US1677107A - Time switch - Google Patents

Description

' .dly'f10,192s. 1,677,107

E. s. FLARsHElM y TIME swITcH Filed March 25, 1925 2 Sheetsheet 1 J3- Jo 5 fil. "LA

`ufy 10, 1928.

` E. S. FLARSHEIM TIME SWITCH Filed March 23, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheer(I l armando@ 62M QW/ Patented July 10, 119.218.

unirse stares EDWIN` S. FLARSHEM, OF

infami' TIME SWITCH.

application 1aed March 23,1925. 'serial No. 17,484.

My invention relates to a time switch for pening and, closing the rcontacts of an electric circuit, the invention being in the nature of an improvement and sin'iplilication of the devicebroadly disclosed and claimed in copendingapplication Serial No. 506,612, liled October l0, 1921.

' The object of the present invention is to improve upon the push plunger structure and operati-on "andy the mechanism for automatically tripping the plunger to open the contacts at the end of a predetermined period of cont-act closing. a H

`The inventionl has particular value when used to control the circuit of an X-ray machine,although its utility is not conlined to any speciticfusage.

InlX-ray machines it is particularly desir able to be ableto take a perfectly definite time exposure even to the fraction of a sec* ond. It isalso desirable tobe able upon occasion to open the contacts before the e2:-` piration of the time period. It is also desirable to provide a switchwhich can be manually operated independently of the time mechanism. It also desirable to have the full force of the clock spring utilized in. the tripping operation which opens the contacts.

y The features of the invention are more fully set forth in the'descriptionof the accompanying drawings forminga part of this specification, in which: a

y Figure l is a rear view of the switch with the cover removed.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2--2. of Fig. l. f

Figure 3 is a sectionalview taken on line .3L-'3, of Fig. 2. showingthe tripping mechanism in normal non-operative position.

Figure l is a Sectional view taken on line 4 4. or Fig. i. l "Figure Slis a view taken the same as Fig. 3 and showing the tripping mechanism in the act of moving the plunger to disengage the switch contacts.`

Figure 6 yis a fragmentary face view of the switch with certain parts removed.

Figure 7 is a face view of the` dial.

Figure 8 is a detail view of the cam ring for tripping themechanism. l Figure 9 is a sectional view of the clock mechanism,

Figure l is a sectional viewv taken on line l0-l0, of Fig. 2Q

The exact form and arrangement .of` the parts comprising` the, mechanism in relation to one another and the exact form of CINCINNATLOI-IO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN G. H.

LIEBEL, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO. i

mechanism is supported in axial relation to the casing, there being preferably a lateral tubular extension casing portion 2 at the upper end for housing the clock mechanism.

Throughout the specification and claims for the purposes ofbrevity andclarity, I

have referred to the power source or motor train asa clock mechanism, it being understoodthat any other form of device'capable of storing up or delivering energy to be released and stopped after a predetermined time operation is broadly equivalent. The 'contacts 3, 4, of the copper spring blade type, and the spring blade actuator therefor with the insulating block 6, preferably formed with the deiiected portion 7, are mounted in parallelism in the'supporting block 8 upon the inside ofthe casing, the lower projecting ends'ofthe contacts Ibeing connected with the electric conduits 9 which are led through an orifice at the bottom of the tubular casing. The actuator 6 is not absolutely essential, it being obvious that he plunger could directly engage one of the contact blades if desired. The bracket l() projected from the casing, positions and spaces the upper ends of these three blades `below the insulation block 6. but this member may be omit-ted if desired. Y The, plunger in the present 'instance is preferably a flat or rigid blade-like or plate-4 lile piece of metal which can conveniently be formed as a stamping and this plunger blade il preferably has its upper end formed with or connected to a push button l2 upon the top of the tubular Casingand seated in an annular. recess 13.

This plunger member is supported in a v manner Vpermitting the plungerto have spring controlled reciprocal longitudinal movement in the casing for manually opening and closing the contacts and it must be also so supported that it may have, when in depressed position, a second, or relatively independent, but preferably a lateral movenent for effecting the automat-ic disengage* ment or opening of the contacts. To enable these movements the upper end of the plunger is formed with a central longitudinal guide slot l/ l for a slide operation in relation to the headed pivot bolt l5 screwed into thecasing, it'being perfectly clear that this slotted pivotal form of support enables a longitudinal movement of the plunger' in relationto the pivot and also a ypivotal action on said bolt when the plunger depressed. enabling the lower end of the piston to make the swinging movement by which the contacts are to be automatically disengaged. The upper end of the plunger adjacent the slot is preferably held against a bearing plate 16.

T he lower portion of the plunger slides in a guideway formed by a rib li" of the casing and the cross bar i8 confining the plunger plate to a longitudnal reciprocal movement in one direction but permitting a lateral or pivotal movement of the lower end of the plunger in the plane of the guideway.

This plunger is positioned to reciprocate in a central portion of the tube casing for compactness of structure and it is positioned rbetween the contact springs and their actu ator on one .side and the cloclr mechanism on the other side. To this end the plunger plate which is todirectly operate the contacts upon one side and also to directly oper ate the clock releasing mechanism and to be tripped by the clock member upon the other side of the plate, is formed with a projection on one side for operating the contacts, and a projection also on the other side, to operate in relation to the cloclr mechanism. In the thin, blade-form of plunger7 which we preferably employ, these two actuating plunger members or projections may be convenicntly termedv by cutting out a medial portion of the plunger and bending outwardly a tongue 19 constitutingl a detent to engage the deflected end 7 of the Contact actuator 6 so that when the plunger is depressed this tongue 19 engages the deflected end 7 andk closes the contacts. lVhen the plunger is moved laterally by the time-trip,

the tongue 19 has a triggenlilie escapement from the part 7.

When the vplunger is released it moves away from this engagement opening the contact-s. On the other side of the plunger is a projection or dog 2O constituting the memT ber to be tripped and also constituting a member to operate the clock releasing mechanism.

This blade plunger is held in the normal position shown in Fig. l by means of the coil spring 2l which holds the plunger normally in its raised or open contact position and also holds it normally in its central vertical position.r so that the spring-2l operates to return the plunger either when released from depressed kposition or when laterally moved for breaking the Contact by the automatic tripping action.

it the end of the tripping movement the tripping member is engaged against the side or edge of the plunger member to be tripped, the plunger being` swung to one side of its normal position. 1n order to permit the plunger to return to normal position, I preferably provide the notch 22 upon the lower end of member 20, permitting a trigger-like escapement enabling the member 20 to move past and over the tripping member when the depressed plunger is released and automatically .return to its'normal position.

lt will be seen from the disclosure so far, that the plunger may be manually reciprocated at any time independently of the clock mechanism so that the opening and closing of the contacts is always under optional manual control. j

The cloclr mechanism will be later described in generality,`but for the present purpose it is su'llicient to say that the power shaft l0 has a setting knob 23 on the dial face 24 (see Fig. 7). On the other end of shaft@ is fixed the crank arm 25 hav.

will best be-seen in Fig. 2, is substantially adjacent the plunger member 20 to be tripped so that when the plunger is depressed to close the contactsv this member 20 will be interposed in the path of movement of the finger 26. When this clock-operated tripping member 25, 2G rotates in the arc of a circle so that the arm 2G strikes the side of the plunger member 2O to be tripped, the plunger has a relatively lateral .movement in its bearingsV and in relation to its pivotal support which disengages the plunger memberl- V.from the deflected end 7 oinA the contact actuator 6. That is to say, when the plunger is moved laterally by the tripping action of the clock mechanism the plunger member 19, disengages member 7 and the contacts are broke On the back plate of the cloclr within the casing is a bell. crank lever 27 engaging with a latch QS'liolding the clock normally locked against operation, the bell crank lever being normalized in this position by a iii `spring 29. The lower end of the bell'crank4 `lever 27 has a stirrup extension 3l in the direction ot the plunger', and this stirrup occupies a'posit'ion below the crank arm 26 of the tripping member. l V

Looking at Figs. 7 and 6, it will be seen that the indicating;r clock hand 32 on shaft 40, is pointing' to the arrow shown on a portion ot the diallnot indexed. The dial index numbers the seconds or fractions from `zero point on in a direction clock-wise. On vthe innerend of' shaft 40 is a pawl arm 33 carrying a spring' pawl 34 lor operating the ratchet wheel 35 loose on Yshaft LlO, so that the clock hand v32, shaft 40 and pawl arm 33, may operate as `a unit in the counterclockwise"` direction. Abutting the `front plate of the clock vis a cam ring' 36 formed with a shoulder or Stop 36a for engaging the outer end of the arm 33 to stop'the clock delinitely when the spring isrunpdown and the clck hand 32 is pointing;- to the arrow, that is, in an uli-indexed position. `The arm 33 when operated bv clock spring moves counter-clockwise and the pa'wl 3ft is tripped by a cam 37 adjacent the stop 36a so that the ratchet wheel when the clock hand 32 is moved from the zero point to the arrow point in a counter-clockwise direction. It will thus be seenthat when the clock hand 32 or indicator is unset for a timed operation the `plunger may be ttreely reciprocated without eectina the clock releasing, but when the clock hand 32 is set, say to point 4l on the dial, for a corresponding time operation the pawl arm 33 has moved away from stop 36a so that the clock movement isnt arrested. which movement of the clock hand winds the clocl spring, so that when the clock hand 32 is thus set and the clock spring' wound. the depression of the plunger moves the bell crank on its tulcrum to the clock releasing; position shown in Fia'. 5, and this depression of the plunger, as betore Stated, places the plunger member 20 which is to be tripped in the path oi travel oit the clockoperated tripping finger 26.

The details of the clock mechanism are not new in themselves and need not be detailed,

inasmuch as Fig. l0 shows the ordinary7 escapement mechanism in plan in a manner which will be understood clearly by those skilled in the art.

Figure 9 shows a central vertical section through the elements mounted on the power shaft.

All the elements in this figure are fixed in relation to the power shaft 40, except the ratchet wheel 35 and the time train gear l1 which `are unitarily mounted loosely thereon. but which members 35, 41, become fixed to rotate with its shaft l0 in its counter-clockwise direction.

operate vin rel-ation to corresponding 'mechanisms through'intermediary lever or transmission connections.` l

It is also highly advantageous, as fully disclosed and claimed inthe' previous case, that the whole force of theA clock power is utilized in the kick-'ott' `or contact break when the eloclr hand moves counter-clockwise from the zero point to its normal position at the arrow. That is to say, the contacts are closed for the exact period definitely timed, while instantaneously, at the conclusion of that timed' period, the full yforce of the spring comes into play at the moment o'f the tripping action, during' the slight remaining motion ot the hand to position in which it becomes definitely stopped in its counter-clockwise direction of travel.

Through this invention VI am enabled to produce a single. or one-piece plunger which in itself will engage the contacts, and at the same time release the clock mechanism.

Having described my invention, I claim I l. In an electric time switch, in combination with the contacts, a clock mechanism. a clock-releasing and a clock-stopping mechanism, a one-piece, spring-normalized plunger positioned between said actuatoil and said cloclc mechanism, supporting means t'or said plunge-r enablinga manual reciprocal movement to operate the contacts and to operate the clock-releasing mechanism, said means permitting a relatively lateral movement of the plunger, a member on one tace or" the plunger to longitudinally engage and disengage t-he contacts and to laterally disene'age said actuator, a member to be tripped on the `opposite iace oit the plunger, a clock-operated tripping member adapted to be set for a timed operated engagement with said member to be tripped, and means for limiting the clock operated movement of said tripping member.

2. In a time switch, in combination with electric contacts, a clockinechanism, releasing mechanism therefor, a clock-operated tripping member adapted to be set for timed movement to a stopping position, a longitudinally reciprocal and laterally movable spring-normalized plunger element formed and positioned for engaging; and disengaging the contacts when the plunger is manually reciprocated and for automatically disengaging; the contacts when theplunger is moved laterally, and a plunger member to be l Uli tripped formedin aI position to actuate the clock release when the plunger is reciprocated and to be automatically actuated by said tripping member to eect the lateral plunger movement.

3. In a time switch, a casing, a plate-like member constituting a plunger element, pivotal slot and guide connections between said plate and the casing enabling said plunger to have a longitudinal movement and a relatively late-ral movement in the plane of the plate when the plunger is depressed, a clock actuated tripping member adapted to be moved from a stopped position 'for a timed operation, a clock releasing means and contacts, the clock mechanism and contacts beingadapted to be coordinately operated by the longitudinal and lateral movements respectively of said plunger, and a spring for normalizing said plunger plate.

4. In a time switch, a casing, a plate-like plunger member, a normalizing spring' therefor, pivotal slot and guide connections between the casing and plate, enabling a longitudinal movement of the pla-te and a lateral movement of its lower end when depressed, a clock-actuated tripping member adapted to kbe moved from a. stopped position for a `has been swung to its contact disengaging position, enabling the tripping member to complete its movement to the normal or stopped position.

In witness whereof7 I hereunto subscribe my name.

EDWIN s. FLARSHEIM.

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