US1531347A - Relay - Google Patents

Description

March, F 3 1925. 1,531,347

w. A. RHODES RELAY Filed April 25 1922 I N VEN TOR.

ORNEY Patented Mar. 31, 1925.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM A. RHODES, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSQUEE.

ASSEGNOR 'IO AMERICAN TELE- PHONE AND TELEGRAEI-Z GDE'IEANY, A OORPOBATIG'N OF NEW YORK.

RELAY.

Application :1 J

1 "0 all who-m may concern:

Be it known that 1, rauma U, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas Qity. in the connty of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain improvements in Relays, of which the follow; ing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in relays, and, in particular, spring contact relays. The object of the invention is to reduce to the minimum th rebounding of the contacts which "follows to operation or release of the relay.

It has been the practice in connection with s ring contact relays to place the contacts either close to .the free ends or. the s1.r1ngs or, in some instances, close to the fixed ends. Since, upon the operation or release of the relay, the springs and other masses are set in vibration, contacts so placed are caused to rebound, and destructive arcing is likely to result.

This invention consists in the placing of the spring contact or contacts at the point or points not at all affected or least ailected by such vibration. The desired points are, in each case,,to be determined experimentally. The vibration not only of the springs but also of the entire relay framework s to be considered. In general, however, it may be said that the point or points least afiected will be at or very near the node or nodes of free vibration of the springss1nce,

lzHODFS according to the usual relay construction,

the greater part of the vibration afiecting the contacts will be found in the springs themselves.

it is proposed, for purposes or" illustration, to shov. specifically the applicatlon of the invention to a simple spring contact relay comprising an armature designed to make contact with a single spring. In a relay such as that shown in the drawing and hereinafter fully described, the vibration of iii-asses other than the spring is negligible, and it will here be disregarncd. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is in no way limited in scope to application toa relay such as that here shownwhich is merely for purposes of illustrationbut may )8 applied to any spring contact relay, whatever may be the number, size or shape of the springs and arinatures, or the number and arrangement of the contacts.

. 25, 1822. Serial No. 556,416.

oper position and the spring at rest. l shows the armature in its operated position and the circuit closed, and indicates by the added broken lines toe action of the spr ng immediately after the contact is made. Like numerals and letters oi reference in the two figures of the drawing designate corresponding parts or" the device.

With reference to the details or" the drawing, it designates the winding oi the electromagnet, and 2 the pole piece. is the armature, and 4 the armature hinge, while 25 marks the terminals. 5 designates the spring, and 6 marks the point of contact of the spring The location of this contact 6 is at the point least all cted in this case not at all afiectedby the vibration attendant upon the operation or release of the relay. Since the only vibration here considered is that of the spring 5, the point not disturbed by the vibration is at the node of tree vibration of the spring. The exact location of this node depends upon the position of the fixed point of the spring and upon the degree to which the spring is bent. In the usual type of relay spring, the distance from the free end to this node is approximately one-fifth ot' the total length of the spring, as shown in the accompanying drawing.

In Fig. 2, the successive positions of the spring 5 immediately after the operation of the relay are indicated by broken lines and the unbroken lines at a, Z) and 0the vibratory motion being greatly exaggerated. It is clearly shown that a contact located at any other point on the spring than at the point chosen would rebound with the movement of the spring, whereas the contact 6, located as here shown, is not affected by the action of the vibrating spring.

lVhat is claimed is:

In a relay including an armature designed for operation by an electromagnet, a spring designed to make contact with said armature, said spring having its contact so locatedthereon as to reduce to the minimum the rebounding of said contact due to the vibration or" the relay masses attendant upon the operation of the relay.

2. In a relay including an armature designed for operation in spring designed to inane contact With said armature g said spring having its contact located atthat point of saidspring which is least affected by the "vibration of the relay masses attendant upon the operation of the relay, whereby the rebounding of said con-- tact is reduced to the minimum. l

3. In a relay including an armature designed for operation by an eleotroinagnet, a spring designed to make contact with said armature,- said spring'having a contact located at the node of free vibration of said an electroinagnet, a

spring, Wherehy the rebounding of said contion of said spring, whereby the rebounding or the spring'contact is prevented.

Intestimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this twentieth day of April, 1922.

' WILLIAM A; RHODES.

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