US1582711A - Electric switch - Google Patents

Description

Aprii 27,1926. 1,582,711

F. G. VON HOORN ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed May l0. 19.92

WITNESSES: INVENTOR 26M HMB/Y a :1on1/001,7. fm

ATTORNEY Patented Apr 27, `1926.

1,582,711 -PATENT. OFFICE.

FRED e( VON HOORN, E BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AssIGNoE To WEsTINoHoUsE ELEC- Taro @@MANUEACTUEING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OE rENNsYLvANIA. l

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Application filed May 10, 1922. Serial No. 559,708.

To aZZ whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRED G. voN HOORN, a

citizen of the, United States, and a resident of Brooklyn,`in the county of Kings and State of NewYork, have invented a new and useful AImprovement in Y Electric Switches, of which the followingis a specifi-p cation. My invention relates to electric `switches and particularly to operating mechanisms therefor.

One of the objectsof my invention is the provision of manually operable means for closing a switch that is provided' with an l5 overload device, in such manner that, if an overload is present at the time the switch is moved to closed position, the switch may be automatically released regardless of the position of the manually operable member.

Another, object of my invention is the provision of means whereby an actuating" member for closing the switch is set in motion and then automatically freed from a manual operating membertherefor, so that it may moveto actuate the/switch independently of the manually operable member.

Still another object4 of my inventionis to simplify and improve generally the operation and construction of electric switches.

As shown in the accompanying drawings,

-Figure lis a view partially in side eleva-` in section, of. .a switch the line Ill-II tion and partially embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a view taken on O- Fig. l, 1. 1 l Fig.,3 is' a view, partially in' plan and partially in section, of a portion of the apparatus ofFig. 1, f

Fig. 4 is a plan view of still another poru tion of the apparatus, and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showingth'ev manner in which the switchof Fig. 1 is connected in a circuit.

The switch is mounted in a box 6 that is provided with a cover 7. A base Sis provided t support a pair of stationary contact .members 9'an`d a pair of movable con-y tact members 10,'the movable contact members being supported, through a plate ll'and a movable contact carrier 12 that is pivotally mounted-at 13, upon a bracket 14 which is secured to the base 8. l Aspring 16 normally biases .thevmovable switchparts in a clockwise direction. A lbracket 17 thatis secured to the'base, pivotally supports a latch Bassum 18 that is biased about its pivot in a clockwise direction by a spring 19 andfserves, through its engagement with the carrier 12, to hold the movable Contact members in closed position against the 'tension of the spring 16. Y i

.p A push button 20 is provided for manually tripping the latch 18 free of the Contact carrier 12. A leaf spring 21 serves-to normally hold the push. button 2O in its retracted position. f

The bracket 17l also serves as a support for a shaft 22 that is surrounded with vfusible materialr or solder' 23. The solder 23 serves to normally hold a tripping member 24 against turning movement under the action of a spring 26 that has its opposite ends secured to the member 24 and the carrier 12, respectively. -The shaft 22 is of resistance material and in series with a circuit 28 that is controlled by the switch. Upon the occurrence of an overload in the circuit 28, the fusible material 23"is softened, thus -permitting the tripping member 24 to turn in a clockwise direction, by rea- 8 son of the tension exerted thereupon bythe spring 26, This movement of the member 24 causes it to move the latch` 18 against they tension of the spring 19 to trip it lfree of the carrier 12 and to thereby permitthe spring 16 to snap the Contact membersIOtO. open position.

As the switch moves to open position, the tension upon the spring 26 is decreased andthat upon a' spring' 30' is increased,`by reason of` the movement .of the carrier 12 about its pivot 13. This change in theV tension`rv exerted upon the member-.24 moves Such member. in a counterclockwisedirection until it again occupies. the position illustratedy in Fig.l l and leaves it ready for another automaticoperation,y should an overload held against '.'rotative movethereto;x lAn actuating member or plungerY 34 is slidableupon the rod 33 and is nor- V38 in the push button 31.

Upon pressure of the but-ton 31,.the/actuating member 34 is advanced afgainst the compression of the spring 35 and, as it moves downwardly, a wing member l39,

l claim as my invention:

1. The' combination with an electric,

switch pormally biased to open position, oi' an actuating device therefor comprising a reciprocable actuating device, means for depressing the said device against a tension ,membeiy means for permitting the actuating provided with means for moving it into which extends through a slot 40 in the@ the -pathi of the movable switch member bracket 32, engages a camming surface 41 adjacent to the lower end of said slot.

A wing member, 43 is also provided and so angularly disposed as-to normally pass the rear end of the carrier 12 during its ldescent under the ac ion of the push butand bringing the win 43 into vertical alinement with the rear portion of the carrier .12. At this position ofthe bracket, the pins 37 are in alinement with the holes l38 of the push button and, owing to the compression of the spring 35 may snap into the holes 38, thus permitting the actuating mem- 1 ber 34 vto move upwardly under the pressure of thespring 35. If lthe carrier 12,-at this time, occupies the positionillustrated in dotted lines infFig. 1, it will be moved to .closed position against the tension of the spring 16'.

i. This moyement ofthe actuating member 34 may occur regardless of whetherfor not 'the' operator holds the button 31 depressed.

If, after 'upward movement of the member 34, the button 31 be released, it will be, returned, under the action of a spring 45, to the position illustrated in Fig. l, and the actuating member 34 will be rotated by reason y ofthe ytorsion in`the spring 35 until the pins 37 are again out of alinement with the holes Ity will thus be seen that,lwhen the button u 31` is depressed, the actuating member 39 is rotated so that it may move' freely upward to closethe switch, and that, should .anoverload be present in the circuit, the' .switch would bek automatically moved to I open position, regardlejof whether the op- Y erator should maintain the vbutton 31 dei pressed. In lother words, the applicant p ro- Various changes in detail and general arrangement may be made without departing mfrom the spirit and scope of the invention,

as defined the accompanying clainfis.- v t when actuated in onev'direction andmoving it out of the path of said switch member when ,operating in the other direction.

3. The combination with a movable switch member, of co-.operating mechanism therefor comprising a push-button and an actuating Y member for the lswitch member movable in-y dependently lof the push button, the pushbutton and the actuating member being provided with means-for automatically releasing the actuating member from the'` push button during one stage of its movement.

4; The combination with a movable switch member, otro-operating mechanism therefor comprising a push-button, an actuating member for the switch member movable l independently ofthe push button, the pushbutton and the actuating member being provided with Vmeans for automatically releasing the "actuating member from Jthe pushbutton during one rstage of its movement and with means vfor again bringing them into operativel relation at another stage of their movement.

`5. The combination with a movable switch member, of operating vmechanism therefor comprising a push button, a plunger movable independently of the switch member, a springfor biasing the plunger against the 'button, a loose connection between the plunger and' the button, means carried by the plunger for engaging lthe said -switch member, and means for rendering the pushbutton .inoperative .to 'hold the plunger against tension at a predetermined stage in the movement of the plunger... g

6. The combination with a movable switch member, of. a tensioned actuating member therefor movable independently thereof, a

push-button for operating the actuating member, and means forcausing the actuating member yto move independently of the push button when at a predetermined po'- sition.

7. The ,combination with a switch having `an overload tripping device, of an actuating member forV closing the switch, manually operable means for setting the actuating" member in operation, and means for disconnecting the said manual means from the actuating member in advance of the movement by the said actuating member in one direction.

8. The combination with an electric switch, of a reciprocable actuating member` therefor provided with a tension device, means carried by the actuating member for closing the switch-when moving in one direction under the force of the tension device, a manually operable member for moving the actuating member against the tension device and means for disengaging thel manually operable member from the actuating member at a predetermined position.

9. The combination with an electric switch, of a reciprocable actuating member therefor provided with a tension device, means carried by the actuating member for closing the switch when moving in one direction under the force of .thetension de vice, a manually-operable member normally in operative engagement with the actuating .member :for moving it against the tension device, means for disengaging the manually operable member from the actuating Imember at a. predetermined position and means for returning the Said manual member to its normal V.position after it has be released.

10. In combination, a movable switch member, a manually operable member, an

`actuating member operable by the manually operable member in one direction independently of the switch and movable in the opposite direction independently of the manualtuating the switch during its return movement after the manually operable member v has been moved a predetermined distance.

12. The combination with an automaticalj ly opened movable switch member, of a manuall 'having a relatively movable switch actuating member adapted to move the switch to 'closed positionY independently of the manually operated member when thevlatter has moved a predetermined distance.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 28th day of April FRED e. VON HooRN.

operated reclosing member therefor A.

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