An Improved Quick-make and Quick-break Switch for Electrical Purposes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Apr., 1890-Accepted, 24th May, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
4
An Improved Quick-make and Quick-break Switch for Electrical
Purposes.
JOSEPH GRACE SMITH CUNNINGTON, 4, Holly Mount Hampstead Heath Electrical,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
It consists of a lever & spring, which in the first part of their movement are acted
upon or controlled by the handle of the switch. In the remainder of their movement
the spring acts on the lever to which one end is attached & draws the lever forward
independently of the handle of the switch. When the above mentioned lever &
spring have got beyond the control, or dead point produced by the movement of the
handle of the switch, they fly forward on to the lever carrying the contact pieces or
onnector of the switch, & carries this connector forward into the contact pieces
hich are to be connected up. Thus making the act of connecting & disconnecting
quite uncontrollable by the handle. The same movement applies to the breaking
ontact as to the making contact, only in the opposite direction.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Quick-make and Quick-break Switch for Electrical
Purposes.
I, JOSEPH GRACE SMITH CUNNINGTON, of 4 Holly Mount, Hampstead Heath,
Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
banner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
by the following statement:-
at consists of a lever and spring which in the first part of their movement are acted
sh or controlled by the handle of the switch. In the remainder of their movement
act on a loose bar carrying the contact piece or pieces and impel it sharply
oard independently of the handle of the switch. Thus the above mentioned lever
uspring having got beyond the control or dead point produced by the movement.
he handle of the switch, they fly forward on to the bar carrying the contact pieces
connector of the switch, and carry this connector forward into the contact pieces.
ich are to be connected up, making the act of connecting and disconnecting quite
ncontrollable by the handle. The same movement applies to the breaking of contact
is to the making of contact, only in the opposite direction.
And in order that my invention may be thoroughly understood I have appended
he accompanying sheet of drawings.
I have shown my invention applied to two varieties of switch.
Figs. 1, 2 and 3 illustrate my invention applied to a switch in which the contact
naking and breaking movements are effected by horizontal motions, and Figs. 4, 5
nd 6 show the application of my invention to a switch in which the said movements
re made vertically.
I will first describe my invention as applied to the first mentioned variety o
witch.
Fig. 1 is a plan, showing the contacts broken. Fig. 2 is a plan, showing the parts
f the switch in a position hereinafter referred to. Fig. 3 is a plan, showing the
ontacts made.
My invention consists of a lever A and spring B, which serve to move the bridge
iece bar or connector C carrying the moveable contact pieces D. The spring B is
xed at one end to the base E of the switch and at the other end to the lever A,
hich is provided with lugs a, a¹. A horn or projecting piece f is fixed to the
Price 77

page_text: handle F of the switch. The horn or projecting piece f, bears against the lug a wher
the handle is turned to make contact, and against the projection a¹ when th
handle F is turned to break contact. The lever A, the bridge piece or lever C and
the handle F have independent motions. G and G¹ are the terminal or contac
His
plates, fixed to the base E of the switch, which it is desired to connect up.
stop piece or plate against which one of the ends of the bridge piece or lever C rest
when contact is broken.
In order to make contact the user turns the handle F from the contact plate (
towards the contact plate G¹. This movement will cause the horn to bear agains
the projection a and the lever A to be moved against the action of the spring B
When the dead point of the spring has been passed it will move the lever Ain de
pendently of the handle F, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 2. The lever A wil
be forced against the end of the bridge piece C and will cause contact to be made
The breaking of contact is similarly effected by turning the handle in the opposit
direction.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a switch of the second variety, to which my invention
applied, and shows the contact broken. Fig. 5 is a plaa of the switch. Fig. 6 i
a side elevation of the switch, showing the contact made.
In these Figures the parts of the switch corresponding to the parts of the switch
illustrated by Figures 1, 2 and 3 are similarly lettered.
A is the lever, and a, a¹ are the projections or lugs thereon. B is the spring
attached at one end to the lever A and at the other end to the base of the switch
C is an arm or lever carrying a single contact piece D, which serves to connect th
terminal contact plates G, G¹, fixed to the base E of the switch. F is the handle o
the switch.
The method of making and breaking contact in this variety of switch is similar
that described with reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the only difference being that th
handle of the switch in the last described variety bears directly against th
projections a, a on the lever A.
If I make the bridge piece of the switch illustrated by Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of nor
conducting material I connect the contact pieces on the ends of the saine by means..
a lead wire, which also prevents the switch being overloaded.
In those cases in which it is desirable that the switch illustrated by Figs. 4, 5 an
should be provided with means to prevent it being overloaded I fix a plate Ga
the base of the switch. The plate G2 is provided with two connecting screws
and g. One wire carrying the current is connected to the screw g, and the screw.
is connected by means of a lead wire to the screw 9 on the contact plate
The other wire carrying the current is connected to the screw g, on the cont
plate G.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inv
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that w
I claim is—
(i) The improved quick make and quick break switch consisting of the combination
with the handle of the switch of a lever moved at first by the said handle agains
the tension of, a spring and then by the spring itself so as to actuate a loose bridg
piece or loose bar carrying the moveable contact piece or pieces, and thus make and
break contact, as and for the purpose described herein with reference to th
accompanying drawings.
(2) The improved construction of switch substantially as described herein and
illustrated by Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
(3) The improved construction of switch substantially as described herein and
illustrated by Figs. 4, 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 5th day of March 1800
JAMES STEVENSON,
Gray's Inn Chambers, 20, High Holborn, London, W.C.