Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 7th May, 1886.
Complete Left, 5th Feb., 1887.
Comp ete Accepted, 8th Mar., 1887.
I MICHAEL HOLROYD SMITH of Royal Insurance Buildings Halifax in the County
of York, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved electrical switch by the use of which
resistances may be put in or taken out of the circuit and the same coils, strips,
carbon or other material employed can be used first in series, then in parallel, or
vice versa, and this by one continuous movement of the switch handle, and with only
one set of resistance terminals.
In order to clearly describe the nature of the invention and explain the apparatus
employed in carrying it into practice, let it be assumed that there are four resistance
coils in the apparatus attached to the five resistance coil terminals, all being placed
between the positive and negative terminals of the electric circuit in which it is
desired to regulate the current.
Starting with an open circuit the successive contacts made will be four coils in
series, then three, then two, then one alone, then two coils in parallel, then three, then
four and finally a closed circuit, or the operation may be reversed.
The apparatus for carrying out the invention may consist of a disc or discs carrying
contact makers of varying length which will successfully come in contact with, and
leave the resistance coil terminals when the disc is revolved, or a sliding rectangular
or other shaped bar may be employed, but it is preferred to construct the apparatus in
the form of a cylinder the positive and negative terminals of the switch being at the
ends of the machine, the electrical connection being made through the standard
spindle, and end plate, and thence through the resistance to the end plate spindle and
standard at the other end of the cylinder, which is itself formed of insulating material
and carries the contact making segments, the bolts of which are also used for the
attachment of the wire or strips which make connection with the respective end plates.
When the cylinder is revolved the various segments make and when required maintain
contact with the respective terminals of the resistance coils.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: Improvements in Electrical
I, MICHAEL HOLROYD SMITH of Royal Insurance Buildings, Halifax, in the County
of York, Engineer, 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 an improved electrical switch by the use of which
resistances may be put in or taken out of the circuit, and the same coils, strips,
carbons or other material employed can be used first in series, then in parallel, or
vice versa and this by one continuous movement of the switch handle, and with only
one set of resistance terminals.
In order to clearly describe the nature of the invention and explain the apparatus
employed in carrying it into practice, reference is made to the accompanying drawings
which form part of this specification and in which Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive are diagram-
matic views illustrating the various contacts, it being assumed that there are four
resistance coils "a" in the apparatus attached to the five resistance coil terminals b, all
being placed between the positive and negative terminals of the electric circuit in
which it is desired to regulate the current.
Starting with an open circuit the successive contacts made will be four coils in
series, then three, then two, then one alone, then two coils in parallel, then three, then
four, and finally a closed circuit, or the operation may be reversed. It will be obvious
that the number of coils may be varied without departing from my invention.
Fig. 10 represents in elevation one arrangement of apparatus for carrying this
invention in effect. A disc A carrying contact making segments 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
and 8, of varying lengths, which will (when the disc is revolved) successively make,
break, and maintain contact with the resistance coil terminals 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13,
mounted upon the base plate A¹.
Fig. 11 represents in plan the underside of the disc A, the relative position of the
terminals on the base plate A' being indicated by the shaded blocks 9, 10, 11, 12
and 13.
It will be seen that the positive wire is connected with the hub B on the upper side
of the insulating disc A, and the said hub is electrically connected by the strips d, d, d,
to the contact making segments 8, 4, 6, 3, 2 and 1, whilst the hub C is placed on the
under side of the insulating dise A, and is connected by the strips d to the contact
making segments 5 and 7.
the
A spindle on the hub C passes into or through the boss D on the base plate A',
negative wire is connected with this boss and the final resistance terminal 13.
The segments upon the disc A could be duplicated viz.--placed in like manner upon
the half of the disc now left blank, this would enable the switch to be operated in
either direction and used as or in combination with a reversing switch.
The operation of a switch so constructed will correspond with the diagrams Figs. 1
to 9 and when the parts are in the position shown, the circuit is open as in Fig. 1,

page_text: while if the disc A, is revolved in the direction indicated by the arrow, the contacts
will follow in the diagrammatic order, contact maker 1 first coming in contact with
resistance coil terminal 9, when there will be four coils "a" in series and so on.
Instead of this construction, a sliding rectangular or other shaped bar may be
employed, but it is preferred to construct the apparatus in the form of a cylinder as
illustrated in Fig. 12, which is a side elevation, Fig. 13 which is a projection of the
surface of the cylinder, and Fig. 14 which is an end elevation with standard I
removed. In this form the positive and negative terminals of the switch are at the
ends of the machine, the electrical connection being made through the standard D,
spindle E, and end plate F, and thence through the resistance to the end plate G,
spindle H, and standard I at the other end of the cylinder, which is made of insulating
material and fulfils the same duty as the disc A in Figs. 10 and 11, and carries the
contact making segments 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, the bolts of which are also used for
the attachment of the wire or strips which make connection with the respective end
plates. The method of attaching these wires is shown in Fig. 12, by part of the
cylinder being removed, and in Fig. 14 by dotted lines. The order of connection
being most clearly shown in Fig. 13.
When the cylinder is revolved, the various segments make, and when required,
maintain, contact with the respective terminals 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13, of the resistance
coils a, a, as previously described, the action being the same as when the parts are
arranged as represented in Figs. 10 and 11 and no further description being deemed
necessary.
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 :-
1st. The improvements in electrical resistance switches which consist in so arranging
the parts that by one continuous movement of the switch handle the resistances may
be put into or taken out of the circuit by being connected first in series and then in
parallel or vice versa, substantially as set forth.
2nd. The improvements in electrical resistance switches substantially as described
and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Applicant's Agent.