US1677106A - Time switch - Google Patents

Description

July 1928,

TIME SWITCH Filed Oct. 10. 1921 attoznw July 10, 1928.

J. G. H. LIEBEL ET AL TIME SWITCH Filed Oct. 10, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet z v wucnlou.

Patented Jul 10, 1928.

UNITED STATESFATENT OFFICE.

JOHN G. B. LIEBEL AND -EDWIN S.

FLARSHEIM, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

TIME SWITCH.

Application filed October 10, 1921. Serial No. 506,Q12.

, continuous or intermittent operations for the aggregate time.

This provides for a single exposure for a definite amount or a number of exposures, aggregating a definite amount, and both limited to the definite measured amount established by the time setting. 'The apparatus, therefore, cannot be injured by extended or over-exposure control, nor accidentally affected'by the operator.

An object of the inventlon is to provide "an electric current controlling time switch with manually actuated means for starting the time mechanism and controlling the electric circuit for a measured period. v

Another object of the invention is to provide for an automatic and non-man ual interfering control of the electric circuit after operating lapse of the switch timing mechanism for a measured duration or aggregated timing amount. 1

Ano her object of the invention is to pro-v vide a compact portable time switch for X-ray machines, one which canabe held in one hand of the operator, with push-"button control-operative by the thumb.

' 's wit dh Another object of the invention is*to ,pro-' vide for both a manualand an automatic dircuit breaking operation, either of the'said A cylindrical plunger 10 has a sliding non- -rotatable fit within the bushing 6, .its lower 'end beingnormally flush with the lower end of the bushing, and its upper end extending An additional object is to-providefor a combined action of the manual and automatic circuit breaking mechanism, wherein the circuit can be made and interrupted ,manually and broken automatically at the end of a certain period of time.-

" Other objects and certain adva'ntageswill be'disclosed in the'description of the drawings, forming a part of this-specification, A and reference is made to the drawings,'in which: l j a 1 is a front elevation of,the complete and timing device. v Fig. 2 is a central section on line 2, 2,

. Fig. 1.

operations being performed independently of the other.

I Fig. 3 is a face view of the clock-work casing, showing the relations of the tripping plate, to clock mechanism, and lever operated thereby.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View, similar to Fig. 2, showing the device in circuit closing position and illustrating a modified .form of tripping plunger. p p

Fig. 5 is a face view of the pawl-arm and ratchet-Wheel,- attached to the timing mecha' nism outside of the clock-work casing.

Fig. -6 is a detail elevation, showing the relation of the trip-arm to the notch of the L-slot of the tripping plunger.

Fig. 7 is a detail section on line 7, 7, F ig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a plan of the spring switch. Fig. 9 is adetail of a modified form of tripping plunger shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view of the, cam-ring. Fig. 11 is a central sectional view, illustratingthe relation of the main shaft of the timing device to the ratchet-wheel, main drive I gear and clock spring for rotating said shaft. 1

The numerall designates a hollow cylindrical insulating casing, within which the electric switch mechanism is mounted, having its top counterbored to furnish'an interior'circumferential shoulder3, for seating a circular cover or cap 4. centrally bored at 5 for-the reception of the 11 per end of a tubular bushing 6, provide upper end with a circumferential attachment flange 7, bearing against the inside face of the cap and secured thereto by screws. .The opposite endof the casing 1 is provided-with screw threaded into the end of the casing 1.

through and above the opening 5 of the adjacent its ica tubular extension 2, forming 'a-hand-hold,

bored as at 11, and screw threaded for the reception of a headedscrew 12 of insulating nrate'rial secured as a thumb piece for depressing the plunger and as an abutment for a compression spring 13, surrounding the V lunger 10, with its lower end within the re '5, and abutting the upper end of the :bushing- 6. Thg lower end of the plunger 10 is provided with a cylindrical bore 15 for the reception of a-reciprocable and rotatable cylindrical tripping plunger 20, within the no i lower end of which is a second shouldered switch contact'plunger 21, the lower end of the same'being provided with an insulating contact ca or base 22.

An ad itional form of plunger is shown in Figs. 4 and 9 wherein the second shouldered switch contact plunger 21 is eliminated, the plunger 20 being of solid cylindrical' construction, and being provided with a reduced extension 2%, at lower end. of which is placed the insulating contact cap 22.

The unger 2f is pressed downwardly by the action'of a compression spring 23 and its downward movement is limited by a ring 24, within and at the lower end of the plunger 20, the r-ing-coacting with a shoulder 25, as an inwardly turned flange integral with the body of said plungerfid.

The plunger 20, nearv its. upper end, is provided with an outwardly projecting triparm 30, at the outer. end of which and depending vertically therefrom is fastened a tripping plate or knife 31, having a lower knife edge 32 for contact with the outwardly extending arm 33 of a spring actuated escapement trip lever 34, pivoted as at35 to aclock casing 36, mounted within an annular insulating housing S'Q'jsuitahly fastened at the side of themain casing l, with its central axis atright angles to the central axis of the saidcasing A pressure is exerted upon.

the arm 33 of the escap'ement lever 34 by a spring 35 the spring pressure tending to force the arm 33 toward the tripping knife 31. Upon downward movement of the'tripping knife, the'arm. 33 is engaged and depressed thereby,'and the lever actuated to release the clock mechanism as hereinafter more fully,described.

The trip-arm 3Q traverses a relatively wide slot 8, (see Fig. 6) at the bottom of the bushing 6, the upper end 8 of the said slot acting as a stop for limiting the upward or returnmovement of the trip-arm 30,. under certain conditions hereinafter described. A

The plunger 10-is held from rotation, and

its. reciprocative movement limited in both 4 greater width than, the width of the trip-' directions by the end of a set screw '10 en gaged through the bushing 6, the said end of the set screw projecting into av guide slot 10*, of the plunger 10. Placed in substan- 'tially diametrical relationto the'slot 10 and parallel to the same, is an L-slot-15,'through which the trip-arm 30 projects. The longitudinal'portion of the slot being of -slightly arm 30, to allow said trip-arm to enter-and to. be guided-therein after disen agement from the shoulder 15", as herein escribed. A spring 15",att'a0hed-atone end.to-.,the-

flange-7 of the bushing fi, slidingly engages the trip-arm'through an op'ening therein and normally forces the said arm against the left side (see Fig. 6). into engagement with the .connected therefrom. plunger is in its retracted position, the trip nectedto the push plunger 10 by the triparm 30, when the arm'is engaged with the "l shoulder 15 formed by the L-slot 15, as shown in Fig. 6. The trip-plunger with its trip-arm can be freely oscillated within the push-plunger for disengaging the arm from the shoulder 15, which will release the trip-plunger, allowing the arm and tripplungerto move freely longitudinally within the push-plunger for an automaticelectric circuit opening control, while the pushplunger is depressed. The. release of the trip-arm and its plunger is effected by the clock or timing mechanism, to be hereinafter described. The trip-plunger may be an electric switch element, or as shown, intermediate means may be employed between the push-plunger and electric spring switch for. actuating and controlling the electric switch for operating as a l mit with the pushplunger when connected therewith, and for operation independently thereof when dis- When the pusharm is in registry with transversely extended portions of the l -slot, allowing the trip-arm to be oscillated by the spring 15. which 9 snaps the arm beneath and in engagement with the shoulder 15', connecting the arm and its plunger with the push-plunger, so that when the push-plunger is depressed, the parts operate as a unit for manually closing the circuit through the electric switch.

.As long as the parts remain connected, they can be reciprocated as a unit foran intermittent switch control for successively interrupting the electric circuit controlled thereby until the parts have been discon nected by the timing mechanism. L

m The clock mechanism is mounted within the casing 36, and comprises a central main shaft 40, having the usual spiral spring 41 119 attached to it, and to a casing spacing, and

casing fastening strut 42, the fastening and, action of the springbeing well known in the art of horology. The trip lever 34 (see Fig. 3) has an escapement leverengaging notch'34, which normally engages the out,-

.turned end 45 of the escapement lever 45,

attached near one end of a shaft 46, and this shaft also carries the detent 47 and usual counter-weight 48. .The clock escapement mechanism, comprising the escapement shaft or pivot 46, detent 47 and counter- .weight 48, all well known clock elements,

which when free oscillate-t0 alternately'engageand release the escapement wheel respectively, to stopand permit movement the gear'train'connected with the esc'apement wheel. The escapement lever .45 as an arm thin-cot; to obtain progressive movement-0Q .L.

"i fixed to the escapement'shaft and has its when the trip lever 34 is swung to a retracted position to disengage its notched end portion from the lug or projection of the escapement lever 45. The trip lever 34 is actuated and controlled by theknife 31 of the electricswitch controiling trip plunger 20. 'When the knife 31 isdepressed'it will engagethe angle extension'33 of the trip lever 34, and rock the vertically disposed arm away from'the projection 45 .rt0 allow the escapement arm to' swing. {As soon as the lmife 31 is withdrawn from its trip lever-engagement, the lever automatically swings to lug'engaging position and arrests further movement of the'escapement. The detent 47 engages the escapement wheel 48, mounted upon the shaft 49. The shaft 49 is provided with a pinion 50, which is operated through a gear train, composed of a gear 51, loosely mounted upon the main shaft 40, a pinion 52, and gear 53, rigidly mounted upon shaft 54,the,gear 53 meshing with the piniop 50 to complete the gear train At the right of the clock casing-36 (see 2) and adjacent, its outer face is a ratchet wheel 60, mounted upon a tubular extension 61, of a gear 51, (see Fig. 11) said tubular extension being rotatively mounted upon the main shaft 40, the gear 51 and ratchet wheel '60, therefore moving independently of the shaft 40. Adjacent the outer face of the ratchet is a pawl arm 62, rigidly mounted on the shaft 40, and provided at its outer end with a spring actuated pawl 63, for engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 60.

On the inner end of the shaft 40 is rigidly fastened an L-shaped lever 70, .the outer horizontal arm 71 of which is terminated by' a knife .edge projection 72, which projection normally (see Fig. 3) lies below and at one side of the tripping plate 31. To a projection of the hub of the pawl arm 62, and in a diametrical relation to said arm is fastened a dial finger 64, slightly, spaced from a dial plate-65, having graduated diyisions upon itsface, preferably. correspondmg to secondsof time.

The clock casing '36 is held from rotation by a rectangular stri'p'36' fastened 'at" the bottom of the housing 37, the notches 36 of the clock casing plates engaging said strip.- The strip extends beyond the clock casing, nearly to the outer edge of the housing 37, and the notch 75, of a retaining and) cam-'Jring 76, engages the strip '36, to prevent rotation of the ring, in a manner similar to that of the clock casing. "The r taining'and cam ring 76 is provided upon its innercircumference with a cam 77, which is engaged by the end 63, of the pawl 63, to disengage said pawl from the teeth of the ratchet wheel 60. As the dial finger 64,

approaches its' zero position, the outer notched end 62 of'the pawl arm after its release, and under the action of the spring 41, engages a stop 78, formed at the end. of thecam 77, as a part of the retaining and cam ring 76, stopping the finger at or beyond the 'zero'mark, (see Fig. 1). The release of the pawl 63-from en agement'with the ratchet wheel 60 takes pdace when the outer end of the arm 71 is spaced a certain distance from the tripping plate 31, and

when the lower end of the arm 62 is spaced acertain distance from the stop 7 8,"so'that the entire propelling force of the spring is available for power shaft actuation to obtain increased speed and force of rotation or kick-ofi' momentum, which results in positive, forcible and quick release of the trip arm 30 from engagement with the shoulder 15 at the end of the desired timed interval between switch actuation and release. I

A spacing ring fitted within the boreof the housing 37 and resting against the dial plate 65, holds the saiddial plate against the cam ring 76, and provides at its outer edge a seat for a transparent disk 81, placed against which is placed a circular diaphragm 90, having a central opening 91 therein,-

through whichprojects the lower end of the plunger 21. The insulating contact-cap 22 normally rests upon the upper resilient spiral arm 92, of a three-armed switch, 93, having additional resilientspiral arms 94 and 95., placed below the arm 92, spaced and insulated therefrom and from each other and fastened to an insulating base 96, the terminal ofeach arm being fastened to the base by screws. which are provided below the base 96 with nuts 97, for the attachment of-line wires 98,99, and 100, the said wires being suitably enclosed in a flexible insulating tube which extends through the hollow handle 2, having screw threaded engagement .with' thebore 2, the base 96, resting. upon aflange 102,-formed at the upper end of said handle. The handle provides a-means for holding' the timing s'witcl-i-when desired, and a hook 103, is also provided for engage ment over asuitable support. -Th'e;;'fopera y] o tion of this timing switch is as follows: i

Although the switch may be operated independently of the clock timing mechanism,

' to bring the resilient spiral arms in contact to make the electrical circuit, yet the use of the clock timing mechanism is more convenient and at times more necessary for accurate timing of the breaking of the cir- ,cuit as in the case of a photographic exposure, and in the latter case the nut 83 is turned to set thedial finger fi l-over any one of the graduations of the dial plate, with a resulting movement and displacement of the projection 72 of the L-shaped lever 70 to the left of the tripping plate 31 (see Figs. 5 and 6).

The plunger 10 is then depressed and with it the plunger 20 and tripping plate 31, the

upward movement of the said plate 31 being prevented by the engagementpf the tripping arm with the shonlder="l5, the am being ressed against the left side (see 6) o roadened portion. of the slot, y

the spring 15 The cap 22 of the swit h contact plunger 21, during, the continued downward movement of the plunge'rs, successively causes contact hetw-een the spring arms 92, 9 2, and 95, to melre an electrical circuit through the wires 98, 99,, ahd 106. Immediately after the spring erms 92, 94 and 95 have made contact, the tripping plate also contacts the arm 33 of the escape-rent trip lever 34 and disengeges its notch 34 and releasing the said arm'fr in the shouih der 15*, at' which timethe spring arms 92, 94 and 95 force the plungers 21 and upwardly, bringing the tri arm against the upper end 8 of the s ot 8 ,hringing the trip mg plate 31 above and out of the path of t e projection 7 2 of the lever 71. When,

the'arm 30 carrying the trip in plate 31 is released as above described: 1: e escapement lever 34 is also'released, andthe arm 33 thereof raised'by the action of the spring and the notch 34 disposed to prevent further movement of the escapement lever by engaging the outturned end 45* of said lever. The end 63, of the pawl 63,

then engages the cam 77 to release the pawl from the teeth of the r-atchetwheel 60,

to allow the lower end of the pawl arm to engage the stop 78 and prevent further rotation of the shaft 40 and L-shaped lever 71., Having described our invention, we claim:

1. In an electric circuit controlling time I trolling switch,- a sectional plunger, the'sec- .tions cooperating unitarily' for manually closing said switch and one section thereof releasable from tlie second for automatically opening said switch at the end of a timing period, clock mechanism for a timing switch control including a clock spring, gearing and ratchet means, the ratchet means connecting said spring and gearing, means connecting with said spring and rotated thereby adapted to engage said releasable plungor sect on for effecting the switch opening at the end of a timing period, andi means for tripping said ratchet mechanism at theend of a timing period disconnecting the spring and clock gearing for efiecting a spring release and utilizing its full recoil power for forcibly moving said plunger section for a switch opening while the second of said plunger sections is held depressed.

2. In a time control electric switch, an electric switch, manually depressibleswitch operating means having a member thereof releasable when depressed for automatic switch operation, at spring actuated gear train, setting means for winding said tgain spring and setting said train for movement through a selected time period, retainingmesns. for holding said'train in set position releasable by said switch operating means, an arm operated Toy said train spring for moving said switch operating member at the end of a'timing period, and means-for disconnecting said spring and gear train at the end of a timing eriod for releasing the spring whereby its 35in a device of the class described, an

electric switch," manually actuatied means for closing said switch, a spring actuated gear train including a member rotated by the train spring for effecting an automatic switch opening at the end of a timed period, and means connecting said sprin and gear train automatically releasable, w ereby the full sprin pressure is transmitted to said automatic switch 5 In witness whereof, .we hereunto subscribemember or a forcible opening control.

OllI' names.

JOHN G; irLiiiBEL. nnwms. FLARSHEIM.

ull power is imparted to said arm.

switch, a self-opening electric circuit con

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