch
from being turned backwards when taken out, or being replaced, thereby prevent-
ing the main terminals of the switch being short circuited & thereby fusing the
main fuses.
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Improvement to an Electrical Double Pole Fused Lamp Post (or
Bracket) Water Tight Switch to Prevent Fusing of Main Fuses.
I, FRANK CARTER, of 2, St. James's Street, Brighton, Tailor, 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:--
My invention relates to improvements in electrical switches for use in street
lighting and exposed positious where it is necessary to have the parts well
protected from the action of the weather. It is customary to enclose switches
for such purpose in metal cases, and to operate them with keys, or rocker arms,
which engage the spindles from the outside, the ends of the spindles passing
through glands to prevent the entry of moisture. Such a switch is described
in Patent Specification No. 23943 of 1895, granted to Robert Cornelius Quin
and Henry Reason, and in that case the spindle of the switch carries a revolving
insulating disc, on which are mounted the contact or bridging pieces. This

page_text: necessitates the removal of such disc when the lid is removed for any purpose.
It is found that in practical use there is risk of making improper contact with
the live parts of the switch, or the case, when the lids of switches of this type
are removed, as they carry with them the spindles and the insulating discs with
the bridge pieces. In order to avoid this I find it expedient to divide the
spindle and make the two parts engage with one another by means of a socket.
and plug, with pin and slot. The advantage of this improvement is that the
lid can then be removed without taking out the insulating disc with the bridge
pieces, and when it is desired to take out the disc carrying bridge pieces for
the replacement of fuses, or any other purpose, it can be easily accomplished
with a small hand tool, the workman then being able to see what he is doing,
as the lid of the box has been previously removed.
I also place round the switch spindle, or in some other suitable position, an
insulating shield collar or cheek block, with holes bored through it to receive
the fuse wires, the ends of which will be attached to the terminals it is desired
to fuse in the box. This shield acts as an are absorber when a fuse wire is
melted by excess of current, and prevents the are caused thereby from making
contact with live parts. This may be made of any suitable substance, and I find
the material known as hard insulating fibre very suitable for the purpose. I do
not limit myself to this are absorbing shield being disc shaped, as it is obvious
that the are absorbing effect of the insulating and cooling material practically
surrounding the fuse wire may be obtained by placing suitably sized and shaped
pieces of material bored out to form the arc absorbers in any desired position. I
prefer to make the said are absorbing collar shaped so as to have projecting
points, which by coming in contact with the terminals of the switch prevent the
disc carrying the contact or bridge pieces being rotated too far, and thus forms
a convenient stop.
In order that my invention may be more clearly understood I will now refer
to the accompanying drawings:-
Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of our improved switch, with the cover
removed.
Fig. 2 represents a section of same.
Fig. 3 represents a front elevation of the cover, or lid, of same.
Fig. 4 represents a section of such lid or cover.
Fig. 5 represents an elevation of the switch spindle carrying bridge contact
picces and insulating shield block for fuse wires.
A is a metal box containing double-pole switch and fuse.
B is the lid fitting over face of same.
C is the part of the spindle passing through gland to the outside, while C is
the other part of spindle fitting inside the box carrying the bridge pieces and
are absorbing disc.
C2 is the pin fixed through end of spindle to engage in the slot C³.
D is the insulating disc carrying bridge pieces (d) engaging terminals ().
E is the arc absorbing disc mounted on the contact or bridge piece carrier (D)
and through the two holes (E¹) are passed the fuses (E³).
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be be performed, I declare that
what I claim is:-
(1) In an electric switch contained in a closed box operated from the outside
dividing the spindle so that one part may be carried by the lid while the other
part of the spindle remains in position inside the box and providing means for
making these two halves of the spindle engage one another substantially as
described.
(2) In an electric switch and fuse enclosed in a weather proof box a block or
disc of are absorbing and insulating material having holes through for the
purpose of enclosing electric fuse wires, substantially as described.

page_text: (3) In an electric fuse box the use of a disc or block of insulating material
of sufficiently large area to easily absorb the heat produced from an arc, and
sufficiently long to cover the fuse wire for the greater part of its length..
Dated this 15th day of February 1900.