US1399488A - Safety starting-switch - Google Patents

Description

H. F. KRANTZ. SAFETY STARTING SWITCH. APPLlcArlon mtu umu. |916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l Patented Dec. 6, 1921.,

A Swuano'c m. ,Umm

H. F. KRANTZ.

SAFETY STARTING SWITCH.

AFPLKCATIDN FILED HAR. 22. IBIS.

1,899,488, Patentd Dec. 6, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUBERT F. KRANTZ, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AssI'GNon To xnANTz MANUFAc- TURING COMPANY, INC., or BROOKLYN, NEW Yonx, A CORPORATION oF NEW YUBK.

SAFETY STARTING-SXVITGH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dee. o, 1921.

Application filed March 22, 1916. Serial No. 85,854.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HUBERT F. Kim-NT2, :1 citizen ofthe United States, and residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Safety Starting-Switeh, of which the following specification is a full disclosure.

This invention deals with a switch-mechanism, and it proposes an arrangement of which safety is its chief attribute, so that Such accidents as have heretofore occurred through lcareless handling will be materially diminished.

One objectA is to create an instrumentalityr usefulffor electric; motors, and which will overcome-two defects, to wit the danger of coming into contact `with live elements, and second, the liability of prematurely blowing thefuses before the baclr electromotive force ofjthe; motor has risen to its normal running' point.

Another object is to develop a motortart-erin-which the switch-devices are semipermanently concealedand in which vthe `{dise-holder is easily accessible through the merefopening 'a door or panel and in which thefdoor is so. connected to the switchdevices that.the Afuse-clips will, of necessity, -be-ffdeadffwhenever the door is open.

Anotherobject-.oi this invention is to renvder available a connection between the switchLoperating handle and the door covering the-fusefcompartment, such that the handlewillse'rve to lock, the door from displacement.2 whenever any1-of the currentcarrying-parts' are connected through the Switches of Vthe -m'ain-lne.

A fur-ther object is to provide a motor starting switch combined with a fuse element and soarranged that the first inrush of currentthrou hthe motor will be shunted past-thejuse, an very shortly thereafter the normal motor current will switch entirely `through 'said fuse, and in which the fuse is inclosed Within a compartment, which of necessity must be closed whenever the fuse is carrying'a current and is likely to be blown.

Other objects will be in part obvious from the annexed drawings and in part indicated in connection therewith by thc following analysis of this invention.

4 This invention accordingly consists iu the features of construction, combination of parts and in the unique relations of the members and in the relative proportioning and disposition thereof; all as more completely outlined herein.

To enable others skilled" in the art so fully to comprehend the underlying-fea tures thereof that they may embody the same by the numerous modifications in structure and relation contemplated by this invention, drawings depicting a preferred form have been annexed as a part of this disclosure, and in such drawings,fl ikechar actors of reference denote .corresponding parts throughout all the views, of which-:v-

Figure 1 isa longitudinal section, through line 1-1 of Fig. 2^- showing the switches in open circuit position corresponding to the oi'- position of the starting device. In this position it will be. seen that vthe door may be readily` openedand closed., -Fig. Y2 iS a, Section throughfdill 0f .Fig-i1 showing thermanner inwhich' a tier of fuses andswitchesis used for a three .wire system. Continuingxnow byA way.offagmore detailed deseription-.of thisembodiment, the invention contemplates any suitablehousing, such forexample, as the iron box'Aconsisting-of side walls 1 and 2the end walls 3 and 4, the bottom' 4:1 andazdisplaceable cover plate B. .These parte ,mayE conveniently made of metal, `and the inclosedfspacels divided into two. main compartments Cv and D, by. means of a partition -oi insulating material.v Access to the compartment may be had through the vdinjr B and thls coni,- partmentV is utilized forfcontaining Athejuse holders anduses .oranyn other, .,elements u which are likely to need requentinspection or replacement. The compartment D, however, isA primarily intended forA the switch devices andother partswhlch. will need to be inspected or repairdat infrequent periods, and then only by experts. The partition E is used, so to speak, to permanently lock access to the compartment D, although it, ofcourse, may be unscrewed ioo and displaced by expertrskill. It is intend- "sis Yni

'l so rent carrying devices and therefore it will suflice to describe one. The terminalleading to. the' motor is indicated by. 5e and the arrangement and operation is such that at the moment of starting the motor when an excess current is needed, the terminal 5E is connected dir'eetly ,with the bus bar by means of a switch blade 5* through the connection 5y. Shortly thereafter, however',t`he supply of current is derived through the fuseff'by'meansvofithe Syri-tch blade 5and the Vconnections 5"' and 5; fand' the' switch blade 5x is thrown out of operation. This is ao'eorriplished1th r'o11,f:{h the following instrurentalityzf if f 'f' The switch blade 5 is mounted i n a rocker F feonsisti'i'igV of q'side' andl 9'2Whil3l'1' are pivotal'ly mounted felt :their ends, as "for example; in the side-rail 9 at theone endend in; the s i'ldeof the/ box 1-l onthe other end. The sw'iteh1 blades', 6" and 7x 'stre'V composed of-laminefof'copp", b o'un'd together at their intermediateponat s rid secpedto thehbldei- 141A so" as t'o eirtj'e'ndin 'oppositejdireeti'onsv dianiet'rieallyf, from' theafxis thereof, one for each biis 'ba."fThis rocker F fis normally urged into i ts"interniediate position shown 1 byv ineens of a spring 10 operating through the 'lever'armll' which intur'n is liniited its mo'vment bythe stop 12. The 'free end' the, lever, 11 mies a pin 1a w'livliiehI rides f 'ii'i a jsl'otfl in the" end `of a linkt Gifhieh is "pinete-d at l5-to the endof 'a hand lever H which 4in 'turn is arranged at"the*side4 of the bon: and is mounted' in thebearing''16.'5'A New, vis'fpull'ed "into they positioriwindicatedby Sti'twnd this has the effeot-of Stringing the switch blade 5xv so'that its one end cfontacts directly` with the bus bar 5 and its other end `with the eontact 5y. This position is held yonly momentarily because the motor isnow unprotected by any fuseyiind therefore-the lever H willshortly thereafter be brought to itsnormal running position inclicate d by Run= and this permitsthe springfl() ltoswin'g the srs'itch blade 5 into its intermediate -position vwhich is determined bythe stop 12. ltwll be notedfth'at the slot 14 provides a certain'amonnt of lost motion and the purpose of this is to permit t'liewlinlr G :1nd the different switeh blades 5* and 5x to be differentially positioned as will be explained.

The normal running of the motor is ef- "0 start; the n'tor, theA handle H fected through the `other switch 5 which is mounted on the rocker l in a manner analo gous to that explained lin connection with the switch blade 5*, but a different meehanism is interposed for controlling the rocker l. Thus a toggle. is formed of the link J swaying about the tixed'pivot 16 and connected through the floating pin 17 with the floating link K, which latter in turn is Vposition indicated by Start, thetoggle lto open pivoted at 18 to the arm 19 extending from the rocker I, The floating ,pivot` 1 7 rides in the elongated slot 20,vof the link (fr, so that when the handle H is svi/unl into the will he erected and thrown slightly over its dead center against the pin 21 withthe consequence that the switch blade 5" is flexed with its one end pressing against the Contact 5" carrying current to the fuse 5C. ln the same .position of" the lever-V the switch blade 5 hasshort-circuitedtlie-filse 5; but'upon returning theh'andleH to the position indcatedby Bun, the 'brush.5 (the ru'nningjbrush)vrillrernain in place due "to 'the free-'playbetween 'the 'piI--flfl'in the slot 20, While theA otherfbrushliill open. This is the normal 'running 'posi'ion of the parts and Vit'nfill be maintained u n'til the lever'H' is again'returned to off posi-"- tion whenthe V"end of the 'slotf20iwifll ".impact the pin 17 and break thevtoggle soies toA enable the yspring to swingfthefroker Iintofitsintermediateposition;:lf E',-

f The provision of' t'heffus'e'sc presupposes an occasional blowingmthereof 'and a Eoor` responding necessity for their replacement; and heretofore vvusersfhave fbeerr injured by through L current by means of the switcher -uchf acei- Adents are v"entirely 'overcoinegby `provision of a oonneetio'nf'be'tiwieenlfthe'corel-PB `and some 'part movablefw1ith the: switch' of such a nature aindsoarranged thatitfisim 100 possible forthe doorlto be `ini-its'fopen posiL tion unlessthes'witehis'in its1 open eirehi't position' with v he 4fuse hol-der deadf. My'fan rangement is suchfthat suece'ssful attempt the doreompe'ls'a setting? of t e '105 switch-into its'jopeneruit position; and preferably alsot it'. `prevents' the switch 'from being moved ,backint'o' its 'closed eirc'uit'position while :the door vremains open.'V In the preferred e` bodimentillus'trated lherein 110 'the switch controlsthe movement |of the door when the latterl'is closed and the door controls the movement ofthe element Lwhen it isopened.1 This'iselectedby a two part device which, -forthe sake of simplicity, may

assume the 'form of a' cm inthe nature of a pin and slot. That is to say, the slot is made up of two parts; the one locking the door down when the vswiteh is closed and the other locking the switch open Iwhen the door is open.

Referring to the drawings, L indicates a plate secured in this instance to the rover B and extending alongside the arm M which Ais fast to the axle of the handle H so as to move in correspondence with Ythe switch.

This plate L has a door locking groove Z and a switch locking groove m and a pin or other element 21 is'carrvied by the arm M and rides in the above mentioned portions of said slot. The slot Z, or at least its effective portion to wit the convex shoulder' or surface thereof is cut or formed so that all of its portions may lie equally distant from the path of movement from the lever M which in this case is the axis of the handle H. In other words the slot is concentric with res l ct to the pivotal point of the member M. Il-lere, it is therefore instanced as a circular arc. One the other hand the groove m or the concave bearing surface formed thereby, is equi-distant from the path of movement of the cover B and, as in this instance, such cover is hinged at 22, the slot will be in the form of a circular arc struck about 22 as its center. By reason of this construction, it will now be understood that when the cover B is closed, th-e handle H can be readily shifted from one position to another, inasmuch as the pin 2l can always move freely from one end of the slot Z to its other end. The pin, however, cannot enter the groove m unless the cover be opened and, when it is fully opened, the pain may enter the socket 23 and retain the cover in Aits open position, leaving both hands free to handle the fuses. When the cover has. thus been openedA it will be seen that the lever H will be constrained within its oil position in which the switches are botli opened and the fuse holders areall dead. A latch N of any desired construction may also be employed, if desired, and may be provided with a lock to prevent unauthorz'ed persons from interfering with the us or changing the capacity thereof.

Without further analysis, the foregoing Willv so-fully reveal the gist of this invention that others can by applying current 40 knowledge read-ily adapt it for various applications Without omitting certain features that, from the standpioint of the prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of thegeneric or Specific aspects of this invention, and Vtherefore such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended Within the meaning'and range of equivalency of the following claims.

YHaving thus revealed this invention, I claim as new and desire to secure the fot lowing combinations of elements, or equivalents thereof, by Letters Patent of the' United States 1. A motor starting switch mechanism comprising a casing having a front wall constituting a door giving access into the cas ing, a plate of insulating material arranged wi thin the casing spaced from; the door, a barrierofinsulating material within the casing 6 0 arranged between the insulating plate and the door substantially parallel with the insulating plate to form a use compartment between itself and the door accessible when the door is open and to form a guarded switch compartment between itself and the insulating plate relatively inaccessible whether the door is open or closed, an elongated contact member extending along the front face of the insulating plate within the switch compartment, a startmg switch and a. running switch spaced apart alon the length of said elongated contact mem r, a pair of separate contacts one for each of said switches, Said separate contacts being supported by said barrier spaced from the elongated Contact member and from each other withinthe switch compartment, each of said switches comprising a switch blade movable to open and close connection between the elongated contact and the respec- 80 tive adjacent separate contact, fuse holders at the opposite side of said barrier to retain the fuse within the fuse compartment, means. for connecting the fuse holders to the-fre? spective separate contacts, means v'foi-*connecting an incoming conductor to saidelon` gated contact, means for connecting anou'tgoing conductor to the separatev contact asso-1 cated with the starting switch, andmeans for zwtuating said switches with relation to'. each other. 2. A switching device comprising an in-p. closing casing, a door in the front-wall thereof to give access therein, a plate ofV inf.. sulating material arranged the cas# in spaced from VAthe door, a' barrier of sulzating material the casing er ranged between the insulating plate and the' door substantially parallel wlth' the :insulat ing plate to form a fuse compartment 100 tween itself and the door accessible when the door is open and to form aguarded switch compartment between itself and the insulating plate that is inaccessible, anV e101V gated contact member extendngalong'theliob front of the insulating plate'withn the?" switch compartment, a contact member dis'- posed at one side of the barrier Within the switch compartment, a switch for engaging the Contact members, a fuse disposed onthe barrier in the fuse compartment and connected to one of the contact members, and means for actuating the switch.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name, as attested by the two Subscribing witnesses.

HUBERT F. KRANTZ. lWitnesses:

IA A. NEWTON, S. L. Wmrcocir.

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