US1750615A - Electric-circuit-control apparatus - Google Patents

Description

March 11, 1930. ,J. E. LONG 1,750,615

ELECTRIC CIRCUIT CONTROL APPARATUS Filed June 14, 1928 q; I Q I l! I 1 I l 1 .17, E,

INVENTOR.

nu i7 I IWM M A TTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 11, 1930 UNITED STATES JOHN E. LONG, F MULTNOMAH, OREGON ELECTRIC-CIRCUIT-CONTROL APPARATUS Application filed June 14,

My invention relates to electric circuit control apparatus particularly designed for electric signs. Such control apparatus includes a tape which passes thru a quantity of conductive liquid, such for example as mercury. When control apparatus of this character is used with electric signs and mounted within or adjacent the latter, it is necessary to minimize the amount of mercury escaping into such sign, because mercury vapor tends to attack such sign and especially any soldered joints therein. Mercury also isquite. expensive and it is desirable, to the end that such signs may be operated economically, that the mercury losses be as small as possible.

The principal object of my invention, therefore, is to provide control apparatus of this character with means for removing any liquid which adheres to the tape after the latter leaves the liquid.

A further and more specific object of my inventionis to provide means of this character which not only removes such mercury from the tape, but also removes any dirt or other foreign matter which might adhere to the latter. That is, when mercury is used as the electricallyconductive liquid, dirt or dust, because of its lesser specific gravity, forms a coating on the top of the body of such conductive liquid and the tape leaving such body tends to pick up portions of such coating, which, unless removed, tend to clog the perforations in such tape.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawings. in which- Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the liquid container, embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 isa perspective view of one form of a top wiper;

' Fig. 4 is a perspective viewof a bottom wiper;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of another form of top wiper; and

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the form shown inFig.5. j

I preferably attain the above mentioned 1928. Serial No. 285,306.

objects by providing a series of spaced felt pads engaging opposite sides of the tape, the spaces between such pads forming mer cury collecting grooves and I arrange such pads or their bases to direct the mercury thus collected back to the main body within the container. Refer-ring more particularly to the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2 show a container adapted to contain a quantity of electric conductive liquid such as mercury. The container comprises a bottom wall or base member 10 of suitable insulating material and having a series of rows of conducting wires extending therethrough, the upper ends of the wires being approximately flush with the top surface of the member 10, as more fully set forth in my prior Reissue Patent 16,809 dated December 6, 1927. Thebase member 10 supports the side portions 11 to form therewith a container designated generally 12 which contains a quantity of, mercury or similar electrical conductive material 13. The container 12 is preferably provided with a cover or closure 1 1 which is adapted to be held in place by means of suitable thumb screws 15, the ends of this cover 14 being suitably spaced from the ends of the con tainer to provide openings through which a tape 17 may travel into and out of the interior of the container. The tape 17 is suitably perforated in a'predetermined manner and is formed of suitable non-conductive and flexible material to allow the various circuits including the liquid and the various wire terminals to be closed as the apertures register with the wires. These wires are connected to means such as a series of lamps in a lamp bank, which are thus caused to be lighted to form signs, letters or other visual indications which may move or travel across the sign as the various lamps are successively illuminated and darkened. The tape is held against the bottom wall or base member 10 by means of rollers 18 and 19 which are rotatably mounted on members projecting downwardly from the cover 14. These rollers 18 and 19 extend somewhat below the normal top surface of the base member 10 where the wire contacts are provided, and as the tape is moved along under some tension it will be pressed against the bottom of the tank to exclude the mercury from between the tape and the bottom, and to permit the closure of the circuits to the various wires in accordance with the manner in which the apertures of the tape register with these wires.

Adjacent the end of the tank where the tape passes. outof the liquid the tape travels over a suitable roller 20, which may be driven from some suitable power source to cause the tape to move continuously through the container. Between the roller and the roller 19 the tape passes by mercury wipers adapted to remove any mercury which adheres to the tape after it leaves the main body of this liquid. Mercury tends to creep and to stick to the tape in small quantities and its tendency to follow the tape out of the control box or container is effectively overcome,

and the mercury is prevented from leaving the container by means of these mercury wipers, designated generally 22 and 23. The wipers are also eifective in preventing dirt or other foreign matter from adhering to the tape and tending to clog up the openings in the tape.

The wiper 23, as shown, rests on the base member 10 of the container and is constructed in the form of a. rigid back plate 24 of metal or other suitable material having depending triangular supporting sides as shown. On the back plate 24 are suitably fastened a number of soft pads 25, 26 and 27. of felt or other similar material, and between the pads 25 and 26 and pads 26 and 27 the plate is provided with a series of holes 28 so that the mercury may easily be returned through these holes to the main quantity of liquid below them. This bottom wiper 23 is prevented from mov ing along towardsv the right in Fig. 2 in the direction in which the tape moves as it is positioned against the portion 29 of the wall 30, this wall 30 being suitably shaped to. protect the tape as the latter leaves the container.

The top wiper 22 is also constructed in the form of a back 32 preferably of metal, and having an upturned front portion 33 from which extends an arm 34k which may be hooked into a small hole in the center of the top plate 14 at the end thereof. In this way the top wiper 22 is prevented from moving along with the tape, yet the entire weight ofthe wiper may rest on the tape so that the felt pads 35, 36 and 37 provided on the bottom surface of the back 32 follow the. movements. of the tape and effectively wipev off any mercury which adheres to the top surface of the tape after the latter has left'the main quan tity of the mercury in the bottom of thefcone tainer. A small handle or knob 38, is preferably provided on the upper surface of the back '32 o increase the W ight f he per. and, to permit ease in handling, ins rtion; or removal of. the. wipcr- The i rovision of a.

number of spaced soft pads both above and below adjacent portions of the tape thus permits the effective removal of the small quantities of mercury which adhere to the tape and permit the mercury to be immediately returned to the main body of liquid. The mercury is thus retained in the control box and is prevented from traveling around the apparatus and interfering with its operation.

Figs. 5 and 6 show a form of wiper especially adapted to cause the return of the mercury wiped from the tape, to the container. For this purpose the top wiper 40 has its base or back plate 41 slanted downwardly at its sides to. direct the mercury back to the container and prevents the pooling of the mercury above the tape. The felt pads 42 are also slanted diagonally across the back plate to aid the downwardly slanting sides of the plate in returning mercury wiped from the tape back to the container. The bottom wiper 43 is shown in Fig. 6 as curv-v ing in a manner complementary to the slant of the top wiper.

While the forms of apparatus herein described constitute preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise forms of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the ap' pended claims.

WVhat is claimed is:

1. In circuit control apparatus of the character described, including a container adapted to hold a body of electrically conductive liquid and devices for guiding a non-conducting tape element into such container, thru such body, and out of such container, the combination therewith of a wiper for such tape arranged at a side of the path of such tape near the point where it leaves the container.

2. In circuit control apparatus of the character described, including a container adapted to hold a body of electrically conductive liquid and devices for guiding a non: conducting tape element into such container, thru such body, and out of such container, the combination therewith of a wiper for such tape arranged adjacent the path of such tape n ar the pointy where it leaves, the container, such wiper being loosely mounted in such container, the latter being formed relatively to prevent displacement of the former.

3. In circuit control apparatus of the character described, including a container adapts ed to hold a body of electrically conductive liquid and devices for guiding a non-cone duc g tape e m nt su h containe thru such body, and out of such container, t e comb na ion erewit o a v per fo su tape arranged adjacent the path of suehtape near thepoiut here it leaves. the onta ne such wiper being loosely mounted in the container to move in accordance with the variations in tape positioning and adapted to bear upon such tape with relatively constant pressure.

4. In circuit control apparatus of the character described, including a container adapted to hold a body of electrically conductive liquid and devices for guiding a non-conductive tape element into such container, thru such body, and out of such container, the combination therewith of a wiper for such tape arranged adjacent the path of such tape near the point where it leaves the container, such wiper being weighted and movably mounted in the container and adapted to be gravityactuated to bear upon such tape with relative- 1y constant pressure.

5. In circuit control apparatus of the character described, including a container adapted to hold a body of electrically conductive liquid and devices for guiding a non-conducting tape element flatwise into such container, thru such body, and out of such containcr, the combination therewith of a wiper for such tape arranged adjacent the path of such tape near the point where it leaves the container, such Wiper comprising a rigid base and a series of yielding elements secured to the face of such base.

6. In circuit control apparatus of the character described, including a container adapted to hold a body of electrically conductive liquid and devices for guiding a non-conducting tape element into such container, thru such body, and out of such container, the combination therewith of a wiper for such tape arranged adjacent the path of such tape near the point where it leaves the container, such wiper comprising a rigid base and a felt pad secured to the face of such base.

7 In circuit control apparatus of the character described, including a. container adapted to hold a body of electrically conductive liquid and devices for guiding a non-conduct ing tape element flatwise into such container, thru such body, and out of such container, the combination therewith of a wiper for such tape arranged adjacent the path of such tape near the point where it leaves the container, such wiper comprising a rigid base and a plurality of spaced yielding elements secured to the face of such base, the spaces between such elements constituting liquid collecting grooves.

8. In circuit control apparatus of the character described, including a container adapted to hold a body of electrically conductive liquid and devices for guiding a non-conducting tape element into such container, thru such body, and out of such container, the combination therewith of a wiper for such tape arranged adjacent the path of such tape near the point where it leaves the container, such wiper comprising a rigid base and a ,plu-

rality of spaced yielding elements secured to the face of such base, the spaces between such elements constituting liquid collecting grooves, such wipers being formed to direct the liquid thus collected, away from such elements and back into such container.

9. In circuit control apparatus of the character described, including a container adapted to hold a body of electrically conductive liquid and devices for guiding a non-conducting tape element flatwise into such container, thru such body, and out of such container, the combination therewith of a wiper for such tape arranged adjacent the path of such tape near the point where it leaves the container, such wiper comprising a rigid base and a plurality of spaced yielding elements secured to the face of such base, the spaces between such elements constituting liquid collecting grooves, such wipers being slanted to direct the liquid thus collected, away from such elements and back into such container.

In testimony whereof I hereto afiix my signature.

JOHN E. LONG.

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