US1517714A - Electric signaling means and system - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 9

L. DEGEN ELECTRIC SIGNALING MEANS AND SYSTEM Filed Dec. 13, 1921 Patented Dec. 2, 1924.

LEWIS DEGEN, OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING MEANS AND SYSTEM.

Application filed December To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS DnoEN, a citison of the United States, and resident of Berkeley, Alameda County, State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric Signaling Means and Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object electric devices and circuits by which any desired signal may be transmitted i romany distant point to a si naling device with accuracy and certainty. Also where any interruption in the circuit, as a break in the wire or a short circuit, will be instantly indicated. showing that the system is not in proper working order, and which signal of injury to the circuit will be characteristic of an injury to the system, as for example where employed in a fire alarm system, no fire alarm given but only the injury indicated. The

danger or damage signal will be independent oi any transmission of a number or code from a box station as more fully set forth below.

Another object is the employment of a multiple contact relay adapted to operate a local circuit to give a. danger signal or to give. a code signal, depending upon the conditions of the circuit. Other objects will appear from the drawings and specifications which follow. These objects I accomplish by apparatus located at various signal stations on a closed electric circuit, in which circuit is interposed a relay and which relay is adapted to actuate contacts for the danger signal and to engage through a trip to make or break another circuit to give the desired code or alarm signal, or to set into operation further apparatus.

By referring to the accompanying dra-v ings my invention will be made clear.

Fig. 1 illustrates one form oi my relay with the electric circuits and terminal apparatus connected therewith shown diagrammatically, the armature of the relay occupying its normal position when the circuits are closed and no signal being given.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic showing of the second position of the relay armature corresponding with a break in the main circuit as would'be occasioned by cutting the wire, and is also the first operation of the code upon ringing in from a code signal box, as shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 3 is the second position of the relay Serial No. 521,988.

tripping mechanism when the circuit has been reestablished.

F 4 shows the operation of the restoringmechanism alter the signaling has been completed.

Fig. 5 shows the arrangement of relay parts for normal open circuit of the alarm circuit closed by the relay when a box is ringing 1n.

Fig. 6 shows diagrammatically an alarm signal terminal box adapted to ring in the code signal 21.

Throughout the figures similar numerals refer to identical parts.

The magnet coil 01" the relay is indicated by the numeral 1 which is normally energized through the circuit connections 2, 3, and which is adapted to actuate the arnature a carrying the trip arm 5, which trip is adapted under certain conditions as set forth below to engage the spring contact arm 6 connected with the circuit wire 7 and making contact normally with the adjusting screw 8 carried upon the post 9 11 ving the circuit wire connection 10. The armature 4c normally rests against the insulated block 11 by the action of the spring 57 which is in tension a relatively weak magnetic pull due to current flowing in magnet 1 and is held in the eziitended position as shown by the ")IHPFGSSlOH spring 12 and adjustable by the i nut and screw 13 so that the arm 4: normally is held out oi? contact with the points 14: or

15. Contact points 1% and 15 are connected with the circuit wire 16, the armature being pivoted in the usual well known way at. 17. At 18 is a source or electrical energy having the circuit wires or feeders 3, 10, leading theretrcm. At l have shown a restoring magnet under the control of the key 19 and having connections to the source of electrical energy through the wires 20, 21, respectively. Magnet 1, pivots 17 and posts 9, 22, 23, are carried upon the insulated base 24: and the 5 pivoted at 25 under the action of gravity is normally resting upon the end of v the spring contact 6. It will be seen that in the normal posltion of parts SllOWlIlIl Fig. 1;. there exists a closed circuit across the con- 30. The escapement wheel is normally restrained from rotation by the pawl 31 which is retained in its upper position by the magnet 32 and closed circuit through the wires 7 and 3. Upon the breaking of the circuit 7, 3 the spring 33 withdraws the pawl 31 permitting the escapcment wheel 30 to rotate under the action of the train of gears and weight 29, causing the rotation of the cam 28 and the striking of the gong 27 through its hammer and lever at 34:. At 35 is shown a push button adapted to be actuated by the foot or in any other well known Way to cause the spring contact arm 36 to depress breaking the contact between 36 and the terminal 37 of the circuit 2, 10, and when depressed to its lower limit to again make contact at 38 reestablishing the circuit between 36 and 10. At 39 I. introduce a resistance which is connected through the wire 40 to the contact spring 36. The said resistance I prefer to locate in the most re" mote portion of the circuit away from the relay and there may be introduced in said circuit any number of spring contact devices, 35, 36, 37, 38, as at ll in series with each other and in the circuit 2, 10. At 42 l have shown diagrammatically the circuit wires 2, 10, as being enclosed in a cable. It is to be noted that the position of armature l as shown in Fig. 1 corresponds with spring 57 being in tension. The armature being held in the position shown ly the magnetic pull of the magnet 1 in a relatively high resistance circuit. This magnetic pull is suliicient to cause the armature 1 to contact at 11, but insufiicient to overcome spring 12 normally under compression. hen the current intensity is increased in magnet 1 the magnetic pull is increased sulliciently to cause the armature 1 to overcome spring 12 and make contact at 14. lVhen current is cutoff entirely from magnet 1, spring 57 be ing normally under tension retracts armature 4 making a contact at 15. There will thus be no contact between .4- and 14k or l and 15 unless abnormal conditions arise, namely, an increased magnetization, or a total loss of magnetization of magnet 1.

The apparatus as above described is particularly adapted to the protection of banks and the like as providing an alarm system which may be operated from any point provided with a conta t member These may advantageously be arranged under desks or a plurality of them may be connected on a rail so that depressing the rail, as with a foot under the counter, will give the required signal.

hen the apparatus is employed as with a series of signal boxes distributed at differ ent points over a suitable area, as with munieipal, police or fire alarm systems, and where each signal box is equipped with particular code sending means, I connect the said boxes in series with the contacts 13 and 1 1 normally closed (see Fig. 6), the latter being held in its closed position through the position of the trip arm 15 pivoted at 16 and normally resting on the periphery of the code wheel 4:7. The code wheel 47 may be rotated in any well known way as shown diagrammatically by the weight and cord 18 in the direction 19 and may be released for operation by the movement to the right of the arm 50, a slot in which arm thereupon is released from the pin 58 carried on the wheel 17 and the latter then starts to rotate permitting the pawl 43 to drop into a notch as at 51. Other signal boxes may be connected in series on the circuit wires 2, 10, the terminals for one of which are indicated diagrammatically at 52. A (see Fig. l have shown a contact arm similar to that out 6, except that as here arranged the local circuit 7, 3, is normally an open circuit and is only closed to make a signal after the relay has actuated to close the contacts and 56.

The operation is follows: Referring to Fig. 1 current is flowing from the source of energy 18 through the wire 10, contacts 37 and 36, onnecting wire 10, resistance 39, circuit wire 2, to the magnet 1 of the relay, and of sufficient intensity to hold the armature 4-, against the spring contact 11 and overcome the tension of spring 57. The circuit of the lamp 26 is open the contacts 1 1, 15 are both separated from the contact at. The local circuit 7, 3, is closed through the magnet 32 because the flow is contin uous through contacts 6, 3. The pawl 31 is in engagement with the escapement wheel 30 so that the weight and cord 29 are retained wound up and the gong 27 is silent. The interposition of the resistance 39 weakens the flow of the current through the magnet 1 to such a point that the spring limit stop 11 keeps the armature l in the position shown in Fig. 1. It now a short circuit occurs in the cable 42 the resistance of the circuit being reduced the energization of the magnet 1 is increased, the armature 4 is pulled sufficiently to compress the spring 12 and contact is made between 1 and 14 cansing the signal lamp 26 to be illun'iinated indicating danger on the circuit. If, on the other hand, any of the circuit wires as 10, 2, are cut the energization of magnet 1 is destroyed and the armature 4: is retracted by the spring 57 and contact is made between 4 and 15 causing the lamp 26 to be illuminated and indicating danger. WVhen this latter movement occurs the trip 5 will fall over the end of the spring member 6 occupying the position indicated in Fig. 2. It will therefore be necessary when repairing the broken wire to restore the arm 5 by releasing it from engagement with the saring contact 6. This is accomplished manually or by depressing the key 19 which energizes the circuit 20, 21, and the magnet 70, attracting its armature and restoring the trip 5, which will now again rest upon the top of the spring contact 6. Either of these movements above described, either that of short circuit or broken circuit, will give no signal on the gong 27 but will indicate danger and the necessity of repairs to the circuit. Assuming now that all the parts are in normal position and itis desired to give an intentional signal of danger as to prevent a bank robbery: The contact member is depressed as by pressing the foot upon it under a bank counter or desk. The first action is the breaking of the contacts 36, 37; the armature 4 will then be released; the trip 5 will engage over the end of the spring 6, and continuation oi the movement of 35 will reestablish the circuit through the contacts 36 and 38. The armature 4 will now be attracted by the magnet 1 breaking the circuit between the contacts (3 and 8 deenergizing the magnet 32 releasing the pawl 31; the gear train will now operate the cam 28 causing the hammer 34 to strike the gong 27 and the said gong will continue to strike as long as the escapement wheel 30 operates. During this actuation the trip and spring arm will occupy the position indicated in Fig. 3. To restore the circuit conditions the key 19 is depressed, the pawl 5 is raised through the cnergization of the magnet 70,- the spring arm 6 again contacts with 8; circuit is reestablished through the magnet 32 and the pawl 31 reeugages the escapement 3O stopping the striking of the gong.

f an open local circuit is to be employed with a gong or other signaling device; instead of the contact 8 on the right side of the spring 6 I introduce the contact 56 on the left side of the said spring (see Fig. 5) so that contact will be made therewith when the armature 4 has engaged the upper end of the spring arm and is thereafter drawn towards the magnet l as previously described, establishing contact between 55 and 56.

Where a definite code signal is to be transmitted over the circuit the code wheel 47 (see Fig. 6) is employed with a well known gear train, or otherwise caused to rotate at a constant speed, when once set into operation, as by the shifting of the lever 50 to the right in which case the wheel rotates in the direction of the arrow 49. As the slot 51 rotates under the pawl 45, the latter falls into the said slot when the spring 53 draws the arm let downwards disconnecting the contact points between l3 and 4a and causing a momentary open circuit. The armature 4 will now he released and the arm 5 will engage the spring 6 ready to start the code signal, which in this case will consist of two taps, a long interval and one tap on a suitable gong in the circuit 7 3. As the wheel 47 rotates the code is given by the pawl 45 riding up on the periphery at 60, the magnet 1 is re-energized, the arn'iature l now withdraws the spring arm 6 from the position of Fig. 2 to the position of Fig. 3 opening the circuit 3, 7, deenergizing the magnet 32 and causing the striking of the gong 27. A further rotation of the wheel l7 causes the pawl 4-5 to drop into the notch 61 breaking the circuit, after which it rides on the periphery at 62, reestablishing the circuit and then falls into the notch 63 again breaking the circuit through the magnet 1 fol lowed by corresponding signals on the gong 27. The peripheral spacing and widths of the notches, and the wheel 47 may he formed in the usual well known way to give any code signal required.

I claim:

l. in an electric relay a movable armature having a contact point on each side thereof, relatively stationary contact opposite and spaced from each of said armature contacts, a magnet for attracting said armature, a spring for retracting said armature, an insulated anvil mounted on a spring and lightly holding said armature spaced from said magnet and the stationary contact on the magnet side of tie armature and wherein the armature is provided with a latch which engages contacting means when the armature moves to one extreme I position and thereafter actuates said means on any reverse movement of said armature.

2. An electric relay as set forth in claim 1 and an electromagnetic device to release said latch from said means to restore the parts to normal position.

LEWIS DEGEN.

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