US1335016A - Current-regulating treadle-switch - Google Patents

Description

A. PAPINI.

CURRENT REGULATING TREADLE SWITCH. APPLICATION FILED Aue. n. 1919.

Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

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ATTORNEYS. i

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANTONIO PAPIN I, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO A. MECKY COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

('1'U'IRIRZEINT-REGrULA'lINGr TREAJJLE-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

Application filed August 11, 1919. Serial N 0. 316,552.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTONIO PAPINI, a subject of the King of Italy, having resided in the United States one year last past and having declared my intentions of becoming a citizen thereof, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Gurrent-Regulating Treadle-Sw-itch, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of a novel construction of an electric regulator or current regulating foot switch, wherein novel means actuated by the pressure of the operators foot are provided for regulating the force of the current of electric dynamos, motors, lamps and any other apparatus or machines t which electricity is suppliedfrom a suitable source, my invention comprising a casing or frame adapted to be inserted in and form a part of the electric circuit, and said casing or frame supporting or containing the novel devices to which my invention particularly relates, whereby, the normal circuit may be opened or closed when desired, and the current caused to diverge and pass through a suit-able resistance material, whose relatively low conductivity is increased or diminished, according to requirements, by compressing it more or, less by a novel collocation of a piston, piston rod, and suitable insulated connections to a foot pedal, which operates in unison as a unit and are normally retained in elevated position, during which period the circuit is open or broken, the circuit being closed by a depression of said foot pedal and its adjuncts, as will be hereinafter described.

My invention further consists of a novel construction and combination of a frame or casing, a foot pedal pivoted thereon, a cylinfor the purposes of inspection, replacement and repalr.

For the purpose of illustrating my inven t1on, I have shown in the accompanying drawlngs one form thereof which is at present preferred by me, since the same will be found 1n practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be under- Fig. 2 represents a front elevation of F igt- 1, showing. the manner of mounting the foot pedal, its restoring spring and their aduncts.

3 represents on an enlarged scale a vertlcalseotional view partly in elevation of the upper portion of the frame, insulating cylinder, piston and circuit opening and closing devices.

Fig. 4 represents a vertical sectional view of another embodiment of my invention, wherein I employ in lieu of the pulverized or granulated resistance material seen in Figs. 1 and 3 a resistance material composed of fibrous disks separated by an air box, said air box, its cylinder and outer frame or casing being provided with ventilating ports.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Referring to the drawings 1 designates my novel construction of electric regulator or current regulating foot switch, the same comprising the casing or frame 2, which may be of cast iron and is provided at its top with the lug or lugs 3, to which are pivoted or fulcrumed the lugs 4 on the under side of the foot pedal 5, by means of the fulcrum rod or pin 6, said foot pedal being normally retained. in the up ward position seen in Fig. 1, by means of the flat spring or other tension device 7, the lower end of which latter is fixed or secured at 8 to the top of the frame or casing 52, while its free end 9 contacts with the under side of said foot pedal. The frame or casing 2 is provided with a cavity or pocket 10 in which is seated a cylinder or receptacle 11,

which is open at its top and closed at its sides and bottom 12, said bottom supporting the metal disk or plate 13, which is held in position by the bolt 14, whose upper end terminates in a contact point 15, said bolt passing through the insulating sleeve 16 and being held in position by the nut 17 threaded to its lower extremity which serves to hold in place the conductor 18.

19 designates the other conductor, which is mountedin the insulation 20 and has its upper stationary terminal 21 normally located a slight distance from the terminal 22 of the adjustable or movable contact member 23, which is hollow, as seen in Fig. 3 and telescopes upon the vertical pin 24, which has a laterally deflected bottom member or foot 25 secured to the piston 26 by means of the nut 27, which is in threaded engagement with the upper end of the piston rod 28, the lower end 29 of said piston rod serving as a contact point 29 and being in alinement with the contact point 15 already referred to. The piston 26 is prefer? ably constructed of a pair of disks 30 and 31 between which is a suitable fibrous disk or packing 32, and the space below the piston and the plate or disk 13 is filled wit-h suitable resistance material.

A spring 34 surrounds the hollow member 23 and has its upper and lower ends secured respectively to the top of the hollow member 23 and to the bottom of the upright pin 24, so that the tension of said spring normally retains the terminal or contact 22 slightly above and out of contact with the terminal 21, as will be understood from Figs. 1, 3 and 4.

The upper end of the piston rod 28 has the lower end of the link 29 pivotally secured to and suitably insulated from the bottom of the foot pedal 5, which is preferably of cast iron or similar material.

The electric conductors 18 and 19 preferably pass through an insulated bushing or opening 33 which is located in the side of the frame or casing 2.

The foregoing description applies particularly to Figs. 1 and 3, while in Fig. 1, it have shown another embodiment of the principle of my invention, wherein in lieu of the granulated or pulverized resistance material 34,1 employ a plurality of resistance disks 35 having the central ports 36, said disks being separated by the metallic air box 37, which comprises upper and lower plates having central ports therethrough as seen in Fig. 4:, and side walls which are rovided with the ports 38 registering with t e cylinder ports 39, which discharge into the ports 40, in the casing 2 which lead to the atmosphere.

' The construction seen in Fig. 4 is especially applicable to large switches, wherein heat is generated in the resistance material and it will be apparent that the heat gener: ated in the fibrous disks 35 will be absorbed by the metallic air box 37 and the hot air will pass through the ports 38, of the air box to the exhaust ports 39 and 40, whereby the device is efficiently ventilated at all times.

The resistance material 34 seen in Figs. 1

' and 3 may be any suitable granulated or pulverized material which will produce the desired results, and it will be understood that in the construction seen in Fig. 4, all the parts therein are substantially the same as those seen in Figs. 1 and 3, except for the employment of the fibrous resistance disks 35 and the apertured metallic air box 37, which coacts with the ventilating ports 39 and 4:0. It will be understood that the various elements are suitably insulated as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

The operation is as follows The parts normally appear as seen in Fig. 1, the foot pedal 5 being held in elevated position as shown by reason of the tension of the spring 7, so that the terminals 22 and 21 are normally out of contact, as seen in Figs. 1, 3 and 4.

Upon a depression of the foot pedal 5,

the piston 26 is depressed and the movable terminal 22 which moves as a unit with said piston approaches the stationary terminal 21 and contacts therewith, any objectionable shock or jar being taken up by reason of the spring 34, and the piston 26 by reason of the link connection 29 during its descent will compress the resistance material 34: or 35 to the desired extent, the relatively low conductivity thereof being increased or diminished according to requirements, as will be evident to those skilled in the art.

Upon removing the pressure of the foot from the pedal 5, the compression upon the resistance material is remove (Land the foot pedal 5 and the piston 26 move upwardly by reason of the tension of the spring 7, so that when the parts assume the position seen in Fig. 1, the. contact is entirely broken, at the terminals 21 and 22 and no current will pass through the device.

My novel construction of current regulating foot switch can be cheaply manufactured, is not liable to get out of order and all of its parts are readily accessible for the purposes of inspection, replacement or repairs, it being apparent that when the pin or fulcrum 6 and the link connection 29 are removed, the foot pedal can be lifted from theposition seen in Figs. 1 and 2 and the piston and the interior of its cylinder 11 will then be readily accessible.

It will now be apparent that ll have devised a novel and useful construction of a current regulating treadle switch which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description, and while 1' have, in the present instance, shown and described a preferred embodiment thereof which will be found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modification in various particulars without de arting from an of its advantages.

aving thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the character stated, a receptacle containing a resistance material, a compressing device for varying the pressure thereupon, said compressing device comprising a foot pedal suitably fulcrumed, a piston, and a piston rod in said receptacle, a pivotal connection common to said pedal and piston rod, and a circuit closing device comprising a stationary member and a movable member, the movable member being carried by said piston and actuated in unison with the said piston and the foot pedal.

2. In a device of the character stated, a receptacle containing a resistance material, a compressing device for varying the pressure thereupon, said device having a piston and a piston rod, a foot pedal pivotally mounted above said receptacle, a pivotal connection from said piston rod to said foot pedal, an adjustable contact carried by said piston and movable in unison therewith, a tension device for said adjustable contact, and a stationary contact adapted to effect the closing of a circuit upon the depression of said foot pedal and said movable contact.

3. In a device of the character stated, a frame having a cavity therein, a cylinder mounted in said frame and containing resistance material, a piston for compressing said resistance material, an adjustable contact carried by said piston and movable in unison therewith, a foot pedal pivotally mounted above said frame, said foot pedal, adjustable contact and piston being movable in unison, and a stationary contact mounted in said frame and insulated therefrom and adapted to coact with said adjustable contact for closing the circuit.

4. In a device of the character stated, a frame having lugs projectin from its upper portion, a foot pedal havlng contiguous lugs depending therefrom, a fulcrum pin passing through said lugs, a tension device mounted on the topof said frame for normally retaining said foot pedal in its upward position, a link pivotally secured to and insulated from the bottom of said foot pedal, a piston rod to which said link is pivotally attached, a piston for said piston rod, a cylinder for said piston mounted in said frame, said cylinder containingv re sistance material, an upwardly extending pin mounted on said piston and having a hollow rod movably mounted thereon, a tension device common to said hollow rod and upwardly extending pin, said hollow rod having a laterally extending arm serving as'a movable contact point, and a stationary contact point, mounted in said casing, said foot pedal, piston and adjustable contact point moving as a unit and being adapted to close the circuit when the foot pedal is depressed.

5. In a device of the character stated, a receptacle containing a resistance material, a compressing device for varying the .pressure thereupon, said device having a piston and a piston rod, a foot pedal pivotally supported, a pivotal connection from said foot pedal to said piston rod, an adjustable contact arried by said piston and movable in unison therewith, a stationary contact adapted to effect the closing of a circuit upon the depression of said foot pedal and movable contact, a contact at the lower end of said piston rod, a metallic plate at the bottom of said receptacle, and a bolt secur ing said plate in position and having its upper end terminatmg in a contact point,

the lower end of said bolt and its nut serving to secure a conductor in position.

6. In a device of the character stated, a frame, a cylinder therein, resistance material contained within said cylinder comprising a plurality of fibrous disks, a metallic air box separating said disks and provided with ports, alining ports in said cylinder and frame adapted to coact with the ports in said air box to permit the exit of heated air, an adjustable contact carried by said piston, and a stationary contact suported in said frame with which said adustable contact coacts.

7. In a device of the character stated, a frame, a cylinder therein, resistance material contained within said cylinder comprising a plurality of fibrous disks, a metallic air box separating said disks and provided with ports, alining ports in said cylinder and frame adapted to coact with the ports in said air box to permit the exit of heated air, an adjustable contact carried by said piston, a stationary contact supported in said frame with which said adjustable contact coacts, and a foot pedal pivotally mounted on said frame and connected to said piston.

ANTONIO PAPINI. Witnesses:

JOHN WIEDERSHEIM, N. BUSSINGER.

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