Control station switch
AssigneeColumbus McKinnon Corporation
InventorsOtmar M. Ulbing, Edmund R. Koval
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pressure actuated reversing switch for a pendant hoist control station is provided in which manually exerted pressure causes the electrical contacts to make and break in a staggered sequence. The armature of the switch is spring loaded so that pressure exerted on the armature causes the armature to move both laterally and rotationally. This complex motion permits contacts at one end of the armature to be brought into electrical contact with the leads prior to power contact being made at the other end of the armature. When pressure is released, the complex motion permits the power contacts to be broken prior to the breaking of the contacts at the other end of the armature. Additionally, the complex motion permits a self-cleaning action which assures reliability and long life.
Claims23
A pressure actuated switching apparatus, wherein said switching apparatus comprising:
- a. a base having first and second electrical base contact means longitudinally spaced and electrically insulated from one another;
- b. an armature having a longitudinal axis and having first and second electrical armature contacts longitudinally spaced from one another, said first and second electrical armature contacts being connected by an electrical conductor;
- c. means acting between said base and said armature for resiliently mounting said armature laterally of said base with said first and second electrical armature contacts adjacent to said first and second electrical base contact means respectively, said mounting means permitting rotational movement of said armature about a plurality of axes transverse to the longitudinal axis of said armature, whereby a laterally directed force applied to either of said first or second ends of said armature tends to produce rotational movement of said armature about one of said plurality of axes, said axes including at least a first and a second transverse axis, said first transverse axis positioned intermediate said first and second electrical contacts of said armature, said second transverse axis positioned at the point of contact between said first armature contact and said first base contact means;
- whereby pressure applied at one end of said armature tends to produce a first rotation about said first axis until said first armature contact and said first base contact means are brought into electrical contact and whereby continued pressure on said armature tends to produce a second rotation about said second axis until said second armature contact and said second base contact means are brought into electrical contact with one another.
A pressure actuated switching apparatus, wherein said switching apparatus comprising:
- a. a base having input and output leads, said input and output leads terminating at their respective one end in power and passive contact means respectively, said power and passive contact means being longitudinally spaced from one another on said base, said passive contact means including first and second vertically spaced, longitudinally offset contacts having convex mutually facing surfaces, said power contact means being resiliently mounted on said base for vertical movement relative thereto and comprising a rare earth metal alloy;
- b. an armature having an armature body and an electrical conductor having power contact means at one end and passive contact means longitudinally spaced therefrom, said passive contact means having upper and lower contact surfaces and said power contact means comprising a rare earth metal alloy;
- c. means for resiliently mounting said armature adjacent to said base and for providing both rotational and limited longitudinal movement of said armature relative to said base, said means including a resilient spring for biasing said armature away from said base and a motion limiting means for limiting the movement of said armature away from said base, said spring and said motion limiting means permitting rotational movement of said armature about a plurality of axes transverse to the longitudinal axis of the armature, said spring acting as a resilient fulcrum for said armature;
- and
- d. a non-resilient fulcrum means acting between said base and said armature for breaking electrical contact between said base passive contact means and said armature passive contact means, said non-resilient fulcrum means being positioned intermediate said power and passive contact means, said non-resilient fulcrum means tending to induce passive contact breaking rotation of said armature when an overload pressure is applied to said armature at a position on one side of said non-resilient fulcrum away from said passive contact means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.