US1640701A

US1640701A - Electric safety device

Info

Publication number: US1640701A
Application number: US63274A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles E Hanny
Original assignee: Trumbull Electric Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: Trumbull Electric Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1925-10-19
Filing date: 1925-10-19
Publication date: 1927-08-30
Anticipated expiration: 1944-08-30

Description

Aug. 3o, 1927;

c." E. HANNY ELECTRC SAFETY DEVICE Filed 001;.19, 1925 IN VEN TOR.

l l Fn Ch arles .f' H ann y,

Patented Aug. 30, 192.7.

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.`

CHARLES E. HANNY, OF UNIONVILLE, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO yTHE TRUMBULL ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PLAINVILLE, CONNECTICUT, A COR- PORATICN F CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICE.

Application filed October 19, 1925.

My invention relates particularly to what are commonly termed thermostatic devices. One objectfof the invention is to provide a device for automatically opening a circult h in case of overheating.

I have shown a special application of the main invention intended to be used in connection with a motor for feeding oil or similar fuel to a heating or steam operated I device. It is frequently.- necessary to install such devices in more or lessinaccessible positions. Sometimes the thermostat must be mountedon the top of the steam pipe and sometimes on thebottom. Sometimes the 1f pipe may extend vertically and it may be necessary to mount the thermostat on one side of it. Such devices, therefore, must be able to be operated regardless of the pos1- tion in which they are mounted.

2" Fig. 11 shows a cross-section of a casingwith a therniostatic deyice embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a part of the vcover of Athe casing broken away. iv-i Figu is an end view.

Fig. 4 is a perspective 'View of the thermostatic element by itself.

Fig. 5 isa detailed view of the parts of the thermostatic element showing them in the act of separating.

In the form shown, the casing consists of 'i main part 7 which may be' adapted to be :ecured to the side of a pipe, and a cover 8 Ihis cover may be secured in place in v` any suitable ma1iner,"for instance, by means of screws 9 which'engage in brackets 10 secured to the outer end of the body 7 of the casing. y y

Vithin the casing is mounted an insulating base of/ porcelain or other suitable material mo ited upon brackets 12, and se cured, for instance, by screws 13. To this base 11 are secured the spring clips or jaws such as 14\and 15 to which the terminals of the circuit are connected in any suitable manner.

The thermostatie element consists of two end members 1G and 17am-d a connecting piece 18 which may be termed the drop-out. These three pieces may be of any suitable material such as brass or copper. The two

members

16 and 17 are preferably in line with each other and the connectingpiece 18 is preferably bent into a Zig-zag or Z form Serial No. 63,274.

so that one side of one end of the member 18 is soldered at 19 to one side of one end of the piece'16, and the opposite side of the piece 18 at its opposite end is soldered at 20 to Vthe end of 'the piece 17 on the side opposite tothe point 19. The solder is of a composition which will vmelt quickly at the temperature at which it is desired to have the circuit automaticallyopened. The

solder may be for instance what is knownas 160 solder. The endv pieces 1G and 17 are adapted to be inserted in the

spring clips

14 and 15 in the manner in which an ordinary fuse is inserted in fuse clips. The.I insulating'bate 11 is preferably provided with a recess or passage 21 between the

clips

14 and 15.

By reason of the shape and construction of the parts, the thermostatic element 18 will automatically fall ordrop out as soon ras the. temperature reaches the melting point of the solder.A The shape and arrangement of

thel terminals

16 and 17 and the drop-out member 18 is such that this automatic open? ing occurs regardless of the position in which the parts happen to be mounted. In

Fig. 1 in dot and dash lines I have shown Y' the drop-out falling vertically through the opening 21. Naturally the solder at one end or the other will let go a little before the other end. In Fig. 3 I have also shown the drop-out member 18 falling through the opening 21. In Fig. 2 the elements might be considered as mounted horizontally so that the strip drops olfv sideways. One of the ends of the member 18being below the member 17, that -end of the member 18 is free to f all without obstruction and thus instantly open the circuit. It will be seen that this action will take place regardless of the position in which the device is located, as soon as lthe temperature has reached the danger point. It does not matter whether' the base carrying the terminals stands perfectly fiat, upside down, endwise, sidewise, or at any angle; the connecting strip 18 will immediately fall away from the terminals and break the circuit. Such devices are commonly mounted on the steam pipe of n Should the Water get low in thev boiler or for any reason its temperature gets abnormal, the thermostat will be heated to the point where the solder will melt andallow the element 18V to drop away from its connections, thus breaking the circuit and stop-- ping the motor automatically.

Nothing is destroyed, injured or lost in the operation of this device except that a minute portion of the solder may drop away from/the parts, therefore the parts Vmay be resoldered even by an unskilled workman and it will then be as good as new.

This thermostatic element has the distinct characteristic of operating at an approximately exact predetermined temperature and the operating point is governed entirely by .necessity of any particular care in soldering and it also obviates the necessity of calibrating or testing the elements after they are assembled. Another advantage of this construction i that the drop out part 18 is made of comparatively heavy brass or copper and is substantially' equal in conducting capacity to the lcontact ends 16 and 17, therefore, under normal conditions, it offers so little eleetricalresistance that it is not at all affected by the passage of the current.

This thermostat Will operate equally well in the open air or when submersed in nonconduoting liquid such as oil. It should be understood, moreover, that the thermostatic element herein shown may be employed in still other relations.

I claim: i 1. A `thermostatic element comprising .a

vfiat zig-zag bent center strip and fiat Contact blades having' substantially the same carrymgcapacity as the center strip, soldered to 4`the'endsof the said center strip and adapted to lit into ordinary fuse clips, the contact blade on one end being soldered on the side of said strip opposite to the blade on the other end,'the amount of solder being only sufficient to hold the parts together.

2. A protective device comprising an insulating base, contact clips carried by said base and spaced-apart from each other and an assembled thermostatic element detachably carried by said clips and consisting of I matelythe same cross section as the termina] blades and having its opposite ends soldered to the opposite sides of said terminal blades and adapted to fall away therefrom regardless of the position of the base.

3. A protective apparatus including an insulatingubase having a passage therethrough, contact clips mounted at opposite ends oli said passage, a protective device carried by said clips and consisting of end pieces detachably mounted in said clips, and a dropout having the opposite sides of its opposite ends sweated to said end pieces, the passage and said base being of a relative size to permit the said drop-out to fall through the passage. y

4. A protective device includingv an insulating base having an opening therein, contact clips mounted at opposite ends of said opening, and a drop-out unit detachably secured in said clips, said unit consisting of two end members and a central drop-out member sweated to said end members at its opposite ends and sides, the said opening in the base being large enough to permit the drop-out to pass through the opening in said base at any relative angle.

5. A protective device includingvan insulating base having an opening therein, contact clips mounted at opposite ends of said opening, and a drop-out unit detachably secured in said clips, said unit consisting of two end members and a central drop-out member sweated toisaid end members at its' opposite ends and sides, the said opening in the base being large enough to permit the drop-out to pass through the opening in said `base at any relative angle, and the cross scyother and a readily replaceable member consisting of two fiat end blades adapted to be detachably mounted in said clips and held in definite positions thereby and a flat drop-out member having the oppositeends soldered to opposite sides of the en'd blades, theamount of solder being only suiiicient to unite the adjacent-surfaces of the drop-out member andthe end blades, said end blades being so held that both ends of the drop-out member must be released before it can move out position.

CHARLES E. HANNY.

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