US1657235A - Contact device - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 24, 1928. 1,657,235

E. v. SUNDT CONTACT DEVICE Filed NOV- 10. 1925 l II //7 Van for dim/d M 50/74? Patented 24, 1928.

UNITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD VICTOR SUNDT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

. CONTACT. DEVICE.

Application filed November 10, 1925. Serial No. 68,156.

This invention relates to contact devices, and has for its primary object the provision of a simple, durable and inexpensive contact device, wherein electrical connection is effected with fragile electrical conducting elements in an expeditious manner.

The present invention contemplates a contact device having a reciprocally mounted element, which is moved, when it is desired 10 to complete an electrical circuit and which, due to its movement, displaces a conducting fluid such as mercury, into electrical contact with a metallic element in circuit connection with apparatus to be associated with 15 the electrical circuit.

At various stages in the process of manufacturing telephone switchboard lamps and the like, it is sometimes necessary to energize the lamp filament'for the purpose of treating 20 or testing. Thus, for example, in the process of manufacturing tungsten lamps, it is desirable to deoxidize the tungsten filament prior to sealing a cap or bulb over the filament. This reduction process is accomplish- 26 ed by'subjecting the filament, which is embedded at the upper end of a glass lamp stem,

to instantaneous incandescense in an atmosphere of hydrogen. Certain methods now employed to connect each filament with an 80 electrical circuit prior to the above mentioned treatment, require the terminals thereof to be gripped by certain types of mechanical connector elements. These methods require the exercise of a considerable degree of skill in order to prevent distortion or injury of the filament which is ver delicate in structure and easily damaged y any appreciable amount of handling before the covering bulb is sealed on. The present invention is designed to overcome these difiiculties. and to greatly accelerate production.

This and other objects will appear from the following description and the accompanyin drawings illustrating one embodiment the invention, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the device, a gas retaining vessel being shown in association therewith and partially broken away to expose some of the working parts;

50 Fig. 2is a fragmentary plan view of the device;

Fig. 3 is an end'elevational view thereof,

' shown partially in. section;

Fig. 4: is a detailed view, partially. in sec- 55 tion, of a mercury container disclosing the position of the plunger therein when the filament tray is removed, and

.Fig. 5 is a circuit diagram including the lamp filaments.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views, it will be observed that this device is comprised mainly of two cooperating units, one a lower stationary unit designated generally by the numeral 10, and the other an upper movable unit similarly referred to by the numeral 11, designed to be moved into and out of operative engagement with the stationary unit as will hereinafter appear. The stationary unit includes an elongated base plate 12 constructed of insulating material and supported at each end by shoulders provided at the lower portions of a pair of vertical pins 13 mounted upon a suitable base 14. The base plate 12 supports a plurality of upright cylindrical mercury containers 15 arranged in three rows longitudinally of the plate and aligned transversely thereof.

These containers 15 which are preferably constructed of iron or other suitable material not readily amalgamated by mercury, are reduced at their lower ends, forming a shank 16 and presenting a shoulder 17 (Fig. 3) which rests upon the base plate 12 when the shank 16-is fitted into a companion aperture 18 provided in the base plate. The end of the shank 16 extends below the base plate and is threaded to receive a tightening nut 19, the tightening of said nut against the plate 12 causing the container 15 to be rigidly secured in its upright position. A; second nut 20 also threaded upon the shank 16, serves to grip a terminal 21 of a conductor 22 in position between thenut 20 and the tightening nut 19. The containers 15 are bored longitudinally thereof to provide a chamber 23 open at its upper end and adapted to retain a supply of mercury 24. or other suitable conducting fluid. A plunger member 25 provided with a central, restricted passageway 26, is longitudinally slidable within the chamber 23. Referring to Fig. 4. it will-be noted that the plunger 25 will float upon the surface of the mercury 24 with a portion of the mercury reaching upwardly into the lower end of the passageway 26, and it 'will be clear that pressure applied at the upper. end of the plunger 25 W11]. result in forcing the mercury within the passageway 26 to a higher level. When the unit 11 is disassociated from the stationary unit 10, the buoyancy of the mercury will maintain the plungers 25 at a uniform height, with the upper end surfaces thereof within a common horizontal plane.

The unit 11 includes a channel-like tray 27, the web thereof having a plurality of insulating bushings 28 fitted therein. These bushings, which are provided with central openings 29, project slightly below the web of the tray and are arranged in a manner corresponding to the alignment of the containers 15 mounted upon the base plate 12, each bushing being designed for operative engagement with the upper surface of a companion plunger 25. Medially of each inner and outer bushing is an aperture 30, designed to position a lamp stem 31 (Fig. 3) placed therein. Openings 32 formed at each end of the tray 27 register with the upper reduced extremities of the pins 13 mounted upon the base 14. These pins 13, cooperating with the openings 32, facilitate the guiding and positionin of the unit 11 as it is carried into operatlve engagement with the unit 10.

Each glass lamp stem 31 is formed with a depending tube 23, a tungsten filament. 34 being mounted or embedded in the upper end of the stem, said filament having a pair of lead-in terminals 35 disposed downwardly and outwardly therefrom. When filaments are ready to be treated, in a manner about to be described, the depending tube 33 of each lamp stem 31 is inserted in its respective aperture 30 in the tray 27, the unit-11 being at this time disassociated from the stationary unit 10. A ball 36 formed in the stem 31 serves to limit the distance-to which the filament 34 may be lowered into the aperture 30. When the stem 31 is thus positioned,

' the extremity of one lead-in terminal 35 will reach into the upper, enlarged part of the opening 29 in one of the outer bushings 28 and the extremity of the other terminal 35 will similarly reach into the upper portion of the opening 29 in one of the inner bushings 28, After the stems 31 have been thus positioned in the apertures 30, the unit 11 is brought into operative engagement with the-unit 10 by first aligning the openings 32 in the tray 27 with the upper ends of the pinsv 13 and subsequently lowering the tray in position. Thelower end of each bushing 28' being contemporaneously brought into contact with the upper surface of its respective plunger 25 causes the mercury to rise within the passageway 26. The lowering of the tray 27 .is continued until the mercury 24 rises within the opening 29 of the bushings 28 and the extremities of the lead-in terminals 35 of the filaments 34 become immersed in the mercury as shown in Fig. 3. The downward movement of the tray 27 is upward displacement of the tray. 4

The circuit diagram shown in Fig. 5 represents a conventional three-wire system wlth a sultable source of current supply 39 and a conveniently positioned circuit closing switch 40, the conductor 22 which connects the inner row of container shanks 16 serving as a common return wire. When the lead-111 terminals 35 are immersed in the mercury 24 contained. w ithin the bushings 28, as heretofore described, the filaments 34 are then connected in parallel with the inner or common conductor 22 and one of the outer conductors through the medium of the containers 15 and the mercury 24 contained therein.

'After the unit 11 has been carried into association with the unit 10 and the filaments 34 positioned in circuit closing relation with respect to the contained mercury, as described, the units are covered by a suitable gas retaining vessel 41 (Fig. 1) s A supply of hydrogen gas is admitted into the vessel 41 through an opening 42 provided at the top thereof. The switch 40 is then closed instantaneously, with the result that the fila ments are energized or flashed within the atmosphere of hydrogen and the complete deoxidation of the tungsten filament effected.

Although reference has been made in the specification to the use of this invention in connection with one step in the process of lamp manufacturing, it will be obvious that the invention may be employed to great ad- Vantage in various other steps wherein it becomes necessary to energize the filaments for the purpose of treatment or testing.

It is obvious'that changes in the specific form of the invention, as herein described, may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit thereof,

. What is claimed is:

1. A contact device designed to complete an electric circuit through a current conducting ele1nent,said device including a container, a current conducting fluid within the container, a support for a current conducting element, and a plunger mechanism for displacing the fluid vertically within the container to affect the electric circuit in response to relative movement between the support and the container.

2. A contact device designed to complete an electric circuit through a current conducting element, said device including a container, a current conducting fluid within the container, a support for a current conducting element, a plunger member slidable in the container, and a passageway in the plunger to permit of variations in the level of the current conducting fluid occasioned by relative sliding movements of the plun er member within the container, and means or receiving fluid elevated within the passageway in a position readily accessible to a supported current conducting element.

3. A multiple contact device designed to complete electric circuits, said device including a plurality of containers, current conducting fluid in the containers, a member designed to support a plurality of metallic elements, and a plunger mechanism for displacing the conducting fluid from within the containers upon the movement of said member into electrical contact with the metallic elements simultaneously.

4. A multiple contact device designed to complete electric circuits, said device including .a plurality of containers, current conducting fluid in the containers, a member designed to support a plurality of current conducting filaments having free terminals, and means for displacing the conducting fluid from within the containers into electrical contact with terminals of the filaments simultaneously with the movement of said supporting member.

5. A contact device designed to com lete an electric circuit through a current con ucting element, said device including a contamer, a current conducting fluid within the container, a support for a current conducting electrical contact with the terminal of the filament in response to the relative movement between the supporting member and the container.

7. A contact device designed to complete an electric circuit through a current conducting element, said device including a container, a current conducting fluid in the container, a support for the current conductin 1 element, a metallic plunger having a centr passageway vertically slidable within the container, and an insulating member on the support for engagement with the plunger adapted to receive a terminal of a supported element and fluid from the plunger passageway in response to relative movement be tween the plunger and the container.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 29th day of October A. D.,

EDWARD VICTOR SUNDT

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