A Combined Manual and Automatic Switch for Electric Circuits.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Combined Manual and Automatic Switch for Electric Circuits.
I, ROBERT LEE HAILEY, of 255, Greenwich Street, in the City of New York,
County and State of New York, United States of America, Electrician, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists, primarily, in an improvement in the known forms of
manual switches employed for operating electric circuits that are heavily charged,
by the embodiment in and with such forms of switch apparatus of an automatically
operated form of circuit breaker that is electro-mechanical in its operation, and
that is adapted to open the circuit in which it is included when the currents
charging the circuit shall exceed a predetermined degree of pressure and to
remain passive, without breaking the said circuit until the required pressure has
been attained.
My invention may be said to consist of the addition to a manually operated switch
of a member held interlocked with a depressed spring, and a magnetically operated
releasing mechanism that is adjusted to respond to a dangerous pressure of the
current, and to release the spring actuated member that, in its normal operation,
suddenly throws the switch to open the circuit of which it forms a part. The said
switch is adapted to be pulled open by hand, and to be reclosed by hand, without
disturbing, or making operative the spring actuated member.
Dated this 24th day of December 1897.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicant,
A Combined Manual and Automatic Switch for Electric Circuits.
I, ROBERT LEE HAILEY, of 255, Greenwich Street, in the City of New York,
County and State of New York, United States of America, Electrician, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention consists, primarily, in an improvement in the known forms of
manual switches employed for operating electric circuits that are heavily charged,
by the embodiment in and with such forms of switch apparatus of an automatically
operated form of circuit breaker that is electro-mechanical in its operation, and
that is adapted to open the circuit in which it is included when the currents
charging the circuit shall exceed a predetermined degree of pressure and to

page_text: remain passive, without breaking the said circuit until the required pressure has
been attained.
My invention may be said to consist of the addition to a manually operated switch
of a member held interlocked with a depressed spring, and a magnetically operated
releasing mechanism that is adjusted to respond to a dangerous pressure of the
current, and to release the spring actuated member that, in its normal operation,
suddenly throws the switch to open the circuit of which it forms a part. The said
switch is adapted to be pulled open by hand, and to be reclosed by hand, without
disturbing, or making operative the spring actuated member.
In the accompanying sheet of drawing which represents a sectional side eleva-
tion of the improved device.
The device shown consists of the frame A, containing the solenoid-coil B, with
its movable plunger C, and a spring-actuated piston E, movable in the cylindrical
part El by the compression and release of the coiled spring S, contained in the
said cylinder.
The manually-operated switch F H, with its lever pivoted at p, carries a
member G, which serves to force the piston E into the position shown, depressing
spring S, and in which position the piston E is held by the latch D interlocking
with the projecting portion of piston E until the said latch D is lifted by the
attracted plunger C striking the lever of the latch D, tripping the latch and
releasing the piston E, which is moved upward by spring S, throwing the switch
lever F away from the contacts H, opening the circuit. This action takes place
when the current in the circuit that includes the solenoid-coil B is augmented to the
degree set for the circuit-breaker to act; but during the ordinary condition of the
circuit the switch handle F can be moved back and forth for opening and closing
-the circuit without releasing the said piston E, with advantages over any known
form of circuit breaker that acts by the increase of current. There are, moreover,
advantages in the manner of arranging the automatically acting magnetic circuit-
breaker namely, in the employment of the attracted plunger C to simply release
the spring-actuated piston E, and not, as has been usually the case, to attempt to
throw the switch F by the attracted plunger C, for it sometimes occurs that the
increase of current is only sufficient to lift the plunger C in a comparatively feeble
manner and without sufficient force to throw the switch when it happens to be
slightly corroded where it is pivoted, but by the employment of the stiff spring S,
forced down by hand and held interlocked as to be tripped by slight force, the
throwing of the said switch F is accomplished with certainty.
The employment of the switch F as a manually-operated switch has the added
advantage of keeping the pivoted lever F from becoming adhered by corrosion due
to constant use, so that the liability of the failure to lift when called upon to act
automatically is not present, a result of practical consequence. By the arrange-
ment of the plunger C so that it will get well under motion before coming in
contact with the lever a blow is struck upon the lever by the part k of the
plunger C after it has left the adjusting screw M.
By constructing the combined manual switch and automatic circuit breaker as
described, whereby the power to automatically throw the switch F is imparted by
the spring that is compressed by hand, and which is simply unlatched and released
by the action of the current, a solenoid-coil of less resistance can be placed in
the circuit for accomplishing a given work, with advantages over the automatic
magnetic circuit breakers depending upon the force exerted by the attracted
plunger to throw the switch.
The construction shown admits of the cheapening of the automatic circuit
breaker and of dispensing with the use of an independent manually-operated
switch, with advantages which are obvious where complications are to be avoided.
The multiplying of contact joints in a circuit is a disadvantage where the economy
of space is desirable.
In the construction shown the switch to be thrown by hand and by the
released spring $ is placed above the solenoid and the spring-piston, making a

page_text: desirable location for the switch when manually operated, as it is easy of access
and its operation is obvious to persons skilled in the use of manual switches, while
in those magnetic circuit breakers heretofore known a degree of skill and acquired
knowledge of their construction is necessary to even admit of their being unlatched
and manually operated in cases of emergency.
The switch F, located above the solenoid and frame A and so constructed and
arranged as to freely move independent of the automatic magnetic spring-actuated
portion of the apparatus and without tripping, releasing or bringing into action
the electromechanical portion of the apparatus, is essentially different from and
more desirable than previous known circuit breakers.
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:
1. A combined manually operated switch and automatic circuit breaker com-
prising a spring actuated member adapted when it is released, to throw a switch,
an electromagnetic releasing device having connection to the spring actuated
member and adapted to release the same at a predetermined pressure of current,
and a switch to be thrown by the said released spring actuated member that is
located above the electromechanical apparatus, and that is adapted to be freely
moved by hand to open and close the circuit without tripping, releasing, or making
operative the said electromechanical apparatus.
2. The frame A, containing the solenoid B, with its plunger C, the piston E,
in cylinder E, with the actuating spring S, the latching device D, connecting
through lever with the plunger C, and the freely moving switch F, adapted to
move on its pivoted bearing p, independent of the releasing of piston E, the whole
arranged and operating substantially as shown and described.
3. A combined manually operated switch and automatic circuit breaker com-
prising a spring actuated member having connection to an electromagnetic releasing
device and adapted to be made operative by a predetermined pressure of current,
and a switch to be thrown by the released spring actuated member, the said switch
being adapted to be freely moved by hand, as and for the purpose set forth.
4. In a combined manual and automatic switch, and as a part thereof, the
combination with a spring actuated switch mechanism of a plunger movable in a
solenoid having connection through a suitable tripping device to a part of said
spring actuated switch mechanism as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 2nd day of September 1898.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicant.
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,