US1922235A - Switching mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 15, 1933. A. DOUGLAS SWITCHING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 6, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet, l

A g- 15, 1933- H. A. DOUGLAS SWITCHING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 6, 1932 Patented Au 15, 1933 UNITED STATES rATENT FFicE:

This invention relates to switchingmechanism more. particularly for automotive vehicles and electrical circuits associated therewith.

My invention is of particular utility in connection with switching mechanism which is assembled with the lower end of the steering column of an automotive vehicle, the switching mechanism being actuated by means located adjacent the upper end of the steering column.

Among other objects, the invention provides improved switching mechanism including an insulated.- contact keyed to rotate with a shaft and complementary contacts arranged in concentric arcs on one side of the axis of the shaft, associated. with improved means for effecting a snap action of the contact.

The invention will be more fully explainedby reference to the illustrative construction shown in the accompanying drawings; in which Figure 1' is a partial end view taken in the region of the steering wheel; 7

Figure 2 is a view partially in section; of an inclined steering column with my invention applied thereto;

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3Qof Figure 5 and showing diagrammatically illustrative circuits associated. therewith;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 5'; t

Figure 5 is a cross section taken on the line 55 of. Figure 2 andsorriewhat enlarged;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of some of the complementary contacts in separated relation Figure '7 is a perspective View of another com- 35 plementary contact;

Figure 8 is a plan view of the movable contact contemplated by my invention;

Figure 9 is a partial section takenon the line 99 of Figure 5; and r Figure 10 is a perspective View of the illustrative movable contact.

The switch actuating mechanism illustrated is inclusive of a rotatable hollow inclined shaft 1 which passes through a sleeve 2 (Figs. 4, 5) fixed 45 thereon-by means of a clamping nut'3 which is screwed upon the tapered and longitudinally split threaded end 4 of the sleeve 2. A contact carrier here represented by the metallic clip' 5 snugly embraces the sleeve 2. v The r sleeve embracing .portion of the clip 5 is desirably formed with tongues 6 (Fig. 9) which are struck inwardly toenter' asl'ot '7 in the sleeve 2, thereby keying the clip to the sleeve. In this instance, the clip'5 has its sides Sexterided and overlapped as at 8a to-form -a radially extending bore 9 of square erally' disposed-flanges 19 ofthe casing sections conducting bridge between complementary con-' tacts carried by andwithina casing 13 Within which the'clip; 5 rotates. In accordance with my invention these complementary contacts arearranged inconcentric arcs upon the upper side of the axis of the shaft 1. Oneof these complementary contacts is desirably produced the form of an arcuate metallic plate 14,- one end of which is mechanically and electrically connected to ametallic terminal post 15 which is carried 5 by a semi-cylindrical insulatingwall member 16 fixed securely to and forming a part of the casing 13',-as by being suitably clamped between the cup-shaped sections 1;? and 18 of the casing, latentering appropriately'formed slots in the insu lating wall member. Thecasing 13 is conveniently ofgenerally cylindrical formation and-the twosections of the casing between which the in,-- sulating wall memberl6 is clamped may them,- selves be clamped together by ears 20 formed in a fiange21 on the casing-section '17, for example; and clinched over a mating flange 22 formed on the casing section 18. g Y I The arcuate plate 141 is slotted as'at 23 to re f ceive therethrough; the contact 12' and in thisinstance the insulating block- 10. Thecontact is shown provided with a hollow shank portion-24 of square cross sectionwhichis slidingly received in the bore 11, thebore 11' and the hollow shank portion 24 together housing a coil spring '25 which presses the contact 12 radially of-the shaft-1 and into engagement with complementary contacts arcuately disposed on the insulating wall-mem 6 ber 16- and in a; plane perpendicular to the shaft l-coincident with the plane of movement of the contact 12. The contact 12 is desirably pros. videdwith a somewhat dome-shaped. heads 26* which 7 seats in cup-shaped contact portions 2-7 of -metallic terminal members 28,v 29, B0; 131;..32 and 33. At its end; opposite the terminal 15-the plate- 141 is mechanically and electrically'icon ne'cted-to the metallic terminal post 34 carriedby the insulating wall member 16. I The terminal n members; 15 and 34 have reduced p01tiOI1 S I35 which pass through the wall member 16, the ends of the reduced portions 35 being passed through appropriate apertures in holding flanges 36 formed at each end of the plate 14, the extremities of the reduced portions 35 being spun over the flanges 36. Thus the plate 14 is held rigidly formation having spring metal branches 33 and 39 each of which has two spaced apart contact surfaces comprising, as here shown, two spring contact fingers 38a and 38b for the branch 38 and 39a, 39b for the branch 39. The spring fingers 38a and 39a may be integral and thespring fingers 38b and 3% may be integral, the fork members thus formed being secured to the main portion of the contact 12 by having a reduced portion 40 of the shaft,24 pass therethrough at the junction of the fork and the head 26 being riveted over the fingers.

The contact branches 38 and 39 thus formed project into engagement with the plate 14 by means of the spring fingers 38b and 39b and also by means of spring fingers 33a and 39a into engagement with other arcuate complementary contact plates disposed in the inner surface of the 'wall member 16, as next described.

One of these other complementary contacts is here represented by the arcuate metallic plate 41 which is imbedded in the wall member 16 abreast of and upon one side of the terminal members 29 to 33 inclusive. The plate 41 is ex tended as at 42 and through a perforation 43 in said extension the reduced portion 37 of the terminal member 29 passes and the'cup-shaped portion 27 of the terminal member is clinched over the extension 42, thus electrically connecting the plate'41 with the terminal member 29. The other complementary arcuate contact plate is represented by the metallic'plate 44 which is imbedded in the insulating wall member abreast of the terminal members 30,31, 32 and 33 and upon the opposite side of these members from the plate 41. a The plate 44 has a lateral extension 45 and through an aperture 46 in this extension is passed the reduced portion 37 of the terminal member 30 and the cup-shaped portion 27 of the terminal being clinched thereover, thus electrically connecting the plate 44 with the terminal member 30. ''The plate 41 is' disposed in a planeto be engaged by'the contact finger. 38a

of the contact 12 and the plate 44 is disposed in a plane to be engaged by the contact finger BQaof-the contact 12 during the arcuate move ment of the contact. Since the contactfinger 38b travels in the same plane as the contact finger 38a and the former is in engagement with the plate 14 during the arcuate movement of the contact 12, the branch 38 comprising the fingers 38a and 381) provides a current conductbridge between that plate and one of the terminal members 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 or 33 with which the head 26 of the contact 12 is in engagement at the time. To enhance the natural resiliency of the spring fingers 38a and 38b and 39a and 39b,

I have shown the coil springs 47 interposed between the fingers 38a and 38b and another such coil spring interposed between the fingers 39a and 392),,these springs being secured to tongues 48 struck out of the ends of the fingers. The coil springs desirably tendv to separate the fingers of each pair and maintain them pressed against their respective complementary contact plates.

An insulated wire 49 (Fig. 3) electrically conmay pass through the hollow shaft 1 to an insulated contact button '54, housed centrally of the cup-shaped casing 55 surrounding the upper end of the shaft land keyed torotate the shaft as by the rivet 56 passing through the walls of the shaft and the inturned hub 57 of the casing 55. This hub 57 also supports a hollow insulating sleeve 53 which insulates the metallic contact button 54in which the wire 53 terminates. To energize thehorn a metallic cap-59 is superposed upon the casing 55 but is normally spaced from the contact button 54 by the action of the 5- coil spring 60 housed by the casing. Movement of the cap 59 away from the casing 55 is limited by the closed end slots 61 in the casing and the, studs 62 which pass through the cap '59 and into the slots 61. The cap is thus depressible axially of the casing against the action "of the spring 60 and when so depressed engages the contact button 54 and a grounded circuit is completed to the horn through the casing 55, shaft 1, metal frame of the car and back to the other side of the battery. So constructed and arranged also rotation of the casing 55 rotates the shaft 1 to rotate the clip 5 carrying the movable contact 12.

When the clip 5 is in the position shown in Figure 5 the horn through the plate 14 in electrical connection with the battery as just explained. The contact 12 is insulated from the plate 14 since the fingers 38b and 3% are engaged by insulating inserts 63 carried by the plate 14 flush with the contacting surface of the plate as by being received in the depressed portions 64 of the plate 14. This constitutes the off position of the switch. When, however, the clip 5 is rotated so that the head 26 of the contact 12 is in engagement with the terminal 28 a circuit is established. through the grounded battery 50, plate l4, con tact,fingers 38b and 3%, terminal 28, insulated wire 65 and grounded parking lamps 66. .At. the same time a circuit is established throughthe grounded battery 56, plate 14, spring fingers 38b and 38a, plate 41, terminal 29, insulated wire 67, grounded rear lamp 6-3 and grounded instrument lamp 69. This constitutes one .po-

sition of the switch for night use when the vehicle is not in motion.

When the clip 5' is rotated to have the head 26 of the contact 12 in engagement with the terminal 30 a circuit'is established through the grounded battery 50,'plate 14, fingers 39b and 89a, terminal 30, insulated wire 30aand to the ignition system of the vehicle indicated diagrammatically at 7c. In this position of the contact 12 the spring contact finger 38a is out of engagement with the plate 41 since the plate at this point has its'contact surface discontinued, a short section lfi of the plate l1 being covered by the insulating wall member 16. Consequently, the circuit through the tail lamp 63 and instrument lamp 69 discontinued. While the spring finger 39a is inengagement with the plate 4 1 in this position of the switch, the plate 4a is merely a continuation of the terminal 30. This constitutes the daydriving position of the switch.

When the clip 5 is again rotatedtohave the head 26 of. the contact 12 in engagement with the terminal 31 a circuit is established through the grounded battery 50, wire to, plate 14, contact fingers 38b and 39b, terminal 31, insulated wire '77 and through the grounded filaments 78 of the driving lamps 79. The filaments 78 may be. the normal driving lights or" the vehicle as by being located in'the focus'of the lamps 79. At the same time a circuit is established through the grounded battery 50, wire 49, plate 14, contact fingers 39a and 3%, plate 44., terminal 30, wire Bilaand ignition system '70.. Also still another circuit is established .through the grounded battery 50, plate 14, contact fingers 38b and 38a, plate 411, wire 67 and through therear lamp 638 and instrument lamp 69. This constitutes the normal night driving position of the switch.

When the clip 5 is again rotated to have the headZS of the contact 12 in engagement with' the terminal 32 a circuit is established through the grounded battery 50, plate 14, contact fingers 38b and 3%, terminal 32, insulated wire 80 and through the grounded filaments 81 of the driving lamps 79. The filaments 81 may be the in termediate driving lights of the vehicle as by being located above the focus of the lamps 79. At the same time another circuit is established through the grounded battery 50, plate 14, contact fingers 39b and 39a, plate 14, wire 38a and to the ignition system 7o. Simultaneously also still another circuit is established through the grounded battery 50, plate 14, contact fingers 38b, 38a, plate 4+1, wired? through the rear lamp 68 and instrument lamp 659. This constitutes the position of the switch when the vehicle is passing another car, for example, at night.

When again the clip 5 is rotated to have the head 26011 the contact 12 in engagement with the terminal 33 a circuit is established through the grounded battery 50, plate 14, spring fingers 38b and 3%, terminal 33 and to the grounded reading lamp 82 of the vehicle. At the same time another circuit is established through the battery 56, plate 1d, contact fingers 39b and 39a, plate 44, wire 30:; and to the iginition system '70. Simultaneously also still another circuit is established through the battery 50, plate 14, contact fingers 38b and 38a, plate 41, wire 67 through the rear lamp 68 and instrument lamp 69. 'This constitutes a selected position of the switch in which the parking and driving lights are extinguished.

It is very desirable that the clip 5 shall move into its respective positions by a pronounced snap action and I have provided a simple and improved structure to accomplish this result which is inclusive of a corrugated surface carried by the casing 13 and a spring pressed rider carried by the clip 5 to engage said surface. In this instance, the clip 5 is continued radially of the shaft 1. and upon the diametrically opposite side of the shaft. from the insulating block" 1 3, two sides 83 of the .clip 5 thuscontinued being bent uponthemselves to provide a bore 84 which,

in this instance, is of square cross section and and outwardly of the bore 84 by a coil spring 86 housed by the bore 84 and the riders 85.. Each of these riders desirably has a V-shaped nose 87 which rides ,over the corrugated surfaces 88 formed in the walls of each of the casing sections 17 and 18, these corrugated surfaces having hills 89 and valleys 90 oppositely arranged and also arranged so that when the riders 87 are in the valleys 90, the head of thecontactlZ is centrally seated in one of the cup-shaped contact portions of the terminals 28 to 33 inclusive. Thus the contact must be moved from one terminal to the other against the action of the spring 86 and the hills 89. So arranged the spring 86 may be made of suitable capacity to effect thedesired snap action more or' less independently of the spring 25. I

Rotation of the casing 13 during rotation of the clip 5 may be prevented by any suitable means. For example, as here shown, the casing 13 may be provided with a rigid finger 91 which is received between the forked end 92 of a bracket 93suitably secured rigidly tothe gear casing 9% carried by the. stationary steering column 95.

The steering column may contain other rotatable shafts which do not enter into the present invention and therefore need not be described.

The rotatable casing 55 which rotatesthe shaft 1 may conveniently be provided with a pointer 96 and the different positions of this pointer corresponding to the respective positions of the contact l2.may be indicated upon a stationary dial plate9'7 fixed below the casing 55.

Common subject-matter disclosed in this applicationand in my copending application, Serial No. 584,444, filed January 2, 1932, (Case 321) is broadly claimed in said copending application.

Obviously, the invention is not limited to the specific details. of construction herein described for purposes of exeniplification. Furthermore, it is not indispensable that all features of the invention be used conjointly as various combinations and sub-combinations may be advantageously employed.

Having described an embodiment of my invention, I claim:

1. In a switching mechanism, the combination. with arotatable shaft ;':of .a clip projecting radially from the shaft and keyed to rotate with the shaft; a block of. insulation secured between the sides of the clip; a contact carried by said blocir;

a continuation of the clipextending radially on the opposite side of the shaft from the contact; an outwardly spring pressed rider on said continuation; and a corrugated member against which the rider bears, whereby the clip is rotated with a snap action.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein there are two corrugated members and two riders disposed longitudinally of the shaft, the riders being pressed apart by a common spring against theirrespective corrugated members.

the contact simultaneously engaging the complementary contacts in all of the arcs to provide a current conducting bridge therebetween.

4. In a switching mechanism, the combination with a rotatable shaft; of an insulated contact member keyed to rotate with the shaft; and complementary contacts arranged in pairs in concentric arcs on one side of the axis of the shaft, the contacts of a pair being disposed longitudinally of the shaft and the contact member simultaneously engaging all of the complementary contacts to provide a plurality of conducting bridges therebetween.

5. The structure of claim 4 wherein the contact member is in the form of a fork, the branches of the fork each having spaced apart contact surfaces and wherein there are spring means in each branch pressing apart the contact surfaces of each fork.

6. The structure of claim 4 wherein the contact member is spring pressed radially of the shaft axis and is in the form of a fork having a centralcontact surface and four' other contact surfaces provided by two branches of the fork, each branch having spaced apart contact surfaces and wherein there are spring means between the contact surfaces of each fork to press said surfaces apart.

'7. In a switching mechanism, the combination with a rotatable shaft; of a clip projecting radially from the shaft and keyedto rotate with the shaft; a block of insulation secured between the sides of the'clip; a contact member carried by said block; a continuation of the clip extending radially on the opposite side of the shaft axis from the contact member; a pair of riders carried by. said continuation, said riders being spring pressed longitudinally of the shaft in opposite directions; and a casing receiving said mechanism, the walls of the casing having a pair of oppositely disposed corrugated surfaces against which the spring pressed riders bear, whereby the clip is rotated with a snap action. I

8. The structure of claim 'I wherein the riders are both received in a common bore in the clip continuation extending longitudinally of the shaft axis and wherein the riders are pressed apart by the same spring barrelled in said bore.

said contact member simultaneously engaging the complementary contacts in both arcs to provide a current conducting bridge therebetween; a continuation of the clip extending radially on the of the casing having a pair of oppositely disposed corrugated surfaces .against which the riders bear, whereby the contact member is moved with a snap action. I

10. The structure of claim 9 wherein the riders are both received in a common bore in the clip continuation extending longitudinally of the shaft axis and wherein the riders are pressed apartby the same spring barrelled in said bore.

11. In a switching mechanism, the combina tion with a rotatable shaft; of a clip projecting radially from the shaft and keyed to rotate therewith; a block of insulation secured between the sides of the clip; a contact member carried by said block; complementary contacts arranged in pairs in concentric arcs on one side of the axis of the shaft, the contacts of a pair being disposed longitudinally of the shaft and the contact member simultaneously engaging all'of the complementary contacts to provide a plurality of current conducting bridges therebetween; a continuation of.the clip extending radially on the opposite side of the shaft axis from the complemental contacts; a pair of riders carriedby said'continuation, said riders being spring pressed longitudinally of the shaft in opposite directions; and a casing receiving said mechanism, the complementary contacts being secured to the walls of the casing on one side of the shaft axis and the walls of the casing on theother side of the shaft axis having a pair of oppositely disposed corrugated surfaces againstwhich the riders bear, wherebythe contact member is moved with a snap action.

12. The structure of claim 11 wherein the contact member is in the form of a fork, the branches of the fork each having spaced apart contact surfaces and wherein there are spring means in each branch pressing apart the contact surfaces of each fork.

13. The structure of claim 11 wherein the contact member is spring pressed in the clip radially'of the shaft axis and is in the form of a fork having a central contact surface and four other contact surfaces provided by two branches of the fork, each branch having spaced apart contact surfaces and wherein there are spring means between the contact surfaces of each fork to press the surfaces apart.

14. The structure of claim 3 Wherein'one of the planes contains a plurality of arcuately arranged complementary contacts of different radii engageable with the first mentioned contact.

HARRY A. DOUGLAS.

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