US1368517A

US1368517A - Electhic-circuit-controlling device

Info

Publication number: US1368517A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1921-02-15
Anticipated expiration: 1938-02-15

Description

wuumhr I I s. c. M cKEOWN'-. ELECTRIC CIRCUII CONTROLLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION, FILED JULY 25, 19H.

1,368,517. Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

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UNITED sTA'res PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL CHRISTOPHER MCKEOWN, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO SPLIT- DOBF ELECTRICAL COMPANY, OF NEWABK,NE JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRIC-CIRCUIT-CONTROLLING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

'. Application filed July 25, 1917. Serial No. 182,693.

I '0 all it may concern: I

Be it-known that I, SAMUELC. MCKEOWN, acitizen of the United States, residing at #98 Warren street, Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful ImprovcJ 'ments in Electric-Circuit-Controlling Devices, of which the followingis a spccification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

he invention relates to new and useful improvements in electric controlling devices and more particularly to a device for controlling a battery current for producing sparks for ignition purposes.

It is customary in the art to'provide bat te'ry' ignition which includes a primary and secondary coil, in the primary circuit of which is a make and break device for mterrupting the primary circuit. This make and i break device consists of contacts which are battery;

closedfor establishing. the current and separatedffor' interrupting the flow of. the current through the circuit;

In a device of this character ,'if the engine should stop with the controlling cam positioned so as to leave the contacts closed, then there wouldbe a constantdrain on the The present invention is'directed to means operating automatically to separate the contacts which normally make and break the circuit for ignition purposes when theaetuating mechanism there or stops.

In the drawings I I Figure 1 shows moreorless d1agrammat1- cally a circuit controlling device embodying my improvements; I

Fig. 2 is a view in part similar to Fig. 1

showing a modified form of theinvention;

3 Pi 3 is aviewin part similar to Fig. 2

but s owing the actuating shaft in motion and the contacts as closed;

Fig. 4 is a side elevatlonofFig. 1 some of the parts being shown m section.

similar construction holds for Figs. 2 and 3.

The invention consists broadly in means for preventing the contacts which normally operate to make and break thebattery circuit from closing when the actuatingmechanism stops with the actuating device in the normal position for closing the contacts. This is accomplished by providing a drum rotating with the actuatingshaft and a brake band which makes contact with the drum, which brake band is shifted through a limited distance by the rotation of the drum; The tension of the brake band on the drum may be varied by suitable means.

A suitable spring limits the movement of the brake band and when the actuating mechanismstops this spring shifts the brake bandin a direction normally opposed to its direction of rotation which results in separating-the contacts, if the actuating mechanism should stop, in position to normally close the contacts.

and extends freely through the other end thereof. A spring bears against the free end of the band at one end and against a washer 6 at the other end. A threaded nut 7 screwed on to the end of the bolt serves as a means for regulating the tension of the spring 5. Thebrake band is provided with a suitable felt lining indicated at 8. A bumper spring 10 is placed between the end of the brake band and an abutment 11 fixed to the frame of the machine. This bumper spring opposes the rotation of the brake band 3. When the drum ceases to revolve then this'bumperspring 10 moves the brake band a'short distance in a counter-clockwise direction. 7

Current for ignition is supplied'from the battery B. The battery current is controlled by an interrupter consisting of a fixed contact 12 and movable" contact 13. The fixed contact 12 is connected to ground through a suitable line 1 The movable contact is connected through the line 15 to the battery.

-The movable contact is carried by a spring arm 1.6 fixed to a bracket 17. Said movable v Cit arm is actuated by a lever 18 which is pivoted at 19 to the frame ot the machine. lvlountcd on the shaft is a controlling cam which engages the lever for oscillating the same. A. pring 2-1 having one end connected to a pin 36 which is fastened to some stationary part of the device as S7, normally holds the lever in engagement with the cam. The free end of the brake band extends upwardly and is provided with a projection of insulating nraterial indicated at 22. This projection lies directly in rear of the movable member 16.

The other terminal of the battery it; is connected through a line 23 and switch 3iwith a primary coil 2%. A secondary coil connects with the movable distributor which is rotated so as to engage the cont-

acts

27, 28, 29 and 30, in succession.

The operation of my device, above described, is as follows:

When the shaft 2 is actuated, the cam 20 will cause the lever 18 to vibrate. The rotation of this shaft also rotates the drum. The bralre band trictionally engaging the drum will turn with the drum in a clockwise direction to a limited extent, compressing the butter spring 10. This movement of the brake band brings the projection 2- into contact with the movable arm 16 and closes the contacts, provided the actuating lever is in position to permit the contacts to be closed. it stop pin 33 which is to be understood to be mounted on a stationary par 3? of the device, limits the forward movement oi the lever 18. Then as the cam rorates and the lever is oscillated a movement of the upper end of the lever to the left will cause the contacts to be separated, shifting the brake band with the movable member carrying the movable cont-act. As soon however, as the shaft 2 stops in its rotation, then the butter spring 10 will shift the drum and the brake band so as to separate the con tacts regardless of whether the lever 18 stops in position for closing the contacts or not. In other words, the butter spring 10 always insures that the contacts will be open when the engine stops and this prevents any possible drain on the battery. Ii, however, the engine shat" is started then the contacts are automatically returned to operative position relative to each other so that the actuating mechanism will make and break the contacts in proper timing for producing ignition.

The device shown inFig. 2 is similar to that shown in Fig. 1, except as to the manner of controlling the contacts.

The shaft 2 carries a drum 1 and an actuating cam 20 which operates upon the actuating lever 18. Encircling the drum is a brake band 3 having a felt lining. A bolt 4: carried by one end of the brake band e7;- tends through the other end thereof and a spring 5 determines the tension on the brake band, in the manner above described. A buii'er spring 10 limits the movementof the brake hand through the rotation oi the drum in a clockwise direction and rotates the brake band in the opposite direction when the actuating sha'lt stops. Currentis supplied i'rom a battery B and this is controlled by an interrupter consisting oi a normally stationary contact 12 and a movable contact 13.

The movable conract'in this embodiment of the invention is carried directly by the actuating device 18. The normally stationary contact is mounted on a lever 26 which is pivoted to a bracket 27 that is mounted on a fixed part oi? the device but insulated therefrom. A spring 28 has one end fastened to the lever 26 by any suitable means, such as a screw and the other end fixed to an abutment The lever 96 rigidly connected to an arm -20. The brake band is provided with a raised portion or projection 31, which is adapted to engage the rounded end of the arm 30. A spring 21 having one end connected to a pin 36 which is fastened to some stationary part 37 ot' the device holds the actuating lever 18 in contact with its actuating cam. As the shaft 2 rotates it will vibrate or oscillate the lever 18. A stop pin 32 which is to be understood to be mounted on a stationary part 37 of the device limits the forward movement of the lever 18 and a stop pin 33 also mounted on the stationary part 37 of the device limits the movement of the lever 26. lVhen the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2, the shaft is idle and the buffer spring has turned the band and drum so that the projection or raised part 31 is ineffective to raise the arm 30. v hen the part is in the above position the normally stationary contact is held in such position that the movable contact will not engage the same no matter what may be the position of the actuating cam 20. As soon as the main shaft begins its rotation the raised portion or projection 31 will engage the end of the arm 30, forcing it outwardly as shown in Fig. 3, and this will shift the normally stationary contact to a position so that the movable contact will engage the same.

It will be apparent from the above description that I have provided broadly means for interrupting the battery circuit for producing ignition current which includes contacts which can be opened and closed and also means which prevents the contacts from being left closed by the actuating mechanism provided the shaft stops with the actuating lever in position for non mally closing the contacts and, therefore, under no condition can the contacts be left closed and the battery be short circuited through the engine when it is idle.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts, may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

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

l. The combination with an electric circuit, of a pair of make and break contacts for interrupting said circuit, actuating means'for said contacts, setting means for said contacts, means movable with said actuating means for operating said setting means so the contacts can be actuated to interrupt the said circuit, said setting means acting to open said contacts when the said means movable with the actuating means is stopped. p

2. The combination with a source of direct current, an electric circuit including the primary of an induction coil, interrupter members in said circuit carrying a pair of contacts normally out of operative range, an operating cam, a'drum movable with said cam, a brake band operated by said drum and adapted to bring said contacts into operative range whereby said cam may operadapted to maintain said contacts separated when the actuating means stops.

4. The combination with an electric circuit, ofa pair of make and break contacts for'interrupting, the circuit, one of said contacts beingnormally stationary and the other being movable, an actuating means ,for said movable contact, a drum movable 5 \VltlISiLld actuating means, frictlonally operatedv devices controlled by the drum for moving the contacts into normal range of action and. a spring for shifting said frictional means to separate the contacts when the actuating means stops.

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

SAMUEL CHRISTOPHER McKEOWN.

\Vitnesses G. V. Sass, M. W. BAn'rnn'rr.