US1141300A - Circuit-breaker. - Google Patents

Description

BF. BAILEY.

CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPLlcAnoN msn Aums. 1912.

'To all whom it may concern:

a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN r. Bannion ANN Anson, MrcHIGAN.

CIRCUIT-Bananen.

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. BAILEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ann Arbor, in the county of Tashtenaw and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in4 Cir cuit-Breakers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to circuit breakers, and more especially to that cla-ss thereof which are adapted for use in connection with sparking, or ignition devices for igniting the gas charges of a hydrocarbon engine, and it has for one of its objects the provision of a device of this character whereby the electric current may be very quickly broken subsequent to a flow of current lasting a comparatively long time.

The invention has, furthermore, for its object the provision of a breaker comprising a rotary member which is operated at a predetermined ratio relative to the main shaft of the engine, and which in turn operates a rotatable member in such a ,manner that normally the second member will be moved in unison with the first member while, if for any reason the driving shaft of the device should have an accidental backward rotation, as for instance by what is generally known as the kick-back of the engine, the second member will be locked against backward rotation and thus prevent damage or destruction of several of the more delicate parts of the device.

The invention has, furthermore, for its object the provision of a novel organization of the make and break devices which in the present instance comprise a secondary comparatively sensitive and quick acting contact member -controlled in its action by another or primary member which is directly operated by a device on the driving shaft.

-The invention has also for its object the provision of means whereby the operating member for establishing the make and break of the electric current, may be automatically advanced or retarded proportionately to the speed of the shaft of the device, and consequently of that of the engine. In other words: the present device is adapted to combine, in itself, the usual feature of the manual control generally exercised by the oper ator of the engine in advancing the spark, as the engine gathers speed so as to :bring the point of ignition into the proper period of the stroke of the engine piston.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, 1915;

Application filed August 15, 1912. Serial No. 715,217.

Referring to the drawings, 10 denotes a shaft which, for the purposes of igniting' the charges in internal combustion engines, is driven in a liked ratio from the main shaft ofthe engine. This shaft is journaled in a hub 11 of a plate 11 which is held on a .Y stationary casing 12 indicated by dot and dash lines. Secured to, and insulated from, the plate 11, are a pair of terminals 13-14 to which suitable conductors may be attached, as usual, and the connection between which terminals is to be established or broken by the mechanism constituting the feature of my present invention. For this reason the terminal 14 is connected by a conductor 15 with a contact maker 16 which consists of a resilient blade extending toward the other terminal 13 and having its rear end attached indirectly to a block 17 which is pivoted on a post or stud 18 for oscillatory movement. For this purpose the block 17 has attached thereto an actuator member 19 which is comparatively stiff in structure and yet may have some degree of resiliency, if desired. This member maybe attached directly to the block and preferably support the rear end of the blade 16 above mentioned.

The forward end of the primary actuator 19 is bent into hooked form as shown at 19 to engage the forward or free end of the blade 16 which has a contact. point adapted to be thrown into engagement with the end of a contact screw 21 adjustable in a bracket or lug 22 projecting from the plate 11, it being understood that this contact screw is insulated from the plate either directly or indirectly.

In the present instance the primary actuator 19 is formed of sheet metal which -is' bent at its rear portion so that a` spring 23 may be attached thereto for the purpose of operator if the shaft travels in a reversedV the limiting in a iug 25 also carried by the plate 11. The

other end of the spring is attached to an adjusting screw 26 which may be adjusted in a lug 27 to increase or decrease the tension of the spring 23 to the desired degree.

From the ioregoing it will be understood, that the position of the parts as shown in Fig. 1 is normal, and that the connection be" tween the terminals 13 and 14 is interrupted notwithstanding the fact that the vtendency of the blade 16 is to bring the Contact point 20 into engagement with the screw 21, so

that consequently in this position *ofV the :mary actuator 19 around the axis of the block 18 and pull the same in contact with rod 24. The Contact between the point 20 and the 'screw 21 is made by an operator mounted on the shaft 10 and controlled by a carrier which is rotated vby said shaft, turn for turn, and adapted to carry the operator along with it when the shaft moves in one direction, but it will release or be free from the direction. The principal object for this coni struction is: to avoid any breakage of parts if, for some reason or other the shaft should be run in a backward direction, as for instance through a kick back or premature explosion in the engine cylinders. Under normal conditions, and in its most simplified form, the carrier may be directly secured to the shaft, but I have in the present instance A provided for an automatic regulation whereby the carrier may be moved angularly to the axis of the shaft in a predetermined ratio to the shaft speed so that consequently the contact-operator will also be advanced orretarded in its operation and in the same proportion, thus doing away with the usual manual operating advancing the spark -to produce the ignition of the gas charge at the proper moment. The carrier 30 is in the present instance mounted loosely upon the shaft 10, and its arm 30 is connected by a link 31 with a weight lever 32 pivoted at 33 on a disk 34 which is rigidly secured to the shaft 10. A spring 35. is interposed between a projection of the weight lever and the inner end of the screw 36 (the latter being adjustable in a lug 37 carried by the disk 34) so that in this manner the weight lever will be normally swung inwardly by the spring until it comes into contact with `an abutment stud 38 also carried by said disk.

The arm 30 of the carrier carries a blade 39 'having a hook shaped end 39 which is adapted to engage any one of a series of lips 40 of the operating member 40 which in the Liaison raising action ofthe member 19 will therefore be positive and will result in allowing. the contact point 20 to engage the'screw 21 regardless of how,4 high the hook end 19 is '2. during each rotation of the shaft; Each y raised.- As soon as the drop-off. pointor lip .41 has passed the end 19 of the primary operator, the spring 23 will immediatelyswing the member 19 downward again so that its hook end 19" will alreadyy be in rapid motion when it engages the free'end of the blade 16 which latter has furthermore a tendency of assisting the spring 23 to return the member 19 to its-normal or operative position. 0f course aiterl the hook 19 has once caught the end of 4the blade 16, the

`spring 23 will be the only etlicient part for bringing the arm 19 into the position shown in Fig. v

This point is particularly emphasized because' by this construction the contact ex-- isting between the point 20 and the screw 21 may be of Aconsi,:lerable duration, and furthermoreV the break is established very` quickl for the reason that the hook 19 is 95.l

actua y invery rapid motion even before it` comes into catching engagement with the end of the blade, so that consequently this releasing action partakes more'of the nature of a lblow than of a gradual movement which will naturally result in the hook end 19 dropping off from the lip 40. The part ticular function of the hook end 39 and the lip 40 is that of preventing any centrifugal force on part of the arm 39 to have any effect in lessening its engagement with thev actual operator which is consequently moved thereby in what may be considered a locked manner.

1f for some reason, as above stated, a retrograde movement should be imparted to the shaft 10, the disk 34 would naturally be rotated likewise, and with it the carrier 30, If then there should be any excessive friction between the blade 39 and the operator 40, there might be a tendency of operating the operator 40 backward also, and for that reason I deem it expedient to provide a check device whereby said operator 40 will be positively held against backward rotation, this device comprising a lever 41 pivoted at 42 and having an arm 43 adapted to bring up against a stop pin 34 on the base plate 11, the lever being swung inward to held its hook ends 41 normally in the path of the lips 49 above mentioned, bv a spring 45 secured to the arm 43 and resting against a pin or stud 46 secured to the base plate`11.

Many changes may be made in the general organization as w il as in the particular construction of some of the component parts of myvimproved mechanism, without departing l from the spirit of the invention, particularly in the manner in which the operator is y advancedor retardedat a rate proportionate to the s eed of the engine 'sha t, s1nce other means or accomplishing the same desired resultl may be readily substituted for the mechanism herein shown and described. In a like manner the suspension of the contact maker and its operator may be readily changed' to suit various requirements, although the present construction enables me to use a comparatively light spring for returning the `breaker' arm tofnormal, regardless of the tension under which the contact blade is working relatively tothe primary member '19. l

I claim 1. In a circuit breaker, stationary and 4movable contacts,A a rotatable shaft, a cam loosely mounted in relation to theshaft and having a plurality'of shouldered portions for engaging' said movable contact to move I imple: of this' patent my be 4obtained for the latter into enga ementwiththe stationary contact, a mem r fixed to rotate -with the shaft, and a yieldable arm connected vto said member to rotate therewith, said arm being-l adapted in one direction of'rotation of the shaft to engage one of saidshoulders on the cam to couple the latter to said member, and being adapted to disengage said shoulder upon rotation of the `shaft in the opposite direction, for the purpose described.`

y 2..In a.- circuit breaker, stationary and movable contacts,.a rotatable shaft, a camloosel sleeved upon the shaft and having a I plura it of shouldered portions for actuatlng s ai movable contact, a member fixed to rotate withthe shaft,`and a'spring arm connected Vto said member. to rotate therewith and having a hook-shaped portion engaging one ofesaid shoulders on the cam in one direction of rotation o'fsaid member to couple the cam to `said member, vsaid hook- Ashaped portion being adapted to disen age said shoulder upon rotation of the sha t"1n the opposite direction.

3. In a circuit breaker, stationary and movable contacts, alrotatableshaft, a cam loosely sleeved upon the shaft having a plurality of tions of the cam when the shaft is rotated-in the opposite direction.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

* BENJAMIN F. BAILEY.

Witnesses: A A

CHAs. F. ScHMELz, GEORGE W. STmsoN.

v shouldered portions for actuating said movable contact, a carrier loosely sleeved upon ive cents each, by 'addressing the. Commissioner ot Patenti,

Washington, D. C. l l

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