Improvements in Electric Switches and Cases for Containing and Protecting the same.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Aug., 1892-Accepted, 29th Oct., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Switches and Cases for Containing and
Protecting the same.
I, AUGUSTUS WRIGHT, of No. 64 Broadway, in the City of Providence,
County of Providence, State of Rhode Island, United States of America,
Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of my 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 has reference to improvements in cut-out switches and cases for
containing and protecting the same.
The object of this invention is to produce an electric-switch in which the move-
ment of the lever in one direction slightly past the center will call into action a
spring, or springs, to carry the shaft, on which the contact-block is secured, to its
furthest point of rotation in that direction and to positively switch the current from
one circuit to the other.
The further object of this invention is to produce a case in which the switching
mechanism may be contained and protected from injury by the weather.
The invention consists in the combination, with the shaft carrying the contact-
block, of an arm the ends of which are pivoted by links to guide-blocks, or guide-
links, suitably pivoted, these guide links or blocks being drawn together by a spring,
or springs, to force the contact-block positively to the furthest point of rotation in
the direction in which movement has commenced.
The invention also consists in the peculiar construction of the rotating contact-
block provided with expansible contact-plates and suitable contact-posts adapted to
be connected thereby, as will hereinafter be more fully described and pointed out
in the claims.
Figure 1 represents a front view of the casing and the contact-block and posts
contained therein, the cover of the case being removed.
Figure 2 represents a vertical sectional view of the case and the electric cut-out
contained therein.
Figure 3 represents a back view of the switch-case showing the improved switch-
operating device.
Similar numbers of reference designate corresponding parts throughout.
In the drawings 5 indicates a case having a centrally-perforated removable
cover 6, a perforated bottom 7, and a hollow base 8 extending beyond said bottom;
the cover 6 may be secured in the open end of the case by any suitable means and
the joint is usually packed to prevent the entrance of moisture, the central per-
foration in this cover may also be closed by a suitable cap when not covered by
the end of the lever 9. The sides of the case are perforated to allow for the
insertion of the wires and these perforations may contain insulating-collars 10-10
and 11-11 to prevent the wires from coming in contact with the case when it is
formed of metal.
Secured to the inner side of the bottom 7 is an insulating-plate 12 to which are
secured the contact binding-posts 13-13 and 14-14 which may have spring-
contacts secured thereto,-in the center of the plate 12 is secured the bearing 15
and journaled in this bearing is a shaft 16 having a flanged end which is secured
to the contact-block 17, the other end of this shaft 16 extending through the per-
foration of the bottom 7 and being rigidly secured in the collar 18. The contact-
block 17 is provided with the expansible contact-plates 19 and 20 the expansibility
of which may be increased by supplemental springs; if desired, these contact
plates may also extend over the edges of the contact-block to form contacts with
double springs secured to the contact-posts and embracing such edges,-to the upper

page_text: center of this contact-block is secured the shaft 21 the end of which extends through
the perforation in the cover 6 and is secured to the lever 9 by which the switch is
thrown.
The collar 18 is generally formed in part with the cross-arm 22, the ends of
which are pivotally connected by the links 23-23 with the links 24-24 pivoted to
studs on the bottom 7, or to sliding-blocks loosely contained within the slides 25-25,
and the ends of the links 23-23, pivoted to these blocks or to the links 24-24,
are connected by a spring 26 which tends to draw the same together. It is obvious
that either the links 24-24 or the slides 25-25 may be dispensed with without
departing from the spirit of my invention, or the spring 26 may be dispensed with
and the links 24-24 may be formed into springs to press the ends of the
links 23-23, pivoted thereto, inward.
The collar 18. may also be provided with a lever, extending through a slot cut
in the side of the base 8, by which the switch may be operated, and in this case the
shaft 21 and lever 9 may be dispensed with and no perforation is required in the
cover.
When the lever 9 is moved from its position at the side of the case shown in the
drawings, the ends of the links 23-23 will be forced outward elongating the
spring 26, the contact-block 17 being carried around at the same time until the ends
of the arm 22 pass the center, the tension on the spring will now tend to draw
the ends of the links 23-23 together and, if the lever be released, will cause the
contact-block 17 to be rotated to positively disconnect the contacts carried by the
posts 13 13 and to close the circuit between the posts 13 and 14 the rotation of
the block 17, caused by the spring, will be sharp and rapid, thus tending to break
any arc formed between the contacts.
The ends of the main line wires are passed through the insulating-collars 10
and 11 at the upper portion of the case and electrically connected with the contact
binding-posts 14, 14, while the ends of the local-circuit wires are inserted through
the collars 10 and 11 at the lower portion of the case and are likewise connected
with the contact binding-posts 13-13. In the position shown in the drawing,
Figure 1, the contact-plate 20 will complete the main circuit through the posts 14 14,
while if the lever 9 be thrown to the opposite side, the block 17 will be partially
rotated, the contact-plate 20 connecting the left-hand posts 13 and 14, and the
plate 19 connecting the right-hand posts 13 and 14, the current will then pass from
the main circuit through the plate 20 to the local circuit and thence will pass
through the plate 19 to the main circuit again.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
Claim 1. In an electric cut-out, a rotatable contact-block carrying expansible
"contact-plates, and means for rotating said block, as described.
2. In an electric-switch, the combination with a lever journaled on a bracket and
having an extension-arm, a link pivotally secured to such extension, of a spring
adapted to depress the upper end of said link, as described.
3. In an electric-switch having binding-posts and spring contact-plates, the com-
bination with a lever journaled on a bracket and carrying connecting-plates insulated
from one another and having an extension-arm in a line with said lever, of a link
"pivotally secured to said extension and to a spring-operated sliding-block movable
in a slide, as described.
4. In an electric-switch, the combination with a lever having a collar 18 and an
extension on said collar, and a shaft 16, secured in said collar, journaled in the
bearing 15 and carrying contact-plates, of the link 23 pivoted to said extension and
to a block movable in the slide 25, and a coiled-spring 26 secured to a stud on said
'block and to the lever, as described.
5. The combination in an electric-switch having expansible contact-plates carried
by a shaft journaled in a base and a lever for operating said shaft, of the cross-

page_text: arm 22 secured to said shaft, the links 23-23 pivoted to the ends thereof and
at the opposite ends to guides, and means for drawing said guides together, as
described.
6. The combination with the casing 5 provided with the cover 6 and having the
5 bottom 7 and base 8, an electric-switch contained therein having the shaft 16
journaled in said bottom and secured in the collar 18, of the cross-arm 22, the
links 23-23 pivoted to the ends of said arm and to the links 24-24 which are in
turn pivoted to studs on said case, sliding-blocks movable in the slides 25-25
pivoted to the outer ends of the links 23-23, and a spring, or its equivalent, 26,
secured to the outer ends of the links 23-23, adapted to draw the same together,
as and for the purpose described.
this 11th
AA D 1900
AUGUSTUS WRIGHT.
In presence of:-
JOSEPH A. MILLER.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.