US1004383A

US1004383A - Automatic electric switch.

Info

Publication number: US1004383A
Application number: US58847210A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ernest W Davis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1910-10-22
Filing date: 1910-10-22
Publication date: 1911-09-26
Anticipated expiration: 1928-09-26

Description

E. W. DAVIS.

AUTOMATIC ELBGTRIG SWITCH. APPLICATION TILED 001'. 22, 1910.

1,004,383. Patented Sept. 26, 1911.

19- 2 my. a i

PVITNESSES: INVEZVTOR.

. creasing ERNEST W. DAVIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC SWITCH.

7 Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Sept. 26, 1911.

'Application filed October 22, 1910. Serial No. 588,472.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST W. DAVIS, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Automatic Electric Switch.

This invention relates to devices for automatically opening and closing electrical circuits,such as are used for operating flashlarly to flashing devices in which the operating power is obtained from a magnet or solenoid instead of a motor.

Solenoid-operated flashers as heretofore constructed have proved unsuitable for operating heavy switches, such as are required for currents of high amperage. In flashers of this class the movement of the core is retarded by various means, such as a revolving fan, a dash pot, a metallic disk rotating in a magnetic field, etc. As usually constructed the movement of the core from one extreme position to the other is retarded by the fan, dash pot, or other device, and the change in the circuit is produced by a slight amount of movement at the end of each reciprocating movement of the core. The defeet oflsuch a construction lies in the fact that a large part of the energy produced by each stroke of the core is used to overcome the retarding means and the little energy remaining is insuflicient to make forcible connections at the switch contacts. Obviously, this defect may be overcome by'inthe size of the solenoid, but when thus constructed the device would be no cheaper to produce than an eflicient motor driven flasher and would consume several times the amount of current in operation.

The object of this invention is to overcome the above namedobjections and to produce an automatic electric switch which will op crate large contacts and make more forcible connections than the previously described flashers, without increasing the size of the solenoid. I attain this object by usin a flywheel or other inertia member, in.p ace of the fan, dash pot, etc., used in other flashers. Ihave demonstrated by practical tests that the retarding effect of a fly wheel, due to overcoming its inertia, is sufficient to produce intervals of the required time. I have also demonstrated that the power which is imparted to the fly wheelis not entirely dissipated as it is in a'fan or dash pot, but may electric signs, and relates more partlcu-l -ments of the core reciprocating movement of the rack 3, the

be easily regained, as the revolving fly wheel has considerable energy due to its momentum. In my invention this energy, due to the momentum of the fly wheel, is used to make forcible connections at the switch contacts, which forcible connections are very necessary for. operating with heavy currents.

In order to make the invention more clearly understood reference is made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation. Fig. 2 is a circuit diagram of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a circuit diagram with duplicate solenoids.

The solenoid 1, Fig. 1, is provided with a paramagnetic core 2, which moves verti cally in said solenoid. A rack 3, is connected to said core and is provided with arms 4 and 5, which engage with an insulating' roller 7, and. thereby operate the switch 8. The rack 3, engages with a pinion 9, which operates a train of

gears

10 and 11, and thereby imparts rapid rotation toa fly wheel 12, which by its inertia, retards the move- 2. At theend of each fly wheel 12, by virtue of its momentum produces forcible contact between the switch 8,

and the

contacts

15 and 18.

In operationg'the current entering at 13 passes through the lamp 14, switch 8, con tact 15, and back to the line 16.- The currentv is also shunted at 17 and flows through the solenoid 1, to the switch 8. The solenoid 1, being thus energized, raises the core 2, and brings the switch 8, in connection with the contact 18. With the switch 8 in this position, the currententering at 13, passes to the contact 18, through the switch 8, and lamp 19, back to the line 16. The solenoid 1, is then short circuited through the switch 8, and contact 18, and is denergized. This allows the core 2, to fall by the action of gravity, but before doing so the fly wheel 12, by virtue of its momentum, ,jams the switch 8 in forcible-connection with the contact 18. When the core 2, falls to its lowosition the switch is returned to its automatic, electric switches have been used which were operated by solenoid and in which various retarding means were employed. I therefore do not claim such a combination broadly. What I claim as being new and useful and that which I desire tends to continue the motion of said core.

to secure by Letters Patent is the use of a retarding meansin which the imparted energy may be regained and made to assist in operating the switch.

In devices of this class as previously constructed the efficiency has been low, as only a fraction of the total energy of the solenoid is utilized in actual operation of the contacts, while in the improved device the mechanical efiiciency is theoretically perfect, as the total amount of kinetic energy produced in the solenoid is utilized, theoretically, in operating the switch.

I claim:

1. In combination, an electric switch; a transforming means, capable of transforming electrical energy into kinetic energy; means whereby said switch is operated by said kinetic energ an inertia member arranged to retard the motion produced by said kinetic energy, said inertia member bemg so arranged that the energy imparted thereto tends to continue the duced by said kinetic energy.

2. In combination, an electric switch; an electric solenoid, provided with a movable, paramagnetic core; means whereby said motlon pro- .core; a rotatable inertia member, said core and capable of retardlng themocore; a rotatable inertia member driven by said core and capable of retarding the motion thereof; sa1d incrtla member being so arranged that the energ imparted thereto 3. In combination, an electric switch; an electric solenoid: provided with a movable paramagnetic core; means whereby said switch is operated by the movement of said driven by tion thereof, said inertia member and said switch operating means, being so arranged that the energy imparted to said inertia member is transmitted through said switch operating means and thereby makes forcible connections at the contacts of said switch. 4. In combination, an electric switch; an electric solenoid provided with a movable paramagnetic core; means whereby said switch is operated by-the movement of said core; a rack connected with said core; a pinion in mesh with said rack; a train of gears operated by said pinion; and a rota table inertia wheel operated by said gears. In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' ERNEST W. DAVIS. Witnesses:

C. K. CHAMBERLAIN, A. S. PHILLIPS.