US1547803A - Time switch - Google Patents

Description

G. F`. GAVARD TIME swITcH Filed Nov. 16, -1923 July 28, 1925. 1,547,803

Patented July '28, 1925.

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GEORGE F. GAVA'RD, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

TIIE SWITCH.

Application led November 16, 1923. Serial No. 675,088.

. and useful Improvements in Time Switches,

of which the following is a specification.

Awith the dial plate removed. A-

Fig. v is a front elevation with the hour This invention relates to time switches,-

and has for an object to provide a simple, practicable and reliable time mechanism for automatically closin and breaking, and for maintaining closed or a variable period of time, an electric circuit,'such, for instance, as the circuit of an advertising illuminated sign.v

Another object is to provide, in combination, a twenty-four hour-clock dial and means adjustable to be registered with hours of. the dial to determine the time of closing 20' and the time of breaking` an electric circuit.

Other ob'ects and advantages will be made mV in. the following specilication4 of an embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a. front elevation of the'improved device.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the parts hand pointerremoved.

The invention consists of a` suitable box or shell 2 having, a front plate 3 p rovided with any suitable dial device 4 which, in tliepresent case is shown as. divided in 24lxour circle, a 12hour zone of the -digits being indicatedin li ht characters 4* and theA remainino'- 12 digits indicated.in contrasting sliade or c oloras indicated at 4b. Centrally of the ydial there is provided a setting-knob 5 on the hour arbor of a clockwork C, the setting-knob being attached to an hour-pointer 6 operating through one circle in 24 hours.

Secured to the hour shaft C of the cloc work is a disc 7 which is rovided with'an inwardly de'ecting yielda le finger. 8, the linger and the disc constituting an electric conductor, the fin er being engageable withrelatively adjusta le contact. plates 10 and 11 of segmental form and which are rotatably mounted on a bearino. '12 Fig. 2,

through which the hour ar r extends without contact. The bearing 12 is-mounted on an intermediate plate 13 which may be of insulating material, as also may be the front plate 3.

The contact segments 10 and 11 are in electric engagement and are each independ ently adjustable around the bearing 12 and' are constantly in contact withl a circuit track 14 having a circular part concentric with the bearing 12. To facilitate adjustment of the contact segments 10- and-11, these are each provided with outwardly projecting finger-pieces 15, movable in a concentric slot 16, in the front plate 3. The slot is of any suitable length and to adjustthe lcontact segments it is only necessary to enga e the projecting ends of the finger 15 an by these swing' the contact segments 10 and 11 to any desired on and around the track 14, Fig. 5.

.The contacts 10 and 11 are relatively adjustable so as to provide for variation of effective track area to be engaged bythe contact shoe 8 which is designed to engage portions ofthe contacts 10 and 11 while the shoe 8 is being driven by the clock mechanism. The contact segment l0 is slotted at 10 to provide yfor a close adjustment of the segments one on to of the other. When in such relation the ger 15 of the segment 11 extends into the slot 10 of the segment 10. The contact Ashoe-8 sweeps in a circle within the position of the adjusting tingei- 15.

In use of the device, a circuit conductor is attached to a terminal of a contact arm 21, disposedbetween the plates 3 and 13 -and constantly engaging the conductor disc 7, as seen in Fig, 2. A circuit wire 21 is connected to the terminal of an end 14 of the track 14. A circuit may be closed when the contact shoe 8 rides u on the contact segments 10.-11; the wires 20-21 obviously being extended and included in anyv suitable circuit which may, for linstance, .include an electric light L, a source of current B. The return-circuit line 22'is shown as for convenience attached to a ground bar 23, which may -be mounted on the shell or housing, as shown.

By providing a 24-hour dial and hour.

arbor mechanism, it will be seen that'the contact shoe will make but one circuit in f 24 hours, and therefore when the apparatus is used for controlling a night signa 'or advertising device includin an electric light system, then when the a justable segments position l llO areset in the second or P. M. series of hour digits, the circuit will be closed only once during the 24 hours of a day.

Further embodiments, modifications and variations may be resorted to within the spirit ofv the invention.

Vhat is claimed is:

1. In a time switch a twenty-four hour clockwork, a setting-knob mounted on the hour arbor of the clockwork, an hour pointer extending from the setting-knob, a disc mounted to rotate with the hour arbor, a

brush extending from thedisc, a bearing fixed concentric to the hour arbor, segmental contact plates mounted upon the bearing and adapted to slidingly overlap to he adjustable in eiective length, and the brush engaging th-e contact plates, a circuit track in constant contact with the contact Y plates, and finger pieces projecting outlcontactplates for ad] Wardly from the contact plates for adjusting the plates.

2. In a time switch a twenty-four hour clockwork, a setting-knob mounted on the contact plates mounted upon 'the bearing,`

and adapted to slidingly overlap to be adjustable in effective length and the brush in constant contact with the -contact.plates, finger pieces projecting outwardly from the 'listing the plates, and a brush in contact withthe disc.

`In testimony whereof I have .signed my name to this specification.

GEORGE F. GAVARD.

engaging the contact" plates, a circuit track

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