US2571468A - Cantilever shiftable switch blade - Google Patents

Description

Get. 16, 1951 A, MlLLER 2,571,468

CANTILEVER SHIF'TABLE SWITCH BLADE Filed Oct. 22, 1947 Patented Oct. 16, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CANTILEVER SHIF'IABLE SWITCH BLADE Edwin August Miller, Fairfield, Conn. Application October 22, 1947, Serial No. 781,333

4 Claims. (01. 20067) This invention relates to cantilever switch blades and more particularly to a longitudinally movable switch blade increasing a normal length of opening therethrough for operation therein of a movable part.

The objects of the invention are to provide a self-adjustable longitudinal movement of a switch blade thereby regulating the degree of the blades distortion, the release of which determines its snap-action between fixed stops; to provide for such a switch blade a resilient support permitting tolerance in blade longitudinal movement; and to provide such switch blade with a link-extended compression member the operation of which forces blade longitudinal movement.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, the Figure 1 is a plan View of the improved switch blade; Figure 2 is a side elevation of said switch blade; Figure 3 is a side elevation of a slightly modified device; Figure 4 is a side elevation of a partially operated device; and Figure 5 is a side elevation of a fully operated device.

With more particular reference to the accompanying drawing, the numeral I designates the body frame of the blade. The longitudinal opening 2, within the body frame I, extends substantially the length thereof. A fixed base support 3 extends through, and intersects said opening 2 intermediate thereof. Supported by the base 3 is one end of a looped spring 4 of which the opposite end is carried at one end of the opening 2 of the body fram I and depending therefrom, the free extremity of the body frame I, as at 5 having an oscillating movement between fixed stops 6 and I, said free extremity 5 being provided, as illustrated by the Figure 2, with upper and lower contacts 8 and 9. The compression arm III has an end II secured to said base 3, the free extremity I2 of the arm I having a hinged connection with a rigid link I4 of which the opposite link end is hinged to the body frame I within the opening 2 at the free end thereof. While the compression arm is illustrated as integral with the looped spring 4 they may be separate parts as set forth above. Actuator I5 has an end I5A engaged upon an upper surface of the compression arm III, as illustrated by the Figure 2, in readiness for a pressed operation of the arm III.

In use, the operation of the device, as illustrated by the Figures 1 and 2, manual or other pressure is applied to the actuator I5 to force the link-extended compression arm III to approximately the position illustrated by the Figure 4 to within the plane of the body frame I, the

contact 9 still being in engagement with the stop 'I. With a slight further pressure of the actuator I5, the link-extended compression arm I0 is released from its centered position with respect to the body frame I and, with a snap-action, suddenly assumes the approximate position illustrated by the Figure 5 in which the body frame I, having been released from its distorted condition, has been moved into engagement with the stop 6.

It is to be noted that, as illustrated by the Figure 2, the normal opening 2 available for operation therethrough of the link-extended compression arm III, is limited in'movement between the dotted lines I 6 and I 1. Upon the partial operation of the device to the position illustrated by the Figure 4 the opening 2 is increased to between the dotted lines I6 and I8, the normal opening 2 being restored upon the full operation of the device to within the dotted lines I6 and II as illustrated by the Figure 5.

The said normal opening 2 is subject to such increase or decrease according to the degree of shifting movement provided by the structure of the device. In any event, any increase of the normal opening 2 must be short of that which would permit the link-extended arm II) to pass through the increased opening 2 without distorting the body frame I.

The Figure 3 illustrates a slight modification of the device, such modification not changing the operation of the compression arm II! with its extension I4 through the increased opening 2, as already explained with respect to the preferred form. In the modified form, upper and lower contacts 8A and 9A are carried by the free extremity of the compression arm I 0 instead of being carried upon the free end of the body frame I, as at 8 and 9, the contacts 8A and 9A being movable between the fixed stops 6A and IA. Stops I9 and 253 limit the oscillation of the free extremity 5 of the body frame I, and stops 2I and 22 limit movement of opposite end.

While the stops 6, I, 6A, IA, I9 and 20 are shown and described as being fixed, they, or any of them, may be yielding, if desired.

If a maintained type of operation of the device, as preferred or modified, is desired in both extreme positions of the movable parts of the device, the actuator I5 may include means (not illustrated) for operation thereof, manually or otherwise, at both ends thereof.

I claim:

1. A snap switch comprising a casing having a support and a switch blade, said blade having two oscillating members of which one member is securely mounted upon said support and the other member is provided along its length with an opening therethrough; contacts with which the forward end of said other member is provided; a spring having one end secured to and bodily located at the rear of said support said spring connecting one end of each of said members and providing for the member not securely mounted a limited floating and longitudinal movement against a forced compression of said spring; a pair of stops adjacent each end of the unsecurely mountedmember limiting oscillating movement thereof; a tiltable rigid link extendingly hinged to the free end of the securely mounted member and to the forward end of the said other member at said opening, the normal forwardly position of said other member not being sufficient to allow the extendingly hinged member to pass into said opening during the normal tilted position of said link until manually forced therethrough and thereby changing the position of said other member longitudinally forward against the pressure of said spring; and means for manually moving said extendingly hinged member whereby the free extremities of both members are oscillated in opposite directions with a snap action to engage one of said contacts with one of said stops.

2. A switch blade associated with a support and providing a bodily floating oscillating member with an opening therethrough and having a longitudinal movement relative to said support; a contact carried by the opposite surfaces at the forward end of said member and movable therewith between fixed stops; a compression arm having an intermediate portion thereof secured to said support and a free portion extending forwardly, the portion of said arm at the rear of said support providing a looped spring dependingly supporting the rear end of said oscillating member; a bodily tiltable rigid link having at one end a hinged connection with said free portion of the compression arm, said link at its other end having a hinged connection with said forward end of said oscillating member within said opening; and an actuator by which the compression arm is manually moved into the plane of said opening and said oscillating memberlongitudinally shifted against the pressure of said spring and upon the further movement of said actuator the compression arm is thrown snap-actingly below said plane and the free extremities of said member and said compression arm are moved in opposite directions whereby one of said contacts is engaged with one of said stops, the release of said actuator restoring said member and said arm to normal positions.

3. A switch blade associated with a support and providing a floating oscillating member with a longitudinal movement relative to said support, said member having an opening therethrough; a

contact carried by opposite surfaces at the forward end of said member and movable therewith between fixed stops; a compression arm secured to said support and having a free end extending forwardly; spring means having an end fixed to said support and the other end supporting the rear end of said oscillating member, said spring mean being bodily located at the rear of said support; a bodily tiltable rigid link having one end hinged to said free end of the compression arm, the said link at the other end having a hinged connection within said opening at the forward end of said oscillating member; and an actuator by which the forward end of the compression arm may be moved manually within said opening of the oscillating member which is thereby longitudinally shifted against the pressure of said spring means, said compression arm is thrown below the plane of the oscillating member when the actuator is depressed to cause one of the contact to snap into engagement with one of said stops.

4. A switch blade associated with a support and providing a floating oscillating member with a longitudinal movement relative to said support, said member having an opening therethrough; a contact carried by opposite surfaces at the forward end of said member and movable therewith between fixed stops; other fixed stops adjacent the opposite end of said member whereby said member is given a limited oscillated movement therebetween; a compression arm secured to said support and having a free end extending 'for wardly; spring means having an end fixed to said support and the other end supporting the rear end of said oscillating member, said spring means being bodily located at the rear of said support; a bodily tiltable link having one end hinged to said free end of the compression arm, said link at the other end having a hinged connection within said opening at said forward end of the oscillating member; and an actuator by which the forward end of the compression arm may be moved manually within said opening of the oscillating member which is thereby longitudinally shifted against the pressure of said spring and oscillated at both ends.

EDWIN AUGUST MILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,959,205 Hanel May 15, 1934 2,135,864 Weber Nov. 8, 1938 2,387,089 Peterson et al. Oct. 16, 1945 2,417,652 Kunzler Mar. 18, 1947

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