New and Improved Switches for Electric Currents.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 9th Jan., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
New and Improved Switches for Electric Currents.
We WILLIAM ROBERT RAWLINGS and JOHN JOSEPH RAWLINGS both of
82 Gloucester Road, South Kensington London Electricians 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 :-
1. This invention has reference to the simple and inexpensive construction of
electric switches as we shall now describe. 2. In external appearance the outside
of the switch is egg or pear shaped, and is adapted for attachment to flexible wires
for the side of a bed or in an office or room where the locality of the switch
requires to be altered from time to time or the switch can be used with a lamp
holder or for fixed purposes by varying the design of the case of the switch.
3. Mounted on a base of non-conducting material are 3 or more plungers connected
with electric circuits in the ordinary way. Above the pluugers is a triangular or
double or treble triangular shaped block made of porcelain or other non-conducting
material. The block is mounted on a spindle which rests in two sockets or holes
so arranged as to have a sliding movement. On one or several faces of the block
a metal contact maker or makers of the description hereinafter appearing are
mounted. The said plungers are made of metal operated by spiral or other suitable
springs in such a manner as to cause the same to exert constant pressure on the said
metal contact makers or on the non-conducting parts of the block as desired so as
to allow or cause sufficient movement to produce a quick break. The said metal
contact makers are so designed, as hereinafter described, as to connect the said
plungers or a selection of them as required. To disconnect the said plungers the
block is brought into such a position that non-conducting portions of the same rest
against such of the plungers as are desired to be disconnected.
4. The metal contact makers are so arranged on the block to permit of a
combination of connections between various plungers where there are more than
two, so as to cause a selection of different electric circuits either for lighting
particular lights or ringing particular bells, or connecting different telephones, or
transmitting electric power to particular points or such similar objects.
5. The drawings annexed more particularly describe the mechanism of the switch
and its parts.
Fig. 1 shews a cross section of the switch.
Fig. 2.shews;a cross section at right angles to Fig. 1 of a three way switch.
Referring to Fig. 1. b is a section of one of the plungers to which the wires are
connected, c is the block mounted on the spindle d,f is the cover and g a porcelain
or other non-conducting base. is a cover to protect the connecting terminal y.
c is the porcelain block, and a the metal contact maker in this case shewn only ou
one side of the block.
Fig. 2 shews three plungers a, b and k at the bottom of which the wires are
attached. The block which is shewn has upon part of its face the metal contact
maker mounted on such block and j is the non-conducting part of the same in
contact with plunger k which is thereby electrically disconnected, a and b being
electrically connected by the contact maker h.
Fig. 3 shews a plan of a contact maker mounted on block arranged for a switch
with three plungers. The contact maker is so arranged on both faces of the block
in such a way that whilst the block is in one position the two outer plungers are

page_text: connected, and when the block is in the other position, one outer plunger and the
centre plunger are connected. is the metal contact maker mounted on the
insulating block j.
Fig. 4 shews a plan of a contact maker mounted on a block arranged for a switch
with four plungers. The metal contact makers are so arranged on both faces of the
block in such a way as to connect the two outside and the two inside ones when in
one position, and the other position would connect the two outside plungers with
the two inside. Although we shew several ways how the said plungers may be
connected, it is evident that by the method employed, if a slight variation of the
design of the metal contact makers is made, any combination of electric connections
between the plungers can be made.
Fig. 5 shews a plan of a double triangular shaped block with contact makers
mounted thereon. hare metal contact makers mounted on j the insulating portion
of the block. As drawn two of three plungers would be connected whilst the
switch was in one position, whilst in a second or middle position none of the plungers
would be electrically connected, whilst in the 3rd position the centre plunger and
the remaining plunger would be connected:
Fig. 6 shews a cross section of the last described block, a and being the metal
contact makers and the insulating block. It is evident that any combination of
metal contacts designed on a similar method described in Figs. 3 and 4 with slight
variations to suit each face of the block can be used in connection with blocks
shaped as shewn in Figs. 5 and 6 for electrically connecting a selection of plungers
in either of the three positions.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A switch for electric currents made by means of a particular combination of
parts as hereinbefore described.
2. A switch for connecting and disconnecting electric currents with a block or
blocks of a triangular or double or more triangular shape, so operated upon by three
or more plungers as hereinbefore described, as will allow the said block to be
forced by the hand pulling or pushing a direct spindle with a sliding movement
attached to the said block in either of two, three or more positions off one, two or
more neutral points.
3. A switch for connecting or disconnecting a selection of electric circuits by
means of 3 or more plungers acting in combination with contact makers so designed
and arranged on conducting blocks as herein before described.
4. An improvement in switches for electric currents for disconnecting or con-
necting a selection of electric circuits by means of specially designed contact
makers mounted on a sliding insulating block or blocks as hereinbetore described.
Dated this 17th day of October 1896.
J. J. RAWLINGS.
W..R. RAWLINGS.