US1284742A - Automatic switch. - Google Patents

Description

J. L. MCQUARHIE.

AUTOMATIC SWETCH.

APPLICATION HLED Amaze. was.

Patented Nov. 12, 1918..

ln van for: James L ME Quark/e.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

JAMES L. MoQUABBIE, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WIBSIERN ELEC- TRIO COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK; N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH.

Indication of Letters Ifatcnt.

Application filed Auzult as; me. Serial No. 117,429.

- the multiple brush type.

In switches of this type it is customary to first render operative one of a certain set of brushes, after which such selected brush is moved in group etc s over the section served by it. At the com etion of the group steps, short steps are talien to select a particular terminal set in the selected group. i

It is the object of this invention to provide a switch of these general characteristics in which simplicity of structure and operation is attained.

'A feature of the resent invention is the utilization of a sing e mag'netduring brush selection and units selection, a second magnet being. used for group selection.

The general structure of the contact bank, brush sets and tri ping mechanism may be similar to that disclosed in Patent No. 1 123,696 issued Januar 5, 1915 to E. B. draft and J. N. Reynol s.

In the drawing, the; structure of the switch embodied in the present invention 13 diagrammatically shown, as well as a circuit arrangement suitable for operating the same.

The structure of a preferred form of the brush sets are normally inoperative, but may be made operativef .the action of a trip rod 5 carrying tripping fingprs 6, and operated by a trip magnet 7. he trip rod 5 and magnet 7 are common to all the rushes of the switch, the brush set to be tripped being determined by the primary motion of shaft 1, as described in the above mentioned patent.

A lever 14 pivoted at 15 carries at one end a allet 10, this pallet cotiperating with a pa let 9 to form an escapement under the control of magnet 8, and cotiperatin with pallet 13 to form an escapement un er the control of magnet 18. When magnet 8 attracts its armature, pallet 9 is drawn to the left and pallet 10 is forced out of engagement with the first of a series of ratchet teeth 19 by the action of a spacing-block 12. The shaft is drawn upward under the tension of spring 2 until the pallet 9 engages the next ratchet tooth 19. Upon the deenergization of magnet 8 pallet 9 is withdrawn, and pallet 10 is forced into engagement with the tooth previously held by pallet 9 by'the tension of spiral spring 11. The shaft 1 is moved upward the desired number of etc s, at which time trip rod 5- is rotated to re ease and render operative a set of brushes serving the desired section, it being understood that the tripping fingers 6 are spaced at successively increasing distances from the normal positions of brush sets 3 as described in the previously mentloned patent.

The next series of impulses is directed to magnet 18. When magnet 18 first attracts its armature, allet 13 is drawn to the right, causing arm 14 to be moved. 'to the right by the action of spacing block 21. This movement of arm 14'causes pallet 10 to be withdrawn from the tooth with which it is in engagement, and the shaft 1 is moved upward a distance such that the tripped brush set 3 is now in engagement with the bottom terminal of the section served by it, -the shaft being arrested in this position by the engagement of pallet 13 with thefirst of a series of ratchet teeth 17. When magnet 18 is de'einergized, pallet 13 moves to the left,

fcarrying arm 14 with it under the tension Patented Nov. 12, 1918 teeth 20 in the space e ual to the distance between successive ratc et teeth 17. The brush set therefore moves over a group of ten terminals upon each step made by the switch under the control of magnet 18.

At the conclusion of this series of impulses the magnet 8 again becomes operative, either in response to a series of impulses, if the switch is to act as a connector,

or in response to circuit conditions such as will cause the switch to hunt for an idle trunk in the group selected, if the switch is to act as a selector. At this time the pallets 9 and 10 cotiperate with ratchet teeth 20 in the manner described for brush selection, under the control of magnet 8.

The switch is restored by the action of a magnet 22 which attracts its armature to force a driving ribbon 23 into engagement with a constantly rotating roller 24 to draw the switch downwardand rewind spring 2. The switch is held in its normal position by the engagement of pallet 10 with the first of the ratchet teeth 19.

Th operation of the circuit arrangement ,'.shown in the drawing is as follows, assuming that the switch is to operate as a selector switch. When the trunk 25, 26 is seized by a preceding switch, line relay 27 is energized over a path from grounded battery, left-hand winding of relay 27, side-switch wiper 28 and its first contact, conductor 26,

through the brushes and contacts of preceding switches and the subscribers circuit,

' relay 30, armature and back cdtitactofrelay' ,tact, to ground.

conductor 25, side-switch wiper 29 and its rst contact, right-hand winding of relay 27 to ground. Relay 27 attracts its armature and completes a circuit for slow-release relay 30 from grounded battery, winding of relay 30, to ground at the armature and front contact of relay 27. A series of impulses is nowsent to select a brush. Upon the first interruption of the line circuit, relay 27 is denergized and a circuit for slow-release relav 31 is completed from grounded battery, winding of relay 31, armatui'e and front contact of relay 30, to ground at the armature and back contact of relay 27. A circuit is now completed for escape magnet 32 from grounded battery, winding of escape magnet 32, armature and front contact of re: lay 31, side-switch wiper 33 and its first con- Escape magnet2 is eu'er-' gizcd but does not release the side'snritch. --At the same time a circuit is completedfor stepping magnet 8 from grounded batterygwind mg of magnet 8, side-switch wiper 34 and its first contact, armature and front contact of 27, to ground. The shaft makes desired number ofstepa in resppnseto the it'n} pulses sent, ,under' the control bf magnet 8 and its escapement, consisting of pal ets 9 and 10. At the conclusion of ,this series of impulses, re1ay;27 r minhenergized for a.

relatively long period, whereupon relay 31 releases and opens the circuit of escape magnet 32, which deiinergizes and. releases the side switch into its second position.

In the second position of the side switch, a circuit is completed for trip magnet 7 from grounded battery, trip magnet 7, sideswitch wiper 35 and its second contact, to ground. The trip rod 5 is operated to release the set of brushes serving the desired section, such brush set having assumed a position to be tripped by the tripping finger 6 on such movement of the rod 5.

The second set of impulses is now sent, the circuit to linerelay 27 being completed over the side- switch wipers 28 and 29 in their second position. The operation of relays 27, 30 and 31 and escape magnet 32 being exactly similar to that previously described. However, the impulses are now sent to stepping magnet 18 instead of magnet 8 over side-switch wiper 34 and its second contact,

this circuit being controlled at the armature and back contact of line relay 27, as before. The shaft is now allowed to advance in long steps, the brush set 3 passing over a group of ten terminal sets upon each actu ation of magnet 18. At the conclusion of this series of impulses, magnet 31 is (leiinergiZed as before and allows theescape magnet 32 t deenergize and release the side switch into its third position.

In the third. position of the sideswitch, magnet 8 interrupts its own circuit at its armature and back contact, this circuit being from grounded battery, winding of magnet 8, armature and back contact of magnet .8, side-switch wiper 33 and its third contact, to ground. Assuming that an idle condition of trunks is represented by the presence of ground on their test terminals, and a busy condition by the absence of such ground escape magnet 82 will not be energized until an idle trunk is found, the side switch being so constructed that the magnet 32 will release it from its third to its fourth position 'upon the energization of the escape magnet.

the fourth position of the side the operating circl' it for stepping 25 rgagne 8 is opened and conductors 25 and 26;are extended to a drsire'd trunk over which further connection may be established.

At thgt gjconclusion of conversation, ground will be reapplied to the test terminal of In! the selected trunk by the release of the succeeding switch, at which time a circuit will be completed for downdrive power magnet 22 from unded battery, winding of magnet 22, 0 -normal contact 37, conductor 38, side-switch viilper 36 in its fourth position, to ground. agnet 22 in energizin completes a locking circuit for itself t rough contact springs 39, controlled by its armature 40, and at the same time forces a driving ribbon 23 into engagement with constantly rotating roller 24 to cause the restoration of the switch. when the switch arrives in its normal position, contact 37 will be opened to break the locking circuit of magnet 22. s

The side switch is restored in the usual manner by the return of the brush set, and on leaving position 4- supplies ground for the release of the preceding switch over a circuit from ground, armature and back contact of relay 30, side-switch wiper 40 in either first, second or third positions, and conductor 41, to the test conductor of such preceding switch.

What is claimed is:

1. In an automatic switch, a movable shaft, movable contacts carried thereby, a pluralit of stationary terminal sets arranged or engagement by said movable contacts, means for causing a primary selective movement of said shaft, means for causing a secondary selective movement of said shaft, means for causing a tertiary selective movement of said shaft, and a single operating magnet to mechanically control said primary and tertiary movements.

2. In an automatic switch, a movable shaft, movable contacts carried thereby, a plurality of stationary terminal sets, a contact bank containing said terminal sets and arranged to be served by said movable contacts, said terminal sets bein arranged in sections and groups, means or selecting a desired section, means for selecting a desired group, means for selecting a desired terminal set in said selected group, and a sin lo operating magnet to directly mechanically control said first and third selecting means.

3. In an automatic switch, a movable shaft, a plurality of multiply-connected brush sets carried thereby, a contact bank divided into sections and groups, there being one of said brush sets er section, said brush sets being normally inoperative with respect to the section "served by them, means for render-in a desired brush set operative, means for a vancing said operative brush set in long steps, means for advancing said operative brush set in short steps, and a single ma et to control the means for renderl'nga esired brush set operative and advancing said shaft in short steps.

4. In an automatic switch, a movable shaft, movable contacts carried thereby, a plurality of stationary terminal sets arranged for en gagemcnt'by said movable contacts, three series of ratchet teeth mounted on said shaft, the ratchet teeth in the respective series being variously spaced, a magnet and escapement to control movement of said shaft in conjunction with two of said series of ratchet teeth, and a second magnet and escapement to control motion of said shaft in conjunction with the third of said series of ratchet teeth. I

5. In an automatic switch, a movable shaft, a plurality of multiply-connected brush sets carried thereby, a plurality of terminal sets, a panel contact bank containing said terminal sets, said bank bein divided into a'plurality of sections, there ein one of said brush sets per section, said brus sets being normally inoperative with respect to the section served by them, means for ad vancing said movable shaft into a position where a desired one of said brush sets may be made active, means for renderin active said positioned brush set, means %or advancing said active brush set in long steps, means for advancing said active brush set in short steps, and a single magnet to control the movement of the shaft during, positioning for brush selection and during said short steps.

6. In an electric switch, a plurality of contact banks, contact means individual to said banks to engage contacts of their respectivebanks, means to select any desired contact means, a spring to move said contact means, means for controlling the movement of the selected contact means to enge any desired contact in its respective ank, and a single means for restoring said contact means and sprin to normal.

In witness whereof, I ercunto subscribe my name this 26th day of August A. 1)., 1916.

JAMES L. MCQUARRIE.

Images