US1513059A - Circuit breaker - Google Patents

Description

A. MEYER ET AL CIRCUIT BREAKER Filed June 8, 1922 .7 WM 1. M

flitargzey Patented Oct. 28, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENTJ' OFFICE.

CIRCUIT BREAKER.

Application filed June 8,

To all whom/it may concern: it known that we, ADOLPH MEYER and WiLmAM" A. Green, citizens-rot the United States, residing at Albany, county of Al'- I bany, and State of New York, have. invented certain new. and useful Improvements in Circuit Breakers, of which the following is a specification.

Reference may be had to the accompany- 1 ing drawings, and the reference characters marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. Similar characters refer to similar parts in the several figures therein.

The principal object of the invention is to obtain a more perfect contact or-engagement between the points of a circuit-breaker, and particularly .of a circuit-breaker such as is used in the ignition systems of auto mobiles or the like.

Other objects'.will appear in connection with the following description.

Fig. 1 of the drawings is atop plan view of a' circuit-breaker, the. general construction of which is of a well known type used in automobile ignition systems; showing the contact-members mounted in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a broken away portion of the same on an enlarged scale and partly in cross-section.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken on the broken line in Fig. 2 through the shankof the contact-member mounted upon the 7 breaker-arrm.

Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on the broken line 4-4 in Fig. 2-, through oneof the contact-points.

Referring to the drawings wherein the invention is shown in preferred form, 1 is the rotor of the circuit-breaker which operates in the usual manner, causing its cam-member, 2, to intermittently engage a cam-follower, 3, on the breaker-arm, 4, to cause separation of the contacts or breakerpoints, 5 and 6.

The return movement of the breaker-arm, 4, whereby the contacts or breaker-points, '5 and 6 are brought together, is automatically caused by a spring, 7 in the usual 3 manner. r The'breaker-point, 6, is mounted upon the post orbracket, 8, while the breaker-point,

5, is mounted upon the breaker-arm, 4.

As shown in Fig. 2, the breaker-point, 5, is formed as part of a contact-member inbinding a. screw-thread d Shan and a 1922. Serial No. 566,843.

spherical portion, 10, between the shank, 9, and the contact-point, 5.

.;The -breaker-arm, 4, is formed with a I spherical socket, 11, adapted to receive the spherical portion, 10, of the contact-member bearing the contact-point, 5, and provided with an aperture, 12, adapted to freely or loosely receive said screw-threaded shank, 9. Fitting the screw-threaded shank, 9, is a nut, 13, adapted to engage a washer, 14,

which in turn engages the breaker-arm, 4.

Between, the nut, 13, and the washer, 14, I'preferably interpose a spiral spring, 15.

The contact-member bearing the contactpoint, 5, is thus rockablymounted upon the breaker-arm, 4, can be adjusted by rocking-the spherical portion, 10, within the socket. 11, to cause the contact-point, 5, to hear flatly against the cooperative contactpoint, 6.

In' setting up the mechanism, the nut, 13, is loosened to permit the contact-member bearing the contact-point, 5, to be rocked :to bring its contact-surface flatly against the contact-surfaceof the neighboring contact-point, '6.

When the contact-member bearing the contact-point, 5, has been thus rockablv adjusted, it is secured in fixed adjusted relation to the breaker-Farm, 4, by setting up "the nut, 13. i I am'thus able to readily make a flat contact between the contact-points, 5 and 6.

To further facilitate adjustment of the contact-points, we preferably form the contact-point, 6, as part of a contact-member, including aspherical portion, 16, and a screwthreaded shank 17, which spherical portion, 16, engages a spherical socket, 18, in the breaker-post or bracket, 8, which socket is provided with an aperture, 20, to freely receive the shank, 17.

Fitting the screw-threaded shank, 17, is a nut, 21, which engages the socket, 18, through the interposed coil-spring, 22, and washer, 23.

The contact-members bearing the contactpoints, 5 and 6, can thus be rocked upon their, respective supports to bring them into flat contact with each other, and then each contact-member may be locked in fixed relation to its respective supporting member. One or both of the contact-points, 5 and 6, is preferably formed offset or eccentric to the axis of its supporting member, as shown in Fig. 4, whereby we are able by a rotative movement of said contact-member about its axis to project its contact-point in any desired direction transversely of the axis of the contact-member.

Variations in vertical or horizontal position of a contact-point can thus be readily compensated for. Y

For certain purposesof the invention, one only of the contact-members maybe rockably or eccentrically mounted in the manner above dscribed.

The means for connecting the circuitbreaker in an electric circuit are not shown, as the same are well understood in the art.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Ina circuit-breaker and in combination, a contact-member, and a supporting member, said members being formed with cooperative spherical bearing-surfaces; means for securing said contact-member in selected angular position upon said supporting member, and rotary about its longitudinal axis, and having its contact-end offset with respect to said axis; and means for securing said rotary contactmember against rotation; and a second contact-member, one of said contact-members being movable toward and from the other.

2. In a circuit-breaker and in combination, a pair of contact-supporting members, one movable toward and from the other; a pair of contacts supported by the respective contact-supporting members, one of said contacts and its supporting member having cooperative spherical bearing-surfaces, said contact-member being rotatory about its longitudina'l axis and having an end contactsurface offset with respect to said axis; and means for securing said contact in fixed angular position rockably and rotatively with respect to its supporting member.

3. In a circuit-breaker and in combination a support formed with a spherical socket provided with an aperture; a contact-memher having a contact-surface on one, end, a rotatable screw-threaded shank on its other end projecting loosely through saidisocket aperture, said contact member being arranged eccentrically with respect to the axis of the shank, and an intermediate spherical portion rockahly seated in said socket; a

nut on the projecting end of said shank,

\\'l1ereb v the contact-member can be secured in selected angular relation to its support 'and laterally displaced with respect to the axis of the contact member; and a second contact-member, one of said contact-members being movable toward and from the other.

4. In a circuit-breaker and in combination, a support formed with a spherical socket provided with an aperture; a contact-member having atone end a screw- 'threadcd shank, projecting loosely through said aperture, at its other end a contactsurface eccentric with respectto said shank, and an intermedlate spherical portion rockably seated in said socket; a nut on the projecting end of said shank, whereby the con- ADOLPH MEYER.-

WILLIAM A. GLOCK.

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