US2328848A - Lock for knife switches - Google Patents

Description

' p 4 L. H. RUSSELL LOCK FOR KNIFE SWITCHES I Filed May 15, 1942 v LAWRENCE H. RUSSELL assesses;7;11 a

iect the provision of. simple, inexpensive, and Pos iv means "wh h, in var o s "modifi a o s; may beiused with any conventional switch of, this movementjof the switch in either direction, where;- lre io s k n or 1atc e viq s have nfe amopen switch OIOI J Enin-g close Swim e asemaybeq further object is to provide whic intothe switches.

. 'lqhe invention,ma lees jets-swa hsJt' ibiihf I siinple inexpensive device which, manufactured ,in a..few sizes, can be employed to lock orlatch installation on the insulated switohp'a'nel so that that; type of switch having twoqormore spaced 1 parallel blades connected by; a cross-bar of v insul'ated or insulating material. 1;. It has for itsobt on yqtmh -f w tc slqsed. 11 h r H Qr i y improved ktes t reye i le fi heape i i c as t s.wi hqu m f e ii .efit switch s r ctu e. lwhcre s re p r latching mechanisms have been b uilt "ST 'TE SfPATENT OFFICE zgszasisf, r

f" na r icen ntssu, Saginaw, Mich.

A praise 5, 1942, Serial No. 443.039

:Ti'liS invention, relatesto enew andpuseful I i v tending upwardiinthe drawing, which .byhen V ainer, or '1 look i for knifeswitches; particularly" gagingbase 4 limits the upward or counter-0100b kindi o Pr vent s acc den a o un hor ed. I

wise movement of member I. on'its pintle. a Below thepintle; member lpresentsan abutmentrfaice fiat-an angle to theface of foot 5 which similarly limits the downwardmovement ofjmember l, clockwise-..in ,Figs. l .and 2. The "abutment head .or- -stop member 21' is spaced from the foot to .provideja .relief to-acc0mmodate the switch x cross-"bar 1. 1'

I ,Thebaseplate 4is located (upon the. panel Oso thatthebodyll .or head 2 can not touch anyblade A of .the switch, and theabutment head 2 when loweredjolears the path of movement of the crossbar B." When the body member I islrais ed to its uppermost position the head Zliesinthe arc of movement ,of the cros -b r B l flt el w hi closed, as shown in solid lines, the inner face of the. head 2 lies over the cross-bar B to prevent opening the switch. When the switchisopen; as

3 indicated in broken lines, the-outer faoe ofhead 2 obstructs the cross-bani? so that the switch a n tbei e ;1 it A Various quick acting V devicesm'ay be utilized to actuate orretafin the pivoted body member l and 1 abutment head-2 in docking position; For exi ample, Fig.2 shows a'bore l lengthwise. through thebodyl receiving a pin,8. whichisinovable to it atnotime can come meontactwimany con- Iductingmemberfit minimises hazards andrenhders unnecessary the use of a hot sticker other .insulatedtool to actuateit,

Other features and advantages or. my invention twill be apparent inthe course of thefollowing specification. Referring to the accompanying drawing, Fig. l a side elevation, partly in section, showing a device according to the invention applied tofa' knife-switchof standard formj V i Fig. 2 is an enlarged part-sectional side eleva- .tionof the lock and switch of Fig.1 1, showing it equipped forkey control; and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a lock according to the invention.

Referring to Fig. 1,2. knife-switch having two ormore parallel blades A connectedby a crossbar B of ebonite, or other insulating lor insulated talge against the base plate 4 and hold the mem- "flbenlsupin locking position. The bore [is tapped for a short distance and pin Bis-thrfaddht .9

r so thata few turns of thepin by its knurled head ll! will lock member I in its raised position.

Intermediate its ends pin 8 may be relieved or reduced in diameter as at II. A set screw I2. is

.inserted through the wall of member I with its .bolt to drop out. a

The device of Fig. 1, when raised, prevents accidental opening or closing of the switch, and also discourages its mistaken operation by an excited operator because of the time interval required to turn pin 8 and release the switch.

When it is desired to prevent unauthorized, as

well as accidental or erroneous operation of a i switch, the pin 8 may be provided with a key:

actuated mechanism 13 indicated in Fig. 2, which Fig. 3 shows a modification of the locking device of Figs. 1 and 2, adapted to be installed so that i it normally hangs in switch-locking position.

The body member I and theabutment head 2 are 7 formed for installation above the cross-bar B of the switch, being pivoted to pintle 3 on base 6a.

The movement of body member I about pintle 3 is limited by a latching stop member 8a. In the example shown, the latching action is provided by splitting the inner end of the movable pin 8a by intersecting slots I! so thatit is compressible diametrically. The inner end of the'pin 8a is upset to provide a shoulder I5 of larger diameter than the body of the pivot. The enlarged end has its corner beveled for latching engagement. in a shouldered recess [6 in the basepl'ate i. The

outer edge of the shouldered recess is also beveled 1 so that when the locking member is allowed to drop down with normal force the split shoul'd'e'r i s will be compressed and catch within the aperture l6.

To release the catch, the spne-end ortien or i pin 8m is reduced in diameter to present attapered portion 19 just beyond the end of the bore l: in'; the body member. Drawingthe "8a outwardly or urging the body member 5-! inward.-

ly relative to the pin "compresses the v split end or the "pingso that thesho'u'lder i 54at its "extremity will pass through the restrictedportion of aper- T For automatic latch action the pin may-be nor mally "waged to the right in Fig. 3.. by'; spring means not shown. "Or, as shown, the body of the pin may be "grooved at 2! lengthwise,-=tlien transversely.- A 'set*'sc'rew 2Q :in -the "wall of member l-extends int-o" groove-2l so t-hat the he automatic 'latch-in'g device o Figs win be found particularly usefulin installations fwherefquick openi g offthe' switch is desirable.

"lh'e chances of accidental or hafsty opening or F ee n are m mi ed s the operat r miis'tfuse *both hands to open 'orclose the switch, s In sortieihstances a fixed abutment take Y the place r the latching i sa. "Th abut 'Inent head" 2 prevents accidental "opening of the switeh' "since it normally hangs "in the position shown, and to open or close the switch the operator must lift and hold the latching devices out of the way of the cross-bar B with one hand in order to open or close the switch.

invention herewith shown and described are to ice taken as preferred examples of the same, andv that various changes in the shape, size, and

arrangement of parts may be resorted to with-t out departing from the spirit of the invention 'ortherscope 'of the appended claims.

' Having thus described m'y-invention, What I *claim and desire to secure. by LettersPatent is:

ii'ng 'a cross bar comprising an abutment membermovable -into and out of the-path of travel of said cross bar efiective when'in said pathof travel either toprevent closing the open switch or to retain the switch closed, said abutment member being pivoted to abase plate adaptedto b e iastenedto the "panel, and m ans for pesi "tit/ 8137, retaining said abutment member f ll-file pathofs'aid c'r'oss bar;saidretainingzmeans winprising ad-ju's'table stop' provided on: ta-id 'piate- 2. 1A locking device reia knife-swam having a {a cross bar eompr-isin' 'an abutment membe movable mm and enter the: path of said cross bar -efiective when in said pat or travel either to prevent closing the open switch; er to retain the switch closedgs'aid abutment member being 4 pivoted; on "a -pi-n tle carried by {a pad adapted t'o be fastened to the "switch panel,- and aura: o acting screw means provided on saiidabfitmeht' member adapted to bear against said padfand retain the abutment member in locking position. '3. A 'locking memberffor a knife switch eem; i prising in combination a body member hat-ra '4 an abutment headand pivotedonabase mem her which is adapted to be secured to the supor er the knife swit chgsaid abutment head iormed'with a stop member adapted "to engage Lsaid base to limit pivotal movement of the abutment head in one direction, said jbody mem her being also provided with'quick 'actingfretainof the body member "and threadedfthereto, and kejy ajctuated locking means for "securing said pininf'saidbody., v

' LAWRENCE RUSSELL;

5 It is to be understood that the forms of my 7 ';1 A locking device fora knife-switch hav abutment mernber' t'o fbe'ar 'aga mstsaiii

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