US1663779A - Switch - Google Patents

Description

March 27. 1928.

1,663,779 E. M. SORENG SWITCH Filed Oct. 2, 1920 s Sheets-heet 1 WITNESSES March 27, 1928. 1,663,779 E. M. SORENG SWITCH Filed 00+. 2, 1920 a Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES.

OIQNEY 1,663,779 E. M. SORENG SWITCH Filed Oct. 2, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 March 27 1928.

WITNESSES 6 7% 6% x4 I Patented Mar. 27, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,663,779 PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR M. SORENG, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO BRIGGS & STRATTON CORPORATION, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORA- TION OF DELAWARE.

SWITCH.

Application filed October 2, 1920. Serial No. 414,207.

This invention relates to switches for controlling electrical circuits and while particularly designed for use on automobiles for controlling the lighting and ignition circuits thereof it is capable of other uses.

The object of the invention is to provide a switch of this character in which contact springs are eliminated and spring-pressed rigid contact members are substituted therefor. Another object of the invention is to provide an all metal path for the contact members so as to avoid their scraping on insulating material that is liable to impair the contact made thereby. Another object of the invention is to avoid the formation of detents or clicks between the operative positions of the switch members that are liable to deceive the operator.

Another object of the invention is to simplify the construction and reduce the cost of manufacture of switches of this character and particularly switches of the lock type.

\Vith the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the switch as herein claimed and all equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like characters of reference indicate the same parts in different views:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a switch embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a rear view with theterminal head removed;

Fig. 4 is a central vertical sectional view of the switch;

Fig. 5 is a view of the inner face of the terminal head;

Fig. 6 is a rear viewof the terminal head and contact members removed;

Fig. 7 is a similar view with the switch case and lighting switch .drii'er removed;

Fi 8 is a front view with the switch lever removed and the locking sleeve sectioned;

Fig. 9 is a rear view of the connecting plate of the lighting switch disc, said lighting switch disc being sectioned at its cylindrical portion;

Fig. 10 is a horizontal sectional v1ew ofthe switch;

Fig. 11 is a sectional view of the front plate with the locking sleeve attached; and,

Fig. 12 is a rear View of the lighting switch lever.

In these drawings 15 indicates a front plate which may constitute a panel as shown for mounting on the dash or instrument board of an automobile. A lighting switch lever 16 is so mounted on the front plate 15 as to be capable of an oscillatory movement to bring its index projection 17 into register with marks on the front plate indicating the conditions established by the lighting switch controlled thereby.

A cylindrical lock barrel 18 passes through the lighting switch lever 16 and is adapted to receive a key 19v for withdrawing its lock tumblers and for turning it to operate an ignition switch.

On the back of the front plate is a cupshaped sheet metal switch case 20 with its inturned flange riveted ,to the front plate. The edge of the switch case 20' is turned outwardly to form a seat or bearing for an insulating disc or terminal head 21 except at certain points where positioning lugs 22 pro ject therefrom and fit in notches 23 in the edge of the terminal head to determine its position.

The inturned flange of the switch case 20 between its rivet connections with the front plate is embossed or pressed up to form nut pockets 24 between the flange and the front plate. Lugs 25 are cut from the embossed portions of the switch case flange and are capable of being bent from the osition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4 to tie position shown in full lines and permit of the insertion of nuts 26 and the retention of said nuts in the pockets where they are confined and prevented from turning. Screws 27 passing through the terminal head 21 and entering the nuts 26 serve to secure the terminal head in place.

On the circular base of the lighting switch lever 16 are projecting lugs 28 which ride in arc-shaped slots 29 of the front plate, as best seen in Fig. 7. A cup-shaped sheet metal lighting switch driver30 bears against the back of the front plate and is connected to the lighting switch lever 16 by means of screws 31 threaded in said lugs 28, as best seen in Fig. 10, so as to turn with the handie. The lock barrel 18 passes through a central opening of the lighting switch driver 30 and forms the bearing for a. sheet metal disc 32 which will be referred to as a connector disc since it serves to connect the lighting switch driver 30 with the lighting iii 'switch switch disc to be later described. The driving connection between the lighting switch driver 30 and the connecting disc 32 is formed by fingers 33 projecting from the edge of the former and entering notches in the edge of the latter. Some of the fingers 33, preferably two that are diametrically opposite as shown in Fig. 6, are provided with Tshaped ends 34 which are bentoutwardly until the parts are assembled and are then bent to a position in which they will engage the connecting disc and prevent its withdrawal from the locking barrel 18 even .though it is under the pressure of a coil spring (57 surrounding the locking barrel and hearing at one end against the lighting driver 30 and at the other end against a. fibre washer 35 placed against the connector disc 32.

An insulating washer 36 is connected to the back of connector disc by means of rivets 37 and a sheet metal contact disc 38 is riveted to the insulating washer 36 in such a manner as to avoid electrical connection with the connector disc 32.

The lighting contact disc 38 is "formed with a cylindrical portion between its contact rim and its connecting flange so as to place the contact rim in a plane distant from the connector disc. The contact flange of the lighting contact disc 38 is provided with depressions 39 to fit over the rounded heads of contact studs 40 formed by rivets passing through the terminal head and serving to attach binding posts thereto. In certain places the contact rim is provided with openings 66 instead of the usual depressions 39 to clear the contact studs and avoid contact with them and the edges of these openings are depressed or rounded to freely ride over the rounded heads of the contact studs so as not to obstruct the turning movement of the lighting switch.

The binding posts are formed of strips of sheet metal bent to form a nut housing between them and riveted to the terminal head by means of the terminal studs 40 as mentioned. As shown each binding post consistsof a pair of angularly bent strips 41 and 42, the right angular bend thereof placing them in parallel planes at right angles to the terminal head. The three edges of strip 41 are bent toward strip 42 to form a box like housing enclosing an ordinary nut 43. Both strips have register ing openings through which a screw 44 is passed and threaded through the nut and the end of the strip 42 is provided with ears projecting outwardly on either side of the head of screw 44 to form a guide and guard for the terminal of a connecting wire, not shown, and aid the head of the screw 44 in clamping it in place in the well known manner. To key the binding posts in position and prevent them from turning on the contact rivets the end of strip 41 is provid ed with a narrow tongue 46 bent over the end of strip 42 and entering the terminal head 21.

As show in Figs. 4, 10 and 11, the edge of the front plate 15 around the opening throughwhich the lock barrel 18 passes is bent upwardly and inwardly to form an annular. groove between it and the edge of the lighting switch driver 30 and in this groove is confined a flange 47 projecting from the lock barrel and extending approximately half way therearound. A stop lug 48 projects from the edge of the opening of the front plate into the unoccupied portion of the groove to be engaged by the ends of the flange and so limit the turning movements of the lock barrel and determine the two extreme positions thereof in which the key 49 is slit radially to form projections which alternately engage above and below the bent edge of the opening of the front plate and are embedded therein by pressure so as to securely hold the lock sleeve in place against rotation.

A thrust washer 50, split to acconunodate stop lug 48, is positioned between the flange 47 and the spliced connection between lock sleeve 49 and front plate 15 and prevents the engagement, of the ends of said flange with any projections on this connection so that the lock barrel may be freely turned by means of the key.

The lock barrel 18, as seen in Fig. 10. provided with a number of tumbler slides 51 slidable transversely therethrough and aligned with the surface of the lock barrel by the serrated edges of the key when the latter is properly inserted but adapted to project into rectangular openings in opposite sides of the lock sleeve 49 when the key is withdrawn. Thus the removal of the key not only deprives the ignition switch of its operating handle, but the lock barrel, by means of which the ignition switch operated, is positively locked against movement by the engagement of the tumblers 5i with the lock sleeve.

The end of the lock barrel 18 has a central bore or recess to receive a coilspring 53 and this end is also provided with a transverse slot leaving a pair of projections 54 on the sides thereof which fit within similarly shaped openings in an insulating disc contained within the cavity or cup-shaped cylindrical'portion of the lighting contact disc 38. The insulating disc 55 is free to slide on the projections 54 of the lock barrel and has the spring 53 bearing thereon to pressit outwardly toward the terminal head. A contact strap 56 extends diametrically across the 'face of the insulating disc and between the projections 54, though spaced far enough therefrom to avoid contact with them, and is held in place by having its ends bent into notches in the edge of the insulating disc, as seen in Fig. 10. Near one end the contact strap 56 is provided with a rounded projection 57 which in its arc of movement bears on a contact sector 58 secured to the terminal head by having tangs 59 projecting through the terminal head and bent over thereon. One of the tangs of the contact sector is pro vided with a binding post 60 riveted through it to make electrical connection therewith. There are rounded depressions 61 in the face of the contactsector. in which the rounded projection 57 fits in the three operative positions of the ignition switch to form a click or detent. The other end of the contact strap 56 is adapted to sweep over a series of contacts 62, 63 and 64: with intermediate spacers 65. The contacts consist of rivets connected respectively to binding posts marked on the back of the terminal head to indicate battery, ground and magneto. The spacers 65 consist of metal staples with their ends embedded in the terminal head and serve to complete a metallic path for the contact stra and avoid the formation of a detent or click between its operative positions.

In operation the turning of the lighting switch lever 16, which in the present instance is not restrained by the lock mechanism, serves to turn the li hting switch driver 30 and thereby drive the spring-pressed contact disc 38 so as to bring the openings 66 thereof into register with the different contact studs 40 and so change the circuit connect-ions of the lighting circuitto effect the usual changes in lighting conditions. The turning of the ignition switch by means of the key turns the contact strap so that it connects the contact sector 58 with one of the three contact points so as to ground the ignition coil in the intermediate position, and connect it with the battery in one extreme position and with the magneto in the other extreme position. Neither of the switch members comes in contact with the insulating material of the terminal head so there is no danger of becoming fouled by scraping such material, but on the other hand the constant rubbing on metal surface tends to keep their contact faces bright. The contact disc 38 is in contact with three of the contact studs in any of its operative positions and its spring is therefore capable of pressing it into firm contact at all of its contact points. The coil spring as a means for holding the contacts together gives a wide range of movement which compensates for variations. The construct-ion of the terminal head is such that it may be made of a thin piece of fibre. The entire switch structure is of simple and inexpensive construe-- tion easily assembled. I I

\Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a switch a series of unyielding raised contact studs arranged in clrcular forma tion, a spring pressed rotatably mounted rigid contact disc bearing on the contact studs and provided with depressions to fit thereon in its different positions causing the contact disk to yield bodily against its spring pressure in order to move from one position to another, there being openings through the disc in place of certain depressions whereby contact studs are out of contact with the contact disc-in certain positions thereof.

2. In a switch a series of contacts, a sheet metal contact disc rotatably mounted to ride thereon, said contact disc being dished to form a central cavity or depression, a ret-a-tably mounted insulating disc within the central cavity or depression of the contact disc, and a switch member on the insulating disk engaging certain of the contacts.

3. In a switch an insulating terminal head, a sheet metal contact sector having depressions and having ears bent through the terminal head, a series of contact studs arranged opposite thereto and concentric therewith. and a rotatably mounted contact member bearing at its ends on the contact sector and contact studs respectively in its operative positions and provided with a projection to fit the depressions of the contact sector in said operative positions.

4. In a switch an insulating terminal head, a sheet metal contact sector mounted thereon, a series of contact studs arranged opposite thereto and concentric therewith, metal spacers positioned between the contact studs, and a rotatably mounted contact strip bearing at its ends on the contact sector and contact studs in its operative positions and traveling from one contact stud to the next over the metal spacer between them so as to have an all metal path of travel.

In a switch, a rotary shaft member, a rotatably mounted wring-pressed sheet metal dished contact disk surrounding the shaft and insulated therefrom, av springpresscd insulating disk carried by the shaft and located within the dished portion of the contact disk, a contact member thereon. contact-s engaged by the contact member and the contact disk, and separate means for turning the shaft and the contact disk.

(3. In a switch a front plate, a switch lever on one face thereof and a. cup-shaped driver on the other face thereof, means pass ing through the front plate for connecting them, ashaft passing through the switch lever and the front plate and the driver, a contact member rotatably mounted on the shaft and connected with the driver, a second contact member carried by the shaft, and contacts engaged by the cont-act mem bers.

7. In a switch a front plate, a switch lever on one face thereof and a cup-shaped driver on the other face thereof, means passing through the front plate for connecting them, a shaft passing through the switch lever and the front plate and the driver, a sheet metal contact disc rotatably mounted on the shaft and insulated therefrom, said contact disc being dished to form a central cavity and having connection with the driver, an insulating disc within the central cavity of the contact disc and keyed on the shaft, a contact member carried by the insulating disc, and contacts engaged by the contact disc and contact member.

8. In a switch. a front plate, a switch lever on one face thereof and a cup-shaped driver on the other face thereof, means passing through the front plate for connecting them, a. shaft passing through the switch lever and the front plate and the driver, a flange on the shaft fitting between the edge of the front plate and the edge of the driver, a stop lug on the front plate engaging the flange to limit the movements of the shaft, a dished contact disc, a. fibre disc secured thereto, a connecting disc mounted on the fibre disc and having notches in its edge, fingers extending from the edge of the driver andengaging the'notches in the edge of the connecting disc, an insulating disc within the recess of the contact disc, projections onv the shaft entering openings of the insulating disc, a spring surrounding the shaft for moving the contact disc. a spring within the shaft for moving the insulating disc, a switch member carried by the insulating disc, and contacts engaged by the switch member and the contact disc.

9. In a switch a front plate, a cup-shaped switch case secured thereto and having in dentations forming nut pockets between it and the front plate, nuts contained within the nut pockets, tongues bent up from the nut pockets to confine the nuts therein, a ter .iinal head fitting on the end of the switch case, and screws passing through the terminal. head. and threaded in the nuts.

10. A binding post consisting of a pair of sheet metal angular strips, the end of one secured on. the end of the other and to support, the other ends of said strips being spaced apart, a nut positioned. between them, flanges on one strip bent toward the other strip to confine the nut, and screws passing through openings in the strips and threaded in the nut.

ees 2'29 11. In a switch a terminal head, a rivetpassing therethrough to constitute a contact stud, a pair of angular sheet metal strips with the end of one secured on the end of the other and to the back of the terminal head by means of said rivet, the other ends of said strips being spaced apart, a nut positioned between them, flanges on one strip extending toward the other strip to confine the nut, and a screw passing through openings in the strips and threaded int-he nut.

12. In a switch, a switch handle, a movably mounted rigid switch member having a driving connection with the handle, a series of contacts upon which the switch member bears throughout its movements so as not to engage insulation between them, said switch member being shaped to avoid con tact with some ofthe contacts in certain positions thereof, and a spring between the handle and the switch member for holding the switch member in engagement with the contacts.

13. In a switch, a switch-case, a frontplate secured to the end thereof and provided with an opening, and a cylindrical lock sleeve with an outwardly extending flange at its end split to form tongues engaging alternately above and below the edge of the opening,v of the front-plate, said tongues being embedded in the edge ofthe opening of the front-plate to securely hold the lock sleeve in place against rotation.

14:. In a switch, a switch-case, a frontplate secured to the end of the switch-case and provided with an opening in a raised central portion thereof, a lock sleeve having an outwardly extending flange at its end split to form tongues engaging above and belowthe edge of the opening, and a lock barrel tting in the loclr sleeve and provided with a flange confined in the space between the raised portion of the front-plate and the end of the switclrcase.

15. In a switch, a switch-case, a frontplate secured to the end. of the switch-case and provided with a central raised portion having an opening, a cylindrical lock sleeve with an outwardly extending flange on its end split to form tongues engaging above and below the edge of the opening, a lock barrel contained in the lock sleeve and provided with a flange confined in the space between the raised portion of the front-plate and the end of the switch-case, and a stop lug in said space engaged by the flange for limiting the movements of the lock barrel.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

EDGAR M. SORENG.

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