US3009082A - Remote control switching circuit - Google Patents

Description

Npv. 14, 1961 M. STIMLER ETAL 3,009,082

REMOTE CONTROL swncnmc CIRCUIT Filed June 28, 195 7 ,26 BA J I lNVENTORS.

MORTON STIMLER JOSEPH W. WILLIS ATTYS.

United States Patent 3,009,082 REMOTE CONTROL SWITCHING CIRCUIT Morton Stimler, Silver Spring, and Joseph W. Willis,

Garrett Park, Md., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed June 28, 1957, Ser. No. 672,842 4 Claims. (Cl. 317-151) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), see. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payrnent of any royalties thereon or therefor.

This invention relates to electrical control systems and more particularly to a system for controlling a single relay flip-flop circuit in response to an input signal applied thereto. In accordance with the instant invention a control relay is induced to respond to a control impulse applied thereto in a manner to produce a flip-flop operation of the relay i.e. to cause the relay to operate alternatively from a first condition of operation to a second condition of operation in response to each impulse received.

Several circuit arrangements have heretofore been proposed for achieving this result in which ratchet or impulse type relays or latching relays have been employed.

This result is achieved in accordance with the instant invention by a single relay having two control windings thereon which are selectively operated by an electrical impulse of short duration applied thereto in such manner that the windings are energized selectively in alternate order by the impulse applied thereto whereby the relay is caused to perform a flip-flop operation as each impulse is received, as will more clearly be apparent as the description proceeds.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a new and improved relay flip-flop circuit which is economical to produce and possesses all the qualities of durability and reliability in service.

Another object is to provide a new and improved flip-fiop relay circuit controlled by a condenser discharge in such manner that only a single relay operation is effected by the discharge current of the condenser.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention willbe readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the single figure of the accompanying drawing.

Referring now to the drawing for a more complete understanding of the invention there is shown thereon a relay indicated generally by the numeral 9 comprising a pair of magnetic cores 10 and .11 and having a pair of relay windings 12 and 13 disposed respectively thereon. An armature 14 pivoted at 15 composed of magnetic material and magnetized permanently as shown is adapted to be brought into engagement with the end surfaces of the cores 10 and 11 selectively in accordance with the energized condition of coils 12 and 13 and adapted to remain in engagement with the end of the selected core by magnetic attraction after the current to the operating coil has been discontinued. The coils 12- 13 are preferably connected to ground as by conductor '16, the other ends of the coils or windings being connected to contacts 17 and 18 respectively whereby an electrical circuit is established between the coils 12 and 13 in the arma ture 14 selectively in accordance with the instant position of the armature. Coil 12 has connected thereacross a condenser indicated by the numeral 19 and in like manner coil 13 has connected thereacross a condenser 21 which, preferably, is of the same capacity as the condenser 19.

The relay may also be provided with a pair of contacts 22 and 23 engageable selectively by the contact spring 24 in accordance with the instant set position of Patented Nov. 14, 1961 armature 14 as shown, spring 24 being electrically insulated from the armature by insulating member 20. These contacts may be advantageously employed for controlling an output circuit indicated generally by numeral 25.

There is also provided a condenser 26 having one of the terminals thereof connected by conductor 16 to the coils or windings 12-13 and the other terminal connected to the movable element 27 of a control switch 28. Switch 28 is provided with a pair of contacts 29 and 3-1 engageable selectively by the movable element 27, contact 31 being connected to armature 14 as by conductor 32. Electrical power for the operation of the circuit is obtained from battery BA having one terminal thereof connected to conductor 16 and the other terminal connected to contact 29 of the control switch.

The operation of the flip-flop circuit will now be described. Let it be assumed, by way of example, that armature 14 is in the position shown in the drawing and that movable element 27 has been moved into engagement with contact 29 thereby charging condenser 26 to the potential of battery BA.

Movable element 27 is now moved into engagement with contact 31 of the control switch. When this occurs the potential at condenser 26 is applied by way of conductor 32, armature 14 and contact 17 of the relay to condenser 19 and coil 12 of the relay in parallel from whence the circuit is continued by way of conductor 16 to the other terminal of condenser 26. Condenser 19 now receives a charge from condenser 26 and concurrently therewith an electric current flows through winding 12 of the relay. When condenser 19 has charged to a value of voltage sufiicient, the end N of the armature 14 is moved from the position shown on the drawing into engagement with the end of core 10 upon which coil 12 is mounted. As the end N of armature 14 moves away from contact 17, the circuit to condenser 26 is interrupted but current continues to flow through coil 12 from the condenser 19 thereby assuring positive and reliable operation of the armature which continues movement until the end of core 10 is engaged thereby.

As end N of armature 14 moves into engagement with the core 10 the opposite end 8 thereof engages contact 18 thereby closing a circuit from condenser 26 to coil 13 and condenser 21 in parallel therewith. Condenser 21 starts to charge as this circuit is closed but does not attain a voltage sufficiently high to cause the end S of armature 14 to be moved toward the end of core 11 about which coil 13 is disposed by reason of the fact that the charge on condenser 26 at this time is insufficient to charge condenser 21 to this value of voltage. The relay, therefore, makes but a single operation for each closure of the movable element 27 of the control switch with contact 31 thereof. A cycle of operations has now been completed during which contact spring 24 has been disengaged from contact 22 and moved into engagement with contact 23 thereby to efiect a control of the output circuit 25.

When it is desired to reoperate the flip-flop relay, element 27 is first moved into engagement with contact 29 thereby charging condenser 26 to the potential of battery BA. When this has been done, movable element 27 is moved into engagement with contact 31 thereby applying the voltage of the condenser by way of armature 14 and contact 18 to winding 13 of the relay and condenser 21 in parallel therewith. When condenser 21 has charged to a voltage suflicient for the relay to operate, coil 13 attracts the S end of armature 14 thereby disconnecting at contact 18 the circuit to condenser 26. The winding 13 remains energized, however, by the discharge current of condenser 21 sufiiciently to insure complete operation of the relay. As the relay operates to the position shown on the drawing, the condenser 26 is reconnected by way of contact '17 and armature 14 to coil 12 and condenser 19 in parallel therewith but this circuit is without effect at this time for the reason that the charge on condenser 26 has been decreased sufficiently to prevent condenser 19 from charging to a value of voltage sufficient to move the end N from the position of rest shown in the drawing in a direction toward the end of the core about which coil 12 is disposed. Movement of the armature to the position shown on the drawing causes the contact member 23 to be disengaged from contact spring 24 and the contact spring 24 to be moved into engagement with contact 22 thereby applying a second control signal to the output circuit 25.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A flip-flop circuit comprising a two-position relay having a magnetized armature pivoted for movement selectively in either direction to two positions of rest, a pair of magnetic cores constructed and arranged to be engaged at the end face portions thereof selectively by an end portion of said armature when the armature is in either of said positions of rest, a pair of relay windings, each of said windings being disposed about one of said cores, a pair of contacts, each of said contacts being connected to one end of said windings and adapted to close a circuit thereto when the end of the armature opposite each of said windings is moved to a position of rest furtherest removed therefrom, a pair of condensers, each of said condensers being connected in parallel with one of said windings, a source of electrical power, a third condenser, means including a switching element connected to said third condenser for connecting said third condenser in parallel with said source of power to charge said third condenser to the voltage of said source of power and thereafter connecting the charged condenser to said relay in a manner to apply the voltage thereof to said armature and to one of said windings and condenser connected in parallel therewith by way of one of said contacts thereby to move the armature from one of said positions of rest to the other position of rest by discharge current from the third condenser flowing through said last named winding.

2. A flip-flop circuit for the remote disablement of a relay circuit and for subsequent enablement thereof by the application of a momentary unidirectional current pulse of predetermined polarity from the discharge of a capacitor comprising, in combination, a double acting relay having two control windings thereon, a source of unidirectional potential, a normally open relay control circuit including a capacitor, a control switch having a movable switching element connected to said capacitor and a contact connected to said potential source for charging the capacitor to the voltage of said potential source as the movable element engages said contact, means including a second contact on said switch for closing said control circuit from the charged capacitor to said relay as the switching element is moved into engagement therewith, two sets of contacts on said relay operative alternatively to closed position in successive order and so arranged that upon a momentary closure of the control circuit a capacitor discharge current flows through a first of said sets of closed contacts to energize a first one of said relay control windings and thereby disengage the initially closed contacts of the first of said sets of contacts and connect the other control winding to said capacitor through the other set of contacts as the relay operates in response to the momentary energization of said first one of the relay control windings, and a pair of condenser elements, one each thereof being connected across the respective control winding of said relay for delaying the operation of the relay sufficiently to reduce the charge on the capacitor to a value of voltage less than that required for reoperation of the relay as the other control winding is connected to said capacitor.

3. A relay flip-flop circuit comprising a pair of cores, a pivoted magnetized armature movable selectively into engagement with the end faces of said cores, a pair of relay windings disposed about said cores for causing movement of the armature into engagement therewith selectively as the windings are energized alternatively in successive order, a pair of condensers each of which is connected in parallel with a respective winding, contact means on said relay for selectively closing a circuit to one of the windings when an end portion of the armature is disengaged from the end of the core upon which the respective winding is disposed and adapted to interrupt the circuit to the last named winding as the armature is moved to a position engaging the end of said core, a storage condenser having one plate thereof connected to one end of each of said windings, means for charging the condenser to a predetermined potential, and means operable at will for connecting the other plate of the charged condenser to said contact means thereby to energize one winding of the relay and charge the condenser connected in parallel thereto to a value suificient to cause the relay to move said armature into engagement with the pole face of the core on which the coil is disposed, the capacity of each of the condensers in parallel with the coils being such as to reduce the charge of the storage condenser sufficiently to prevent reoperation of the relay as the other of said windings is connected thereto.

4. A flip-flop relay circuit comprising a relay having a magnetized armature arranged for pivotal movement in either of two directions selectively, a pair of cores constructed and arranged for engagement by the end portions of said armature at the face extremities thereof selectively in accordance with the instant set position of the armature, a pair of coils on said cores for energizing the cores alternatively in a manner to attract the ends of the armature thereagainst selectively in accordance with the energized condition of said cores, a pair of condensers respectively connected across said coils, a storage condenser, means for charging said storage condenser, means including an input circuit having a switching element therein for connecting the charged condenser to said coils selectively in succession in accordance with the set position of said armature in a manner to charge one of said condensers and energize the coil associated therewith sufiiciently to move the armature from a set position of rest in engagement with the face of the other core into engagement with the face of the core upon which the coil is disposed, the capacity of the condenser in parallel with said coil being such as to reduce the charge of the charged storage condenser to a potential insuflicient to reoperate the relay by energization of the other of the coils until the storage condenser has been recharged.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,394,021 Stone Feb. 5, 1946 2,407,418 Hanif Sept. 10, 1946 2,561,073 Schouten July 17, 1951 2,694,758 Keen Nov. 16, 1954 2,702,841 Bernstein Feb. 22, 1955 2,802,078 Martin Aug. 6, 1957 2,817,806 Borell Dec. 24, 1957 2,885,606 Clements May 5, 1959

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