Contact Making Surface (e.g., Grooved) Patents (Class 200/279)
  • Patent number: 4644112
    Abstract: A linear transformer switch adaptable for connecting the transformer windings in series-parallel or Delta-Y, the switch including a pair of dielectric plates having a number of sets of fixed contacts mounted in a parallel spaced relation, each contact having flat contact surfaces on each side, a bar mounted between the plates for linear movement, at least one sliding current carrying contact assembly mounted on the bar for each set of fixed contacts, each sliding current carrying contact assembly including a pair of conductive plates of a length sufficient to engage two fixed contacts and a pair of louvered contact sections mounted on each conductive plate, with the sections on one plate opposing the sections on the other plate, and a Geneva drive assembly operatively positioned to move the bar one step in each revolution of the bar and being operable externally of the transformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1987
    Assignee: ASEA Electric, Inc.
    Inventor: Neil J. Kranich, II
  • Patent number: 4635024
    Abstract: A method of welding electrical contacts onto conductive bodies including engaging a surface of the contact with the conductive body and passing a welding current through a pair of spaced surface areas of the contact to provide weld action and wherein a rib portion between the pair of spaced areas retains unoxidized metal thereon to improve electrical contact properties of any article made and utilizing the contact and particularly the ribbed area thereof for make and break engagement with other members of an electric circuit.A new control article is also provided wherein a contact therein has a raised center rib thereon for contacting an associated means for make and break circuit action, which contact is made from silver or silver alloy and has uncontaminated silver on the surface of the rib or center area of the contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1987
    Inventors: Robert M. Wells, Alton R. Wells
  • Patent number: 4567338
    Abstract: Cup-shaped switch contact member for an electric vacuum switch having a lead post, a bottom connected to the lead post, a cylinder wall connected to the bottom, and a contact ring secured to the cylinder wall and formed of a material favoring interruption of an arc and having a lower conductivity than that of the cylinder wall, the lead post having a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the cylinder wall, the cylinder wall and the contact ring being at least partly slotted, the slots formed in the cylinder wall extending at an angle to the axis of rotation of the switch contact member and merging with the slots formed in the contact ring, including a contact surface formed on the contact ring and having a pair of concentric annular zones overlying respective radially inner and radially outer marginal regions of an annular end face of the cylinder wall, the contact surface also having a middle annular zone disposed between the concentric annular zones and being farther removed from the cylinder wall tha
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 28, 1986
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Gerhard Peche
  • Patent number: 4562316
    Abstract: A high voltage electrical switching apparatus including a base formed from a pair of flat dielectric plates supported in a spaced relation, a number of elongate elliptically shaped contacts positioned between the plates at equally spaced intervals, a dielectric bar mounted for linear motion between the plates, a pair of electrically conductive plates mounted on opposite sides of the bar, each conductive plate including a pair of louvered contacts spaced a distance apart sufficient to electrically interconnect two of the elongate contacts, and a Geneva drive assembly for moving the bar in steps of equal distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1985
    Assignee: ASEA Electric, Inc.
    Inventor: Neil J. Kranich, II
  • Patent number: 4551595
    Abstract: A tape switch has a first insulating cover strip and a second insulating cover strip. A first conductive strip is bonded to the first cover strip and these combined strips have a corrugated wave form at mid-portion where joined. First and second spacer strips run parallel to each other and are mounted between the first and second cover strips. A second conductive strip is bonded to the second cover strip between the first and second spacer strips, whereby when the tape switch is pressed, contact is made between the first and second conductive strips. In a second embodiment the first cover strip has a formed central raised portion to give separation which eliminates need for additional parallel separator stays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1985
    Assignee: Tapeswitch Corporation of America
    Inventors: Robert H. Koenig, Walter Lovell
  • Patent number: 4547639
    Abstract: A vacuum circuit breaker comprising a vacuum vessel and a pair of electrodes disposed in the vessel, which is superior in chopping current characteristic, at least a contact of at least one of the electrodes being made of a member having a skeleton of an iron group element, pores in which skeleton are impregnated with at least one kind selected from a group consisting of silver; an alloy of Ag and at least one of Te, Se, Bi, Pb, Tl, In, Cd, Sn and Sb; and the intermetallic compound of Ag, the breaker having rated voltage of 3.6 to 36 KV and rated breaking currents of 8 to 60 KA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1981
    Date of Patent: October 15, 1985
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryuji Watanabe, Kiyoji Iwashita, Sadami Tomita, Keiichi Kuniya, Hideaki Tsuda
  • Patent number: 4453054
    Abstract: Contact apparatus for vacuum switches. It includes a fixed and a movable contact bolt. Each has an end portion with an end face facing the other. Two disc-shaped substantially identical contacts surround the end portion of each of the contact bolts, and each of the contact discs have an annular inner hollow space formed therein which define side walls which face each other and have closed inner and outer side wall surfaces. The contact discs have side walls facing away from each other and each is fastened to a corresponding one of the contact bolts. The end face of each of the end portions are located at a distance from the inner side wall surface of the corresponding one of the contact discs which defines a gap therebetween. The side walls of the contact discs have slots formed therein which are extended in the same direction, and has coil turns placed between the slots at a given slope which produces an axial magnetic field at the moment the contacts break.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1982
    Date of Patent: June 5, 1984
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Gerhard Peche, Gunter Bialkowski
  • Patent number: 4349710
    Abstract: A door edge including an elongate hollow resiliently flexible body for securement to a door generally in the plane of the door, the body having an outer wall remote from the door of a cross-sectional configuration generally sinuous or corrugated, and a compression actuable switch extending longitudinally within the hollow body for actuation upon compression by a trough or depression of the sinuous outer wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1980
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1982
    Inventor: Norman K. Miller
  • Patent number: 4334133
    Abstract: A contact arrangement for vacuum switches with coaxially arranged cup contacts, the slotted contact carrier of which is provided with a contact ring, in which, the exposed surface of the contact ring is provided with bevels extending radially inward and outward and the contact ring and/or the contact carrier contain an annular zone with an electric conductivity which is substantially reduced in comparison with the material of the contact carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1980
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1982
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Rudolf Gebel, Gerhard Peche, Heinrich Schindler, Jurgen-Dietrich Welly
  • Patent number: 4243859
    Abstract: An improved vacuum switch has slotted, flexible, discus-shaped contact discs attached to the current carrying contact bolts. In the open circuit case, a gap exists between each contact bolt and its corresponding contact disc and between the two discs. In the closed circuit case, the contact bolts drive the contact discs against one another, slightly deforming the contact discs, resulting in a low resistance current path. As the switch starts to open, the contact bolts first separate from the adjacent disc surfaces. As the switch opens further, any arc that ignites exists only between the contact discs. Tangential slots in the contact discs guide the arc toward the center of the contact discs. The flexible discs assume their previous undistorted shape when the switch has opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1978
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1981
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Gerhard Peche
  • Patent number: 4188515
    Abstract: An isolated phase bus disconnect switch has a cylindrical aluminum center conductor coaxially disposed within a cylindrical aluminum housing. The center conductor is composed of two fixed axially spaced sections and a coaxial telescoping sleeve assembly which moves axially to make and break electrical contact between the fixed sections. One end of each fixed section and both ends of the sleeve assembly have copper contact rings fixedly attached thereto. Adjoining surfaces of the copper-aluminum interfaces are silver plated, and each of the adjoining aluminum members is axially slotted to permit flexing to allow for differential thermal expansion, while at the same time preventing relative motion between the plated surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1978
    Date of Patent: February 12, 1980
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Jayant M. Patel, James R. Farley
  • Patent number: 4163879
    Abstract: A selector switch of the type having a thumbwheel selector journalled for rotation in a frame for selecting any one of a plurality of interconnections among external circuits to be connected to electrical contacts mounted in the frame, the selector including a first part of dielectric material and a second part of non-metallic electrically conductive material carried by the first part and having a pattern configured in accordance with a predetermined code and contacted by various ones of the electrical contacts in different positions of the selector to connect and disconnect the contacts in accordance with the pattern of conductive material so as to selectively close and open the interconnections among the external circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1977
    Date of Patent: August 7, 1979
    Assignee: Amerace Corporation
    Inventors: Robert W. Mayer, Adam Smorzaniuk
  • Patent number: 4135071
    Abstract: This vacuum-type circuit interrupter is a high current interrupter rated for interrupting currents of 35,000 amperes r.m.s. or higher. Despite this high current interrupting requirement, each of its disc-shaped contacts can be made from an exceptionally small and thin blank because these contacts are of beryllium and each has a flat surface, without the usual central recess, extending from its center to a perimeter located radially between the outer periphery of the contact and the outer periphery of the inner end of the associated contact rod. On this flat surface of beryllium, contact-engagement occurs and arcs are initiated during interruption. Each contact rod is joined to its associated beryllium contact by means of brazed joint, a portion of which is accommodated in a very shallow recess on the back surface of the contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1976
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1979
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Donald W. Crouch
  • Patent number: 4105970
    Abstract: An electrical testing pin characterized by a crown with an inner contact area and a plurality of outer contact areas, the former extending longitudinally beyond the latter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1976
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1978
    Assignee: Teradyne, Inc.
    Inventor: Jonathon H. Katz
  • Patent number: 4074112
    Abstract: A pneumatic cylinder-piston door operator is connected to an air supply by a solenoid actuated valve. A control circuit selectively energizes the solenoid valve in response to momentary actuation of switches including control and safety switches. For refrigeration unit installation, the switch contacts are formed with one contact having a pimpled surface and the other contact having a serrated surface to provide a reliably electrical connection. For the manual control switches, a micro-switch is mounted in a suitable enclosure with appropriate gaskets to minimize the effect of adverse environmental conditions. A spring-loaded plunger is mounted within the housing and provided with an external push-button or pull cord actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1975
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1978
    Assignee: Kelley Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Arthur J. Runft
  • Patent number: 4028515
    Abstract: A dual-in-line switch package having a plurality of momentary contact switching stations and a plurality of indicating lights is disclosed. The switching mechanism of the switches is provided by a close wound coil spring having one end that encloses one contact and another end that is bent by the depression of a pushbutton so that it makes contact with a second contact in order to complete the circuit. The indicating lights may be light-emitting diodes which have lead extensions that are brought out of the package in line with the contacts for the switches. The light-emitting diodes rest on a support guide rail and are held in place in the switch when the cover is snapped on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1975
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1977
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Frank B. Desio, Samuel Lee Webb
  • Patent number: 3997743
    Abstract: The switch includes a mounting plate supporting two high voltage RF contacts in spaced relation with each other and with the mounting plate. A shorting bar is provided between the mounting plate and the two contacts in a switching relation with the two contacts. The shorting bar is actuated by a first pneumatic actuating arrangement supported by the mounting plate to make and break a connection between the shorting bar and both of the contacts. A grounding arrangement actuated by a second pneumatic actuating arrangement grounds one of the two contacts when no connection exists between the shorting bar and both of the contacts and ungrounds the one of the two contacts when a connection exists between the shorting bar and both of the contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1975
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1976
    Assignee: International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation
    Inventors: Frederick Richard Hock, William Dall Hopkins
  • Patent number: 3980850
    Abstract: A vacuum interrupter is described having improved electrodes. The electrodes are of the cup-shaped type with an insert electrode disposed within the cup-shaped contact closely spaced from the base portion of the cup. The insert electrode has spiral or radial and circumferential extending slots therein. The spirals or slots of the insert electrodes may extend in the same or opposed directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1974
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1976
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Clive W. Kimblin
  • Patent number: 3953698
    Abstract: A contact system for a vacuum switch includes contact members movable relative to each other for electrically opening and closing the vacuum switch. Each of the contact members includes a carrier and a contact piece mounted on the carrier. Openings are formed in at least one of the contact pieces along substantially concentric circular arcs so that the openings of one series cover the gaps between the openings of an adjacent series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1974
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1976
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Hans Luttgert, Werner Kohler
  • Patent number: RE29440
    Abstract: A keyboard switch assembly including a printed circuit board having four switch terminals on one side of the board, three of the terminals being arranged in a triangle and the fourth disposed within the triangle. Conductors on the one side of the board are respectively joined to the interior terminal and at least one of the three terminals. A conductive, generally triangular, snap-acting dome switch member is provided having arcuate apices, projections being respectively formed from the apices and respectively engaging the three terminals thereby spacing the periphery of the switch element from the one surface of the printed circuit board and the conductors thereon, at least the conductor connected to the interior terminal extending under the dome.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1976
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1977
    Assignee: Bowmar Instrument Corporation
    Inventors: Gilbert H. Durkee, Per G. Wareberg, Alan C. Yoder
  • Patent number: RE30923
    Abstract: A keyboard switch assembly including a printed circuit board having four switch terminals on one side of the board, three of the terminals being arranged in a triangle and the fourth disposed within the triangle. Conductors on the one side of the board are respectively joined to the interior terminal and at least one of the three terminals. A conductive, generally triangular, snap-acting dome switch member is provided having arcuate apices, projections being respectively formed from the apices and respectively engaging the three terminals thereby spacing the periphery of the switch element from the one surface of the printed circuit board and the conductors thereon, at least the conductor connected to the interior terminal extending under the dome.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1979
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1982
    Assignee: Bowmar Instrument Corporation
    Inventors: Gilbert H. Durkee, Per G. Wareberg, Alan C. Yoder