Improvements in Electric Switches.
Year: 1896

page_text: COVISIONAL SPECIF
TION.
Improvements in Electric Switches.
I, JOHN BENJAMIN VERITY, of the Firm of B. Verity & Sons, of Plume
Works, Aston, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Electrical Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to switches of the kind known as tumbler switches,
wherein a lever is used to act upon the contact maker to complete the cirenit, a
spring being used to effect a quick breaking of the contact when the lever is
moved in the direction for breaking the circuit. The object of my invention is to
provide a very efficient switch, which is very economical in first cost and is not
liable to readily get out of order. The movable contact-piece has hitherto usually
consisted of a piece of metal mounted upon, or carried by, vulcanized fibre, or
equivalent insulating material, which is very liable to be injured should the
electric current cause any undue heating of the device. According to my
invention I make the movable contact-piece of metal bent in such a way as to
form a spring-piece which can enter between, and give effectual contact with,
stationary contact-pieces in connection with the line. The said movable contact-
piece is mounted upon one arm of a lever capable of turning upon a centre bar,
supported by a bridge-piece carried by the base plate of the device the upper part
of the said bridge-piece carrying the centred lever by which the switch is operated.
The lever which carries the novable contact-piece is insulated from the said
bridge-piece in any convenient way, for example by covering the centre bar on
which the said lever turns with insulating material. The inward end of the lever
by which the switch is operated carries a roller which engages between horns, or
projections, from the lever carrying the contact maker. This roller may be made
of, or be covered with, insulating material, or the lever by which the switch is
operated may be otherwise insulated from the lever which carries the movable
contact-piece. When the operating lever is turned in one direction the roller on
its end bears on one of the horns or projections and the movable contact-piece is
pressed into position between the fixed contact-pieces and the electric circuit is
completed. When the operating lever is moved in the other direction the said
roller on its end bears on the other horn or projection and the movable contact is
moved out of its contact making position, a quick break being effected by means
of a spring-piece, beneath the lever carrying the movable contact-piece, which
lever is furnished, on its inward side with a cam surface which when the contacts
are made depresses the spring-piece so that the spring is ready to exert. its force,
to make a quick break, when the switch is operated to break the contact.
Dated this 16th day of June 1896.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Electric Switches.
1. JOHN BENJAMIN VERITY, of the Firm of B. Verity and Sons, of Plume
Works Aston, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick Electrical 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:-
My invention relates to switches of the kind known as tumbler switches,
wherein a lever is used to act upon the contact maker to complete the circuit, a
spring being used to effect a quick breaking of the contact when the lever is
moved in the direction for breaking the circuit. The object of my invention is to
provide a very efficient switch, which is very economical in first cost and is not
liable to readily get out of order. I will describe my invention with reference to
the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is an elevation and Figure 2 is a plan of a one way switch constructed
according to my invention.
Figure 3 is an elevation and Figure 4 is a plan shewing a two way switch made
in accordance with ny said invention.
The moveable contact-piece has hitherto usually consisted of a piece of metal
mounted upon, or carried by vulcanized fibre, or equivalent insulating material,
which is very liable to be injured should the electric current cause any undue
heating of the device. According to my invention, I make the moveable contact
piece D of metal bent in such a way as to form a spring-piece which can enter
between, and give effectual contact with, stationary contact pieces E in connection
with the line. The said moveable contact piece is mounted upon one arm of a
lever B capable of turning upon a centre-bar K supported by a bridge piece A
carried by the base plate H of the device, the upper part of the said bridge piece A
carrying the centered lever C by which the switch is operated. The lever B which
carries the moveable contact-piece D is insulated from the said bridge piece in any
convenient way, for example, by covering the centre bar K on which the said lever
turns with insulating material.
The inward end of the lever C by which the switch is operated, carries a roller G
which engages between horns or projections L L from the lever B carrying the
contact maker D. This roller G may be made of, or be covered with, insulating
material, or the lever by which the switch is operated may be otherwise insulated
from the lever B which carries the moveable contact piece D.
When the operating lever C is turned in one direction the roller G on its end
bears on one of the horns or projections (that marked L) and the moveable contact
piece D is pressed into position between the fixed contact pieces E and the electric
circuit is completed. When the operating lever C is moved in the other direction
the said roller G on its end bears on the other horn or projection (that marked L³)
and the moveable contact piece D is moved out of its contact making position, a
quick break being effected by means of a piece J, acted upon by a spring I and
situated beneath the lever B carrying the moveable contact piece, which lever is
furnished, on its inward side, with a cam-surface L' which, when the contacts are
made, depresses the spring piece J so that the spring I is ready to exert its force,
to make a quick break, when the switch is operated to break the contact.
The two way switch shewn in Figures 3 and 4 is constructed in the same manner
as that described and the parts are marked with the same letters used to denote
the same parts in Figures 1 and 2, but the lever B is a double lever and carries two
moveable contacts D to engage with two sets of fixed contacts E to complete and
interrupt a two way circuit.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :--
1. In an electric switch, a lever carrying the moveable contact maker, or contact
makers, and having horns thereon adapted to be acted upon in reverse directions
by the reverse movements of the operating lever, substantially as herein before
described.
2. In an electric switch, an operating lever provided with an insulated roller, or
a roller of insulating material, for acting on the lever carrying the moveable contact
maker, or contact makers; substantially as herein before described.
3. In an electric switch, a lever carrying the moveable contact maker, or contact
makers, and having horns thereon, and an operating lever provided with an
insulated roller, or a roller of insulating material, situated between the said horns
so as to act upon the said contact maker lever by bearing on one, or the other, of
the said horns; substantially as herein before described.
4. An electric switch constructed as herein before described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings, whether arranged as a one-way, or as a two-way, switch.
Dated this 16th day of March 1897.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.