Centrifugal switch assembly for a motor starting circuit

Claim 2

A centrifugal switch assembly for an electrical motor including a main winding, a starting winding, a shaft, a rotor fixedly mounted to said shaft, and a housing having a housing end portion rotatably supporting said shaft, said centrifugal switch assembly comprising: an electrical contact assembly mounted on said housing and including first and second contacts having mutually engaging and disengaging positions; means connecting said first and second contacts in a series circuit including said starting winding; an actuator plate including an annular portion surrounding said shaft and radially extending adjacent one side of said electrical contact assembly, said actuator plate including axially extending guide surfaces slidably engaging said housing end portion whereby said actuator plate is freely and reciprocably movable between two positions operative to move said electrical contact assembly between said engaging and disengaging positions; and a centrifugally operated member including two spring fingers mounted on said shaft and rotatable therewith, said spring fingers including free ends carrying centrifugal weights, and said free ends including supporting surfaces engaging said actuator plate, whereby said two spring fingers position said actuator plate so that said first and second contacts are maintained in a closed circuit condition when said shaft is rotated below a predetermined speed and said spring fingers are deflected radially outward by centrifugal forces when said shaft is rotated above said predetermined speed to thereby release said actuator plate for movement in an axial direction which will permit said first and second contacts to move to an open circuit position.

Claim 3

A centrifugal switch assembly for an electrical motor including a main winding, a starting winding, a shaft, a rotor having a plurality of axially extending fan blades fixedly mounted to said shaft, and a housing having a housing end portion rotatably supporting said shaft, said centrifugal switch assembly comprising: an electrical contact assembly mounted on said housing end portion and including first and second contacts having mutually engaging and disengaging positions; means connecting said first and second contacts in a series circuit including said starting winding; an annular actuator plate surrounding said shaft and extending radially between said electrical contact assembly and said fan blades, said actuator plate including a plurality of circumferentially spaced lugs extending through openings formed in said housing end portion, said lugs including axially extending guide surfaces and radially extending ends forming shoulder portions, said guide surfaces slidably engaging side portions of said openings whereby said actuator plate is axially movable relative to said shaft between two positions operative to move said electrical contact assembly between said engaging and disengaging positions, and said shoulder portions overlapping edge portions of said openings to thereby limit the inward axial movement of said actuator plate; and a centrifugally operated member including two spring fingers mounted on said shaft and rotatable therewith, said spring fingers including free ends extending between said fan blades and carrying centrifugal weights, and said free ends including supporting surfaces engaging said actuator plate whereby said first and second contacts are maintained in a closed circuit condition when said shaft is rotated below a predetermined speed and said spring fingers are deflected radially outward by centrifugal forces when said shaft is rotated above said predetermined speed to thereby release said actuator plate for axial movement which will permit said first and second contacts to move to an open circuit position.

Claim 4

A centrifugal switch assembly for an electrical motor including a main winding, a starting winding, a shaft, a rotor having a plurality of axially extending fan blades fixedly mounted to said shaft, and a housing having a housing end portion rotatably supporting said shaft, said centrifugal switch assembly comprising: an electrical contact assembly mounted on said housing end portion and including first and second contacts having mutually engaging and disengaging positions; means connecting said first and second contacts in a series circuit including said starting winding; an annular actuator plate surrounding said shaft and extending radially between said electrical contact assembly and said fan blades, said actuator plate including a plurality of circumferentially spaced lugs extending through openings formed in said housing end portion, said lugs including axially extending guide surfaces and radially extending ends forming shoulder portions, said guide surfaces slidably engaging side portions of said openings whereby said actuator plate is axially movable relative to said shaft between two positions operative to move said electrical contact assembly between said engaging and disengaging positions, and said shoulder portions overlapping edge portions of said openings to thereby limit the inward axial movement of said actuator plate; and a centrifugally operated member including two spring fingers mounted on said shaft and rotatable therewith, said spring fingers including free ends extending between said fan blades and carrying centrifugal weights, and said free ends including supporting surfaces engaging said actuator plate whereby said first and second contacts are maintained in a closed circuit condition when said shaft is rotated below a predetermined speed and said spring fingers are deflected radially outward by centrifugal forces when said shaft is rotated above said predetermined speed to thereby release said actuator plate for axial movement which will permit said first and second contacts to move to an open circuit position.

Claim 5

A centrifugal switch assembly for an electrical motor including a main winding, a starting winding, a vertically disposed shaft, a rotor having a plurality of axially extending fan blades fixedly mounted to said shaft, and a housing having a housing end frame rotatably supporting said shaft, said centrifugal switch assembly comprising: an electrical contact assembly including first and second leaf spring arms mounted on said housing end frame having mutually overlapping free ends carrying axially aligned first and second contacts, means connecting said first ad second contacts, means connecting said first and second leaf spring arms in a series circuit including said starting winding; an actuator plate including upper and lower annular surfaces surrounding said shaft and extending radially between one of said first and second leaf spring arms and said fan blades, said upper annular surface including a plurality of circumferentially spaced lugs extending upwardly through openings formed in said housing end frame, said lugs including axially extending guide surfaces and radially extending end projections forming shoulder portions, said guide surfaces slidably engaging side portions of said openings whereby said actuator plate is freely reciprocably movable between two positions operative to move said first and second leaf spring arms between contact engaging and disengaging positions, and said shoulder portions overlapping edge portions of said openings whereby said shoulder portions and said upper annular surface alternately engage said housing end frame to limit the reciprocable movement of said actuator plate; a centrifugally operated member including two diametrically disposed flat spring fingers fixedly mounted on said shaft including free ends carrying centrifugal weights and extending radially upward between said fan blades, and said free ends including supporting surfaces engaging said lower annular surface of said actuator plate whereby said first and second leaf spring arms are urged into a contact engaging position when said shaft is rotated below a predetermined speed, and said spring fingers are deflected radially outwardly by centrifugal forces when said shaft is rotated above said predetermined speed to permit said actuator plate to move axially and release said first and second leaf spring arms to move to a contact disengaging position; and flat stop members mounted integrally with said centrifugally operated member extending radially upwardly between said fan blades and axially below said spring fingers for limiting the radially outward movement of said spring fingers.

Claim 6

A centrifugal switch assembly for an electrical motor including a main winding, a starting winding, a vertically disposed shaft, a rotor having a plurality of axially extending fan blades fixedly mounted to said shaft, and a housing having a housing end frame rotatably supporting said shaft, said centrifugal switch assembly comprising: an electrical contact assembly including first and second leaf spring arms mounted on said housing end frame having mutually overlapping free ends carrying axially aligned first and second contacts, means connecting said first ad second contacts, means connecting said first and second leaf spring arms in a series circuit including said starting winding; an actuator plate including upper and lower annular surfaces surrounding said shaft and extending radially between one of said first and second leaf spring arms and said fan blades, said upper annular surface including a plurality of circumferentially spaced lugs extending upwardly through openings formed in said housing end frame, said lugs including axially extending guide surfaces and radially extending end projections forming shoulder portions, said guide surfaces slidably engaging side portions of said openings whereby said actuator plate is freely reciprocably movable between two positions operative to move said first and second leaf spring arms between contact engaging and disengaging positions, and said shoulder portions overlapping edge portions of said openings whereby said shoulder portions and said upper annular surface alternately engage said housing end frame to limit the reciprocable movement of said actuator plate; a centrifugally operated member including two diametrically disposed flat spring fingers fixedly mounted on said shaft including free ends carrying centrifugal weights and extending radially upward between said fan blades, and said free ends including supporting surfaces engaging said lower annular surface of said actuator plate whereby said first and second leaf spring arms are urged into a contact engaging position when said shaft is rotated below a predetermined speed, and said spring fingers are deflected radially outwardly by centrifugal forces when said shaft is rotated above said predetermined speed to permit said actuator plate to move axially and release said first and second leaf spring arms to move to a contact disengaging position; and flat stop members mounted integrally with said centrifugally operated member extending radially upwardly between said fan blades and axially below said spring fingers for limiting the radially outward movement of said spring fingers.