US1307086A - Bichard dijkstea - Google Patents

Description

R DIJKSTRA. THERMAL cmcun CLOSER. I APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9. IQIS. 1,307,086, Patented June 17, 1919.

RICHARD DIJ'KSTR A, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

THERMAL CIRCUIT-CLOSER.

Specification of Letters Patent. 'Patente (1 June 17 1919.

Application filed November 9, 1918. Serial No. 261,887.

I T all whom it may concern:

- ers,

Be itknown that I, RICHARD DIJKSTRA, a citizen of Holland, residing at Cicero, Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thermal Circuit-Closof which the following is a. specification,"reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to thermostatic alarms, and particularly to that class of alarms wherein the rise or fall of mercury Within the bulb of a thermometer causes the sounding of an alarm.

The general object of my invention is to provide a very simple thermostatic circuitcloser for electrical alarms designed to provide means for warning gardeners, farmers, and fruit growers of changes in temperature which might become dangerous, so that they may take the stepsnecessary to save their crops. A further object is to provide a thermostatic alarm adapted to be used in connection with an electric signal so constructed that it may be adjusted to sound the alarm at different temperatures or to be rendered entirely inoperative as regards sounding an alarm at the will of the operator. Other objects will appear in the course of the following description:

Figure 1 is a face view of a thermostatic alarm constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, vertical section of the thermometer tube and allied parts; and

Fig. 3 is a transverse section thereof.

Fig. 4 is a cross section of the float 12.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates a thermometer tube of any suitable material, as for instance of glass mounted upon a suitable supporting base 11, the tube 10 being about five times the size of the ordinary thermometer tube, and being provided with the usual bulb at its lower end, and containing mercury. Disposed within the tube is a float 12 which may be made of any suitable material, and carries an upwardly extending rod 13, which is preferably tubular, this rod at its upper end carrying two oppositely disposed outwardly bowed spring leaves 14.

Disposed at intervals through the tube of the thermometer in spaced relation to each otherare pairs of contacts 15, which are preferably of copper. These contacts have rounded inner faces which project into the path of movement of the springs 14: and are adapted to be engaged by the springs as the float rises or falls. The springs 11 are electrically connected to each other and when the springs are in contact with the contacts 15 they electrically connect the contacts of a palr.

' Disposed in spaced relation to the contacts 15 and extending parallel to the two lines of contacts are the copper strips or wires 16 which are fastened to the base 11 by screws or other suitable means, these screws at one end being binding screws for engagement by wires 17 which extend to a source of energy andto the bell or other alarm. The contacts 15 are spaced from the strips 16 and the base 11 is formedwith a plurality of sockets or recesses 18, the wall of each socket at one end being formed by a contact member 15 and at the other end by the strip 16. In order to bridge this recess or socket and electrically connect the contacts of a pair with the strips 16, I provide a connector 19., which is formed of wood, fabric or other insulating material having a handle and provided upon one face with the plugs 20 of.

copper or other electrically conductive material. These plugs are adapted to fit within the sockets 18 and to electrically engage the strip 16 with its adjacent contact 15. The wires 17 may connect with any suitable source of current and bell or other electrically actuated signal.

The operation of this mechanism will be obvious. vWhen the exterior temperature is at 32 degrees Fahrenheit for instance, the float 12 will move to this point and at this time the contact springs 14 will be disposed between the lowermost contacts 15. It now the plugs 20 of the connector 19 have been disposed in the sockets associated with this lowermost pair of contacts, it will be obvious that upon the descent of the springs 14 to this point, a circuit through the signal and battery will be completed and the bell will ring or any other signal will be given. The uppermost pair of contacts may correspond for inst-ance, to a temperature of 44 degrees Fahrenheit, and in this case the bell will ring when the exterior temperature has risen to 1 1 degrees. While I have shown four 1 caused to sound, or when the temperature falls to a certain point, the signal may be actuated,or by the use of two connectors 19 the bell may be actuated upon either a rise or fall of temperature beyond or below certain degrees. 3-

It will be seen that device is very simple, it may be easily used and applied, and that it cannot readily get out of order. It is obvious also that it may be modifiedin many ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. Thus, while I have shown a thermometer tube 10 which i sD- shaped in cross section, I do not wish to be limited to this, as any form which is many sided in cross section may be used. The purpose of making the tube D-s'haped in cross section-and the float to conform thereto is to preventany rotation of the float and therefore keep the'contacts 14 the contacts 15. Preferably the float 12 will have the form illustrated in Fig. 4, that is,

the float will be annular and the rod 13 will be tubular, and there will be perforations or other openings at the upper rod 13 which will permit the mercury to pass up through the float and into the rod where there is a very high temperature which the upper end of the rod to the top end of the tube. likelihood of the 10 when the thermometer is submitted to a high temperature.

hat is claimed is:

1. A circuit-closing thermostat including a thermometer, a float movable therethrough by the rise and fall of liquid Within the would cause abut against This prevents any thermometer and having a stem smaller in the interior diameter of the diameter than I thermometer tube and carrying opposed conin line with spring contacts,

mercury bursting the tube nected contacts, a series of pairs of contacts extending through the wall of the tube and disposed in the path of movement of the first named contacts, conductors disposed on each side of the thermometer and extending parallel to the contacts on that side but spaced therefrom, and a connector having means for bridging the space between any pair of contacts and the corresponding conductors, the conductors being adapted to be connected in a circuit with a signal and a source of energy.

A circuit-closing thermostat comprising a base, a thermometer mounted upon the base, a floatv riding upon the mercury in the thermometer and carrying an upwardly extending rod, oppositely disposed outwardly bowed springs carried upon the rod, a plurality of oppositely disposed pairs of contacts extending through the wall of the thermometer and spaced from each other and disposed in the path of movement of the a pair of conductors disposed on opposite sides of the thermometer and spaced from the contacts, a space between each contact and the corresponding conductor forming a socket, and a connector comprising an insulating body having a handle and two plugs adapted to fill such sockets and electrically connect a pair of contacts with the corresponding conductors, the conductors being adapted to be connected with a source of energy and the signal.

In testimony whereof I hereunto. aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD DIJKSTRA.

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