Chev HUW door switch question

[Paul Singleton]

Honeywell makes a micro switch that you could probably make work. Here is an Amazon ad, but you could probably shop around and find one locally and maybe a better price.

https://www.amazon.ca/Honeywell-Over.../dp/B0839NYHFR

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

I think that settles it for me. I dug out a file with photocopies I made many years ago at the old Kingston Signals Museum. Here is an interior shot taken from the inside looking rear towards the back door and left door frame. The left side of the photo is the folding map table attached to the rear door, above it the sliding glass window and padlock, and to the top right the open generator cabinet. It is basically the inside of the pic I included before, the green arrow showing direction. The closeup shows the door frame with the two switch mounting holes (oddly the switch isn't all that visible), wires, and it clearly shows a metal tab...I bet spring steel...that wraps around the door frame, covering the switch plunger which it would depress when the door is closed. All held in place by those two screws on the outside. It also explains the mystery bump that shows up in the last pic.

As a side benefit the old photocopy also tells me where the exterior brown stops and the interior white begins...

[David Dunlop]

Great find with the old photos, Bruce.

I had not considered extending the length of the spring steel strip to curve around the inside edge of the door frame like that.

That would greatly reduce the chance of the open end of the strip snagging on clothing and getting bend or broken. Especially when the door was open and the strip relaxed.

David

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

Great find with the old photos, Bruce.

I had not considered extending the length of the spring steel strip to curve around the inside edge of the door frame like that.

That would greatly reduce the chance of the open end of the strip snagging on clothing and getting bend or broken. Especially when the door was open and the strip relaxed.

David

I was also wondering why they placed the switch on the latch side of the door where the plunger would be at right angles to the movement of the door. In domestic house uses the switch is on the hinge side so the closing door pushes the plunger in the direction it wants to go. But then I figured the amount of movement at the hinge side is very little compared to the latch side resulting in more door travel before the switch is actuated (leaving the lights on longer to be seen). By putting the switch at the latch side very little door movement is required before the the switch breaks the circuit reducing the opportunity for stray light. They were some clever back then!!

Of note too the side door has the switch and spring tab at the very top out of the way. The back door switch is just below the generator cabinet half way down the door opening which was required because there is no access to the upper part of the door frame...because of the cabinet.

[Bob Carriere]

.... but in your own back yard Smith & Stone made a lot of switches during the war and well after ....even 303 brass casings...... they were on a par with LEVITON.......