Improvements in Switches for Electric Light Fixtures.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Mar., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 21st Dec., 1893-Accepted, 27th Jan., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Switches for Electric Light Fixtures.
I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of 23 Southampton Buildings, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention, (a communication to me from Joseph Hutchinson, of the City, County
and State of New York in the United States of America, Manufacturer,) to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved arrangement of switches or keys for
making and breaking circuits extending through tubular chandelier or bracket.arms
in electric light fixtures. The main object is to provide a simple and practical way
of applying switches to ordinary tubular arms, and the invention consists in the
combination with such a tubular arm of a switch secured directly to the outside
thereof. The circuit wires are connected to the switch, by bringing them through
an opening provided in the tubular arm at the point where the switch is to be
secured to the tubular arm.
One way in which this invention may be carried out in practice is to cut or
otherwise provide an opening in the tubular arm of the electric light fixture at the
point where it is desired to have a switch or key, and through this opening are
brought the circuit wires necessary to be connected with the switch. The switch
consists of a sleeve or clamp placed upon the tubular arm at the point where the
opening is formed and having secured to. it a base made of insulating material
carrying circuit terminals, and from this base is supported an operating handle,
knob or key to which is secured a metal, spring or plate for bridging the terininals
carried by the base. The circuit wires are connected to the terminals carried by
the base. A spring is provided for giving the switch a snap action and a detent is
also provided to prevent the spring from throwing the switch until started by the
person operating the same.
Instead of the base carrying the circuit terminals being supported from a sleeve
or clamp placed upon the tubular arm, the base itself may be mounted upon the arm
and secured in any suitable manner. In the preferred arrangement of a switch
constructed in this manner, a saddle of insulating material is placed upon the
tubular arm and to this saddle are secured the circuit terminals. The key carries
a plate or spring for bridging the terminals and may be secured directly to the
saddle, or a pin secured to the key and passing through the tubular arm and the
saddle may be employed to hold the parts together.
In practice it may be found desirable to mount the switch upon a short section of
tubing which will form part of the fixture arm when put in place. The openings
through which the circuit wires are passed for connection to the terminals on the
switch will be cut in this section. Another way of mounting the switch would be
to have a short section of casting instead of a short section of tubing. The casting
would have passages drilled or otherwise formed therein through which the circuit
wires are passed for connection with the terminals on the switch. A shell or casing
may also be provided for concealing the opening in the tubular arm, the circuit
wires and the parts of the switch, the handle or key only being exposed.
A switch for electric light fixtures constructed in accordance with this invention
will be simple and cheap in construction and capable of being placed at the most
accessible points upon the fixture.
1000

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Switches for Electric Light Fixtures.
I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of 23 Southampton Buildings in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion, a communication to me from Joseph Hutchinson of the City County and State
of New York in the United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 an improved arrangement of switches or keys for
making and breaking circuits extending through tubular chandelier or bracket arms
in electric light fixtures. The main object is to provide a simple and practical way
of applying switches to ordinary tubular arms, and the invention consists in the
combination with such a tubular arm of a switch secured directly to the outside
thereof.
The circuit wires are connected to the switch by bringing them through an
opening provided in the tubular arm at the point where the switch is to be secured
to the tubular arm.
:
One way in which this invention may be carried out in practice, is to cut or
otherwise provide an opening in the tubular arm of the electric light fixture at the
point where it is desired to have a switch or key, and through this opening are
brought the circuit wires necessary to be connected with the switch. The switch
consists of a sleeve or clamp placed upon the tubular arm at the point where the
opening is formed and having secured to it a base made of insulating material
carrying circuit terminals; and from this base is supported an operating handle,
knob or key to which is secured a metal spring or plate for bridging: the terminals
carried by the base. The circuit wires are connected to the terminals carried: by
the base. A spring is provided for giving the switch a snap action, and a detent is
also provided to prevent the spring from throwing the switch until: started by the
person operating the same.
This construction is illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive of the drawings,
in which,
Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section, of a bracket or fixture arm with the
switch applied thereto;
'
Figure 2 is a view on line of Figure 1, a part of the lower member of the
switch being removed;
Figure 3 is a plan view of the lower or movable member of the switch ';
Figure 4 is a view of a blank from which one part of the device is formed; and
Figure 5 illustrates a slight modification.
1
1 is a tube or hollow arm, such as a wall-bracket. or an arm of a chandelier,
carrying at its outer end an electric lamp 2 and containing electrical conductors 3, 4,
leading to the lamp. The former conductor is interrupted or broken, and the
adjacent ends of the wire are carried out of the tube through the opening 5. The
wire 4 is preferably continuous to the lamp as shown. 6° (Figure 4) is a sheet
metal strap or blank which is adapted to be bent around the tube, as shown in
Figures 1 and 2.
The arms 7 of this strap are bent around an insulating plate or block 8 at one
side of the tube the strap being secured to said block by one or more screws 9, the
strap thus serving to cover the opening 5 and to support said block, which in turn,
carries, preferably, two switch terminals or contact studs 10, to which the two
adjacent ends of the broken wire 3 are connected. These studs have rounded
projecting ends on, the lower side of the block 8. The spring or arm 11, having
depressions or notches 12, and which is carried by the insulating block 13, is adapted
to be brought into or out of contact with said projecting ends. The switch arm 11
is firmly secured to the insulating block 13, by means of a screw or screws 14.

page_text: Said block is held between two sheet metal sections 15, 16 forming a cover for
the contacts. These sections are formed as shown, and are clamped against the
insulating block 13 by the screw 17. The sections are provided at their upper-
ends with an inwardly extending bead or flange 18, which rests upon an outwardly
extending flange 19 at the lower end of the strap 6 formed by bending the blank 6.
on the lines 19. Instead of having an outwardly extending flange or bead, the
strap may be formed with a depression or groove, with which the parts 15, 16.
engage, as indicated in Figure 5. Evidently other means for connecting the two
parts of the switch may be employed. By making the cover in two parts as
described, it can be readily clamped in place, and it will be clear that when so:
clamped this movable member of the switch is adapted to be turned by the
handle 20.
:
While the switch may be used when coustructed as already described, it is.
preferable to provide a spring for opening the circuit by means of a snap movement..
Such a spring is shown at 21; the upper end of the spring being connected to the
upper or stationary member of the switch, while the lower end bent at right angles;
occupies a position in the handle below block 13. The spring is so coiled that when
the switch is turned to close the circuit additional tension will be given to it, but.
the tension will not be sufficient to move the switch spring or arm to break the
circuit when the depressions 12 rest over the ends of the contact studs. When
however, the switch is partially turned to break the circuit, the force of the spring
will be sufficient to throw it suddenly forward, the grasp of the fingers allowing this.
sudden, forward movement.
Instead of the base carrying the circuit terminals being supported from a sleeve
or clamp placed upon the tubular arm; the base itself may be mounted upon the
arm and secured in any suitable manner. In the preferred arrangement of a switch
constructed in this manner, a saddle of insulating material is placed upon the
tubular arm and to this saddle are secured the circuit terminals. The key carries
a plate or spring for bridging the terminals, and may be secured directly to the
saddle, or a pin secured to the key and passing through the tubular arm and the
saddle may be employed to hold the parts together.
J
In practice it may be found desirable to mount the switch upon a short section
of tubing which will form part of the fixture arm when put in place. The openings.
through which the circuit wires are passed for connection to the terminals on the
switch will be cut in this section. Another way of mounting the switch would be
to have a short section of casting instead of a short section of tubing, The casting
would have passages drilled or otherwise formed therein through which the circuit
wires are passed for connection with the terminals on the switch.
A shell or
casting may also be provided for concealing the opening in the tubular arm, the
circuit wires and the parts of the switch; the handle or key only being exposed.
This construction is illustrated in Figures 6 to 11, inclusive, of the drawings, in
which
Figure 6 is a side elevation of this modification of my improved switching device
with the enclosing shell in section ;
Figure 7 is an end view of the same;
Figure 8 is a front view of the stationary portion of the switch;
Figure 9 is a bottom-view of the turning portion of the switch;
Figure 10 is a side elevation and partial section of another modified arrange-.
ment; and
Figure 11, is a side elevation illustrating a further modification.
Referring first to Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9 A is a block of suitable insulating
material, such as wood or fibre, which is in the form of a curved saddle adapted
to be placed over and rest upon the circular tube B, which preferably is, as in
Figure 6, a section adapted to be interposed in the line of the electrolier arm.
Upon one face of the saddle A is a curved metal contact plate a, which extends
below the line of the saddle, and upon the opposite face is a similar contact plate b.
As shown in Figure 6, the piece of metal tubing B is provided with two apertures c..

page_text: When the device is placed upon the fixture, the fixture arm, which is divided, is
inserted in the sleeves d at the ends of the tube B, and one of the wires of the
fixture-arm passes continuously through the tube B, the other being broken and
its ends brought out through the apertures c. Wire end e is attached, as shown,
by a suitable binding screw to the plate a, and the wire end e¹ is similarly attached
to the plate b. When the switch is in the position shown in Figure 6, the circuit
is closed between the spring ends of the plates a, b by the circuit-closing block f.
The block f is of insulating material, but has upon it the bent metal plate g
which enters between the ends of the plates a, b to close the circuit, the block
having thus two insulating sides and two metal sides. The block is carried
upon a spindle h and turned by means of the pin i, on said spindle, which lies in a
slot in said block. It will be seen that by turning the block f from the position
shown in Figure 6 to the position in which the insulating ends of the block come
in contact with the plates a. b, the circuit is broken by a spring action. The
spindle passes through the tube B and through the upper portion of the saddle,
and has a screw-threaded end upon which is screwed the ornamental nut k, which
also serves to hold in place the covering shell 1, which is made in two parts held
together between the nut k and the handle m of the switch.
The device, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, is intended to be constructed by the
switch manufacturer and to be sold by him to makers and installers of electroliers,
by whom it may be placed in position upon the fixtures as they make or install
them.
Figure 10 shows a construction of my device which is intended to be placed
upon a continuous fixture arm without dividing it. The section of tubing B is
omitted, and the saddle A. is placed directly upon the arm of the fixture, the same
being provided with holes c. c for the wires to pass through, and with holes for
the spindle h.
:
In the form shown in Figure 11, instead of using a tubular section B to support
the switch, I make use simply of a casting C, having screw-threaded ends by which
it may be screwed into the detached portions of the fixture, and having apertures
bored in its ends and in its sides, so that the wires pass partly through it as shown,
and both wires are brought out at the switch. The dotted rectangle in this figure
illustrates the position of the switch in this construction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed. declare that what I
claim is―
A switch for electric light fixtures, having in combination a body of insulating
material adapted to be secured to the outside of the fixture arm, contact plates
carried by said body, and a movable member for making and breaking circuit
between said plates, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 21st day of Da
1909
B. J. B. MILLS,
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.