US1172047A

US1172047A - Ball-rolling contact for rain-signals, &c.

Info

Publication number: US1172047A
Application number: US3705315A
Authority: US
Inventors: William E R Rademaker
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1915-06-29
Filing date: 1915-06-29
Publication date: 1916-02-15
Anticipated expiration: 1933-02-15

Description

W. E. R. RADEMAKER.

BALL ROLLING CONTACT FOR RAIN SIGNALS, &c.

APPLICATION FLLED JUNE 29, 19].).

Patented Feb. 15,1916.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH co., \VASHlNGTON. D c1 UNITED ST TES PATENT OFFICE. A

WI LIAM E. R. RA EM KER, OF-HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY.

" BALL-ROLLING co'N'rAc'r non aariv-sreivats, &o.-

Toiall whom it may co e 7 Be it known that WILLIAM E.- R'RADE- MAKER, a citizen of the United States, re-

sidingat Hoboken, in the countytof Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ball- Rolling Contacts for Rain Signals,&c.;and*

I .do :hereby declarethe following tobe'a' full clear, and exact description of the in vention, such as will enable-others skilled in v the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. i

iThe invention relates to: a ball rolling contact for rain signals, etc."

Theiobject of-the present invention is to providea simple, "practical and inexpensive ballvrolling' contact designed for use in coninection with rain signals and various other devices where a c1rcu1tclos1ng device 1s 20 necessary and adapted to aiford a dust, rust,

water and fire-proof circuit closing means" which will be practically indestructible.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple, practical, and efiicient rain signal adapted to be operated by an accumulation of a'small amount of rainwater and capable of: soundingan audible alarm or operating a visual signal or 'the'like for indicating presenceof ra1n. I 7

YA. further object of the invention. is to provideia rain signal of this character which willznot be afi'ectedby wind so thatltheoc- .cupants of arshouse will not beneedlessly a'rousedbyl an accidental operation of the" signal.

hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out: in theclaims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form,

proportion and minor details ot construction mayibe"resorted to without departing ,from the spirit or sacrificing anyiof the advantages ofthe invention.

Inthe .drawlng. Figure 1 is a longitudinal v sectional view: of a .rain signalprovided with a ball rolling contact'constructed in accordance with this invention, F1g.'2 is a transverse sectional view on the line22 of Fig-1,:Fig;.3 isan enlarged. longitudinal seetional view of .theflcircuit closing device,-

o Specification of Letters Patent. t t 15, 191 Application filed June 29, 1915, Serial No. 37,053.

Figs 4 is atransverse sectionalview of the same; I. a Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

' In the accompanying drawing in which is pendingmarginal flange to fit on the side and end walls ofthe casing is providedwith a central depending spout 5 located above a depressible tiltable member 6 constructed of sheet :metal or other suitable 'materialand supported at one end by aspring 7. The inner attached end of the member has a; supporting portion 8- which is normally arranged in an inclined position for holding a rollingball-contact 9 out of engagement with an end contact 10 of a circuit closing device. The said strip 6: is provided beyond the supporting portion 8 with side flanges 1-1 and it has a' bend 12 forming a container or receptacle for collecting sufiicient rain water to cause the strip 6 to be depressed for tilting the inclined support 8 and a tube or casing 13 in the opposite direction for o causing the ball 9 to roll toward the contact 7 With these and other 1 objects in view the inventionqconsists in the construction and novel-combination and arrangement of parts 10toclose-the circuit for'opera'tin'g an electrically controlled'signal not shown. The side flanges of the chute portion ofthe strip or member 6 is preferably deepened or wid ened'asshownat 14 to" provide a receptacle or container portion of the desired capacity to depress the member 6; e The member 6 will remain in a depressed conditionas long as it continues raining and when the rain ceases any small amount of water remaining in the receptacle or container portion 14 will be drawn ofi by a wick 15 of suitable material having its inner portion arranged within thefreceptacle' or container portion of the chute and extcnding therefrom and depending-from aninclined terminal por ti-on l6 of'th'e member 6'; Theinclined terminal portion '16 extends downwardly and is arranged at an angle to the adjacent portion of the bottom of the receptacle or container of the depressible member.

lVhile the circuit closing device is shown applied to the rain signal it is of course applicable to various devices having a circuit and requiring circuit closing means especially where the latter is exposed or there is danger of fire as in factories and similar places. i Y

The casing 13 which preferably consists of a tube or cylinder having an end wall 17 and constructed of hard rubber, glass, metal or any other material and provided at the other end with a closure plug 18 of hard rubber or anyother suitable material. WVhen metal is employed in the construction of the tube or casing it will of course be provided with proper insulating material but where glass or hard rubber is used such-insulating material is of course unnecessary. When the tube or casing 13 is constructed of insulating material it is preferably provided at the bottom with longitudinal strips 19 forming conductors and constructed of suitable metal and extending through the end closure and provided with a binding screw 20 for the attaching of one of the wires of the circuit. The contact 10 which is arranged in the path of the ball consists of a head provided with a stem 21 having a binding screw 22 for the attachment of'one of the wires of the circuit. The head and the stem are designed to be constructed of suitable conducting material and the stem extends through the closure centrally of the same and when the ball rolls to the contact 10 it electrically engages the same and the strip or conductors l9 and closes the circuit. The head is provided witha concaved face 23 to conform to the configuration of the ball and the wires 24 and 25 are connected with a suitable signal and a suitable source of current supply, not shown.

The circuitclosing device may be used as a push button and as the parts are adapted to be hermetically sealed there is no danger of fire and the device is water-proof, dust-proof, rust-proof, and may be maintained in proper condition practically indefinitely.

As the contacts are not exposed and will not rust or oxidizea proper operation of the device is assured and the circuit closer is thereby rendered especially advantageous for use in connection with rain signals and similar exposed devices where ordinary circuit closers soon become defective or inoperative. I

In order to prevent the device from being affected by wind, a wind shield 26 consisting of a supplemental chute is interposed between the spout and the depressible member. The wind shield which may be supported by a bracket 27 or other suitable means is constructed of sheet metal and it is provided with side flanges or walls preferably formed by concaving the wind shield transversely and the rear end 28 is extended upwardly and the front end 29 downwardly ,to cause the water passing through the spout to fall into the chute portion of the member 6. A wind shield will prevent any accildental operation of the rain signal through gusts of wind sweeping over the device.

The ball may be constructed of any desired material adapted for conducting a current to close the circuit between the conductors 19 and the contacts 10.

WVhat is claimed is 1. A device of the class described including a tiltable casing provided at one end with a relatively fixed contact, spaced conductors extending the entire length of the casing and located at the bottom thereof to form a track, a ball of less diameter than the casing and of greater diameter than the width of the space between the said conductors so as to roll upon the same out of contact with the casing, said ball constituting a movable contact and arranged to roll into and out of engagementwith the relatively fixed contact, and means for connecting the wires of a circuit with the fixed contact and the conductors.

2. A device of the class described including a casing having a funnel or hopper and provided with a spout depending therefrom, a depressible member having an inclined chute and located below the spout, said depressible member having a collecting portion located at the lower end of the chute and adapted to be depressed by rainwater and circuit closing means operated by the said member.

3. A device of the class described including a casing having a funnel or hopper and provided with a spout depending therefrom, a depressible member forming a chute and located below the spout, said depressible member having a collecting portion and adapted to be depressed by rainwater and circuit closing means operated by the said member, and a wind shield forming a sup plemental chute and interposed between the spout and the said member, said wind shield having sidewalls and an upwardly extending rear wall and a downwardly turned front portion.

A. A device of the class described including a depressible member consisting of a chute having a bend forming a collecting portion, said member being also provided with a downwardly extending terminal portion located beyond the collecting portion and circuit closing means operated by the said member.

5. A device of the class described including a depressible member consisting of a chute having a bend forming a collecting portion, said member being also provided In testimony whereof I afiix my signature with a downwardly extending terminal porin presence of two witnesses.

tion located beyond the collecting portion, WILLIAM E. R. RADEMAKER. a wick extending from the collecting por- Witnesses:

5 tion over the terminal portion and circuit LEO MAYER,

closing means operated by the said member. VICTOR J. GARIBALDI.

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

' Washington, D. 0.