US2687459A - Electrical switch - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 24, 1954 A. H. MIDGLEY 2,687,459 ELECTRICAL SWITCH Filed May 9, 1952 o /90 I3 C f' J6 Humm L16 g .fill

Patented Aug. 24, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,687,459 ELECTRICAL SWITCH Albert Henry Midgley, Moor Park, Northwood, England, assignor of one-half to Albert Morrell Midgiey, Moor Park, Northwood, England Application May 9, 1952, Serial No. 286,967

Claims priority, application Great Britain May 21, 1951 2 Claims.

side of the slot corresponding to the non-lengthened strip. The latter arrangement will give its resulting change of length, causes a further contact operation re-connecting the heating circuit. i

Such switches may be used, for example, in connection with flashing signals for indicating that a motor vehicle is about to turn.

rIhe invention further consists of an electric switch of the kind mentioned in which the sheet of spring material controls the opening and closing of at least two circuits.

Preferably, the additional circuit is one which An embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a plan View.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 4.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 oi Figure 5.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig ure 2, and

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Figure 1.

In the embodiment there are mounted on a circular disc I of insulating material, three terminal members 2, 3 and 4 which extend through the disc to which they are secured by bending ing secured together by two hollow rivets I0 extending therethrough with an insulating collar it around the head of each.

`An insulating former II is held in position by two limbs Ila which extend through the hollow rivets I 0.

which the spring sheet 9 rests), carries a springloaded screw I2 extending through a tongue 6a bent away from the spring sheet. The other extension piece 5 of the terminal 2 carries a contact member 5a on its inner side facing the end of the screw.

It is also formed with two upwardly turned s 5b and 5c and a screw "I is in threaded engagement through the arm 5c and with its end abutting against the arm 5b.

The spring sheet 9 is rmly supported at one art 9a leaving a strip 9b separated from the A stretched Wire I3 lies generally over the slot and is secured at one end to a bent-over ear I4a on a T-piece I4 tted in one end of the spring sheet 9 which end is slotted to hold the T-piece.

The wire is formed through a bead 5b in a hole in the arm 5b and after being wound around the insulating former II is returned to the ear 5c on the arm 5c.

The end of the spring sheet 9 remote from the end to which the wire I3 is secured, is bent to bias the unsupported strip 9b so that contact piece 9d therein is in contact with the contact member 5a on the extension piece 5 before the wire is tightened in which position the circuit through the Wire I3.

The spring sheet 9 is also formed with a tongue 9d parallel to the strip 9b, and which is bent adjacent its free end first at right angles away from the side of the sheet in which the with the sheet again.

A further extension piece I5 is secured to the disc by the terminal 4 to extend at right angles to the tongue 9d and to come to lie with its free end adjacent the free end of the tongue and between the tongue and the rest of the spring sheet of which the tongue forms part and contact pieces it, Il are provided at the free ends of the tongue and further strip on the sides facing each other.

The contacts I6, Il of the tongue 9d and strip i5 respectively will alternately open and close a circuit extending from the two terminals 3 and il, connected respectively to the spring sheet 9, and the strip l5, which circuit does not pass through the wire I3.

This circuit is conveniently used for hashing, say, a warning light inside a car while the circuit which includes the wire is flashing a'turning signal light on the outside of the car.

When the wire I3 is tightened up, by means of the screw 'i extending between the two frames in said other extension piece, the unsupported strip 9b will be snapped over into contact with the end of the spring-loaded screw i2 in which position the circuit between the two terminals 2 and 3 extends through the wire I3.

Adjustment of the spring-loaded screw l2 will control the rate of interruption of the circuit between the terminals and through the wire and adjustment of the other screw 1 will control the relation of the periods during which the circuit is made and the periods during which it is broken.

It will be understood that the supported part ci the spring sheet need not be a continuous strip in which case the lengthening of the unsupported part would be eiected after the riveting in position.

Various other modiiications may be made within the scope of the invention.

I claim:

l. An electric interrupter switch comprising a pair of terminal members, a sheet of spring material firmly supported at one part between the terminal members leaving a strip separated from the supported part by a slot, the length of which strip is increased slightly in relation to the supported part, an insulating layer between one terminal member, and the sheet of spring material, a stop member on the other terminal member and located opposite the centre part of the strip, a stretched wire secured at one end to one end oi the sheet of spring material and at the other end to said one of the terminal members and adapted when cold to force the centre part of the strip into contact with said stop member to complete a circuit between said terminal members through the wire, and when hot to allow the centre part of the strip to move away from said contact member and thereby interrupting said circuit through the wire.

2. An electric interrupter switch as claimed in claim 1, comprising a third terminal member and a tongue on the sheet of spring material adapted to contact said terminal member in one position of the strip and to be separated therefrom in the other position of the strip.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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