US1248384A - Electric wall-switch. - Google Patents

Description

W. J. NEWTON 61 M. GOLDBERG.

ELECTRIC WALL SWITCH, APPLICATION FILED IuLY 13. 1916..

1,248,384. Patented Nov. 27; 1917.

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- feff 1 ZL; @au @Hou/11213 Patented Nov. 27, 1917.

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@f6 ma' W J NEWTON & M GOLDBERG ELECTRIC WALL SWITCH. APPLlcAmN FILED JULY 13 |916 1,248,384.

WILLIAM zr. NEWTON, or LYNBaoox,

AND MORRIS GOLDIBEBG, OF BROOKLYN, NEW

YORK, ASSIGNORS T0 NEWTON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF LYNBROOK, NEW

YORK, A. CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC WALL-SWITCH.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented. Nov. 27, 1917.

Application mea July 1s, 1916. serial no. 108,999.

To all lwhom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, WILLIAM J. NEWTON, of Lynbrook, in the county of` Nassau and State of New York, and MORRIS GOLDBERG, of the borouo'h of Brooklyn, city and State of New Yor have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Wall- Switches, of which the following is a description.

Our invention relates to wall switches, and particularly to means for securing the customary face-plate to the switch supporting means.

Wall switches now in common use are provided with two push-buttons for opening and closing the switch, which push-buttons project through the face-plate. The faceplate is secured to the bridge-plate or switch supporting means by means of screws usually placed directly in line with the pushbuttons. Such a constructionv is incapable of even the slightest adjustment between the switch-supporting means and, on account of the presence of the screws, is extremely unsightly. It is furthermore difficult to X it securely in place, since the attaching screws must necessarily bev very small, and the thickness of the bridge-plate is so slight that the threads formed therein for the screws are necessarily very weak.

An object of our invention is to provide a face-plate supporting means which is adjustable relative to the button, toggle lever, or other switch-operating means, and which therefore permits the plate to be properly set in a vertical or horizontal position, irrespective of the position of the switch itself.

A further object of our invention is to provide attaching means whereby the faceplate will be securely attached to the bridgeplate or bridge-supporting means by means of parts of substantial strength so that they may be set up with considerable force.

A further object of our invention is to dispense with the unsightliness of the attaching screws and to su stitute therefor attaching means which are ornamental in appearance.

Our invention may be applied to any of the ordinary types of wall switches, but find its greatest usefulness in connection with the toggle switch-described in the Newton Patent No. 1,233,597, and the single pushbutton Switch Shown in the Newton Patent and the face-plate,

- 4c, 6 and 7, the face-plate No. 1,186,930, since with these types of switch the greatest adjustment can be secured and the size of the plate may be reduced to a minlmum.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of our improved switch-plate attaching means applied to the toggle switch shown in the Newton Patent No. 1,233,597.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, partly in section; 'f

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view thereof on an enlarged scale showing the means for securing the face-plate in condition, the concealing shield being removed;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof, showing means for securing the face-plate in position, including the concealing shield;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a wrench which may be employed in assembling our improved device;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front view of our improved switch attaching means as a plied to the ordinary type `of double push! utton.

switch;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view thereof;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modification of our improved switch-plate attaching means applied to the single pushbutton switch of the Newton Patent No. 1,186,930.

In all of the modifications, the vswitchsupporting means or bridge-plate 10 has preferably mounted thereon a screw-threaded collar, such as shown at 11 in Fig. 4. It will be understood that in the case of the two button switch, two collars, one for each button, are provided. The switch-operating means in each case passes through the collar 11, such switch-operating means being the toggle lever 12 shown in Figs. l, 2, 3 and 4:, or the push-buttons 12a, shown in Figs. 6, 7

means may, however, be substituted for the' llevers 12 and 12".

In the modification shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 13 is provided with an aperture 14 for each collar 11, and 1s adapted to t loosely over the collar after the switch supporting means 10 have been secured to the wall. To rmly retain the face-plate 13 in position, we employ a screwthreaded member 15. adapted to cooperate with the screw-threaded collar 11, as shown v13. We

in Fi 4. This member 15 is preferably provi ed with a nut-head 16, such as is shown in Fig. 3, to permit the application of a wrench or similar device thereto. This construction enables the operator .to screw the member 15 tightly against the face-plate preferably provide a wrench such as is shown in Fig. 5 for this purpose. After the face-plate 13 has been firmly secured in the desired position by means of the member 15, a shield provided with an annular recess of suiiicient Size to cover the nut-head 16, such as indicated at 17, is pref-v erably screwed upon the screw-threaded collar 11,1as is shown in Fig. 4, to conceal the collar and the member 15, and thus add to the appearance of the switch. This shield is provided with an aperture 18, through which the lever 12 or other switchfoperating device projects.

The manner -of operation of our invention 4 should be clear from the above. The switchsupporting means 10 having been secured to the wall, the face-plate 13 1s placed in position with its aperture 14 fitting loosel over the collar 11. It is not essential, 1n the modificati-ons shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 8, that the switch-supporting means 10 be inserted in the wall in an exactly straight position, as is necessary with the switches now vgenerally in use, since the face-plate 13 can be moved .angularly, as desired, with respect to the switch-supporting means. For this purpose the face-plate is countersunk, as shown at 19, to receive the lugs 20. After the face-plate has been adjusted so that it assumes the desired position with respect to the wall, irrespective of any inclination of the switch-supporting means, the member 15 is screwed tightly against the faceplate and thus holds the face-plate firmly 1n position. The wrench shown in Fig. 5, which is preferably used for this purpose, is so constructed that its greatest diameter is not in excess of the diameter ofthe shield 17, So that any scratching of the plate, due to the use of the wrench, will be concealed by said shield. After the face-plate 13 and the member 15 have been applied as above described, the shield 17 is screwed upon the collar 11 to effectively conceal the unsightly collar 11 and member 15.

In the modification shown in Fig. 8, we dispense with the nut 15 and use the shield 17 as the attaching member. In this case, the aperture in the face-plate lits snugly over the collar 11, and is held in place by screwing down the shield 17 as tightly as possible. For this purpose the shield 17 may be knurled so as to permit easy manipulation with the fingers.

It will be understood that in the modification shown in Figs. 1 to 4, and 6 and 7, the nut 15 may be Hat, z'. e., the portionwhich enters the face-plate 13 may be dispensed with, or the portion which enters the faceplate 13 may be tapered so as to make a closer contact between the aperture of the face-plate and the nut.

' e therefore do not wish to limit ourselves to the particular forms shown and described, since many changes may be made therein without departing from the spirlt of our invention.

What we claim is:

l. In a device of the character described, the combination of switch-supporting means, a screw threaded collar thereon, a faceplate provided with an opening adapted to en. circle said collar, a screw-threaded member extending between the collar and the faceplate and provided with a nut-head and adapted to coperate with said collar to retain the face-plate in position, and a screwthreaded shield adapted also to coperate with said collar to conceal said screwthreaded member andsaid collar.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of switch-,supporting means, a screw-threaded collar thereon, a switchoperating device projectin through said collar, a face-plate provide with an opening adapted to loosely encircle said collar and said device, a screw-threaded member extendin between the collar and the faceplate ang provided with a nut-head outside the face-plate and adapted to coperate with said collar to retain the face-plate in position, and a screw-threaded shield adapted to coperate with said collar to conceal said screw-threaded member and said collar.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of switch supporting means, a screw-threaded collar thereon, switch-operating means projecting through said collar, a face-plate provided with an opening adapted to loosely encircle said collar and said device, a screw-threaded member provided with a nut-head and adapted to coperate with said collartoretain the faceplate in position, and a screw -threaded shield adapted to coperate with said collar to conceal said screw-threaded member and said collar.

4. In a device of the character described, a bridge, a screw threaded collar mounted thereon, a face-plate having an aperture of larger diameter than the collar, a screwthreaded nut adapted to engage the collar `and project between the collar and the faceplate and a screw-threaded shield adapted to engage the collar and cover the nut and col- 5., In a device of the character described, a switch supporting bridge, a screw-threaded collar mounted thereon, switch operating means projecting through the collar, a face-plate having an aperture lar r than the collar, a screw-threaded nut a apted to engage the collar and having an annular massa-1 projection the outer diameter of which is substantially the diameter of the aperture in the face-plate and a screw-'threaded shield having a recess and adapted to engage the 5 collar and conceal the collar and nut.

6. In an apparatus as described, a switch supporting means, al collar attached thereto, an apertured ace plate adapted to loosely encircle said collar, a nut having -a shank -'which coperates with said collar and ts 10 snugly in the aperture of said 'face plate and a head that rmly contacts 'with said face plate, and an apertured shield adapted to cover said nut and said collar and to be rmly held against said 'face plate.

WlLLlAM J. NEVTON. MRRS GOLDBERG.

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