Improvements in Electric Switches.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 30th May, 1889-Accepted, 6th July, 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Switches.
I FREDERIK VILHELM ANDERSEN, of No. 23 Regency Street, Westminster, in the
County of Middlesex, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has reference to electric switches' more especially applicable for use
in buildings connected with main leads from central electric lighting stations.
According to this invention the switch is so constructed that the mechanical parts are
enclosed within a suitable box or outer case, the position of the switch being indicated
by the appearance outside the said case of the words "
on or off" or other
convenient words or signs of indication.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, figure I shows a plan and figure 2 shows
a side elevation of a switch made in accordance with this invention.
"
"
The switch is mounted on a base or slab of slate or other suitable non-conducting
material, A, and contains one or more (generally two) metallic arms, B, B¹, having
springy forked ends, b, b', adjustable by means of bolts and nuts, c. One end of
each arm is hinged as shown at, d, to a terminal-piece, C, or, C', and the other end is
free to move within a contact-piece, D, or, D'; whilst at a convenient intermediate
point, indicated at, e, e¹, the arms are pivoted to a cross-bar, E. The contact-pieces
and terminal-pieces are attached to the non-conducting base by screws-shown at, f.
The contact-pieces, D, D¹, are made with jaws, g, which have their inner surfaces or
those parts where contact is made bevelled as shown at, h, in figure 3, in order that
the ends, b, of the metallic arms, B, B¹, may pass easily within them. The cross-
bar, E, is made of ebonite or other suitable non-conducting material, and is provided
with a tapered metallic piece, F, on which a roller, k, attached to a spring, G, bears.
The spring is fixed to the non-conducting base by screws shown at, 7. The base-
plate, A, is fixed within the outer case, H, which is preferably made with a lid hinged
as at, m. The leads are carried through apertures, I, in the outer case and are con-
nected by binding screws, n. Safety fuzes, shown at, K, are inserted at suitable
points. The outer case, H, has two slots to allow of the passage of the ends of the
cross-bar, F. This bar is slightly longer than the width of the case and one end of
it is therefore always visible, thus indicating the position of the switch as illustrated
at, o, p, in figure 1.
When it is desired to alter the position of the switch it is only necessary to press
the end of the cross-bar, E, which appears beyond the outer case till the roller, k,
passes the apex of the taper piece, F; the arms, B, B¹, will thereupon be carried by
the influence of the spring, G, and roller, k, to the opposite limit and to such a position
that an
"arc" could not be maintained. The cross-bar, E with the arms, B, B¹, can
be locked in the "off" position by inserting a plug through the aperture, r, into the
base of the switch, and the motion of the same into the "on" position is limited by
the cross-strap, s, fixed to the contact-piece, D¹, as shown in figure 3.
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 :-
An electric switch having one or more metallic arms with springy forked ends
connected to a cross-bar which is fitted with a tener niece against which bears a roller

page_text: mounted on a spring for the purpose of carrying the arms over the middle portion
of their play and securing the same in either of their two positions substantially as
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 30th day of May 1889′
A. F. SPOONER,
Agent for the Applicant.