US1005350A - Controller. - Google Patents

Description

H. A. STEEN.

' CONTROLLER.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 8, 1909. RENEWED MAR. 20. 1911.

Patented Oct. 10, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES 120., WASHINGTON n c UNITED s'rn'rns PATENT onnicn.

HARRY A. STEEN, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNCYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CONTROLLER.

Application filed July 8, 1909, Serial No. 506,603.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY A. STEEN, a subject of the Kingof Norway, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Controllers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to controllers for electric motors, and it has for its object to provide a simple and durable device of this character that shall be adapted to govern the operation of either one or both of two motors in either forward or reverse direction.

In some cases, two induction motors or two motors of other types are so associated with each other and with their driven mech anisms that it is desirable to be able to operate the motors either concurrently or to operate the one or the other of the motors independently.

According to my present invention, the above mentioned results are accomplished in a single controller which comprises, in general, two control drums, a single operating lever and a novel arrangement of gearing whereby either or both of the control drums may be moved through a series of control positions for either forward or reverse operation of the motors, by adjusting the lever as hereinafter described.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a plan view of a controller constructed in accordance with my invention, and Figs. 2 and 3 are elevations, at right angles to each other, of a portion of the controller shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the controller here shown comprises a pair of'rotatabl'e drums 1 and 2 and vertical shafts 3 and 4 therefor which are journaled, in the usual manner, between a base plate (not shown), and a crown plate 5 of the device. The shafts 3 and 4: are provided with segmental gear wheels 6 and 7 which respectively mesh with gear segments 8 and 9 that are so mounted on an intermediate shaft 10 as to be independently rotatable.

The shaft 10 is journaled between the crown plate 5 and a cross strip 11 which is secured to posts 12 that project upwardly from the crown plate. The drums 1 and 2 are operated by means of a lever 13, having a handle 14, the lever being pivotally se cured to the shaft 10 by means of a pin 15,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1911 Renewed March 20, 1911. Serial No. 615,659.

and being provided with an aperture 16 to receive the shaft 10. It is evident that the lever may be rotated on the pin 15 without moving the shaft 10 but that any lateral movement of the lever will be transmitted to the shaft. As already pointed out, the gear segments 8 and 9 are rotatably mounted on the shaft and the force required to turn the drums is such that the segments will not be rotated unless positive driving connections are established between the lever and the segments.

The lever is provided with two downwardly projecting arms 17 and 18 which are adapted to engage notches 19 and 20 in the gear segments 8 and 9, when the lever 13 occupies its mid position Z) and lies substantially in a horizontal plane, as shown in Fig. 3. The positions a, b, and c, which may be occupied by the lever, are determined by a notched projection 21 and a ring segment 22. The ring segment is provided with a notch 23 which is located substantially at its middle point and the projection 21 is so proportioned and so located that it registers with the notch in the ring and only permits a vertical adjustment of the lever when the drums occupy their oft positions. The notches of the projection 21 are adapted to receive the ring segment as the lever is rotated in either direction from its central position.

Assuming that the parts occupy the positions shown in Fig. 3; if the lever is moved downwardly until segment 22 is opposite the notch a in the projection 21 and the lever is then laterally adjusted in the one direction or the other, the projection 17 will be disengaged from the notch 19 of the segment 8 but the projection 18 will still engage the notch 20. It is obvious that a lateral adjustment of the lever 13, under these conditions, will effect a rotative movement of the drum 2 while the drum 1 will not be moved. Similarly, if, when the drums 0ccupy their off position, the lever 13 is so adjusted that the segment 22 engages notch 0, only the drum 1 will be actuated, and, as already explained, both drums may be operated concurrently by permitting the segment 22 to engage the notch b in the pro jection 21. In order to avoid the possibility of losing control of either of the motors after they have been started, the control handle can only be adjusted to vary its connection with the control drums when they occupy their off or open circuit positions.

It is evident that structural modifications may be effected within the spirit of my invention, and I desire that only such limitations shall be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A controller for electric motors comprising a plurality of drums, an operating lever adapted for rotative movement in a plurality of approximately parallel planes and intermediate gearing dependent upon the plane of lever operation for permitting the lever to operate any one of the drums independently or all of them simultaneously.

2. A controller for electric motors comprising a plurality of movable switching devices, a single operating lever adapted for operation in any one of a plurality of planes, means for governing the plane of adjustment of the lever and intermediate gearing dependent upon said means for permitting the handle lever to operate any one of the mechanisms independently or all of them concurrently.

8. A controller for electric motors comprising a pair of rotatable switch drums, gear segments secured to the drums, an intermediate shaft disposed parallel to the drum axes, a pair of gear segments independently rotatable on said intermediate shaft and adapted to cooperate with the gear segments on the drums, and a handle lever pivotally secured to the intermediate shaft and capable of adjustment to effect an operative connection with either one or with both of the gear segments upon the intermediate shaft.

4:. A controller for electric motors comprising a pair of rotatable switch drums, gear segments secured to the drums, an intermediate shaft disposed parallel to the drum axes, a pair of gear segments inclependently rotatable on said shaft and adapted to cooperate with the gear segments on the drums, and a handle lever secured to the intermediate shaft and having downwardly projecting arms adapted to respectively engage the gear segments and forming an operative connection with either one or both of said segments according to the adjustment of the handle in a plane of the intermediate shaft.

5. A controller for electric motors comprising a pair of rotatable contact-bearing drums, a driven segmental gear wheel secured to each drum, an intermediate shaft, driving gear segments independently rotatable on the intermediate shaft and adapted to cooperate, respectively, with the driven segments, a handle lever pivotally supported and adapted to be so operatively connected to the driving gear segments that a rotative movement of the handle lever produces a rotative movement of the contact-bearing drums, and means for accentuating three positions of adjustment of the handle lever in a plane parallel to the axis of the intermediate shaft, the handle lever being operatively connected to either one or to both of the driving segments according to the position of adjustment occupied thereby.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this th day of June,

HARRY A. STEEN. WVitnesses G. M. STOUT, B. B. I-IINEs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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