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US 4,302,646 AGranted
Electric switch and operating mechanism therefor
AssigneeKearney-National, Inc.
InventorsAnthony Osborne, Kenneth E. Hanke
Life of this patent
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AssigneeKearney-National, Inc.
InventorsAnthony Osborne, Kenneth E. Hanke
Estimating the term…
An electric switch of the snap-action type includes a pair of relatively movable contacts, an operating linkage interconnected with a movable one of the contacts for imparting operating movement thereto, a hollow tubular rotatable member interconnected with the operating linkage and operable to impart switch operating movement thereto, a latching part secured to the rotatable member and engageable with abutment means so as to secure the rotatable member against rotation, spring means in the form of a torsion bar disposed within the rotatable member and effective to impart rotation thereto upon disengagement of the latching part from the abutment means, movable motive means in the form of a rotatable tube interconnected with the torsion bar for imparting twisting moment thereto together with latch releasing means mounted on and movable with the movable motive means for engaging the latching part and for moving such part out of engagement with the associated fixed abutment means after a predetermined degree of twisting moment is imparted to the torsion bar.
An electric switch comprising a pair of relatively movable contacts, an operating linkage interconnected with a movable one of said contacts for imparting operating movement thereto, a hollow rotatable member directly interconnected with said operating linkage and operable to impart operating movement thereto, latch means including a latching part directly secured to said rotatable member and normally effective to secure said rotatable member against rotation, a torsion bar disposed within said hollow rotatable member and interconnected with said rotatable member at one end thereof and effective to impart rotation thereto upon release of said latch means, rotatable motive means operably related with said torsion bar at the other end thereof for twisting and energizing said torsion bar, and latch releasing means operable in coordination with movement of said rotatable motive means for releasing said latch means after a predetermined degree of twisting and energization of said torsion bar.
An electric switch comprising a pair of relatively movable contacts an operating linkage interconnected with a movable one of said contacts for imparting operating movement thereto, a rotatable member interconnected with said operating linkage and operable to impart operating movement thereto, movable motive means for rotating said rotatable shaft, latch means including a pair of latching parts secured to said rotatable member and effective to secure said rotatable member against rotation from switch closed and switch open positions respectively, latch releasing means carried by said movable motive means and operable in coordination with movement thereof for releasing the one of said latching parts which latches said rotatable member in switch closed position and for engaging the other of said latching parts and for moving said other latching part and said rotatable member from switch closed to switch open positions in the event that said contacts are frozen in closed position.
An operating mechanism for an electric switch having a movable contact, said mechanism comprising housing structure, a hollow rotatable member interconnected with said movable contact for imparting operating movement thereto and having a part disposed within said housing structure, a torsion bar disposed within said rotatable member and having a part disposed within said housing and being arranged to bias said rotatable member for rotation in opposite directions, a rotatable tube having a part disposed within said housing structure and arranged to rotate said torsion bar, and latch means including a latching part secured to said hollow rotatable member and disposed within said housing structure and a pair of spaced abutments fixedly mounted within said housing structure and engageable by said latching part during switch open and switch closed conditions respectively.
An electric switch comprising a pair of relatively movable contacts, an operating linkage interconnected with a movable one of said contacts for imparting operating movement thereto, a rotatable member interconnected with said operating linkage and operable to impart operating movement thereto, latch means including a latching part having a hub portion secured to said rotatable member and a pair of peripheral segments having peripherally spaced parts which are warped in a direction longitudinally of said rotatable member and normally effective to secure said rotatable member against rotation, spring means interconnected with said rotatable member and effective to impart rotation thereto upon release of said latch means, movable motive means operably related with said spring means for energizing said spring means, and latch releasing means operable in coordination with movement of said movable motive means for releasing said latch means after a predetermined degree of energization of said spring means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.