Improvements in Electric Switches.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 27th May, 1899-Accepted, 15th July, 1899
Improvements in Electric Switches.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the Firm of A. M. & Wm. Clark, of 53,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Chartered Institute
of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communica-
tion to me by The General Incandescent Arc Light Company (Incorporated under
the laws of the State of New York), of 572, First Avenue, New York City, in the
County and State of New York. United States of America) 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 switches adapted to effect a rapid closure or
break of the electric circuit.
I will describe electric switches embodying the invention and then point out
and claim the novel features of the invention."
In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated several forms of switch each
embodying the central idea of the invention although I do not wish to confine
myself to switches shown as the details may be varied without departing from
the spirit of the invention.
In the drawing-
Fig. 1 is a plan view of a hand snap switch embodying the invention;
Fig. 2 is a side view thereof;
Fig. 3 is a plan view of a single push button switch embodying the invention;
Fig. 4 being a sectional side elevation thereof on line 44 of Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is a sectional side elevation of a double push button snap switch embody-
ing the invention;
Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the switch shown in Fig. 5;
Fig. 7 is a top view thereof;
Fig. 8 is a sectional side elevation showing the contacts; and
Fig. 9 is a detail of the shoe.
In the drawings similar letters of reference refer to similar parts in all the
figures.
Referring for the present to Figures 1 and 2, a is a porcelain insulation base
for the support of the contacts. are the contacts, c is the supporting frame or
bar having a bearing face or surface c d is a rocking lever shown in the present
instance as pivoted at and provided with a bearing face or surface 12. The
switching piece or bar e is preferably carried upon the end of a cross-bar f and
preferably insulated therefrom. One of these switching pieces is carried at each
end of the cross-bar although hut a single piece can be so carried if desired. Car-
ried upon the cross-bar f is a shoeg which carries the switching piece or pieces
and slides upon the bearing face of the upright or supporting frame c. h is a
grooved roller which bears upon the bearing face of the rocking lever and is
provided with an axle i to which a spring or springs j are secured, which spring or
springs connect the roller axle with the cross-bar f. The operation of the switch
will be apparent from the drawing. Upon rocking the lever d let us say in the direc
tion of the arrow, the bearing surface becomes inclined with respect to the
e

page_text: bearing surface c¹ so that the tension of the spring or springs being exerted to pull
the shoe and roller towards each other, the said shoe and roller will be snapped
downward causing the contact piece e to close the circuit between the contacts or
springs bb. The parts will then be in the position shown in dotted lines. When
it is desired to open the switch, the lever d is rocked in the opposite direction,
thereby increasing the tension on the springs and inclining the upper end of
the bearing surface towards the bearing surface ¹, whereupon the shoe and
roller will rise breaking the circuit. It will be apparent that the underlying
principle of the invention may be variously applied, and I have shown by way
of example the principle applied to other forms of switches.
In Figs. 3 and 4 a single push button is employed. In these figures is a
spring restored push button which operates upon a rocking lever d acting upon a
guide or supporting frame c in proximity to contact springs b. The supporting
frame e carries a sliding shoe or contact piece which is connected by a spring
whose end or moving piece moves on the rocking lever d.
In Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8, a shoe g slides upon a supporting frame c and carries a
shaft provided with contacts e placed in operative proximity to circuit terminals
or contact springs b. Pivoted to the frame c is a rocking lever d provided with a
bearing surface and stops d³. This rocking lever is operated by a pair of push
buttons and is provided with a roller connected to the shoc 9 by means of
springs. The switches shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, operate in a similar manner
to the switch shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The shaft f is insulated from the contact
blocks e by insulation 7. The shoe y has a projection entering between the side
bars of the supporting frame c, as clearly seen in Fig. 9.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
-
1. In an electric snap switch, the combination with circuit terminals, of means
for closing the circuit between the terminals comprising a plurality of bearing
surfaces one capable of being inclined with respect to the other, a plurality of
moving pieces cach freely moving or sliding upon a bearing surface and a spring
connection between the moving pieces whereby an electric circuit may be opened
or closed by inclining one of the bearing surfaces with respect to the other, sub-
stantially as described and for the purposes set forth.
2. In a switch of the character described, the combination with circuit terminals,
of means for closing the circuit between the terminals comprising a fixed bearing
surface, a movable bearing surface, a plurality of spring connected pieces one
bearing upon each of the bearing surfaces whereby when the novable bearing
surface is inclined with respect to the other bearing surface a movement of open-
ing or closing the switch is effected.
3. In an electric switch, the combination with circuit terminals, of means for
closing the circuit between the terminals comprising the supporting frame or
bar c, the rocking lever and a plurality of moving pieces one moving freely upon
the supporting frame or bar and the other moving freely upon the rocking lever,
and a spring connection between the two moving pieces, whereby upon movement
of the rocking lever the spring connection will be effective to open or close the
switch.
4. In an electric switch, the combination with circuit terminals, of means for
closing the circuit between the terminals comprising a supporting frame and rock-
ing lever provided with bearing surfaces capable of being made substantially
parallel with or being inclined with respect to each other and a plurality of freely
moving pieces one co-operating with one bearing surface and the other with the
other bearing surface and a spring connection connecting the said two moving
pieces whereby when the bearing surfaces are substantially parallel with each
other the movable pieces will receive no motion and when the bearing surfaces
are inclined with respect to each other the moving pieces will be forced by their

page_text: spring connection to move in the direction of the narrowest portion of the space
between the said two bearing surfaces.
5. In a switch of the character described, the combination with circuit termi-
nals, of means for closing the circuit between the terminals comprising the up-
right c,
the lever & pivoted thereto, the shoe g and roller and a spring connection
forcing the shoe and roller towards each other whereby upon swinging the lever d
the switch may be opened or closed.
1000
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.