US1332574A - Electric switch - Google Patents

Description

E. B. REESE.

ELECTRIC SWITCH. APPLICATION man Au.14.191e.

ttor/Mu Snom/dot lill-ill z SHEETS-SHEET x.

Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

E. B. REI-ISE.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.I4. 1916.

1,332,574. Patented Mar. 2,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. y

INVENTOI? @fm/A@ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD B. BEESE, 0F INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO SWABTZ ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Specification 'of Letters Patent.

Original application led August 14, 1916i, Serial No. 114,907. Divided and this application led August 14,

1916. Serial No. 114,968.

To all 'whom z't may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDWARD B. REEsE, a citizen of the United States, vresiding at Indianapolis, Marion county, and State of Indiana, have invented and discovered certain new 'and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electric switches and its object is t0 provide a construction adapted to automatically control the supply of current from different sources of electrical energy and designed to provide a simple form of mechanical balancing means for a predetermined electro-motive force, to combine in a single compact structure the elements of a differential series'winding and a shunt winding responsive respectively to current and voltage values in the line and in one of said 'sources respectively and including., also auxiliary switch elements controlling a prime mover and its starting means and also a compression relief mechanism for an internal combustion engine serving as the prime mover, or adapted to control other mechanisms. The invention also contemplates a construction of the contact points of the main switch element that will diminish the air gap between the opposing fixed pole pieces and prevent an unequal resistance and 'attraction due to such air gap between the movable contact and the respective pole pieces.

With these objects and others in view, my invention is embodied in preferable form in the construction and arrangement hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In these drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of the switch structure and Fig. 2 a vertical section at right angles to Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 a diagram.

Referring to the. drawings, the switch shown is adapted to be applied to automat-ic power systems having one or more sources of electrical energy from one or more of which the current to the line is adapted to be separately supplied according to the demands on the line.

In the drawings, 1 is a polarized relay having a series winding 2 on one side of the main coil and responsive to the amount of current in the line and 3 is a shunt winding on the other side and responsive by the voltage: The relay has a central core switch arm 4c in the form of a lever which is fulcrumed at 6 and has its upper arm pro- Pate'nted Mar. 2, 1920.

vided with a head 7 carrying a conducting contact 8 and idle contact 9 and is provided vwith a lower threaded horizontal arm 10 on which is adjustably mounted a screw block 11 constituting a balance weight of known value and proportionate to a predetermmed electro-motive force. The contacts on the switch arm are adapted to make contact with either the fixed conducting contact 12 carried by the pole piece 13 or with the blank face of the pole piece 14 which pole pieces are provided respectively with gap bridging arms 15 and 16, extending horizontally toward one another a'bove the movable contact head and which approach closely for the purpose of diminishing the air gap between the pole pieces so that when the movable contact head is attracted to one or the other of the fixed contacts, an inequality in the air gap between the respective pieces and the contact is prevented, the air gap distance between the poles remaining constant.

The fixed contact 12 is connected to a suitable exciting coil adapted to control the supply from a suitable sounce of electrical energy.

The polarized. relay including its series and shunt winding 'constitutes a master switch which is operable by changes in cur* rent demand, on the line ora decrease in voltage in one of the sources of electrical energy. This switch and the auxiliary switch elements hereafter described are mounted in a shell 17 and are preferably carried by a commonl supporting and adjusting cage comprising four vertical rods 18 extending longitudinally of the shell and having continuous screw threads. By this arrangement each switch element may be separately mounted o-n the rods and readily adjusted in proper position and fixed in place by lock nuts. Below the master switch within the shell structure is mounted an auxiliary switch which in the particular use for which the invention is advantageously adapted performs the function of and is start the prime mover which consists preferably of an internal combustion engine. (Not shown.) Such auxiliary switch may, so far as the present invention is concerne-d, perform any other controlling function. This switch consists of a shunt wound solenoid 19, the winding of which is connected to the shunt winding of the polarized relay master switch. This solenoid has a vertically movable core 2() provided at its upper end with a contact 21 which is adapted to make and break circuit with fixed contacts 22 mounted in the base plate of the master switch and which contacts may be connected with the battery and through a suitable starter resistance with the generator whereby the generator may be started as a motor, or such contacts may be connected with other elements to be controlled.

The movable core of the solenoid 19 is provided at its lower end with a button 23 of non conducting material which is adapted, when the core is depressed to separate the spring contacts 24 controlling a circuit which may be the engine ignition circuit and which button when raised by the lifting of the core, permits these contacts to spring together to establish such circuit. This auxiliary shunt wound solenoid switch is mounted upon a base plate 25 of suitable non-conducting material.

Within the shell below the solenoid switch v 19 is mounted another auxiliary switch elellso ment which consists of a solenoid 26 having a shunt winding forming-part of the shunt winding of the polarized relay and which switch serves as a generator switch and may be adapted to break the circuit and thus effect the denergization of the first auxiliary switch and the reverse operation of the master switch when the current reverses and is directed from the generator. To this end the solenoid of this switch is provided with a contact member 27 at its upper end which is adapted to make and break circuit with a fixed contact or contacts 28 mounted on the base plate 25 and which contacts are suitably connected with the generator and the battery. At its lower end the core 27 is provided with a button 29 of non-conducting material which is adapted to open or permit the closing of spring contacts 30 in the circuit that has been referred to as the ignition circuit.

The construction and operation of this generator switch are utilized to control the operation of a third auxiliary switch or circuit controller which may be used to control the operation of a compression relief mecha-y nism for the internal combustion engine or for other purposes, if desired. To this end the upper end of the core of the magnet 26 is provided with a head 31 having a metallic contact member 32 and a fibrous or other non-conducting member v33 below the contact head and which is adapted when the core is down to establish a circuit through the fixed spring contacts 34 mounted on the base plate 25 and thus short circuit the compression relief means or other element controlled by said circuit and to break the circuit through said cont-acts when the core is lifted. f

Invthe operation of the switch, the circuit being established through the lesser unit of electrical energy which is preferably a storage battery, the switch arm 4 of the polarized relay will be attracted to the contact pole piece 14. When either the current demand on the line is increased to a predetermined point so that the current passing through the dilferential series winding is sulicient in quantity to decrease the electromagnetic force of the main poles of the relay or when the voltage in the battery is decreased below a predetermined point, the weight ofl the block 11 `which is equal in mechanical force to the magnetism producedl by the electro-motive force of a predetermined number of volts, will overbalance the electro-motive force induced by the shunt winding and cause the switch arm to move against the contact 12 exciting the auxiliary solenoid switch 19 and lifting the core thereof and establishing a circuit through the contacts 21, and also through contacts 24 and thus starting the generator as a motor in order to start the gasolene engine. When the engine overruns the motor the latter will become a generator and the polarity of the master switchl will be reversed and the auxiliary solenoid switch 26 will then be excited so as to raise the core and close the circuits 30, denergize the first auxiliary switch and establish the ignition circuit from the generator independently of the starter resistance, direct the current to the line from the generator, and also establish the separate contacts 34 to cause the compression relief mechanism to be closed whereupon the prime mover will drive the generator and the same will supply current to the line.

When the current demand on the line falls below the predetermined amount, the electro-motive force through the shunt winding of the pole 14 will overbalance the weight of the block 10, attracting the switch arm to the pole piece 14 and reversing the operation of the switches so as to direct the current from the battery to the line and cut out the generator.

Having thus described I claim is:

1. An electric switch having opposed fixed pole pieces, a movable contact member between the same, said pole pieces having nl eans bridging the air gap between said pieices and extending past the point of contac 2. An electric switch having opposing my invention what xed pole pieces, a movable contact member mounted to move between the pole pieces, the said pole pieces having extension members approaching one another and extending 45 beyond the point of contact to bridge the air gap.

3. A polarized relay having compound windings responsive to electro motive forces and a core lever provided with a contact on 10 one arm and a weight on the other arm, and

a fixed contact adapted to have connections with a source of energy.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand' and seal at Indianapolis, Indiana,

this 26th day of June',. A. D. nineteen hun- 15 dred and sixteen.

EDWARD B. REESE. Witnesses:

A. C. RICE, H. l?. Doom'rrLE.

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