US1292077A - Electric control of fluid-pressure-actuated motors. - Google Patents

Description

H. ROWNTREE. ELECTRIC CONTROL OF FLUID PRESSURE ACTUATED Morons.

APPLICATION FILED APR- l2. 1917 Patented Jm. 21,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I fizz/672 far H. ROWNTREE.

ELECTRIC CONTROL OF FLUID PRESSURE ACTUATED MOTORS. APPLICATION FILED APR.'I2. I917- 1,292,077. Patented Jan. 21,1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

if If:

I va /25W WWI MM x mm r ny t a .Lt. IlLJL. Lilia.

COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ELLINOIS,

A CORPGEATION OF "WEST VIRGINIA.

ELECTRIC CONTROL OF FLUID-PRESSUEE-ACTUATED IilOTGRS.

Original application filed December 30, 1916, Serial No. 139.794.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD Rown'rnnn,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Kenilworth, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have made a cetain new and useful Invention in Electric Control of Fluid-Pres sure-Actuated ltlotors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric systems and arrangements for controlling the operation of fluid pressure actuated motors, for example, motors of that type used in opening doors, gates '01 the like, and is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 139.7% tiled Dec. 30, 1916.

The object of the invention is to provide electri :ally controlled valves for controlling the admission and exhaust of fluid pressure to the motor without the use of intermediate controlling valve.

A further ohjcct ot the invention is to provide means for maintaining the alve energized until thi working st eke ot the motor isa-omplcted with but a momentary initial completion of the circuit controlling the electricwalve.

A further object ot the invention is to provide an electrically controlled fluid pressure actuated door operating system which is simple in structure and arrangement, ellicient in operation and economical of manufacture.

Further objects of the invention will appear more fully hcreinatter.

The invention consists substantially "in the construction, relative arrangement ot parts. all as will he more fully hcreinatter set torth. as shown by the accompanying drawing. and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings.-

Figure l is a view in elevation of a fluid pressure actuated motor. partly broken away. employed in accordance with my inventiou, and showing a circuit arrangement. o'l electrical control of the same.

Fig". 2 is a sectional view of a magnet valve employed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 3 is a modified structure of switch embodying my inventionn Fig. l is another modification of switch.

Specification of Letters Patent.

combination, location and .gixingz valve can be obtained Divided and this application filed April 12,

Serial No. 161,495.

5 is av view in elevation of a door with a collapsible shoe and switch control employed in accordance with my invention.

The same part is designated by the same reference numeral wherever it occurs throughout the several views.

in the art of fluid pressure actuated 1n0- tors, and particularly in the art where such motors are employed tor operating doors, gates or the like, to open and close the same, it is old to have a main valve for controlling the supply and exhaust of fluid pressure to and from the cylinder wherein the main valve is itself operated by fluid pressure in a. small auxiliary cylinder which in turn is controlled by the admission and exhaust- 0t fluid pressure through electrical or magnet va ves, so-that the momentary energization of one or the other ot' the electric or magnet valves would shift the main valve into its desired position for openin the main cylinder to supply or exhaust. in such systems the deenergization of the magnet woiild not affect the position oi the main valve, and therefore. the engine would complete its motion just as though the magnet or electric valve had remained energized.

When, how .ver, it is desirable to eliminate the intermediate or main valve and to control the admission and exhaustv of fluid pressure to the main cylinder directly from the electrically controlled valves, it is necessary to provide means for maintaining the electrically controlled valves in their energized position until the engine has completed its stroke. and means for automatically docile?- izing the valves when the engine has coinplcted its stroke. It is also desirable that it. during the motion of the door engine to ward one extreme or the other, it is desired to instantly reverse the door, that this reversal can be accomplished by the momentary encrg'ization oi the other electrically controlled valve, thereby not only decnerthe tirst valve. hut also maintaining the second or reverse valve in its energized position until the door engine has completed reversed movement.

is known in the art that the autcn'iatic encrggitoition of the electrically controlled by the use of electric contacts or brushes operated continuously in connection with the movement of the door' when moving in the other direction, only the other of the valves is energized. This arrangement is subject to the objection that while the door can be stopped, it cannot be reversed during its motion. It is also known in the art that the energization of the electrically controlled valves can be obtained by the use of an auxiliary piston operated by the fluid pressure that is admitted to one end or the other of the cylinder of the engine, and which closes a switch which therebycloses a circuit and completes and maintains the energization of the valve until the engine has. completed its movement whereupon the auxiliary cylinder is exhausted, and the switch therefore opened, and the'circuit broken. \Vhile this is an efficient arrangement, the cost of manufacture, installation and maintainance of the auxiliary circuit closing cylinders makes the same more expensive than the old system of employing the main v,alve hereinbefore described.

It is among the special purposes of my present invention, therefore, to provide a simple, cheap and efficient system wherein the intermediate valve is eliminated, the electrically controlled valves are maintained energized with but a momentary initial energization, and the reversal of the movement of the engine can be secured at any instant. I will now describe, with reference I to the drawings forming a part hereof, how

I secure the results sought as above out-lined, without direct or indirect operation by the fluid pressure admitted to the cylinder of the engine, and without any auxiliary fluid pressure control.

Referring to Fig. 1, reference numeral 10 designates the door engine which is provided with pistons 1 and 2 connected by rack 3 operatingin a gear 4 working on shaft Piston 1 operates in cylinder 6, and piston 2 in cylinder 7. The supply and exhaust of fluid pressure to cylinder 6 is controlled by valve 8, and to cylinder-'7, by valve 9. The valves 8 and 9 are controlled, respectively, by magnets 11 and 12. The specific valves and magnet control shown, are designated in the art magnet valves. and

'the specific construction of the same will be more fully hereinafter set forth in connection with Fig; 2 .of the drawing. It is sufli cient at this point to state with respect there-' to that the action of the magnet valves is such that when either magnet is energized,

fluid pressure is admitted to its cylinder,

and when the magnet is deenergized, fluid pressure is shutoff and the cylinder is opened to exhaust.

maintaining the Above thegear 4 and the shaft 5, I place the two-arms of the pivoted switch 13, as;

shown. The switch 13 has a lower extending arm 16 against which two lugs 17 and 18 on gear 4 make contact, one or the other of said lugs 17 or 18 making contact with arm 16 just as the door completes its motion in one direction or the other, thereby opening and disconnecting switch 13 either at contact 14 or contact 15, as will be readily understood, one of saidcontacts becoming open circuited, and the other contact being slightly depressed against its spring. It will be readily-seen that as soon as the engine begins its motion from either of its extreme positions, the lug 17 or 18 as the case may be, moves away from the the switch to assume itsnormal position, connecting. and completing the circuit be tween contacts 1 1 and 15, and return 40 as shown.

At any switches, preferably push button switches illustrated at 19 and 20. These push button switches are held normally in one extreme position in any suitable manner, for example by springs 19 and 20 When so held, switch 20 completes circuit connection between contacts 21 and 22, and switch 19 completescircuit between contacts 23 and 24. When swltch- 20 is depressed, it breaks the circuit between contacts 21 and 22, and establishes the connection between contacts 25 and 26, and when switch 19 is depressed, it breaks the circuit between contacts 23 and 24, and establishes the connection between the contacts 27 and 28 I also employ two automatic magnets 29 and 30 for the purpose of automatically energization of magnets 11 and 12. The small magnets 29 and 3O operate respectively on armatures 31 and 32, and when magnet 29 is energized armature 31 comes in contact with contact 33, and when magnet 30 is energized armature 32 comes in contact with contact 34.

I also show at 35 a diagra'mnatic illustration of the'controller of the car orthebralre control, or both of them, in which 36 represents the controller arm or handle, and carries contact strip 37which establishes a circuit connection between the two contacts 38 and 39 when the controller arm or brake lever 36 is in off or on position, as the case may be, that is, if the arm 36 is the controller handle the handle would have to be in off position, with the car at rest. but if the arm 36 is the brake lever, the lever would have to be in on position, with the actuating arm 16 of switch13, and thereby allowing suitable location, I provide brakes applied. I will now describe the operation of the svstem.

Let us suppose that th door and the door engine are at an intermediate position as shown in this drawing and in that case switch 13 makes contact with both contacts Li and 15. Let us suppose that the open pushbutton is depressed. making contactbetween contacts and Q6. The following circuit then is completed:

From the source of supply 40, wire 80 to Contact to contact wire S1 to the frame ll ofnragnet 29 through said magnet 29, thereby energizing said magnet wire 82 to magnet 11, through said magnet l1, wire 83 to contact R5 to switch 13 and to the return wire 8%. This energizes both magnet 29 and magnet 11. The moment magnet 29 is energized ari'nature 31 makes contact with Contact point 33 whereupon the following circuit is completed;

-From source of supply 40, ire S0 to contact 38 to contact 39, assuming that arm 36 is in its off position. then to wire 35 to cmtact of pushlmtton it) then to contact 53%, wire 86, and then to contact to armature 31 to frame 41 then through the magnet 29 and wire 8:? then through magnet 11 and wire through contact 15 through switch 13 and to the return wire The finger therefore ma oe instantly witherawn from pushbntton 20 and magnets '29 a.- d 11 will continue to be energized. and. therefore, magnet continue to so operate its lve sure will be admitted to cylinder L he moved toward open position action or" on can be arrestet no ilitlcrent ways. an or all 01 inich to break the circuit, that is, decnergize n 29 and 11.

If. for example. the controller arm 36 moved from its off position it will break this circuit and therefore deenergizc n'iaanets 29 and 11 and restore them to their normal position and therefore exhaust cylinder (3 leaving the engin dead. Again. it the door has completed its motion so that stop 18 has touched arm 16 of switch 13 it will break contact between switch Y13 and contact 15 and thereby break the same circuit and therefore decnergize magnets 29 and ll so that this will happen at the. end of the stroke of the cylinder ii the cylinder should not he previously arrested in its motion.

It will be noticed also. it may be mentioned this point. the it the finger is kept on button 2th thereb v energizing mag;-

imlepcadentlv oi the addi tional enere zing circuit that comes through contacts a d 24'. that when the engine has completed its motion both energizing cirnets 29 and coils are broken as ti iv both return through switch 13 and there c. it the pushbuiton 20 is depressed when the door is wide open or the puslibutton 19 depressed when the door is fully closed it will not energize its respective magnet.

A third way of arresting the motion of the engine is by depressing the opposite button. For example, suppose the door is moving toward open position. this movement having been initiated. by momentarily depressing button 20; let us suppose that while this motion of the door engine is in progress'lmtton i9 is momentarily depressed. The moment this happens the secondary circuit that is energizing magnets '29 and 11 and which passes through contacts '23. 21 is broken and therefore as in the other cases or other means of arresting the further motion of the door, the supply of air is shut oil from cylinder 6 and cylinder 6 is exhausted to the air and the engine becomes dead. In this case. however. a further action is effective. The moment the depressing or" button 19 makes contact between 28 and 27. then magnet will be energized as follows:

From the source of supply 40 wire and 87 through contact 27. contact 28 wire 88, magnet frame 42. magnet 30. thereby energizing the magnet. then through wire 89 to magnet 12 thereby also energizing this magnet, wire 90. cents 1%. switch 13 and to the return. This will. by energizing magnet 12. turn air into the opposite cylinder 7 and as the dci nergriziiur oi magnet ll has opened cylinder (3 to exhaust. the motion of the engine will be instantl reversed and moved toward closed position. and even although the finger is instantly removed from button i l the engine will continue toward its closed position as the circuit passing through magnets 30 and 12 will be continued by a similar secondary circuit to that which has alreadv been described as continuing the enerizization of magnets 29 and l1nainel v. from wire 80 wire 92. contact 26. contact 22, wire 93. contact 34. armature 32. magnet 30. wire 89. and then on as above described.

llt will be noticed that i do not prefer to bring the secondary circuit of magnet 30 through the contacts on the 'ar control. and my object is as follows; lt is conceivable that times may arise when it is desirable or necessar to open a door while a car is in motion. but these times are exceptional and it is desirable. therefore. that if the conduc tor or motorman or whoever operates the door. should inadverlcntl do so when the car is in motion that the operation will be somewhat ditl crcnt from what it was under normal conditions and l therefore so arra ip'cd matters that in opcniu; the door the linger must be kept wmtinuouslv on the button it the car controller is not in of? po silion or the door will not continue to open. the car controller is in oil position a but if momentary touch on the open button will cause the door to open wide open. or until it is arrested by moving the controller or by touching the closed button.

In closing the door. however. no such safeguard is necessary as it should be possible to close the door under any and all conditions.

It will be noticed, therefore. that the momentary touch on the opening or closing button not only starts the door in the desired direction but causes the door to continue in that desired direction unless arrested by one or the other means provided for the purpose, and that no auxiliary parts operated by the compressed air. either the action of the piston itself or of its connect:

ing mechanism or theact-ion of an auxiliary cylinder operated by the'compresscd air. is' necessary for this automatic action inholding theen ergized valve in its energized position. It will be noticed also thata: momentary touch on the opposite pushlhitton- \vill' not only arrest thefurther.motion of the door but will instantly" reverse its motion. It will be noticed also that in the event of the switches that automatically hold the electrically controlled valves in energized position being inadvertently closed, for exampleby the shake or jar of the car while in motion. at a time when they are not de- 'siredto be Closed. that they will have no .efifect in causing the door to open because the opening circuit that they control to be complete must come through.eontacts 38 and 3S) and the arm 36 of the controller being moved from off position, because we hav assumed the car is in motion. there would be nocircuit completed and. therefore. even should magnet switch. 29 be jarred into closed position it would not. cause the door to open, thereby eliminating one of the chief objections hitherto found in the continuous throw-over switch heretofore used for the self-e-nergization of the, electrically controlled valves. 7

The electrically controlled valve'is illustrated in Fig. 2 in which -15 is the armature which is pulled downward while the magnet is energized. This downward movementv of armature 45 depresses pin 46 and closesvalve 47 against its seat and opens valve 51 from it scat. \Vhen the 'nnugnet is dei nergized. spring returns valve 51 to its seat. and opens valve fijrom its seat. When, therefore. the magnetis dei nergized port 4 which connects to the cylindelthat is controlled -by the valve. is opened through open valve 47 and port 48 to the atmosphere and therefore exhausts the cylinder and the pressure which is connected to port 50 is prevented from entering the cylinder through port 4! by valve 51 being closed by tl action of spring 52. lVhen. however. the magnet. is energized aiul valve- 47 closed and valve 51 opened then the pressure from port 50 can enter the cylinder through valve 51 an port, 49 but cannot pass to the atmosphere a valve 7 is closed.

Where lubricant is inclosed in the casing 90, which incases the gear -l-. to prevent sucl 1 lubricant from splashing upon the switche 14 and 15 and impairing the conductivity of contact thereof. I emplo a. slightly modified structure as shownnin Fig. 3 wherein'the switch 13 is pivotally secured to the top of the casing 90 with its arm 16 pro ecting therein. .but with its arms which cooperate with the switches 1t and 15 outside of the casing. The actuation of the switch 13 by the gear 4. and the consequent control of switches Hand 15 is the same as has al- -ready been described in connection with Fig. 1-. 4

j 7 Again. it may be advantageous to equip the door that is operated by this engine with anautomatic shoe so that if the door strikes an obstruction in closing, this motion will be j arrested. or it may be desirable not only to .arrcst the door so long as the obstruction remains there but to actually reverse the doo and open it away from the obstruction,

I have shown on Fig. 5 a door 54 with rollers 55-55 running on track 56. The.

front of this door 54 is equipped with 'a shoe Y 57 which is hung on .two parallel short levers and 59 which are pivoted attit) and 61 to the door 54 so that the shoe by gravity tends to like a forward position and when depressedtoward the door; is caused to rise upwardly .at the same time.

Above the door I place a horizontal track or member (3:2 which is hung on two parallel short leve'rs' (33 and (it which are pivoted respectively at 65 and (36. An extension on the top of shoe 57rides innnediately under the track 13:2 so that it just clcals the same when the shoe 5? is in its normal forwardly position. but. the moment the shoe is depressed by striking an obstruction it rises against track (32 and raises track (52. thereby swingiug the levers (33 and (34 on their pivots (if) and (i6,

Lever (H has a second arm '67 attached thereto and when, the shoe is in its normally forward position this lever makes contact bctween contacts tih and (it) and while the shoe is (lcpressed and therefore raised it causes lever 67 to make contact between contacts T0 and 71. Now it will be remembered that the secondary opening circuit'of the door is brought through contacts 38 and 3!) on the controller but the secondary closing circuits were not so brought. Now if this secondary through contact (58-139 with which lever (57' normally makes-contact, then under nori'nal conditions the secondary closing circuit will always be operative. but if while the door was closing. the shoe should be depressed by the door striking an obstruction then the closing circuit were brought mean? circuit would be broken at point 6869 and therefore the magnet would be deenergized and the compressed air from the closing end of the cylinder would be exhausted and the engine would be dead' If, in addition to this, a wire from the main source of supply 40 would be brought to contact 70 and contact 71 should be connected direct to magnet 11 by wire 95, then when the shoe is depressed it will not only denergize the closing magnet but will energize the opening magnet 11 and cause the door to recede from its obstruct-ion and in this case as the secondary circuit through the small magnet 29 had not been completed the door would not continue its opening movement after the shoe 57 had resumed its normal position and the door would therefore draw back the obstruction just far enough to clear it.

Again, if it is desired that when the door is closing and strikes an obstruction it shall not only be stopped in its further motion and not only withdrawn from the obstruction but should resume its closing motion as soon as it has cle red the obstruction then the following arrangementwould be made:

Referring to 4. arm (3? (which is the same arm 67 of Fig. makes contact in a slightly different way with its contact points. ft makes continuous contact with contact T5 in the particular form shown and contact with either contact 73 or 74: according to whether the shoe is in its forward position or in its depressed position, and in the intermediate position it makes contact with both 73 and Ti, that is, it does not break contact with 73 until after it has made contact with 7 Now if, in place of the wiring as describ ed in connection with Fig.5, the wire that. leads from the dos ing secondary magnet 30 to the closing magnet 12 should be first brought to contact 75 and then contact 73 connected to magnet 12 then the normal operationof the door would be exactly as heretofore described as the circuit from magnet 30 to magnet 1:2 would be completed whenever the shoe is in its forward normal position. If, however, the shoe is depressed then arm 67 Would travel from contact '73 to Hand if contact 7 1 was connected by, another wire to the opening magnetll. then the secondary circuit that was passing through the magnet 30 would betransferred from the closing magnet 12 to the opening magnet 11. is necessaryia in this connection that the arm 67 should goalie contact with 7e before it loses Contact with '73 as otherwise magnet 30 would he deenergized momentarily in the and would drop its armature, there by breaking the secondary circuit. The moment, therefore, the shoe is d pressed the closing magnet 12 is deene zed and the opening magnet 11 is energized, thereh the air is again placed in cylinder air in cylinder 6 and starting the door toward open position again, but the moment the shoe resumes its normal position the circuit is again made through magnet 12 and broken through magnet 11, and, therefore,

7 and exhausted in cylinder 6 and the door resumes its closing movement automatically and this action will continue until the door is fully closed.

lt will be noticed also that when the door is fully closed, that as it has been heretofore mentioned, the closing circuit is broken by the switch 18 and therefore no circuit can be completed through the closing magnet 12, and therefore, even if someone in the car should depress the shoe, they will not thereby complete a circuit through magnet 11 because depressing this shoe only transfers a secondary circuit from one magnet to another but does not itself complete the sec ondary circuit.

While l have shown and described various structures and arrangements embodying the principles of my invention, I wish it to be understood that my broad invention, as defined in the claims, is not to be limited or restricted to any specific arrangement or to any detail thereof, as it is obvious that many modifications and changes in detail will reacily occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention. Therefore, having now set forth the objects and nature of my invention, and having shown and described an operative structure embodying the principles thereof, what I claim new and useful and of my own invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

1. The combination with a door, of a fluid pressure actuated motor for controlling said door, electrically operated means for con trolling said motor to open said door, a circircuit of the door closing means.

2. The combination with a. door of a fluid pressure actuated motor for controlling said door, electrically operated means for controlling'said motor to open said door, a circuit therefor, electrically operated means for controlling said motor to close said door, a circuittherefor, a switch in each of said circuits and means actuated by an obstruction meeting the door in its closing movement for operating said switch to open the circuit of the door closing means, and for simultaneoi'isly operating the switch to close door opening circuit.

The combination with a door. iiuid pressure actuated-motor for controlling said door. electrically operated means for controlling said motor to open said door, a circuit therefor, electrically operated means for controlling said motor to close said door, a circuit therefor, a switch in each of said circuits and means actuated by an obstruction meeting the" door in its closing movement for operating said switch to open the circuitot' the doorclosing means, and for simultaneousl) operating the switch to close the door opening tomatically rcclosing said door closing circuit when the obstruction to the closing movement of the door has been removed.

pressure actuated motor for controlling said door. electricall operated means for controlling said motor to open said door, a circuit therefor, electrically operated means for controlling said motor to close said (1001',

circuit, and means for aua circuit therefor, a switchin each of said circuits and means actuated by an obstruction meeting the door in its closing movement for operating said switch to open the circuit of the door. closing means, and for simultaneously operating the switch to close the door opening circuit, and means for automatically reclosing said door closing circuit and simultaneously reopening said door opening circuit when the obstruction 'to the closing movement of the door has been removed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of the subscribing i. The. combination with a door, of a ,fluld witpesses, on this 26th day of March A. D., 191

HAROLD ROWNTREE. lVitnesses GEORGE A. SUITS, Banner SEVERSEN.

Images