US2655570A - Switch - Google Patents

Description

Patented Oct. 13, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SWITCH William E. Brown, David C. Redlck, and Carl E.

McWilliams, Anderson, Ind., assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application August 4, 1950, Serial No. 177,618

7 Claims.

This invention relates to key operated electric switches and more particularly to switches for controlling the ignition circuit and the starter motor circuit of a motor vehicle, and if desired, control another circuit of the motor vehicle.

An object of the present invention is to provide an electric switch with manually operated means for moving a bridging member into a plurality of circuit closing positions and to provide means for automatically returning the bridging member to a predetermined circuit closing position when moved therebeyond by the manually operated means. This object is accomplished by providing a terminal block with stationary contacts, a post, a pair of abutments, a coiled spring about the post having its respective ends engaging the abutments under tension and a rotary contact actuated by manually operated means into various circuit closing positions. The rotary contact is provided with an extension positioned in such a manner so as to engage one end of a spring when the rotary contact is moved beyond a certain closing position, and move it from its abutment to increase the tension of the spring to return the rotary contact to the certain circuit closed position upon release of the manually operated means.

The construction and arrangement of the stationary contacts and the rotary contact are so arranged that when the rotary contact is rtated by the manually operated means to the limit of its movement in one direction both the ignition circuit and the starter circuit of an automotive vehicle are closed, and upon release of the manually operated means when the starter circuit is closed, the rotary contact is moved automatically in the opposite direction to open the starter circuit while the ignition circuit remains closed, the rotary contact will remain in the ignition closed position until the manually operated means is actuated to open the ignition circuit.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a switch unit embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the switch.

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the switch.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view to illustrate the different positions of the component parts of the switch.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a contact support.

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of the contact support.

Figs. 8 and 9 are plan and side views respectively of a bridging member.

Figs. 10 and 11 are top and bottom views of the switch housing.

Fig. 12 is a top plan view of a spring shown in Figs. 4 and 5 in its normal state.

Referring to the drawings 20 designates a casing or housing comprising a reduced front cylindrical portion 2| and enlarged rear cylindrical portion 22. The reduced portion 2| has a bore 23 to receive a lock structure preferably of the type including a lock casing 24 in which a key controlled lock cylinder of a known type is rotatably received. The front end of the lock cylinder is provided with a suitable opening 25 for receiving a key to remove a bar, not shown, from a slot 26 so that the lock cylinder can be rotated in either direction of rotation to drive movable elements of a switch structure to a plurality of circuit closing positions.

The movable elements of the switch are mounted. in the enlarged cylindrical portion 22 of the housing. In this instance the enlarged cylindrical portion 22 of the housing is provided with three counterbores 30, 3| and 32 to provide shoulders 33, 34 and 35 respectively. The shoulder 34 is formed with three spherical bosses 36. The bores 3| and 32 accommodate a contact driver or carrier 40 of insulating material.

The carrier 40 has a reduced portion 4| to form a shoulder 42 having three elongated grooves 43 and three recesses 44 formed therein. The inner end of the carrier 40 is formed with a recess 45 and an extension 46. The recess 45 is adapted to receive a lug while the extension 46 is adapted to extend into a recess formed in the rear of the lock cylinder, not shown, whereby the carrier 40 is driven by the lock cylinder when same is turned by a proper key.

The rear face of the carrier which is located in the bore 3|, is formed with three rectangular recesses 5| spaced 120 apart and three pockets or wells 52. The rear face of the support 40 is also formed with an annular groove 53 and a counterbored central recess 54. The groove 53 and recess 54 are spaced so as to form a skirt 55. The counterbored recess provides shoulder 56 and a well 51. The skirt 55 has a notch 58 formed therein which extends from the rim of the skirt to the shoulder 56 to form a shoulder 60.

A bridging member or ring is provided with three spaced cup- shaped contact elements 66, 61 and 68 pressed outwardly from one side by ing member or ring 65 cooperate with a plurality of stationary contact elements supportect by aclosure or terminal block 12; Arstationary con-- tact element B has an elongated cdntactisui'faca I3 flush with the inner face of the terminal block 12. The contact B has a shank extending through the block 12 which is rivetedov'e'r a terminal plate 14 on the outer face of the blockwith:

which a connection with a battery is made. A stationary contact element A likewise has an elongated contact surface. 15 and has ashank extending through the block 12 which is riveted over a terminal plate 16 to-which a. connection with an accessory unit is made.

A contact element Sfor-ms one-endof a terminal post 11 which extends through the block 12 andhas its end riveted over a terminal plate-18 which is in turn connected with a.- solenoid unit which controls. the starting motor circuit. The contact element Ihas an elongated contact sur-- face |8 has a shank extending through-the block 12 which is riveted over a terminal plate 80 to which the ignition circuitv is connected. It is to be understood that the inner surfaces ofthecontacts B, A, S and I are flush with'theinner face of the terminal block orin the same .plane.

The terminal block 12 isprov-ided on its inner surface with a post or projection 8| and a segmental skirt portion 82 to-provide a pair of stationary abutments or stops 83 and; The skirt 82 extends into the annular groove 53 of the carrier 40 while the post 81 projects a certain distance into the well 51 but. spaced from the bottom of the well to permit axial movement of the carrier relative. to the. block 12'. A coiled spring 85 is. placed about thepost 8i andis tensioned so that its ends 86 and- BIwill bear against the stops or abutments 83 and respectively. The left end of the spring as viewed in Fig. 4.-ex tends into the recess 64 acertaindistance so that the end 8! of thespring will beinthepath of movement of shoulder 60 asviewed in Fig. 4.

The terminal block 12 is seated against a-yieldable washer 90 resting on the shoulderv 33: The

block is secured within bore 30 by, deforming ears 9| of the housing against the block as at 82. The terminal block is. held againstrotation in the housing by having one-of.- the-ears 9| extending into a corresponding notch 9-3. provided in' the periphery of the block 10.

Referring to Fig. 5 of the drawings the-switch elements are shown in their normal off. position 660. The contact elements,- 6'! and 88.-of the contact ring 65 are designated by the. dash and dot triangle. It will be seen that the' point 66 is out of engagement with the battery'termi nal B or contact surface 13'. When the-support 48 is'moved in a clockwise-direction 40 by, the proper key the contact elements66,.. 61; and 66 will be moved to position 666 to makeco'ntact engagement with stationary contact elements-B; A and I. When in this positionthe' threebosses 36 on the shoulder will extend into the-recesses H provided by the carrier-to hold thebridging member and carrier'in position 68b. When in 4 this position the shoulder 68 of skirt 6! will be in the position, designated by 68 and the cupshaped elements 66, 61 and 68 will be in engagement with stationary contacts B, A and I to close the ignition circuit.

When the key is turned further to. move the carrier another 30 the cupped contact elements 66, 61 and 68 will be moved to the position 650. When the carrier is moved the latter 30 the shoulder will move the end 81 of the spring 85 away from the shoulder 88 as indicated by 81 and thereby increase the tension of the spring 85:astfli'ezend 86 is held firmly against the shoulder 82.. Upon manual release of the key the oarrl'er is" rotated by the spring end 81 in a counterclockwise.direction until the spring end 81 again engages the shoulder 83. When that happens the recesses 44 will receive the bosses 36 to hold yieldingly the carrier in the position b. When it is desired to-open the ignition-circuit the carrier may be-moved in the counterclockwise direction by the key to position.65a.

When the switch is in the off position the cup-shaped contact element 86 is out of engagement with contact 3 thus the battery circuit is broken and the key. can be removed from the cylinder, thus locking the device.

While the embodiment of. the present inventionashereindisclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed iswas follows:

1.. In acombined switoh and'lock structure the combination comprising; a. housing; a rotary loci: cylinder mounted in the housing; a rotary contact carrier mounted in the housing for movement into 'aplurality of circuit closing positions; interlocking connections between the lock cylinder and the' carrier to transmit rotary movements from the cylinder tothe carrier; manually operated meansfor actuating the look cylinder to move thecarrier into various circuit closing positions; a closurefor. the housing, said closurehaving a' post. and a pair of abutments extendingintoi the housing; a spring coiled about the post with the ends thereof biased against respective: abutments; and an extension carried by the contact carrier adapted to engage one of the spring endsto. move it from its abutment whenlthe' contact carrier is moved beyond one circuit :closing. position, said spring returningthe carrier to said once circuit closing position upon release: of the manually operated means.

2-. In a combined switch and lock structure, in combination; a housing; a rotary lock' cylinder mounted within thehousing; a rotary contactor mounted in the' housingfor movement intoa plurality of circuit closing positions; interlocking connections between the cylinder and the con'tactor to transmitrotary movements from the cylinder to the contactor; operated means fo'ractuating the' cylinder to move the contactor to various circuit closing positions; a closure for the housing; a segmental skirt supportedby theclosure. within the housing, said skirt providing a pair of abutments; acentralized post provided byv the closure extending within the skirt; a spring coiled about the post with the ends thereof biased against therespective abutments; an extensionprovidedby the contactor and extendi'n'g between theskirt and post and adapted to enga'ge an end-of'the springtomove it from its abutmentwhen the oontactor is moved beyond one circuit position; said sprint] returning the contactor to said one position upon manual release of the key.

3. In a combined switch and lock device the combination comprising; a housing; a rotary lock cylinder mounted in the housing; a rotary contact support mounted in the housing for movement from an oiT position to a plurality of circuit closing positions; driving connections between the lock cylinder and the support to transmit rotary movement from the cylinder to the support; manually operated means for actuating the cylinder to move the support to various closing positions; a pair of spaced abutments located within the housing; a post supported between the abutments; a spring coiled about the post and tensioned so that each end engages a respective abutment; an extension associated with the support and adapted to engage one end of the spring only in a circuit closed position and for increasing the tension of the spring when the support is moved from one circuit closed position to another circuit closed position, said spring returning the support to said one circuit closed position when the manually operated means is released.

4. In a combined switch and lock structure the combination comprising; a housing; a rotary lock cylinder mounted in the housing; a rotary contact support mounted in the housing for movement into a plurality of circuit closing positions; interlocking connections between the cylinder and the other face of the support to transmit rotary movements from the cylinder to the lock; manually operated means for actuating the cylinder to move the support into various circuit closing positions; a closure for the housing having a segmental skirt portion and having a post disposed centrally of the skirt; a spring coiled about the post so that the ends thereof are biased against respective ends of the skirt portion; and a second segmental skirt portion carried by the contact support and positioned so that one end thereof will engage one end of the spring to increase the biasing force of the spring when the contact support is moved past one circuit closing position, said spring returning the support to the one position upon release of the manually operated means.

5. An electric switch for controlling a plurality of circuits comprising in combination; a fixed contact member; a movable contact member movable from an "01? position to a plurality of circuit closing positions; a pre-tensioned spring operatively positioned between said members and only effective in one of a plurality of circuit closed positions of said movable member; means for engaging said spring only when said movable member is moved from one circuit closed position to another of said closed positions for further tensioning said spring, said spring returning said movable member to said one circuit closed position when said movable member is released.

6. An electric switch comprising a housing; a contactor member associated with the housing for movement into a plurality of circuit closing positions; a pre-tensioned spring operatively positioned between said housing and said contactor; means for engaging said spring only in a circuit closed position and for further tensioning said spring when said contactor member is moved from one circuit closed position to another circuit, closed position, said spring returning said contactor member to said one circuit closed position when said contactor member is released.

7. An electric switch comprising a housing; a rotary contact carrier mounted within the housing for movement from an off position to a plurality of circuit closed positions; a closure for the housing, said closure having spaced abutments extending into the housing; a coiled spring located between the abutments with the ends thereof biased against respective abutments; means associated with the carrier for picking up one end of the spring only in a circuit closed position and for increasing the tension in said spring when the carrier is moved from one circuit closed position to another circuit closed position, said spring returning said carrier to said one circuit closed position when said carrier is released.

WILLIAM E. BROWN. DAVID C. REDICK. CARL E. McWILLIAMS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,462,777 Rappl Feb. 22, 1940 2,520,363 Heideman Aug. 29, 1950

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