US1343947A

US1343947A - Float-operated circuit-closer

Info

Publication number: US1343947A
Application number: US112543A
Authority: US
Inventors: George W Washington
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1916-08-01
Filing date: 1916-08-01
Publication date: 1920-06-22
Anticipated expiration: 1937-06-22

Description

e. w'. WASHINGTON. FLOAT OPERATED CIRCUIT CLOSER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG- I. 19l6.

Patented June 22, 1920.

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I EDF-EEcEF-EF-EEEEEEEEF-EEEF-F-CCF-ECF-EEEC:

GEORGE W. WASHINGTON, OF COLUMBUS,MISS ISSIP PI.

FLOAT-OPERATED CIRCUIT-CLOSER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 22, 1920.

Application filed August 1, 1916. Serial No. 112,543.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonen W. WAsHrNG- TON, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Columbus, in the county of Lowndes and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Float-Operated Circuit-Closers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to signals and particularly to devices for use in connection with railways and more particularly for use on bridges, trestles and structures which are apt to collapse and effect the trackage of railways.

An object of this invention is to provide novel means for signaling when the depth of water over which the track is supported has risen to the point of danger which would menace the support for the track as where high water is present and flowing through a bridge, it being the purpose of the inventor to signal when the water has reached a predetermined height or level.

A further object of this invention is to provide means for sending current to signals at opposite ends of the bridge or guarded structure, or to stations distant from the bridge.

With the foregoing and otherobjects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction, and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings formingpart of this specification wherein like characters denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which 7 Figure 1 illustrates a view in elevation of a bridge structure with a track showing the installation of the signal controlling means thereon;

Fig. 2 illustrates a view in elevation of the interior of the signal controlling means;

Fig. 3 illustrates a sectional view approximately centrally of the device shown in Tn these drawings 7 denotes a bridge structure whichmay be of ordinary construction,

the same having casings 8 thereon at such height as would be regarded as the high water-mark, the said casings eachhaving a door 9 with apertures 10 therein to admit water.

WVithin the casing is a wire cagell supported by the insulations 12 and the cage constitutes a conductor of electricity to which one of the lead wires or conductors 13 is connected whereas another conductor or lead wire 14 which is utilized for completing a circuit is connected in any appropriate way to a pendulum 1 1 which is looselymounted in the said cage. The lower end of the pendulum 1 1 has a float 15 preferably a hollow metallic ball secured to it so that when Water enters the casing, the ball rises therein to cause the contact shoulder 16 which is preferably ofv disk form secured in any suitable manner to the pendulum to engage the wires of the cage, thereby establishing an electrical contact which will complete the circuit to be hereinafter described. p

. The pendulum is supported in the cage by the stem 17 having a head 18 of non-conducting material so that undernormal conditions, the pendulum may hang in the cage in position to be actuated under the influence of the float.

The pendulum is furthermore so positioned with relation to the cage that if the bridge should become impaired to the extent that it would lean, be inclined, or break, the I pendulum would come in contact with the wires of the cage and close the circuit.

I claim- A circuit closer comprising a casing, a cage which constitutes one contact, mounted in said casing but insulated therefrom, and a metallic pendulum constituting the other contact, supported from the top of the cage and insulated therefrom, said pendulum being free toswing into engagement with the cage when thecage is inclined, and a float connected to said pendulum for raising the pendulum into engagement with the cage to establish a circuit GEORGE W. WASHINGTON.