US1555267A - Fusible cut-out for percolators - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 29, 1925.

p. A. COLBY FUSIB LE CUT-OUT FOR PERCOLA'I'ORS Filed Juno 10, 1922 wngsgg INVENTOR 5 r a Ca /by ATTORNEY atented Sept. 29, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ORA A. COLBY, 0F IRWIN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

FUSIBLE CUT-OUT FOR PERCOLATORS.

Application filed June 10, 1922. Serial No. 567,447.

To all whom it may concern: 0

Be it known that I, ORA A. COLBY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Irwin, in the county ofWVestmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fusible Cut- Outs for Percolators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electrically heated devices and particularly to circuit controlling means for such devices and it has for one of its objects to provide a relatively simple, compact and ru ged fusible cut-out for an electrically heated device.

Another object of my invention is to pro vide an easily and quickly renewable fusible cut-out for an electrically heated device.

Another object of my invention is to provide a fusible cut-out that hall embody means for'adapting it to various operating temperatures of the heating element.

In practising my invention, 1 provide a supporting plate which is so mounted rela tively to the heating element of a percolator or other electrically heated appliance as to have a direct heat path therebetween. On this supporting plate are insulatedly mounted two spaced-apart contact terminal plates, in one of which is adjustably mounted a metal thimble having an opening in its head. An elongated member of rivet shape extends into said thimble through the opening and has a washer operatively secured thereon adjacent the end thereof. A spring is located on the member of rivet shape within the thimble, between the head and the washer, to yieldingly force the head of the elongated member toward the head of the thimble, a fusible member being placed therebetween. The thimble is so adjusted in its terminal plate holder that the head of the member of rivet shape engages the other terminal plate. A plurality of relatively thin washers may be interposed between the heating element and the supporting" plate to vary the thermal resistance of the heat path from the heating element to the fusible cut-out.

In the-single sheet of drawings,

Figure 1 is a view, in vertical section, of a percolator comprising the device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the device embodying my invention;

Fig. 3 is a view, in vertical section, of a portion of the device embodying my invention, and

Fig. 4 is a view, in side elevation, of a supporting plate constituting a portion of the device embodying my invention.

A percolator 11 comprises a fluid container 12 having a spout 13, a handle portion 14 and a hollow base portion 15. The bottom of the hollow base 15 is provided with an opening 16 within which is removably located a cover member 17 fitting tightly within the opening. Heat-insulat ing supports 18 may be mounted on the bottom of the base 15.

A tubular member 19 is provided at the bottom of the container 12 extending thereinto through an opening 21 in the bottom of the container-and the top of the base, a nut 22 being located thereon within the container to securely clamp the member 19 in its proper operative position and to provide a watertight structure. The member 19 is provided with an integral flange portion 23 which provides a shoulder to operativel engage the inner surface of the top 0 the hollow base 15 and co-operate with the nut 22 to securely hold the member in position.

A plurality of heating units 24 are provided having a metal plate 25 located therebetween and a removable laterally extending flange member 26 is located therebelow. This construction is more particularly disclosed and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 567,443, filed June 10, 1922, to which application reference may be had for further details. A heat-insulating disk 27 is located immediately below the bottom of the flange member 26 to reduce the amount of heat which is radiated downwardly from the heating elements and from the flange member 26.

A metal supporting plate 28 com rising a central portion and two tangential extending portions 29 and 31 is locate immediately below the disk 27, being spaced therefrom by a plurality of relatively thin sheet-metal washers 32 for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth. A flat terminal plate 33 is mounted on the bottom of the portion 29 of the supporting plate 28 and a terminal plate 34, of substantially Z-shape, is

mounted on the bottom of the portion 31,

a sheet'of insulating material 35, such as mica, being placed between the plates 33 and 34 and the supportin plate to electrically insulate themem ers from each other. Suitable screws 36 are provided for each of the members 33 and 34 to Suitably clamp them against the supporting late 28, an insulatin washer being placed t erebetween to suita ly insulatet e screws from each of the members 33 and 34. Screws 38 are provided on each of the plates 33 and 34 to permit of connecting the ends of the resistor Wires of the heating units 24 to the terminal plates. A nut-39 is provided to clamp the plate 28, the heat-insulating disk' 27 and the parts of the heating, units as well as'the flange member 26 in their proper operative positions-on the dependingtubular member 19.

A fusible cut-out adjustably mounted in one end portion of the member 34, comprises a metal thimble 41 having an openmg 42 through its head. An elongated member 43, of substantially rivet shape, extends through the opening 42 and through the thimble, and a coiled spring 44 surroundsthe member 43 within the thimble; A washer 45 is located adjacent the other end of the member 43 and may be held in place thereon by any suitable means, here shown as by 'flattening out the end of the body portion of the member 43. The action of the spring 44 is to cause the head of the member. 43 to approach the head of the thimble, a movement which is normally prevented by a fusible member 46 which may comprise a short member of substantially tubular section, or of substantially U-section.

.The thimble 41 is provided with a knurled integral flange 47 adjacent the outer end thereof to permit of adjusting it in the member 34, suitable co-operating screw threads being provided in the two members.

Contact terminal pins 48 are insulatedly mounted in a cageor terminal guard 49 supported by a wall of the hollow base 15 and have their inner ends connected to the outer ends of the heating units 24. The circuit throughthe resistor is interrupted at any suitable point or place, and leads 51 are brought out and connected to the terminal plates 33 and 34 by means of the screws 38. This construction provides an electric, circuit from a contact pin 48 through the heating units 24 to one of the terminal plates 33, the head of the member 43 to the spring, to the thimble, and thence to the terminal plate 34 to the other of the contact-terminal pins 48.

In case all of the water in the container 12 is evaporated, the temperature of the entire device rises veryrapidly and a relatively large amount of heat is conducted down wardly through the lower end portion of the tubular member 19 to the central portion of the member 28 and from there to the integral extensions, through the mica sheet 35 and to the terminal plates 33 and 34. After a predetermined temperature has been maintained for a predetermined length of time, the fusible member 46 softens and permits the spring 44 to move the head of the member 43 out of engagement with the terminal plate 33, causing the circuit to be interrupt ed. This reduces the temperature of the device and if it is desired to again place the percolator in operation, a turning movement of the thimble 41 by the operator to cause the head of the member 43 to again engage the plate 33 places the device in condition for operation, thus permitting the use of the same cut-out for several interruptions of the circuit. After the fusible member 46 has been compressed to such an extent, as to make the device inoperative, a new fusible member 46 may easily be placed in position, particularly if it is made of substantially U- shape, as hereinbefore described, whereupon the device is again ready for use. If a tubular fusible member is employed, it may be necessary to disassemble the cut-out and provision may be made for easily removing the Washer 45 by an suitable means, such as a nut, screw threa ed upon the outer end of the member 43.

As various line voltages of supply circuits are encountered, it is advisable and practicall necessary-to provide means for permitting the use of such a fusible cut-out upon circuits'of different voltages. For instance, if the device is adjusted to permit the proper percolating action when the device is connected to a supply circuit of volts, or even less, and to interrupt the circuit upon the complete evaporation of the water in the container, it is possible that this device, with- 1 out any change made therein, will interrupt the circuit too soon if the percolator is connected to a or 112 volt circuit. The plurality of washers 32 provide means for varying the thermal resistance of the heat path from the heating units to the fusible cutout, whereby I obtain a substantially constant temperature of the fusible cut-out even though the actual temperature of the heating units may vary because of their being connected to supply circuits of different and particularly higher voltages. If the percolators are to be employed on, say, supply circuits having an average of 105 volts, I may employ. only one Washer 32, whereas, if the percolators are to be employed on circuits of 115 volts, or higher, I may employ several metal washers and I may also change the material of which the washers are made, in order to still further vary the thermal resistance of the heat path.

The device embodying my invention thus provides a relatively simple, compact, renewable and easily assembled and disassembled fusible cut-out for a percolator comprising means for varying the thermal resistance of the heat path thereto to permit of employing the percolators on circuits of different voltages.

Various modifications may be made in the device embodying my invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and I desire that only such limitations shall 'be placed thereon as are imposed by the prior art or are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A fusible cut-out for an electrically heated device comprising a thimble, an elongated member, of substantially rivet shape, in said thimble, resilient means for moving said elongated member relatively to said thimble and a fusible member located between said thimble and the head of said elongated member for permitting said relative movement only upon the occurrence of a predetermined temperature of said fusible member.

2. A fusible cut-out for an electrically heated device comprising a plurality of cooperating spaced-apart terminal members, a thimble adjustably mounted in one of said terminal members, an elongated member, of substantially rivet-shape, in said thimble having its head normally engaging the other terminal member, resilient means in said thimble for moving said elongated member relatively to said thimble, and a fusible member located between the thimble and thehead of said elongated member for permitting the elongated member to move away from the terminal member normally engaged thereby only upon the occurrence of a predetermined temperature of said fusible member.

3, A fusible cut-out for an electrically heated device comprising a plurality of cooperating spaced-apart terminal members, a thimble adjustably mounted in one of said terminal members, an elongated member, of substantially rivet-shape, in saidnthimble having its head normally engaging the other terminal member, resilient means in said thimble for moving said elongated member relatively to said thimble, a fusible member located between the thimble and the head v of said elongated member for permitting the elongated member to move away from the terminal member normally engaged thereby only upon the occurrence of a predetermined temperature of said fusible member, and integral means on said thimble for permitting the same to be so adjusted manually that the head of the elongated member again engages the co-operating' terminal member. ,7 j

4. A fusible cut-out for an electrically heated device, comprising a metal supporting plate secured against said device, a pair of spaced-apart terminal members insulatedly mounted on said supporting plate, a thimble mounted in one of said terminal members, an elongated member, of substantially rivet shape, carried bysaid thimble and having its head normally engaging the other terminal member, resilient means in said thimble for moving said elongated member relatively to said thimble to disengage the head thereof from its co-operating terminal member, and a fusible member located between the head of said elongated member and said thimble for permitting the movement of said elongated member only upon the occurrence of a predetermined temperature of said fusible member.

5. A fusible cut-out for an electrically heated device, comprising a thimble having an opening in the head thereof, an elongated member, of substantially rivet shape, extending into said thimble through said opening, a washer operatively secured to said elongated member adjacent the end thereof, a helical spring in said thimble surrounding a portion of said elongated member and extending between the head of said thimble and said washer and a fusible member surrounding a portion of the body of said elongated member and extending between the head thereof and the head of the thimble.

6. A fusible cut-out for an electrically heated device comprising a pair of spacedapart terminal members, a thimble having an opening in the head thereof, mounted in one of said terminal members, an elongated member, of substantially rivet shape, extending into said thimble through said opening and having its head normally operatively engaging the other terminal member, a washer operatively secured tosaid elongated .member adjacent the end thereof, a helical spring in said thimble extending between the head thereof and the washer on said elongated member, and a fusible member surrounding that portion of the body of said elongated member located externally of said thimble for maintaining the head of said elongated member in operative engagement with its co-operatin terminal member until the occurrence of a predetermined temperature.

7. A fusible cut-out for an electrically heated device comprising a pair ofv spacedapart terminal members, a thimble having an opening in the head thereof, mounted in one of said terminal members, an elongated member, of substantially rivet shape, extending into said thimble through said opening, and having its head normally operatively engaging the other terminal member, a washer operatively secured to said elongated member adjacent the end thereof, a helical, spring in said thimble extending between the head thereof and the washer on said elongated member, a fusible member lltl surrounding that portion of the body of said elongated member located externally of said thimble for maintainin the head of said elongated member with 1ts co-operating terminal member until the occurrence of a predetermined temperature, and integral means on said thimble for. adjusting the position thereof relatively to the terminal member supporting the same.

8. A fusible cut-out for an electrically heated device comprising a pair of spacedapart terminal members, a vthiinble having an opening in the headthereof, mounted in one of said terminal members, an elongated member of substantially rivet shape, extending into said thimble through said opening and having its head normally operatively engaging the other terminal member, a washer operatively secured to said elongated member adjacent the end thereof, a helical.

spring in said thimble extending between the head thereof and the washer on said elongated member, a fusible member surrounding that portion of the body of said elongated member located externally of said thimble for maintaining the head of said elongated member in operative engagement with its co-operatin terminal member until the occurrence o% a predeterminedttemperature, and integral means on said thimble for permitting its adjustment relatively to its supporting terminal member to cause the head of the elongated member to again engage its co-operating terminal member after having been disengaged therefrom.

9. In a fusible cut-out for an electrically heated device, in combination, asupporting means for thermally connecting a fusible cut-0ut to the heating element of said device, and means for varying the thermal resistance of the heat path through said supporting means. I

10. In a fusible cut-out for an electrically heated device, in combination, a supporting means for thermally connecting a fusible cut-out to the heating element of said device, and means interposed between the heating element and said fusible cut-out for obtaining a substantially constant temperature of said fusible cut-out with differenttemperatures of the heating element.

11. In a fusible cutout for an electrically heated device, in combination, a fusible cutout, a mounting means for said cut-out providing a direct heat path between the heating element and the cut-out, and means for insuring the operation of said cut-out at substantially the same tem erature irrespective of the temperature 0' the heating element by reason of changes of voltage of-the supply circuit.

' 12. In afusible cut-out for an electrically heated device, in combination, a fusible member, a mounting means for said cut-out providing a direct heat path between .the heating element and the fusible member, and a plurality of washers interposed between said mounting means and said heating element for obtaining a substantially constant temperature of the fusible member with different temperatures of the heating element.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 2nd day of June,

ORA A. COLBY.

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