US1355135A - fitch - Google Patents

Description

F. M- FITCH.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR OPERATING DAMPERS.

APPLICATION FILED 11mm. 1919.

,1 355,135. Patented Oct. 12, 1920.

F. M. FITCH. SAFETY DEVICE FOR OPERATING DAMPERS.

V APPLICATION FILED JAN. 23,19|9 1,355,135. Patented Oct. 12, 1920.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wk y UNITED I STVATEQS,"

i''A'rsu r OFFICE.

FRANK M. rrrcn, or .iansr :snnrronn cdnnncrrcur.

To allwhomitmag concem. j, Be it-known that'l, FRANK M. FrrcH, a citizen of the United States,-and a .resident of East Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain -new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Operating Dampers, of which the following is Easpecificatio'm I I My invention relatesto the class of devices employed for operating the dampers of heaters of various sorts and especially those employed for heating dwellings, and an object oi; my invention, among others, is'to provide a device of thisclass that shall be extremely. simple in itsconstruction, effective in operation, and especiallyone that shall obviate danger of excessive heating after adamper has once-been opened.

One form .of device embodying my invention and in the construction and use of which the objects hereinset out, aswell as others, may be attained, is illustrated in th accompanying drawings, in whichi Figure 1. is a diagrammatic view' illustrating the construction and operation of my improved apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a detail view illustrating a portion of the motor and its operation.

Fig. 3 is a detail view further illustrating the construction of the operating motor.

Fig. 4 is a detail view, scale enlarged, illustrating the means for connecting the pendulum with the driving wheel of the motor.

Fig. 5 is a detail view, scale enlarged, illustrating the damper and the mechanism appurtenant thereto;

Fig. 6 is a detail view, scale still further enlarged, illustrating the means for holding the damper in its closed position, and for releasing it to permit it to open.

Fig. 7 is a detail view, scale enlarged, illustrating mechanism for operating the controller and operated by it, the controller being shown in edge view.

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the controller and connected parts.

' Fig: 9 is a detail view, scale enlarged over Figs. 7 and 8, illustrating the controller catch and a cut-out appurtenant to the controller.

Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are detail views illustrating the mechanism for retaining the damper in its closed position and for releasing it to permit it to open.

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Specification of Letters Patent. Patentd Oct. 12, 1920.

' Application filed January 23,1319. j Serial No. 272,688.

My improved apparatus may be attached tofurnaces of various types, it having been found to produce extremely satisfactory results when used in connection with steam heating furnaces in dwellings, and for this reason such a furnace is illustrated. in .the drawings herein in :which the numeral 5 indicates -a portion of-a furnace. having a damperfi to. control entrance of air to the ash pit, this-damper being of the flap type and located on the side of the furnace. The numeral 7 indicates a lever common to furnaces of this type and that is operated by -means of steam pressureto regulate conditionsattending the running of the furnace, and which lever in its operation is raised and lowered in a manner readily understood by those skilled in theart, and therefore, it will be understoodthat the'apparatus thus far ,described is 'not original with me.

My, improved apparatus comprisesin its construction a safety device 8, styled. in the claims herein as -a controller that may be movably .mounted i to operate in various ways,'as herein shown this movement being provided for by pivotallyattaching .thecontroller at one end .to a base 9 supported in any desirable manner, as by a po'st l O; The damper may be opened by various agencies operated manually or-otherwise, and when ever opened it is so connected with the controller that the latter will operate to close it under predetermined conditions as they arise. V

In the apparatus aS disclosed herein a spring projected latch bolt 11 (see Fig. 9) is slidably mounted to engage the controller 8 and hold it in its set positiomand the latter is raised to this set position by means'of a controller setting device. 12 secured to a flexible member, as a cord or chain 13, that passes loosely through a vhole in the controller so that it may have a limited movement. independently thereof. The setting device is of a size to prevent its passage through the hole in the controller, consequently when the cord is pulled upwardly, after it has moved to a limited extent independently of the controller the setting device will engage the under side of the controller and move it upwardly to be engaged and held by the latch bolt 11. This bolt may be operated to release the controller at an predetermined time by mechanism various y arranged, a convenient means to this end, when the apparatus is used in connection with a steam heating furnace, comprisin a bolt actuating lever 14 pivotally attac ed at one end to the base 9 and o oei'atiyelycbnnec'ted with the safety lever 7 and alsoconnected with the latch bolt 11 as by meansof a flexible device 15 said bolt being housed a eiierate'd by the furnnce,'which operation,

if showed to continue, wouldraise the heat to an un'comfortable degree zund'would also be asource of danger, and the controller, therefore, serves its purpose at such times'by causingthe damper to be closed under prede ter'mined conditions ferred to. v V

f The cord 13 is rovided with extensible sections 1818",- one beinglocated above; the controller, preferably near the cetches 16, and the other being loczited 'belov'v the controller, springs being illustrated herein as the extensible e1ements.""The s'ectiOnIS will allow the cord 13* to 'stretch topern' itthe controller to more downwardly to close the damper when the controller is'releas'edk F The device thus'far described provides means whereby the dampers 'in' ajfurnace may be maintained "in jjosition to shut off the draft until such time as more heat may be required. f The'cord 13 may extend to rooms to be heated by'the furnace and to a eonvenientlocntion therein, and when it is de sired to increase the heat'th'e damper may be opened by pulling up the cord sufliciently'to set the controller, after which settingope'ration oneof the catches m be engaged with the holder 17 toretain the damper open to the extent required; When the-heat has beenralis'e'd to apredetermined degree the damper will be closed by release of thecontroller by the meaiis'herein shown or byany other suitable means, and I prefer to employ a spring 77 to aid the movement of the controller when released. The damper may be held open by electrically released means to he hereinafter described.

Theinvention thus far described relates to the safety mechanism comprising one part as *hereinbeifore reof my improved apparatus and that operates to close the damper before the fire has increased theheatunduly, and this isof special 'eavamage "in connection with that part of myinventiorr comprising time controlled appermsfor automatically opening the dem erf under predetermined conditions. This apparatus comprises a,- retainer 19 (see pended from thecdam per 6. A

igslO. and 11) that may be released in var ous ways and at the proper time to perrmfi the dam {3hr dfJEIi'. "A satisfactory arra ngement to e QCLJLhiS result comprises a pivoted leveri' hitting as said retainer, in the construction shown this lever ha ving a hook to engage a ring as on a cord 20 susdamper trip 21 is pivotally mounted to engage the retainer hold it in position to lreep the damper closed'against aforce eierted to opehj-the damper. The operation of this trip may be ebnitrolled in' variou's w'ys, an electrical apparatus being shown herein. for accompl shing this purpose, this apparutns omprising adamper 0 en-mg magnet 22 adaptedgwhen eriergized, ts attract audemper triprelease 23 in the form of a pivoted iervr that undefliesthe end of the dampertrip 21 when thelatten'is 'set' and retams'it in this position to Assist inholding the damper closed. Thd'eleotfic circuit for operating this 1 magnet may be ontrolled in any suitable manner throughtm agency of ai time piece 24", electric current passing-through the pbsitNewi're25-of a damper releasing 'cir'c'u'it, extendin generally speaking, from one pole of a ighrhary: battery 26i.to amontaet 34011 the; damper trip* 21-, thenoe'to a contfiaot on the" damper trip release 28; (wheii the fiarts are set'to hold thedanhpet tlin 'thrdugn wfire so -w the magnet 22 and from said magnet one sectioir27- of a negative wireftd the timpiec'e '24, and from thenceby the other se'ctioh =28 of :the negative wire to the otherpoie of said battery; '1

' A satis faetofy formofswi tch device cdmprises a switeh barrleasing level-:29 held iii set position by means of a key 30 of thea'larm of the timepiece 24', the other end of the lever "engaging 'a -s ring pressed switch Ija'r31 to* which the ire 27 is connected and liaving' e' contentto =engage a contact to which the Wire 28 is connected-r Thefinec'hanisni thus -fa'r described? provides in'eanswherebythe damper may b'e'auloo IUD

tomatically opened atany predetermined i timejand whereby it may be closed to avoid too high a degree'of heatwithin thefin mice, the iipp'aratus'operating asfolloivs'z T Assuming that the damper is to be opened at a certain-time in the rl ianner above described before the rising hour, the cord13 Wlll be'secured at its upper end, as shown indotted lines in Fig."'l of the drawings; end the damper will be closed by engagement of the ring on tli eGI-WQO W-ith'the hook 5 on the retainer 19, the damfier trip 21 being-placed ineontact with $11 and held in this position by meansot "the damper trip release 23, the parts beingth us manually set. The extensible section or sprint; '18 will permit"the damper torbe sary strain upon the extensiblesection 118,

d retainer closed as above-"described, without unneoes which strain maybe caused, under certain conditions, by friction, caused by the arrangement of the cord =13 in extendingit to places remote from the furnace. Ilhe switch bar 31 will be moved against pressure of a spring 90 into engagement with the/switch bar releasing lever'29 that will rest in contact with one side of the key 30, the alarm of the time piece 24 having beenset for release at say five'oclock. "When the alarm'is 'released the key in its turning movementreleases the lever 29, which in turn'releases the switch bar 31' and the spring of said bar throws it against the contact 32,-closing the circuit at this point and completingthe electric circuit thereby energizing the magnet 22. 1 The magnet is thus caused to 'swin'g the trip release '23 from engagement 'with the damper trip '2l 'allou ing the latter to freely moveand thereby disengage the-retainer 19 that is pulled upwardly by the opening movement of'the damper which is causedby the tension of one'orboth of the extensible sections'in the cord '13. When-the retainer is moved upwardly to a sufiicient'extent the ring on the cord 20 willbe pulled, from engagement with the hook on the retainer and the latter will fall and all parts will assume the position shown in Fig. 1015 the drawin (except that the damper will, of course, i e open)." a V In the above o )eration it will be seen that a'n-"electric circui has beenestablished, and, further, that the circuit will be broken when the damper trip and the damper trip release separate after the partshaveoperated as above described, it 'beingunderstood that the parts will be suitably insulated in a manner that will be readily understood by those skilled in the art so that current will pass along the course intended.

My improved apparatus comprises means for automatically opening the damper. In the'device shown there is embodied spring actuated mechanism of any ordinary and wellknown construction located in a case 35 and including a pendulum rod 37 connected in any ordinary manner with said mechanism to have its movement accelerated thereby and supporting a pendulum 38 having a pendulumtrip 39'electrically controlled to make contact with a" driving wheel 40 of a driving mechanism, said driving wheel bein connected as by means of bevel gears 41 and 42 with a=drum 43 adapted to receive a flexihle connection as a cord 16 attached tothe cord 13 and forming a part of saidcord 13. I A, preferred means for controlling operation of the trip 39 is a thermostat T electrically connected with the primary battery 26. This thermostat may be of any well known construction and further and detailed description is, therefore, omitted herein. When the thermostat is set, say at seventy-one degrees, to effect opening move ment of the damper the current passes by positive batter wire 45, having its end wound around he'p'endulum rodgfromuthe battery'26 to a magnet 46, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of thedrawi'ngs, and therefrom by magnet wire 47; having its end wound around the pendulum' to apawl operating magnet 48, through said magnet-and by wire 49 toa'make and break-devioe ina case 36 (seethe detail showing inFig.=9.) and-ineluding a terminal Stadapted to make con tact with a blade 85' movably mounted on 'a blade actuator '86 electrically connected by wire 87 with wire 50 that extends to and is connected with'a make and break device at a terminal 51,:an'd through the circuit thus established,-to said terminal fil the'llilttel' be.- i-ng located 'in a'icase :88 placed in'proximity to the damper 61 This last mentioned make and break de'vi'ce (see the detailshowing in Fig. 6) ispperatedbyithe damper ratlthe conclusion ofits opening movement and at the beginning offits closing movement, :and it includes the terminal '51 cofiperatin with a blade 52 attached tea-spring pressef make and break :mem'b'er 53 positioned togber op erated by the dampeiyas above mentioned. The electricwircuit, before the dam er is raised'tothe position shown in dotte lines in Fig. 5, and 'when the; :blade 52, therefore, is in contact with the'terminal 51 passes from said terminal ithrough' the blade 52; to contact 65 and -:lrom thence-by wires 5i and 55 through damper trip contact .56 and wire 57 to .theithermostatandthencetby.wire 58 to the battery 26.

' When the apparatus is set foropening operation of the :damper by "the time device,

this circuit will be broken at the contact 56 and the thermostatic control will then be ineflective. a 1 I In the operation of that part of the appar'atusjust described-the energizing of the magnet 46 draws the trip 39 intocontact therewith and the'end of the trip is (then in. position tOStIikE the fingers 59. of the-driving wheel 4O.- the end of. saidtripjbeing made, flexible ais'bya pivoted,spring actuated sec tion, which willbe-readily understoodfrom an examination-of Fig.4 of ztdle drawings, this construction'causing the wheel 40 to be rotatedbythe trip as the pendulum swings in'one directionvth'e pivoted section of the trip yielding topermit it to pass the fingers as the pendulum swings in the opposite direction. The trip is forced away from the magnet as by a spring 60. It will be un( er stood that the pendulum is in continuous op eration. The current also energizes the magnet 48 that draws a'pawl 61 into contact with said magnet, this pawl operating against a ratchet wheel 62 having teeth formed in the usual manner and inclined toward and adapted to engage the pawl to prevent backward movement of the drum 4:3

I i as the cord 13 is wound thereon, a spring 4-41 (see Fig. 1) operating to draw the pawl away from the ratchet wheel when the magnet is cleenergized. The pawl may be of any suitable construction having little friction by contact with the teeth of the ratchet wheel. As the damper (3 reaches its upper mostposition, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, the member 53 is operated to break the circuit; the magnets hereinabovc do scribed are deenergized; the trip 39 is withdrawn by its spring-from thepath of the fingers 59; the pawl 61 is withdrawn by its spring from engagement'with the ratchet 62, and the drum is, therefore, free to unwind; a-detent '63 snaps into holding position to retain'the damper raised, and the opening operation! of the damper ceases. The damper in its upward movement is arranged to encounterthe damper opening detent 63 that may be in the form of a spring pressed latch bolt'that is pressed back by the damper in'itsupward movement and that is pressed outwardly, when the damper has passed. intoits path of downward movement to hold it in its raised or open position, as shovvn in Fig. 6' ofthe drawings.

In the operation above described should the make and break at'51 fail to operate upon "the full opening ofthe damper the motor will continucxoperation to raise the controller and the circuit will, therefore, be broken at 84 when'the controller 8 i's 'fu'l'ly closed, this closed position being determined by a stop '67. The object of the'make and break at the controller is to provide for an emergency, namely, the failure of the make and break 51 at the damper to operate.

properly to stop the action of the driving wheels. When the controller 8 is closed the make and break at 34. shuts off the damper opening circuit.

The cord 13 is so adjusted that the full opening of the damper by the cord 13 does not fully close the controller 8. The'damper cannotrise above the detent 63 except su-fiiciently to give easy play to movement of the detent and the damper is prevented from so rising by the contact of fixed stops and 71.

In the normal operation of this safety mechanism a spring 77 will always operate to swing the controller -8 to a wide open position, and it is, therefore, this controller that unwinds the drum 43 even though the damper remains open and supported by its detent 63.

If for any reason the cord 13 should be raised so as to completely close the controller 8 and hold the damper open while the thermostat was operating also, the lever 7 would withdraw the latch 11 in due season and release the controller 8. The thermostat being free to work would have energized, in a manner hereinafter described, a magnet 73 to withdraw the detent 63 and release the damper-and the controller would; then compel the unwinding otthe drum 43. in case the weight of the damper had failed to do sobefore;

A contingency, thoughiremote, has been provided foijas follows: i

Obviously should the battery give out whenthe damper is heldwpeni by the detent 63- ;the operation oi -the controller by the safetyilev er 7-and' its consequent downward, movement would release OI'MlStIQCClI the cord 1-3but the damper beingi held fast by thedetent 63 could not close. 1 Therefore, I introduce a small secondary battery 76 and establish for its operation the following circuit: ,:-W-ire,. 72 ,eXtondsfrombneQPQI of said batte'ryto a contact I? 9 ,intheuc'ase 36-adap ed-to'ibe struck by a'contaot 80 on theboltgll. A wire 68- extends --from' the entact: 80" to a contact 66 arrangefd-ito engage blade 52, adaptedto be'moved into contact with a conductor;78 oIr the-damper releasi ng magnet 73. -A wirefltconnects saidtmagnet with the opposite-pole of saidfibattery and also with the wiiferffi thattis joined tothe wire 74. The-efl'eetof a prolonged'foonnection be tweenithe contacts'fill and 80 Owing to-pressure on "the lovers 7 a'ndi14 will be destroyed by the break betweencentaec (SQ-and blade 52 when the damper moves from its: open position. r. rwii'nic if mVVhenitlie damper ishefld inits open position, as 'hereinbefore described the thermostat, responding to the risingv temperature, will establish aidsamper closing circuit from the battery 26 by. wire 64: to wire 68, contact 66, blade'52g mn'duotor'78 to the damper releasing magnet Ill-through said magnet and by wire 74 to wire 55, contact 56, wires 57 and to the thermostat and wire 58 to the batterykx The member 53 is spring pressed into the path of movement of a roller on the damper,zas' shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. Thedamper release '73 :85 herein shown is in the formof assolen'oid, the core oftwhich rigidly; secured to the, detent 631 Y The electric current thusestablished, energizin the damper release 73 withdraws the dam r to fall to-, its-closed position, in whichmovement it breaks the circuit be tween the-bladei2 and, the contact .66 and between said blade and-the conductor-t 78. In falling, however, .the Ilamperreestablishes a connection Fat the terminal 51 and blade 52, so thatthe flowofi electric current may again take place when the thermostat ma cs an electric connection at the terminal therein of the wire'57,-whe n the action hereinbefore described will again take place to open the damper. it i In accordance withthe provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principles of operation of my invention, together etent -63, permitting thef,l15

with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out by other means.

In the installation of my improved apparatus the conditions with respect to the kind of heating device, the relative location 0 parts of my improved apparatus with respect to such heating devlce, and to each other, &c., the arrangement herein shown will not be strictly adhered to, but will be changed as the conditions may suggest or as may be desired, and this is especially true with respect to the mechanical arrangement for opening the damper, and I do not, therefore, limit my invention to any special mechanical arrangement for accomplishing this purpose, as any type of motor employing power to open the damper may be utilized and yet be within the spirit and intent of the invention.

I claim-- 1. A damper operating device including a controller, means for retaining the controller in a set position, means for releasing said retaining means, a damper, a connection extending from the damper through the controller and loosely engaging the latter, said connection comprising a resilient member, a stop on said connection to engage the controller for raising purposes, means for holding the damper in a closed position, and means for releasing said retaining means.

2. A damper operating device including a controller, a damper, means for setting the controller, said means extending loosely through the controller and being connected to the damper, a stop on said setting means to engage the controller for settin purposes, means for securing said setting means in set position, means for holding the controller in set position, and means for releasing said holding means.

3. A damper operating device including a controller, a damper, a setting device passing loosely through the controller and attached to the damper, a stop on said setting device to engage the controller to move it to set" position, means for securing the setting device, a resilient member comprised in said setting device, means for holding it in set position, and means for releasing said holding means.

l. A damper operating a controller, a damper, a setting device ex tending loosely through the controller and secured to the damper, a resilient member comprised in said setting device between the controller and damper, a stop on said setting device to engage the controller, means for forcing the controller from set position, means for securing the setting device, a resilient member comprising a part of the setting device near said securing point, means for retaining the controller in set position, and means for releasing said retaining means.

5. A damper operating device including a controller, means for retaining the coin troller in a closed position means operated by a rise in temperature or releasing said retaining means, a damper connected with the controller and supported in an open position, means exerting force upon the damper to open it, means for holding the damper in a closed position, and a time piece operatively connected with said holdmg device including means to release 1t for opening move ment of the damper.

6. A damper operating device including a controller, means for retaining the controller in a set position, means operated by a rise in temperature for releasing said retaining means, a damper, controller operating means extending loosely through the controller and connected with the damper, a stop attached to the controller operating means to engage the controller for opening movement thereof, a resilient connection between the damper and controller, means exerting force upon the damper to open it, means for holding the damper in a closed position, and a time piece operatively connected with said holding means to release it for opening movement of the damper.

FRANK M. FITCH.

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