Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 6th July, 1887.
Specification Accepted, 30th Sept., 1887.
I HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 electric circuits and to switches for use in connection
therewith.
The said invention comprises the arrangement of local circuits in which translating
devices are placed, in such a manner that each translating device (or group of trans-
lating devices) is controlled by two switches, one near the translating device (or group
of devices) and one at a more distant station.
In order to illustrate the said invention more fully, its application to a system of
electric lighting is hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawing.
Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating this improved system.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of an improved switch with the cap removed.
Figure 3 is a vertical central section thereof.
Figure 4 is a horizontal section.
Figure 5 is a plan, showing the switch in a certain position during its operation.

page_text: A represents the positive, and B the negative main conductors of an electrical
supply, C is a lamp (or group of lamps) located in the room or station D;
E F are
positive and negative service-conductors for the lamp C, and E¹, F¹ are duplicate
positive and negative service conductors for the same lamp, but in a room or station S,
distant from the lamp C. I is the lamp circuit, arranged between the two stations
and G and H are two manuel switches, one in the room D and the other at the distant
station S.
Each of theso switches has two fixed contacts which are the terminals of the
respective service conductors, and one movable contact formed by the respective
terminal of the lamp circuit all so arranged that by placing the movable contact of
either switch in electrical connection with either the positive or negative service
conductor, the light may be turned on or off at will.
The switches should be so constructed that the movable contact is always electrically
connected with one of the two fixed contacts.
The advantage of my improved system may be best illustrated by means of a
special application thereof.
Suppose the station D represents the office and the station S the residence of the
executive officer of an institution provided with an electric light plant, it will be seen
that if the installation is made on the plan described, the officer will be able to turn
on the light in his office from his residence and thus be saved the inconvenience of
entering the dark office, and upon leaving his office he can turn off the light without
going back to his residence. If the lamp at his residence is in a similar current or
circuit he can turn on the lamp at his residence when he wants to repair thereto from
his office. It will be seen that the system of electrical distribution may be applied to
other translating devices where it is desirable to obtain similar advantages of control
from two stations.
I will proceed to describe the construction of the switch in detail, a is a casing
preferably of wood or other insulating material, b, 11, 12, 12, are segmental cylindrical
contact plates fixed to the inner walls of the casing. The contact plates are
opposite each other, and form respectively the positive and negative terminals of an
electric circuit. The contact plates are placed correspondingly below the
contact plates b, but they form only one electric terminal, as they are connected
with each other by the metallic plates e on the bottom of the case.
is
d is a spindle carrying the spring e to the free end of which the contact piece
secured. is a bridge arranged to form a bearing for the spindle; h is a key for
turning the spindle by hand, this key has a socket which engages loosely with the
spindle, and a pin i secured to the spindle engages into an oblong slot J in the key.
A coil spring is placed around the lower end of the key with one end of it secured
to the pin i and the other end to the key as at 7. This spring acts with a torsional
tension which is sufficiently strong to automatically adjust the key on the spindle into
the position shown in Figures 2 and 5, that is, with the pin in the rear end of the
elongated slot so that in turning the key to the right the latter has no lost motion
on the spindle.
m is a click pivotally secured at n and provided with the retracting spring ; this
click operates in connection with a rachet p secured upon the spindle and provided
with two cogs and two flat faces & all so arranged that when the parts are in the
position shown in Figure 2 the spindle is locked in position and can only be turned
to the right by a force sufficient to overcome the locking action of the spring of the
click.
In practice, the parts being arranged and constructed as described, the operation is
intended to be as follows -The switch being in the position shown in Figure 2, the
movable contact f, electrically connects the contact (which is the terminal of one
of the service conductors) with the contact below it (which is the terminal of the
circuit I) and if the spindle is now given a half turn the movable contact first breaks
this electrical connection and then forms a new connection between the contact b
(which is the terminal of the other service conductor) and the contact & below it.

page_text: In turning the movable contact from one position into the other, the ratchet P and
click m must pass through the position shown in Figure 5 and as soon as this position
is reached the tension of the spring o will force the spindle to accomplish the rest of
the movement automatically and carry the movable contact with a quick jump from
one set of stationary contacts over the intermediate insulation into the other set of
stationary contacts. At the same time the click will fall into the locking position
with a loud sound which indicates to the operator that the change is accomplished.
This automatic jump of the movable contact prevents "arcing" which in electric
light cirenits often destroys or injuriously affects the switch. It will be further
noticed that the operator can in no way prevent this jumping of the movable contact
on account of the lost motion provided between the key and the spindle.
As soon as the operator releases the key after accomplishing the operation, the
spring will force the key to automatically take up its lost motion.
It will be understood that the spring k, is not an element necessary to accomplish
the jumping of the movable contact and it may therefore be omitted, but its use has
the advantage that it turns the key into a fixed position which may be most handy
for the operator and at the same time renders the key less liable to be turned in the
wrong direction to the possible injury of the switch, and, further, the play provided
between the key and the spindle will not puzzle an uninitiated or inexperienced
operator.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by my
foreign Correspondent I declare that what I claim is :-
First The combination with a local lamp circuit, having one of its terminals at
the local station and the other at a more distant station; of a positive. and a negative
service conductor for each terminal of said circuit, and of a manual switch at each
terminal of the lamp circuit arranged to electrically connect said terminal with either
the positive or negative service conductor, substantially as described.
Second The combination with a local lamp circuit, having its terminals at two
different stations, of a positive and a negative service conductor therefor at each
station and of a manual switch at each station, each arranged to connect the lamp
circuit either with the positive or with the negative service conductor, substantially
as described.
Third The combination with an electric circuit, having a translating device in
multiple are with the main conductors, of a positive and a negative service conductor
for each terminal of said circuit and of switches between each terminal of said circuit
and the terminals of its respective service conductors, substantially as described.
Fourth The employment, for the purpose above specified of an electrical switch
having fixed cylindrical contacts and a movable contact carried by a spindle and
having lost notion or play between said spindle and its actuating handle or key,
substantially as described."
Fifth The employment of an actuating key or handle secured to the spindle of
the movable contact of the switch and having a limited rotary play thereon and a
spring actuated impelling device arranged to cause said spindle to turn ahead of
its motion at a desired point in its operation, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
Sixth. The combination with the actuating key or handle secured to the said
spindle and having a limited rotary play thereon, of a ratchet secured to the spindle
and provided with cogs and flat faces, and a spring click operating in connection
therewith to impel the spindle through the medium of the ratchet, substantially as and
for the purpose described.
1
Seventh The combination, with the fixed cylindrical contacts, of a spindle, a
spring carrying the movable contact, a key secured to the spindle and having
limited rotary play thereon, a ratchet having cogs and flat faces, and a spring click
operating in connection with said ratchet to form an impelling and locking device for
said spindle, substantially as and for the purpose described.

page_text: Eighth The employment of a movable contact carried by a spindle and a spring
actuated impelling device on said spindle, a key or handle secured to said spindle and
having a limited rotary motion thereon, and a spring between said spindle and key
arranged to take up such rotary play, substantially as and for the purpose described.
Ninth The combination of the fixed cylindrical contacts b, 1, 2, the spindle d
the movable contact carried by said spindle, the key or handle h having a limited
rotary play on said spindle, the ratchet p secured to the spindle and having cogs and
flat faces s and the spring click m all arranged to operate substantially as and for the
purpose described.
Tenth The combination of the fixed contacts b, 61, 62, 6, the spindle d, the
movable spring contact, the key or handle having a limited rotary play on the
spindle, the spring k, arranged to take up said play, the ratchet p, having cogs and
flat faces s, and the spring click m the parts being constructed, arranged and operating
substantially in the manner and for the purposes described.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.