US2444552A - Push button - Google Patents

Description

July 6, 1948. s. BRANTINGSON PUSH BUTTON 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 9, 1945 Fl6.i

' I INVENTOR. SIGURD BRANTINGSON ATTORNE).

s. BRANTINGSON.

PUSH BUTTON July 6, 1948. 2,444,552

Filed Oct. 9, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HI! I 35 JNVENTOR. SIGURD BRANTINGSON ATTORNEX Patented July 6, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE riisH Barron I Sigurd B rantings'on; Maplewood,- Ni J., assigno' N1 3tgne-lhalf to Bruno Martinuzzi, New York,

Application October 9, 1945, Serial No. 621,323

4 Claims. (C1. 200 -159) My invention relates to a push button for completing electric circuits and particularly to an electric switch operated by a spring retracted button. Among the'purposes and objects of my invention are to provide:

A switch connecting an electric circuit through a conical spring.

A push button switch having a sliding contact to change the contact points.

A push button switch having a plastic insulated body and plastic buttonoperator.

A push button removably and quickly secured in place. 7

A new and novel construction reducing the number of parts and increasing the reliability of a push button switch.

I accomplish these and other objects by the construction herein described and shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this, my disclosure.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section at the axial 'cen-' terline.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view With-the keeper disc and terminals removed.-

Fig. 4 is a top plan View with the push button and'contact spring removed. 7

Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the contacts.

Fig. 6 is anelevation of one of the contacts.

Fig. 7 is an elevation of the push button.

Fig. 8 is an elevation of the'body.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the contact spring.

Fig. 10 is an elevation of the contact spring.

Fig. 11 is an elevation of the contact spring completely compressed.

Fig. 12 is a bottom plan view of the body.

Fig. 13 is a plan of the keeper disc.

Fig. 14 is an elevation of the keeper disc.

Fig. 15 is a plan of one of the securing springs.

Fig. 16 is an elevation of one of the securing springs.

Similar reference characters refer to'similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings and in thespecifications;

Push button switches are often easily rendered inoperative by dirt or corrosion and the metal bodies easily short circuited.

The operations for assembling the numerous parts and the number of parts to be assembled surface it of i the contactsthereby toiassist in 2 I scribed my preferred construction in precise netail so that my push button: may b'ein'ore easily understood byone skilled in' the art. Thepreciseness of detailor this specification is notintended to'li mit the scope 'of my patent asit is believed that the details may be modified in many respects without departing from the principles which underlie my invention; a study of this disclosure mays lgg'est modifications;

Referring to the drawings, the button'opera'tor E isshown-a's having its exposed facez normally projecting above the top end 3- of the body 4 whichis recessed'5 to permit the button' operator to freely move axially by overcoming the conical contact springtg the upper sm'all'end I of which rests against the center hub 8 on the under side 9 of the operator I. 1

The recess 5terininates sufficie'ntly-below'the bottom-side Qto permit the travel of the button and also to provide-for the'la'r'ge end of the springs to seat in thebottom ID of the recess.

The bottom lil of the recess al'so'serves as a stop against which thehub 8 r'e'sts when the operator is forced completely down.

The conical spring 6 is so constructed-that each of its cbils may pass theadlacent coils until the several coils may be brought on a c'ommon'plane' or lie flat, asshown in' Fig'. 11 of the drawings; The coils, however, are prevented from'ass'uming this extreme position by engaging with the conta'cts H and I2 andthus completing the'electric circuit.

The contacts H and I2 are preferably SOl'fifiwhat tapered conical or pointed I3 to cause the coils of thesp'ring to slide on the inclined conical keeping'the contacting parts clean'and free "from dirt and 'corro'sion.

Thaconical spring 6-, inadditionto completing the circuit b'etween'the contacts II and' I2, forces the operator to return 'to its normal position when pressureapplied to the face. 2 by. the finger of the person-operating the 'push'button is released.

- The axialtravel ofthe' operator L'caused by the spring, is-restricted by the center sleever I5 which is secured within'the hubli by the'gto'p' flanged end 56. The bottom endll'; after being inserted into the guide aperture" 19' below the bottom lzl-oi the recess 5 of the body l 'at'the center it thereof, is'fiared outwardly to" provide the head 20 which engages the shoulder 2| at the top of the recess 22 which is of a diameter and length sufiicient to permit the head 20 to freely travel with the operator.

The lower turns of the coil spring being larger in diameter are less resistant to the movement of the button operator and make contact with the points after slight movement of the button which becomes harder to push as the stop position is reached.

The sleeve 15 also serves as a guide cooperating with the button operator; the operator freely slides axially in the recess and the sleeve in the guide aperture 19.

Each of the contacts H or I2 is preferably inserted into its respective aperture 23 or 24 which is provided with a squared recess 25 or 26 in the bottom face 21 of the body 4 to receive the squared heads 26 of the contacts. Each contact is also threaded internally to receive the terminal screws 28 and .29 which detachably secure the wires 30 and 3| which are connected to the terminals 32 and 33, thereby providing the necessary electrical connections to the device.

The contacts H and [2 are secured into the body from removal by the insulated keeper disc 34 which is secured to the body by the integral studs 35 and 36 which extend through the countersunk apertures 31 and 33 after which the studs are formed into the heads 39 by heat and pressure to secure the keeper disc in place against the bottom of the body.

In addition to the squared recesses 25 and 2B in the bottom face 21 of the body are the irregular shaped recesses 40 and 41 from the top surface of which the studs 35 and 36 depend downwardly. The recesses 40 and 4| conform to and receive the securing springs 42 which are also held in place by the keeper disc 34 and the studs 35 and 36.

The securing springs extend upwardly on the outside of the body to provide four upwardly extending resilient prongs 43.

The prongs 43 are preferably bent 44 near their free ends 45 to provide yielding detents to engage the panel or other object 46 to which the device may .be detachably secured; the panel or other device, shown by broken lines Fig. 2, may be a wall or desk top or the like which has been provided with a suitable hole to receive the body'and springs leaving the turned over top end 3 of the body 4 above, thesurface. The entire push button may be removed by inserting any thin tool such as a. knife under the edge 41 of the end 3.

The terminals 32 and 33 and the wires 30 and 3| may be swung to the positions shown by broken lines in Fig. 2 to permit my device to be inserted into holes in material which is of a depth which would interfere with the wires; the wires and entire push button being inserted in the hole.

The securing springs are preferably formed integral in pairs as shown particularly in Figs. and 16. The part 48 connecting the pair of springs conforms to and is secured in one of the recesses 40 or 4| and the aperture 49 engages one of the studs 35 or 36.

The keeper disc 34 is provided with the clearance holes 50 which permit the screws 28 and 29 to pass through to engage the threads in the contacts H and i2.

The simple construction and ease of assembling my'device permit the parts to be made in small sizes, however, the size may vary to suit the particular service desired. Many of the parts may be made of plastic and the others of non-corrosive metal so that dampness and fumes which render many types of [push buttons inoperative after a short period of use do not affect the operation of my device.

Having thus described a preferred construction of my push button embodying the underlying principles of my invention, which I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

I 1. In a push button switch or the like, having a pressable button operator and a body guiding the movement of the operator, a conical spring and a plurality of conical contacts connected by said spring when said operator is pressed, said conical contacts engaging the coils of said conical spring whereby the latter is adapted to slide on said conical contacts to wipe the contacting parts and to cause several coils of the conical spring to engage said contacts in sequence one after the other.

2. In a push button switch or the like, having a pressable button operator and a body guiding the movement of the operator, a conical spring and a plurality of conical contacts connected by said spring when said operator is pressed, said conical contacts engaging the coils of said conical spring whereby the latter is adapted to slide on said conical contacts to Wipe the contacting parts, said conical spring operating said pressible button in one direction of travel.

3. In a push button switch or the like, having a pressable button operator and a body guiding the movement of the operator, a conical spring and a plurality of conical contacts connected by said spring when said operator is pressed, said conical contacts engaging the coils of said conical spring whereby the latter is adapted to slide on said conical contacts to wipe the contacting parts, said conical spring forming helical coils substantially on a common plane when fully compressed.

4. In a push button switch or the like having a pressable button operator and a body guiding the movement of the operator, a conical spring and a plurality of contacts having sloping sides suitable to engage one or more of the coils of said spring whereby the latter is adapted to slide on and wipe said sloping sides of the contacts when said button is pressed.

SIGURD BRANTINGSON.

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

UNITED STATES, PATENTS Number Name Date 30,567 Plassmann June 9, 1903 996,303 Wilhelm June 27, 1911 1,085,215 Lungen Jan. 27, 1914 1,842,524 Hansen Jan. 26, 1932 1,861,400 Miller May 31, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 328,811 England May 8, 1930

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