US1242575A

US1242575A - Signal mechanism.

Info

Publication number: US1242575A
Application number: US750915A
Authority: US
Inventors: Silvestro Milano
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1915-02-11
Filing date: 1915-02-11
Publication date: 1917-10-09
Anticipated expiration: 1934-10-09

Description

S. MILANU.

SIGNAL MECHANISM.

APPLICATION mm Fin. n. 1915.

1 242,57 5. Patented 061;. 9, 1917.

7 N; ia liswm s,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SILVESTRO MILANO, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SIGNAL MECHANISM.

Application filed February 11, 1915.

7 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Smvmsrno MrLANo, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of New York, county of Bronx, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Signal Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a signal adapted to be operated automatically by the presence of gas in a room or apartment, or by smoke or lire therein, so as to awaken persons sleeping in said apartment, whereby asphyxiation of the sleeper or loss of life by fire is prevented.

it is well known that illuminating gas may at times escape from a cock or burner, due to carelessness in turning off the burner or from other causes, so that the gas will fill one or more apartments in which persons may be sleeping, resulting in gas poisoning or asphyxiation. Furthermore, it is not unusual for sleeping persons to become smothered by smoke or to be burned fatally by fire in an apartment.

My invention consists of a circuit maker and breaker embodying a thermostatic spring responsive to abnormal temperature changes for the purpose of controlling a signal, together with means sensitive to the presence ofilluminating gas so that when subjected thereto said means will generate heat suliieidnt to influence the circuit maker and breaker for actuating the signal.

,In the preferred form of the invention, the circuit maker and breaker embodies a. composite metal element in the form of a leaf or bow-shaped thermostatic spring forming a terminal of an electric circuit, the other terminal of which circuit is a contact in the path of the thermostatic spring. The circuit making and breaking spring is composed 'of metals having diti'erent degrees of expansion, such as iron or steel and zinc, the novelty in which thermostatic spring resides in the union of the two metals secured by punching holes therein so as to displace the softer metal (zinc) into the holes of the iron or steel strip, thereby uniting the metals in intimate contact with each other and owing to the low fusing point of the zincthe s ring is rendered sensitive to the action of \eat.

It is well known that certain substances, such as spongy platinum, when exposed to combustible uses will become heated to a glowing con ition. I utilize this property Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 9, 1917.

Serial No. 7,509.

of the substance in the production of an element which is positioned in close proximity to the thermostatic spring, and should illuminating gas escape into the room or compurmcnt and How into contact with the aforesaid clement. the latter will become heated to a glowing condition, whereby the heat generated by said element will iniluonce said composite thermostatic spring so as to control the signal, the latter being either audible or visual.

Other features of the invention and the advantages thereof will ap ear in the course of the following detailed cscription.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating my device in connection with a suitable signal circuit, the latter being indicated diagrammatically.

Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the thermostatic composite spring removed from the supporting device or casing.

erative relation to the thermostatic composite spring, the latter being in dotted lines.

Fig. (i is a cross section through the heatgencrating device of Fig. 5.

A designates the thermostatic element and 13 a heat-generating device positioned in proximity to said thermostatic element, the whole being supported on a base The thermostatic element is shown in Figs. 1, S2, 3 and i in the form of a composite metal spring, the same comprising two layers of metal a a, one metal being softer than the other, and one metal being a spring. The spring metal consists of iron or steel, whereas the softer metal consists of zinc, the two layers of metal being in intimate contact and united firmly together so that the spring will be influenced by an increase in the temperature above the normal. As shown, the spring is perforated, the. openings d heim provided at intervals in the length ofsaiil spring. It is apparcut that the two metal pieces composing the s iring may be united in a suitable manner, mt for economy of manufacture it is preferred to stamp or blank out the pieces a a and to unite them together by punching or combine the two metals into intimate contact along-their meeting faces.

The spring 15 shown in Flg. 3 as having an enlarged end portion 0 provided with up ertures 6, whereby the spring may be rigidly fixed to the supporting member. The

spring is shoun in Fig. l as forming one terminal of an electric circuit D, the latter including a suitable source of electric energy, such as the battery f, and a signal device of suitable character, such as the hell E, but it is apparent that I may use a visual si nal as a substitute for the audible signa The conductors of the electric circuit are attached to binding posts 9 fixed in a suitable way on the supporting or base member 0, and from one of these binding posts extends a conductor g secured in electrical contact with the enlarged end portion e of the thermostatic spring. From the other binding post extends a conductor 9 which is electrically connected with the base 1:. of a contact h, the latter being inthe path of the free end of the spring A. Normally the spring is free from contact with the screw it, thus interrupting the electric circuit, but when the thermostatic member is influenced by heatthe free end of said member makes mechanical and electrical contact with the screw h', thus closing the electric circuit and operating the signal device.

An important feature of my invention is the heat generatin device B, two forms of which are shown. flu the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the heat generating device consists of a supporting wire 'i, a series of insulating sleeves 'i threaded on the wire, and pieces oi spongy platinum I attached to the insulating sleeves, said pieces of spongy platinum being separated from each other by the sleeves The wire of the heat-gerierating devices is supported-in fixed posts 7' attached to the base G. Said heatgenerating deviceis positioned in proximity to the thermostatic spring A and, as shown in Fig. 1, an end port on ott'thc heat-generating device is bent or curved to correspond with the whereby the spongy platinum material of device B is quite close to the spring along the straight and curved parts thereof.

In Figs. 5 and B of the drawings there is shown another embodiment of the heatgenerating device consisting of a plurality of wires k and a mass of spongy platinum curvature of the attached part of the spring,

I.-', said wires being embedded in the spongy platinum mass for the latter to incase the wires for substantially the length thereof. The end portions of the wires are extended beyond the platinum mass in order that the device may be supported in the posts is", and, if desired, the end portion of said device may be bent or curved the same as in Fig. 1, in order that the spongy platinum material may be positioned quite close to the curved end of the spring, the latter being indicated in dotted lines.

The supporting device C is shown asa casing open on one side, but it is apparent that the particular form of device may be moditied or varied as desired.

The operation of the invention will be ap parent from the foregoing description taken in connection with t edrawings. The signal device may, of course, be positioned in the same room or apartmentas the thermostatic device, or said signal device may be in a remote room or apartment from the signal device so as to be connected .therewith by the conductors of the electric circuit. Should a fire occur in the room wherein the thermostatic device is located, the heat of the fire will influence the thermostatic spring, the different metals of which respond to the diflcrent degrees of heat. The spring is thus deflected from the normal posit-ion shown for the free end of the spring to contact with screw It, thereby closing the circuit and operating the signal. Should illuminating gas escape from a cock or burner and;flow into contact with the spongy platinum material I, the latter will generate heat until the spongy platinum material is in a glowing wndition, and the heat from this materiallwill influence the thermostatic spring A for closing the circuit thus again operating the signal .under conditions difierent from the con ition first described.

My device is operated either by the heat from a fire or by the flow of illuminating gas into contact with the spong platinum material and the invention is thus adapted to operate a signal which will minimize the danger of loss of life due either to the presence of a fire or to'the escape of'illummatin gas. I I

l-Iaving thus fully described theinvent-ion, what I claim as new,.and desire to secure by Letters Patent isz- 1. In a thermostatic and gas detecting signal device, the combination .with a circuit terminal, of a composite thermostatic 'member positioned for electrical contact with said circuit terminal,-said composite thermostatic member bein responsive to temperature changes in e surro uiding. air and operating through the circuit terminal to control a signal, and a heat-generating element sepm'ate from said thermostatic memher, said heat-generating element being positioned in such proximity to the thermostatic member as to operate directly thereon and to influence the same for controlling the signal, said heat-generating element being composed of material responsive to the action of gas containin hydrocarbon, whereby the contact of snc as with said element generates heat the e ect of which upon the thermostatic member is to control the signal independently of any change in the temperature of the air to which said thermostatic member is normally responsive.

2. In a thermostatic and gas detecting signal device, the combination with a circuit terminal, of a composite thermostatic spring positioned for electrical contact with the circuit terminal, said thermostatic spring being responsive to a change in temperature of the surrounding air and said spring operating through said circuit terminal to control a signal, a heat-generating element separate from the thermostatic spring, and means for fixedly supporting the heat-generating element in close proximity to said thermostatic spring, said heat-generating element being composed of a material sensitive to the action of gas containing hydrocarbon and adapted, when such gasflows into contact therewith, to generate heat which directly influences the thermostatic spring so as to change the position of said spring and to control said signal independently of a change in temperature of the surrounding air to which temperature change the thermostatic spring is normally responsive.

portion being lixedly attached, a circuit ter- 'responsive.

the thermostatic spring, a heat-generating element composed of a substance res onsive to the flow mto contacfltherowith o a as containing hydrocarbon, and means or fixedly sup orting said-heats neratin element into 0 use proximity to t e bowe por tion and the longitudinal ortion at said thermostatic spring, said element operatln upon the flow of gas into Contact therewit to generate heat for d1-' rectly changing the position of said thermo- Static spring ture change m the surroun a ir to which temperature change said spring is normally 4. In athermostatic and detecting signal device, the combination. of a composite thermostatic spring bowedf at an end portion thereof, means for fixedly supportmg the spring at the bowed end portion thereof, an electrical contact in the path of the unsupported. end of the s n nlg ,i= portin rod in fixed longitufrhua frelation to the owed and unsupportedportionaof said spring, and spoon? platinum'carr ed by the supportin r in close proxlmity to' the bowed an unsupported portions of the thermostatic spring, said spon platinum bein influenced by the flow 0 gas into contact t erewith and o crating to her- .ate heat which is availa le in'direety influencing the position of said thermostatic spring so asto control a si 111 independently of a temperature change in the surrounding air to which the thermostatic spring is normally responsive.

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

, SILVESTRO 'Mnianoi Witnesses:

H; I. Bmmmnn, M. C. Ronxmnnz.

eat-generating independents: of a temperamg a