Improvements in or connected with Electric Regulating Switches.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Electric Regulating Switches.
I, OWEN DAVID LUCAS, Electrical Engineer, of 39, Victoria Street, Westminster,
in the County of London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to electric regulating switches suitable for use in con-
junction with resistance coils and batteries, so as to insert one or more coils (or
analogous devices) into an electric circuit, as may be required.
In ordinary regulating switches the switch lever is moveable over a series of
contact pins arranged in a circle, both the switch lever and the contact pin being
mounted on the same plate or board, which is parallel to the plane of motion of
the switch lever, or the contacts are mounted on a quadrant projecting from
the board.
My invention has for its object, to save space, and to provide convenient means
for locking the switch lever, after it has been placed at the desired angle, either
to a fixed axle or to a moveable one.
Also to combine on a common axle two or more such switches in such a way,
that any of them can be worked independently or all together by means of a
movement imparted to the axle, each switch being locked to the axle for this
purpose.
For this purpose, I use instead of the usual contact pins, a series of contact
strips mounted on a vertical board one above the other, and insulated from each
other, and I mount the switch lever on a horizontal axle in front of the said
vertical board, so that, when the lever is being turned, its extremity describes an
arc of a vertical circle, and slides across the said contact strips one after another.
Each contact strip forms an angle, one side of which rests on the switch board;
it is fixed to the same by means of a screw bolt, and is connected with a wire
leading to one of the resistance coils or battery cells.
Parallel to the series of contact strips is mounted on the same board a metallic
plate forming a segment of a circle, or a second series of contact strips similar
to the first, so that the switch lever passes between the two and is in contact with
both. The extremity of the switch lever is preferably bifurcated, to form an
clastic fork in such a manner, that one branch of the fork slides across the front
series of contact strips, and makes contact with the same, while the other branch
makes contact with the back series of strips or with the segmental plate men-
tioned above.
In the case of large currents, double contacts may be made by means of two
forks placed side by side, with small travelling resistances between.
The switch lever and switch handle are preferably placed at an angle to each
other and form together one piece, but are not fixed on their axle. The handle
may be of wood and screwed into the boss of the switch lever.
On the axle is fixed a radial locking arm provided at its extremity with a
moveable locking pin parallel with the axle, while the switch handle carries a
segment provided with a series of holes, one for each contact strip of a series,. the

page_text: said pin and segment being so arranged that, whenever the switch lever makes
contact with one of the contact strips, the locking pin is in line with the corre-
sponding perforation of the segment, and may be caused to enter the same, either
by hand or by the pressure of a spring, or I may use a helical spring in combina-
tion with a hand locking device analogous to a bayonet lock.
The switch handle may we supported by a pair of brackets mounted on the
vertical board which carries the contact strips.
Instead of a perforated quadrant and a moveable locking pin, I may use a tooth
wheel fixed on the switch handle, and a moveable pawl secured to the back of the
switch handle, for locking the switch handle in the desired position.
Two or more switch levers may be mounted on the same axle, which may be
fixed or moveable, so that those levers which are locked by means of a radial arm
may be turned simultaneously by turning the axle. One or more of the levers or
none of them may be so locked, and they may be locked in any relative positions
to their contacts. The said axle may be turned by means of a hand lever, or by
means of worm gearing or other suitable mechanism.
For limiting the stroke or angular motion of the switch levers, I may arrange
two series of stop pins, mounted on two horizontal bars right and left of the
axle, each bar being held at the ends by a pair of posts fixed to the common
base plate, and provided with a row of stop pins, equal in number to the number
of switch levers..
Dated this 1st day of August 1899.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or connected with Electric Regulating Switches.
I, OWEN DAVID LUCAS, Electrical Engineer, of 39, Victoria Street, Westminster,
in the County of London, 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 electric regulating switches suitable for use in con-
junction with resistance coils and batteries, so as to insert one or more coils (or
analogous devices) into an electric circuit. as may be required.
In ordinary regulating switches the switch lever is moveable over a series of
contact pins arranged in a circle, both the switch lever and the contact pin being
mounted on the same plate or board, which is parallel to the plane of motion of
the switch lever, or the contacts are mounted on a quadrant projecting from the
board.
My invention has for its object, to save space, and to provide convenient means
for locking the switch lever, after it has been placed at the desired angle, either
to a fixed axle or to a moveable one.
Also to combine on a common axle two or more such switches in such a
way, that any of them can be worked independently or all together by means of a
movement imparted to the axle, each switch being locked to the axle for this
purpose.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a regulating
switch embodying my invention, Fig. 2 is a partial front view or elevation and
partial section of the same; Figs. 3 to 6 are detail views.
110
I use instead of the usual contact pins a series of contact strips a¹, a³ . . .
mounted on a vertical board 6 one above the other, and insulated from each other,

page_text: and I mount the switch levere on a horizontal axle d in front of the said vertical
board, so that, when the lever is being turned, its extremity describes an are
of a vertical circle, and slides across the said contact strips one after another.
Each contact strip a forms an angle, one side of which rests on the switchi
board; it is fixed to the same by means of a screw bolt, and is connected with a
wire leading to one of the resistance coils or battery cells. Fig. 1 shows the
terminals and connecting the strips al and a² with the conducting wires
leading to the coils or cells.
Paralel to the series of contact strips is mounted on the same board either a
metallic plate f forming a segment of a circle (as shown by the drawings), or 'a'
second series of contact strips similar to the first, so that the switch lever e passes
between the two and is in contact with both. The extremity of the switch lever
may be bifurcated, to form an elastic fork in such a manner, that one branch of
the fork slides across the front series of contact strips and makes contact with the
same, while the other branch makes contact with the back series of strips or
with the segmental plate mentioned above.
C
In the example represented by Figs. 4 and 5 the switch lever c is armed with a
metallic contact plate y bent round the extremity of the lever and separated from
the same by a plate h made of suitable insulating material. A pair of screws i
with countersunk heads secure the contact plate g to the lever c. Where the
screws pass through the lever c, they are insulated from the same by suitable
bushes.
In the case of large currents, or to increase the number of steps and obtain a
larger range of adjustment, double contacts may be made by means of two or
more forks placed side by side, with small travelling resistances between.
The switch lever c and switch handle are preferably placed at an angle to each
other and form together one piece as shown by Fig. 1 but are not fixed on their
axle d.
On the latter is fixed a radial locking arm provided at its extremity with an
axially moveable locking pin m parallel with the axle, while the switch
handle carries a segment n provided with a series of holes, o¹, o². 010 one for
cach contact strip of a series, the said pin and segment being so arranged, that
whenever the switch lever makes contact with one of the contact strips, the locking
pin is in line with the corresponding perforation of the segment, and may be
caused to enter the same, either by hand or by the pressure of a spring, or I may
use a helical spring in combination with a hand locking device analogous to a
bayonet lock, as indicated by Fig. 2, where a helical spring is enclosed in the
box serving to guide the pin m.
The switch lever and handle may be supported by a pair of brackets mounted
on the vertical board b which carries the contact strips a.
Instead of a perforated quadrant and a moveable locking pin, I may use a
tooth wheel fixed on the switch axle and a moveable pawl secured to the back
of the switch handle, for locking the switch handle in the desired position.
Two or more switch levers (c) and handles (4) may be mounted on the same
axle, which may be fixed or moveable, so that those levers which are locked by
means of a radial arm (/) may be turned simultaneously by turning the axle.
Such an arrangement is assumed in Fig. 2, which shows two switch handles k
mounted on the same axle, the handle shown in section belonging to a second
series of contact strips, not shown in the drawings.
One or more of the levers or none of them may be so locked, and they may be
locked in any relative positions to their contacts. The said axle may be turned
by means of a hand lever, or by means of worm gearing or other suitable
mechanism.
For limiting the stroke or angular motion of the switch levers, I may arrange
two series of stop pins, mounted on two horizontal bars right and left of the axle,
each bar being held at the ends by a pair of posts fixed to the common base plate,
and provided with a row of stop pins.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. An electric regulating switch comprising in its construction a series of
contact strips or plates mounted on a base plate and arranged in an arc of a
circle at right angles to the said base plate, a switch lever mounted on an axle
parallel to the base plate and adapted to make contact with any of the said contact
strips by turning on the said axle, means for locking the switch lever to the axle
at various angles corresponding to the position of the said contact strips, and a
second series of contact strips or a metallic segment mounted on the said base
plate parallel to the first, so as to make contact with the switch lever, sub-
stantially as described.
2. In an electric regulating switch of the type described, the combination of
the switch axle, with a switch lever and handle mounted on the same but
adapted to turn thereon, a locking arm fixed on the switch axle in proximity to
the switch lever, and means for coupling the switch lever to the locking arm
at various angles corresponding to the position of the contact strips, substantially
as described.
3. A multiple regulating switch comprising in its construction a switch axle
mounted on a base plate parallel to the same, two or more independent switch
levers and handles mounted on the said axle at a suitable distance apart and
adapted to be fixed on the axle at various angles, two or more series of contact
strips mounted on the base plate within the range of motion of the corresponding
switch levers, two or more circular segments or series of counter strips mounted
on the base plate parallel to the corresponding contact strips and within the
range of motion of the corresponding switch lever, and means for turning the
common switch axle, and for locking it in the required position, substantially as
described.
4. In a regulating switch the combination of an axle with a switch handle k
having a perforated segment or quadrant n, a locking arm / fixed on the switch
axle and a locking pin m, together with a spring and bayonet locking device,
substantially as described.
. 337241
1
1 1000
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
Agents, 37 and 39, Essex Street, Strand, London,