Improvements in and connected with Switches for High Voltage.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Aug., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 7th May, 1900-Accepted, 9th Aug., 1900
[Communicated from abroad by ACTIENGESELLSCHAFT MIX & GENEST, Electrical
Engineers, of 67, Bulow Strasse, Berlin, W., in the Empire of Germany.]
Improvements in and connected with Switches for High Voltage.
I, HERMANN OPPENHEIMER, Electrical Engineer, of 55, Redcross Street, Bar-
bican, London, E.C., in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
The present invention relates to a switch which may be used both as an
ordinary switch, or as a 2-way switch on high voltage installations. Its arrange-
ment is based on the principle that both make and break can be suddenly accom-
plished by turning a handle in one direction only. The sudden accomplishing
of the making or breaking of the circuit in such apparatus, is principally attained
by releasing a tension spring which actuates the contact brushes, and allows the
same to be in an or an "off" position.
"on"
23
There have been described on several occasions similar apparatus, but all
labour more or less under certain disadvantages which prevented their being
generally adopted in practice.
The present invention aims at the obviation of the disadvantages connected
with similar switches, and this is accomplished by the mechanism being sud-
denly released exclusively by the action going on in the switch base. This
allows of a condensed form for the apparatus itself, and also of a substantial
construction of all those parts which are subject to wear and tear.
On a basis made of insulating material such as china, slate, or any other suit-
able substance, there are resting in the centre concentric crown teeth rings, the
teeth of which are arranged in such a manner that those of one ring are always
moving in the opposite direction to those of the other ring. The teeth of a
crown wheel gear into the teeth of the inner ring, which former is loosely fixed
lengthways to the axis, but as far as the direction of its revolution is concerned,
it is guided. The number of teeth of the rings corresponds with the number of
fixed positions which the axis should take when turned once.
Above the crown wheel there is a double lever arranged in such a manner that
it can be revolved and shifted. This double lever or double gripper has two
noses downwardly which gear into the teeth of the outer crown ring. The
notches of a tube which latter is also provided with lugs, are arching the double
lever, and the lugs are brought into permanent connection by means of screws
with a disc made of insulating material. On such disc is fixed a current-carry-
ing brush lever, this brush lever rests on the terminals as the tube is touching
against the ring which by means of a pin is fixed to the axis. Inside the tube
is compressed the spiral snring, one end of which is fixed to the axis, the other
end of same to the double lever. If the handle is now turned, the spiral spring
which already has a certain amount of tension, is still further compressed.
At the same time, the axis will in its movement, taken with it the crown
wheel, which as it glides along the teeth of the inner ring, will lift the double

page_text: lever in so far until the latter's noses can glide over the wheels of the outer
crown ring moving in the opposite direction.
In this moment, the spiral spring thrusts the double lever and in connection
with it the brush lever out of its position, whereby either the circuit is closed or
interrupted, but in the same moment, the spring arrests again the double lever
in pushing same downwards and the noses against the following tooth of the
outer crown ring.
This
As soon as the handle is turned again, the same play is repeated.
arrangement of switching on and off may be used both in connection with the
switches, the handle of which is turned like a watch-key, or for heavy currents
when the handle is made in lever form, for being pushed up and down.
Dated this third day of August 1899.
I, HERMANN OPPENHEIMER, Electrical Engineer, of 55, Redcross Street, Bar-
bican, London, E.C., 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 particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The present invention relates to a switch which may be used both as an ordi-
nary switch, or as a 2-way switch on high voltage installations.
Its arrange-
ment is based on the principle that both make and break can be suddenly accom-
plished by turning a handle in one direction only.
The "make" and "break" of the circuit is principally effected by the sudden
release of a spring in tension, the brushes by such release being either in an
on or off" position.
$6
Heretofore switches of this type have been of a complicated nature with a con-
sequent crowding of working parts. These defects I overcome by placing the
mechanism whereby the brushes are suddenly released in the base of the switch,
thereby admitting of a condensed form in the apparatus itself, and a substantial
construction of those parts which are subject to wear and tear.
I will now proceed to describe my invention more particularly by means of the
accompanying drawings in which :-
Fig. 1 is a part sectional elevation of my invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan.
Fig. 3, 4, & 5 shew in detail the mechanism employed for coiling and releasing
the spring.
In the drawings a is the switch base which may be made of china, slate or
equally suitable insulating material. In a central position and in a cavity formed
in the base a, I mount a toothed crown wheel 61. the centre 62 of which is also
toothed, but the slope of the face of the teeth formed on the rim of crown b
is in an opposite direction to those formed in the centre.
A spindle d is journalled in and passes through the crown wheel b 62 and on
this is mounted a crown wheel c which is free to move in an up and down direc-
tion on the spindle d but its movement in the direction of its revolution is fixed
by means of a D shaped centre hole and correspondingly shaped shaft (as shewn)
see Fig. 1 Fig. 4. The number of teeth in the toothed crown wheels corre-
sponds with the number of fixed positions taken by the spindle when turned once.
Above the crown wheel c is mounted a double ended lever e loosely pivoted upon
the spindle d and having two downward projections or noses e and, e which
engage with the teeth of the outer crown ring b. A capped tube f formed with

page_text: lugs and f and slots or notches f³. Fig. 5 through which the double ended
lever passes, the 2 sides f³ and facting as guides, is mounted on the spindle d
said spindle passing through a hole formed centrally in the cap. A disc h made
of insulated material is permanently fastened by screws g and g¹ to the lugs f
and formed on the capped tube f and to this insulating disc are fixed the cur-
rent carrying copper brushes 2. These brushes when the switch is
upon the terminals k and k¹ respectively. A collar 7 resting upon the cap of
the tube f is fixed to the spindle d by means of a pin m.
(6
on
"
rest
Inside the capped tube f and surrounding the spindle d is a compressed spring n
which is in a state of tension, one end of which is fixed at o to the spindle d and
its other end to the double ended lever o.
The operation of my invention is as follows:-When the handle upon the
spindle d is turned, the spiral spring n which has a certain amount of tension,
is still further compressed. The spindle d will in moving take with it the top
crown wheel c which as it glides over the rising face of the teeth of the inner
ring 62 will be lifted, carrying with it the double ended levere until the noses e¹
and can clear the teeth of the outer crown ring b¹.
As soon as the noses or projections e¹e of the double ended lever a pass the
teeth of the toothed outer crown ring b¹ the spring causes the lever and spindle
to rotate until the noses or projections of said double lever e come into contact
with the next teeth of the toothed outer crown ring the rotation of the double
ended lever e causes the tube f and contact brushes i to revolve also and leave
the contact terminals thereby breaking or interrupting the circuit. As soon
as the handle is turned again, the double lever is lifted and the brushes revolve
making circuit.
This arrangement of. switching "on" or "off" may be used in switches in
which the handle is turned like a watch key, or in the case of a 2-way switch
when the mechanism remains exactly the same only two more brushes and cor-
respondingly 2 more contacts have to be added in a suitable manner.
Equally simple is the construction in case of lever switches when it is used
for heavy current, the handle is made in lever form for grasping. In such case,
the 2 toothed crown wheels are transposed by 90 degrees so that the spindle is
no longer vertical but horizontal. With the latter, a double ended lever will
be suitably connected so that the make and break is also here attained by the
action of a spring in tension.
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:-
1. The switch constructed and operating as described for effecting the purpose
herein set forth.
2. The combination with switches of the instantaneous type, in which the
movement is communicated to the contact brushes from mechanism in the base,
of two concentric toothed crown wheels formed with teeth sloping in opposite
directions, one of which by the interaction of a superposed toothed crown ring
turning with a central spindle and coiled spring causes the brushes to be lifted
and displaced substantially as herein described.
3. In combination with switches of the instantaneous type, in which the move-
ment is communicated to the contact brushes from the mechanism in the base,
of a double ended lever engaging with the teeth of the outer crown ring, a
coiled spring surrounding a central spindle, a slotted tube covering said spring
and provided with lugs carrying insulated contact brushes, substantially as herein
described.