US1050592A - Circuit-controller. - Google Patents

Description

J. M. ANDERSEN. CIRCUIT CONTROLLER. APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 19, 1909.

1,050,592, Patented Jan. 14, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WiTNEESiiS- v TUH J. M. ANDERSEN. CIRCUIT CONTROLLER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wrrplrzsarza- Patented Jan. 14, 1913.

J. M. ANDERSEN. CIRCUIT CONTROLLER.

APPLIOATION IILED JUNE 1a. 1909.

Patented Jan. 14,1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

MTN S SE75.

nN T D STATES PATE' r oriaicn.

JOHAN MJANDERSEN, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 ALBERT AND J. m. ANDERSON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or BoSToN, MASSACHUSETTS, A Conro- RATION OF MAINE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Joi-iA M. ANnnRsE a citizen of the United States, residing in Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Mas- 'sachusetts,-have invented an Improvement in Circuit-Controllers, of which the following description, in connection with the acand adapted for use on circuits carrying currents of. substantially great amperage, andis herein shown as embodied in an electric-switch, which is capable ofbeing controlled in its operation from a distant point or at the switch itself. a

Switches of the class described are provided with'snbstantially heavy carriers: for the movable members, and the present invention has for one of its objects to provide a novel operating mechanism, as will be described, which is in its condition of maximum efficiency when the movable member of the switch is in its open position, whereby the maximum power of the operating mechanism is applied to the heavy movable contact member in its starting movement to close the switch, which enables the switch to be closed by an electromagnet' of. minimum size, with a current of mlnimum' strength, thereby diminishing the cost of operating the switch and avoiding the danger of arcing from this source, and at, the

same time obtaining reliableaction of the switch.

The invention further has for its objectto '-provide a switch of simple, rigid and durable construction, as will be described.

Another feature of the invention consists in providing a handle for closing the switch,

.which cotiperates with the operating mechanism as will be described, so as to be effective for closing the switch and-yet remain stationary wh nthe switch is opened, thereby avoiding accidents from this source as will be described.

Figurel is. a front elevation of a circuit controller or switch embodying this invention. Fig. 2, a longitudinal section taken on the line 2-2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3, alikesection with the parts in the position they occupy when the circuit controller is open, and

, Specification of Letters Patent.

.posite sides of a CIRCUIT-CONTROLLER.

Patented Jan. 14, 1913.

Application filed June 19, 1909. Serial No. 503,200.

Fig. '4, a detail in section on an enlarged scale taken on the line 47 4, Fig. 2.

In the embodiment of the invention herein shown, a, 3) represent the fixed main terminals, which are secured to a base or upright 0 of suitable insulating material, such as slate, and d represents the main movable V-shaped recess h into which are fitted the I substantially V-Shaped laminations, strips or brushes (l, which are firmly securedby a clamping block 2' fastened to the back plate f by bolts j, which are insulated from said brushes or laminations d by a sleeve or covering 7c of insulation.

The carrier referred to is secured to a supporting lever m in such manner as to be member, which is preferably composed of.

practically rigidly secured thereto yet allow. I

of a slight tilting or rocking movement to compensate for any irregularities in the contacting surfaces of the brushes (2 and back plate f has secured to it as by screws n a substantially U-shaped capo, having bosses p, which support a pivot pin g on opboss 1' on the lever m, through which said pivot pin is extended.

the fixed terminals a, b. To this end, the

The boss r has a finger or projection s v extended from its upper side, which normally engages the cap 0 between the bosses p, and against which finger-the said cap is pressed so as to form a practically rigid connection of the carrier with the lever m when the switch is in its open condition, by coiled springs t, only one of which is shown in section in F ig. 4, which are located in recesses in the back plate 1 of the carrier and act against plungers 71, indicated by dotted lines in Fig.- 2, to keep them in contact with the lever m.

Thesprings t are of sufficient strength to keep the carrier pressed against the finger or, projection s on the lever m and form a practically rigid connection betwcent-he said carrier and lever, so that they move as one piece until the lower end of the brushes contact with the terminal I), whereupon the springs t are overcome 'by the powerof the operating mechanism and are compressed by the lower end of the brushes d engaging the terminal I). As soon as the pressure of the operating mechanism is removed,the sprlngs t expand and again press the carrier firmly against the finger s on the lever m, so that the carrier moves with the said lever practically as one piece.

The movable contact member d is electrically separated from its carrier by strips or layers 8, 9, of insulating material. Provision is made for positively moving the movable contact member (Z into engagement with its cooperating fixed terminals a, b, and for this purpose, I employ a crank mechanism, whichin the open position of the movable member of the switch, is in'a osition of maximum power or efficiency, whereby the initial closing'movement of the movable member is started with a maximum power of its operating mechanism. To this end, the lever m, which is herein shown as composed of a back plate 10 and side ribs 12, is joined by a connecting rod 13 to a wrist pin.14, joining two cranks 15, 16, attached to a rock-shaft 17, which is journaledin the upright sides 18 of'a frame provided with a back plate 19, which is secured to the base 0 by bolts 20 or otherwise the said cranks being joined below their centers by atie bar-200, for a purpose as will be described.

The rock-shaft 17' has mountedthereon pinions 21, 22, which may be secured to or 5 form, part of the cranks 15, 16, respectively,

and which mesh with and are rotated by segmental gears or toothed levers 24, 25, joined together by a hub 26, mounted to turn on a pivot pin or shaft 27 supported by the upright sides 18. The rock-shaft 17 is composed of two sections, whose inner ends terminate at the cranks 15,16, and are separated by a space which allows the pinions 21, 22 to make a half revolution, as the connecting rod 13 is not opposed by thepresence of the rock-shaft between the cranks, and as a result a wide opening of the circuit controller may be obtained with a crank operating mechanism having a direct connection with the lever m by means of a onepiece connecting rod. The hub 26 has extended rearwardly from it substantially at its longitudinal center a crank or arm 28, which'is joined by a link 29 to the piston rod 30 of a piston 31 located in a cylinder '32, erected upon the bottom plate 33 of the supporting frame, whlch bottom is show as detachably secured to the sideplates 18 p by the scDgWs 34. a

The cylinder 32 is provided with a removable upper end or head 35, and the pieton 31 has integral with it the core 36 of a 1 id or electromagnet 37, which is located in a casing 38 having a removable bottom plate 39. The cylinder 32 and its pis- .movable member d in its closed ton 31 constitute a dashpot, to prevent injury to the parts when the switch or circuit controller is opened, and the said cylinder is preferably made of two diameters, the lower part being larger'than the piston, and the upper part 40 being of substantially the same diameter as the piston 31, so as to form with the latter a closed air space or cushion when the said piston is moved into thepart 40 of smaller diameter as represented by dotted lines in Fig. 3.

From the above description, it will be seen that when the electromagnet 37 is energized, its core 36 is drawn down into the said magnet, and this motion is communicated to the segmental gears 24, 25, by the piston rod 30, link 29, crank 28 and hub 26, with the result that the segmental gears are turned or rotated in the direction of the arrow-41 from'the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 2, and said gears rotate the pinions21, 22 in the direction of the arrow 42 and cause the lever m to be moved through the cranks 15, 16, and connecting rod 13 toward the base a, so as to engage the ends of the brushes d with the fixed terminals (1, 1), thereby closing the circuit from one terminal as b'to the other 'a through the brushes cl.

a By reference .to Fig. 3, it will be seen that in the open position of the switch, the rock-shaft 17 is between the wrist pin 14 and the pivot pin 43 connecting the link with the lever m, with these three points substantially in the same line, and in this position, the crank pin 14 is at its point of greatest leverage on one side of the rockshaft, so that when the rock-shaft 17 is rotated to close the switch, the weight of the movable member is acted upon'by the greatestpower of the operating mechanism and as a result the electromagnet 27 may be made of minimum size, and require a cur-' rent of minimum strength to operate it. It will be observed that in the closed position 110 of the movable member, the crank pin 14 is substantially in line with the shaft 17 and pivot pin 43, with the result, that the movable member (1 is'pressed into contact with the terminals a, b, with the maximum power 116 of the operating mechanism.

Provision is made. for maintaining the positnin,

which is effected as shown by a l'ockin -ver 50 engaging the substantially straight under surface 51 of a crank or arm 52 extended from the hub 26, the said crank or arm having a curved u per surface 53, which cooperates with a ro ler 54 mounted, as shown, in a cavity in the upper end of the lever 50,. to reduce to a minimum the .friction between the crank or arm 52 and the locking lever '50 on the closing movement of the movable member.

The locking lever 50 is controlled by an 'the plate 33 and having its armature 58 said levers connected by a stem or rod 59 to the center pin 60 of toggle levers 61, 62, one of the being pivoted to lugs 63 on the plate 33 and the other to the locking lever 50. The locking lever serves to maintain the switch closed until the releasing magnet 57 is energized, and permits the circuit of the magnet 37' to be opened after the said and for this magnet has performed its work of automatically closing the switch. The magnets 37, 57 in practice may be controlled from a distant point.

Provision is made for preventing arcing tween the movable member a? and the main line terminals 0, b, when the switch is closed and opened, Which'is accomplished by auxiliary contact members 70, 71, preferably carbon blocks, which are electrically con nected with the movable member d and with the terminal a respectively. The carbon block 70 is secured in fixed relation to the carrier for the movable contact member d, purpose a holder comprising a bottom plate 72 and side, pieces or flanges gage therewith and with 73, 74 is'fastened as by the screws 75 to the cross top bar 9 of the movable contact carrier. The flange 74. is removably secured to the bottom plate 72 by screws 7 6. The carbon is electrically connected with the movable contact member d by a copper strip or in any other suitable manner. The upper carbon blcok- 71 is secured to a holder comprising a plate 80 and flanges 81, 82, the fiange 82 being removably secured to the plate 80 by screws 83. The plate 80 may be pivot-ally secured at 84 to the upper end of the fixed terminal a, and

engaged by a sheet metal plate 85, which is Secured to the fixed terminal a by the clampand is extended and is bent over upon the said plate to en a plate or back stop 89 secured to the plate 80 as, by the screws 90.

The current may be supplied to the auxiliarycontact block 71 after the main movable member 03 is opened, by a spring strip or brush 91 secured to or forming part of the movable contact member (I and having secured to its free end a contact block 92, which is adapted to engage the bar 86, the strip 9l being of such length as to enable the contact between the block 92 and bar 86 to be'made before the upper end of the movable member 03 engages the terminal a and to be broken before the block 92 leaves the bar 86,thereby maintaining the flow of current to theupper auxiliary contact after the movable member 03 is disengaged fromthe terminal a.

Provision is made for electrically connecting the lower main terminal 6 with the extended when t stop or movable contact member d, which is accomplished by means of a metal strip or brush 95 secured at its lower end to the fixed terminal 5 and secured to or forming part of the movable member d. The cross top bar 9 of the carrier for, the movable contact member is downwardly inclined toward the base a, and the pivoted plate 80 is'similarly inclined, and is held in its inclined position by the metal strip 85 engaging the back stop 89. This enables the circuit to be closed and opened with a sliding contact between the auxiliary terminals. In practice, it may be preferred to provide the carrier with two movable members 62 and two sets of auxiliary contacts, which cooperate with two sets of fixed terminals. that the carbon blocks constituting the auxiliary contacts may be quickly and easily genewed b removing the detachable flanges Provision is made for manually closing the switch, and for this purpose, I employ a hand-operated lever comprising a handle 100 attached to a sleeve or hollow rock-shaft 101 mounted to turn on a pin or shaft 102 supported by the sides 18 of the supportingframe, the said rock-shaft having cranks or arms 103, which are arranged in line withthe segmental levers 24, 25, to engage the same, when the handle 100 is turned from, its upright position shown in Figs. 2 and 3 down into a position substantially at right angles thereto. The hand-operated lever is disconnected from the segmental levers and is normally maintained in an uprightposit-ion by a'spring 105, which holds the lever against a back sto or pin 106, and which is he hand lever is turned down to engage the cranks or arms 103 with the segmentallevers 24, 25', to move the latter from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 2. The downward movement of the hand lever may be limited by a front pin 107. As soon as the switch has been closed by means of the hand lever, the latter, upon being released by the operator, is moved into its vertical position as represented in Fig. 2, so that, the switch can be opened by the tripping magnet 57 and the movable contact member 0? moved back into its open position without moving the hand operated lever 100, thereby avoiding liability of accidents to the operator or other persons who may be in front of the switch at It will be understood the time it may be opened from the distant point Without warning to them. Provision may also be made for indicating the condition of the switch, and for this purpose I have provided a circuit controller for lamp or other indicating devices, not shown, which is governed by the movable member d. V

The circuit controller referred to, may be made as shown and consists of a rod 110 having fast thereon a disk 112 located in a cylinder, 113 and cooperating with terminal plates 114, 115 with which circuit wires 116,

' 117 are connected, the rod 110 extending not desire to limit through the 'cylinder 113 and engaging spring fingers 120 at-ached to, a terminal plate 121 to which the circuit wire 122 is connected. The cylinder 113 is supported by the base 0 and has an extension 124, which projects through the base and is secured thereto by the screw cap or nut 125, through which extends a plunger 126 attached to the rod 110 within asocket 127 and acting a ainsta spring 128. The. plunger 126 is a apted to be engaged'by a button 130 projectmg through a cap 131 secured to the clamping bar or block 9', said button being normally pressed outward by a spring 132.

In the closed position of the switch shown in Fig. 2, the disk' 112 engages the plate 115 and the circuit of the wires 117, 122 is closed, and in the open condition of the switch the disk 112 engages the plate 114; and the circuit of the wires 122, 116 is closed. In the opening and closing movement ,of the movable contact member, the crank shaft 17 and the cranks 15, 16, attached thereto are given substantially one-half revolution in opposite directions, which enables the two cranks to be joined by a tie bar or cross piece 200, which is integral with the cranks. This tiebar materially strengthens the cranks and keeps them rigidly positioned on the shaft, thereby ensuring perfect alinement of the movable members actuated by the cranks and enables a straight connecting rod 13 to be used, with cranks making a half turn, as

a clear space is left between the cranks above the tie bar for the reception of the connect ing rod with the switch in its open condition shown in Fig. 3.

I have herein shown one construction of this invention, but I do the invention to the particular construction shown. In the present instance, the crank-operating mechanism is switch embodying actuated magnetically and manually and while I may prefer to provide both methods of actuating said crank mechanism, I do not desire to limit .the invention in this res set as either may be used alone.

laims) 1. In an electric switch or circuit controller, in combination, a movable contact, member, circuit terminals cooperating therewith, a carrier for said movable contact member, a lever "supporting said carrier, a crank shaft, cranks attached to said shaft, a connecting rod joinin said cranks with said lever, gears on said crank shaft, segmental gears meshin with the gears on said crank shaft, a rock-s aft to which said segmental gears are attached, an electromagnet operatively connected with said segmental ears to move said movable contact member into its closed position, a locking device to shaft, a rock I position,

lock said movable contact member in its closed position, tuate said locking device and release said movable contact member, substantially as described. i

2. In an electric switch or circuit controller, in combination, a movable contact member, circuit terminals cooperating thereand an electromagnet to acwith, a carrier for said movable contact member, a lever supportin said carrier, a crank shaft, cranks attache to said shaft, a connecting rod joining said "cranks with said lever, gears on said crank shaft, segmental gears meshing with the gears on said crank shaft to which said segmental gears are attached, a locking'device to lock said movable contact member in its closed an electromagnet to actuate said locking device and release said movable contact member, a levercooperating with said segmental gears to rotate the same and move the movable contact member into its closed position, and means to restore said lever to its inoperative position and maintain it there with the movable contact member in its closed position.

3. In an electric switch or circuit controller, in combination, a movable contact member, a carrier therefor, a crank mechanism operatively connected with said carrier and arranged to initially start the said carrier and its contact member toward the closed posit-ion of the latter with a maximum power of the crank mechanism, means to operate said crank mechanism, -a manually operated lever cooperating with the crank operating means, means-to lock the movable contact member in its closed position, and means to return the manually operated lever to its normal position while the said contact member is in its closed position, substantially as described.

4:. In an electric switch or circuit controller, in combination a movable contact member, a carrier therefor, a crank-mechanism operatively connected with said carrier and comprising a crank shaft composed of two sectlons separated cranks on said sections separated from each other, a connecting rod pivoted at one end to said carrier and at its opposite end to.

from each other, i

said cranks between the same, to join the nism operatively connected with said carrier and comprising a crank shaft composed of two sections separated from each other,

cranks on said sections separated from each other, aconnecting rod pivoted at one end to said carrier and at its opposite end to said cranks between the same to join the said carrier directly to said cranks, means joining said cranks for holding the same in assembled position, a pinion on one section of said crank shaft, and a-gear in mesh with said pinion, "and means for rotating said gear, substantially as described.

6. In an electric switch or circuit controller, in combination, a movable contact member, circuit terminals cooperating therewith, a carrier for said movable contact member, a lever supporting said carrier, a crank shaft, cranks attached to said shaft, a connecting rod joining-said cranks with said lever, a gear on saidcrank shaft, a segmental gear meshing with said gear, andmeans to rotate said segmental gear, a lookactuate said locking device and release said contact member, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have-signed my 26 I name 'to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

-Witnesses: JAs. H. CHURCHILLy -J. MURPHY.

J Oil-IAN M. ANDERSElL

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