US1764420A

US1764420A - Control apparatus

Info

Publication number: US1764420A
Application number: US140534A
Authority: US
Inventors: Walter H Smith
Original assignee: Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: CBS Corp
Priority date: 1926-10-09
Filing date: 1926-10-09
Publication date: 1930-06-17
Anticipated expiration: 1947-06-17

Description

June 17 1930. w. H. SMITH 1,764,420

. CONTROL APPARATUS Filed Oct. 9, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet l WITNESS s; INVENTOR June '17, 1930. w. H. SMITH 4;

CONTROL APPARATUS Filed Oct. 9, 1926 5 sheets sheet 2 TNESS s: v lNVENTO v h a/fierfl 507/772,

June 17, 1930. w. H. SMITH CONTROL APPARATUS Filed Oct. 9, 1926. s Sheets-Sheet 5 ATT'ORNEY Patented June 17, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WALTER H. SMITH, OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIG& MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA CONTROL APPARATUS Application filed October 9, 1926. Serial No. 140,534.

This invention relates generally to con trol apparatus and more particularly to control devices for governing the making and breaking of a plurality of circuits.

The object of this invention, generally stated, is the provision of a control device that shall be simple and 'efiicient in operation, and readily and] economically manufactured.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide for the operation of a contactor upon the flow of currents of different predetermined values through the contactoractuating coil.

Another object of the invention is to provide for retarding the operation of an electromagnetioally actuated contactor to give the desired control of predetermined circuits.

Further objects of the invention will, in part, be obvious and, in part, appear hereinafter.

The invention, accordingly, is disclosed in the embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawing, and comprises the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in section, of a control device constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is also a View, in side elevation, showing the relation of the operating members of the control device;

Fig. 3 is a View, in horizontal section, taken along the lines IIIIII of Fig. 1, showing certain features of the construction;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing how the control device may be connected in a circuit; and

Fig. 5 is aview, in side elevation, of a weight provided for retarding the operation of the control device.

Referring now to the drawing, 10 designates a panel which constitutes part of the frame of the control device. As shown, two frame sections 11 and 12, preferably made of some non-magnetizable metal, are mounted on the panel, one directly above the other.

As illustrated, the upper frame section 11 is provided with three laterally extending brackets 12 to 14, inclusive, which serve to support a slidable contact carrier or plunger 15. The upper frame section may be made from a number of different materials, but it is preferable to construct it from a substantially non-magnetizable metal.

As illustrated, a tubular member 16, which is constructed from some non-magnetic material, such for example, as brass, extends through an opening that is provided in the bracket 12, and is seated on shoulders 17 that are formed by a countersunk opening drilled in the bracket 13. In order to retain the tubular member 16 in position, a threaded opening is provided in the bracket 12, and a bolt 18 is mounted therein to engage the upper end of the tubular member.

An actuating coil 19, which is provided for operating the plunger 15, is mounted on the tubular member 16. It will be readily understood that, in assembling the control device, the coil 19 may be set in position on the bracket 13 and the tubular member 16 inserted therethrough to be seated on the shoulder 17 that is provided in the bracket 13. A spacing member 20, preferably of insulating material, is disposed between bracket 12 and coil 19. to retain the latter in position.

The plunger or contact carrier 15 comprises a tubular member 21 made from some magnetic material, such as iron, and a shank 22 that depends from the lower end of the tubular member. As will be observed, the tubular member 21 is enclosed by a brass tube 2164 which extends above the upper end thereof and engages the lower end or head of a guide 23. In this construction, the guide 23 extends into an opening 24 provided in a cap 25. Therefore, the member 23 may be utilized to limit the upward movement of the contact carrier 15.

Both the cap 25 and the guide 23 are made from some non-magnetizable material to prevent magnetization and the tendency, which even slight magnetization would have, to preventthe free operation of the lunger. In this particular construction, t e cap 25 is retained in position in the upper end of the tubular member 16 by a clamping bolt18. M

It will be noted that a contact plate 26 is mounted on the shank 22 and is retained in position by means of

collars

27 and 28.

In order to prevent the grounding of the contact plate, insulators 29 are provided for insulating it from the shank 22 of the plunger.

Two spaced contact members or stationary fingers 30 are mounted on a pair of brackets 31 which are carried by the upper frame section 11, being located below the contact plate 26. The contact members 30 may be made from any suitable material and, in this particular embodiment of the invention, are made from resilient leaves or plates of a copper alloy superimposed upon one another.

In mounting the contact members 30, it is necessary to insulate them from the remainder of the structure. This result may readily beaccomplished by making the brackets 31 from some insulating material. As shown, the brackets are attached to the frame 11 by means of studs 32, on the outer ends of which a plurality of nuts 33, are mounted to be used as binding posts for conductors adapted to connect the contact members 30 in any desired circuit.

As illustrated, the shank 22 of the plunger 15 extends through an opening that is provided in the bracket 14. This shank is utilized for supporting a weight 34 which is provided torestrict the operation of the contact plate 26, at predetermined times.

The weight 34 is slidably mounted on the shank 22 and is normally supported by a nut 35 that is provided on the lower end of the shank- Therefore, by lifting the weight 34, the contact-carrier 15 may be released for operation.

In order to lift the weight 34 to permit the plunger 15 to move independently thereof, an armature 36 is pivotally mounted at 37 between brackets 38 that are formed integrally with the lower'frame section 12. The upper end of the armature 36 is bifurcated to provide arms 39 and 40 which extend on opposite sides of the contact carrier 15 and are disposed to engage the weight 34.

The armature 36, which simulates a bellcrank, may be actuated by acoil 41' that is disposed in alinement with its depending arm 42. The upper arm of the bell-crank, which is slightly curved and bifurcated,

eddy-current action. a

When the coil 41 is deenergized, the armature 36 is retained out of engagement with the weight 34 bymeans of a spring 45. As shown, the spring 45 is connected between the armature 36 and a lug 46 that is provided on the lower frame section 12. In connecting the spring 45 to the armature,

an adjustable set screw 47 is provided in order that the tension ofthe spring may be varied at will. As shown in Fig. 2, when the armature is subjected to the action of the spring only, the inner end is seated on a block 48 that is provided on the frame.

As illustrated in Fig. 5, the weight 34 comprises a hollow annular casing 34 that is provided with a cap or plug 49. This casing is partially filled with shot 50 which 7 may be inserted or taken out upon removal of the cap 49. In this manner, the weight of the member 34 may be varied at will to meet the operating conditions.

As best shown in Fig. 2, a bent strap contact member 51 is mounted on a screw bolt 52 and retained in position by means of a spring 53. Thecontact member 51' is loosely mounted on the screw bolt 52 to permit it to move freely. Further, the contact member 51 is disposed in alinement with a contact member 54 that is mounted on the armature 36. In order that the function of the control device hereinbefore described maybe clearly understood, its operation, when con-. nected in a simple circuit, will now be described. p

In the system shown in Fig. 4, my control device is utilized to govern the operation of a sequence drum 55, which is provided to control the connection of a plurality of single-phase, commutator-type motors 56 across the secondary winding 57 of a transformer 58. In this motor-control system, the motors are started and accelerated by connecting them across different sections of the secondary windin 57 of the transformer 58, in a predetermined sequence, by means of a plurality of switches 59 to 62, inclusive.

The switches 59 to 62 are of the unitswitch type and are provided with actuating coils, which, for the sake of clearness, will be designated by the same numeral as the corresponding switch, with the addition of the letter 0. The energization of the switch- I actuating coils may be effected from any,

suitable source of electric energy, such as a supply circuit 63.

Sequence drum 55 may be actuated in any suitable manner and, in the particular construction shown, an air-engine 64 of wellknown type may be used. As is common practice, an air-engine, of the type providedfor operating 'a sequence drum and the like, is controlled by two electromagnetic valves which are so arranged that the drum moves in one direction when both of the valves are energized and in the opposite direction when they are both deenergized and is brought to a stop when one is energized and the other deenergized. An engine of this type is shown in Patent 1,229,444.

In order to control the operation of the sequence drum, a master controller 65, having a single contact segment 66, is utilized. As shown, the contact segment 66 is disposed to engage a plurality of contact fingers 67 and 70, inclusive.

Assuming now that the master controller is thrown to its second position b to engage contact fingers 67 to 70, inclusive, then current flows from the source 63 through conductor 71, contact fingers 70 and 69, bridged by the contact segment 66, conductor 72, actuating coil 610 of the switch 61, and thence back to the source 63, whereby switch 61 is closed.

Another circuit established by the operation of the master controller extends from contact finger through conductor 73, contact fingers and 76, bridged by the contact segment 77 of the sequence drum 55, conductor 78, actuating coil 620 of the switch .62, and conductor 79 to the source of supply. Accordingly, switch 62 is also closed, and the motors 56 are connected across a section of the secondary winding of the transformer 58.

The motor circuit extends from the secondary 57 of the transformer through switch 62 a portion of the preventive coil 112, conductor 113, the actuating coil 19 of the relay .36, conductor 114, the motors 56, switch '61 and conductor 115 to the negative side of the transformer winding.

An interlock 107, that is disposed to engage contact fingers 108 and 109, is carried by the switch 61. Therefore, when the switch 61'is closed, the interlock 107 is moved into engagement with the contact fingers 1'08 and 109, thereby closing the actuating circuit of the switch 60. This cir- .cuit may be traced from contact finger of the master controller, through conductor 73, contact fingers 75 and 110, bridged by the contact segment 77 of sequence drum 55, con- .ductor 111, coil 600, conductor 112, cont-act fingers 109 and 108, bridged by the interlock 107, and conductor 79 to the source 63, whereby the switch 60 is closed.

Further, when the master controller is set in its first position a, current flows from the source 63 through conductor 71, contact fingers 70 and 68, bridged by the contact segment 66, conductors 73 and 80, contact fingers 81 and 82, bridged by the contact segment 83 of the sequence drum 55, conductor 84, coil 44 of my control device, and conductors 85 and 79 to the negative side of the source of supply. The energization of the coil 44 effects the operation of the armature 36 and lifts the weight 34, thereby releasing the contact carrier 15.

It will also be understood that, as soon as the motors are connected across the secondary winding 57 of the transformer 58, a heavy current will flow in the coil 19. The energization of the coil 19 that is-caused by the initial current flowing in the motors is sufiicien't to raise the contact carrier 15, which has been relieved of the weight 34.

Two circuits are also established, for energizing the actuating coils that effect the operation of the air-engine. The first circuit extends from the source of power 63 through conductor 71, contact fingers 70 and 68, bridged by the contact segment 66, conductor 73 and 86, the actuating coil 87, and conductor 88 to the source 63. The second circuit for the air-engine extends from conductor 73 through conductor 80, contact fingers 81 and 89, bridged by the contact segment 83, of sequence drum I55 conductor 90, actuating coil 91 and conductor 88 :to the source. Since both the actuating coils 87 and 91 of the air-engine are energized, it functions to move the sequence drum .55 forward.

As soon as the sequence drum 55 reaches position a, the contact segment 83 disengages the contact fingers 81 and 82, thereby interrupting the energizing circuit of actuating coil 91. Until the current flowing in the motor circuit has been reduced to a suflicient amount by the building up of a counterelectromotive force, to permit the plunger 15 to drop, the coil 91 cannot be energized, the operation of the air-engine is stopped and the sequence drum 55 is thus caused to pause in position a.

WVhen the contact finger 82 is disengaged from the contact segment 83, the coil 44 of my control device is deenergized, and the weight 34 may be transferred to the plunger 15. During the transfer of the weight from the armature 36 to the plunger 15, the coil 4-1 is energized by being connected across a section of the secondary winding 57 of the transformer 58. The circuit established extends from the secondary winding 57 through conductor 92, coil 41, conductor 93, contact fingers 94 and 95, bridged by .the contact segment 96, of sequence drum 55 and conductor 97 to the transformer. Therefore, a magnetic field through which the arm 43 vmust pass is developed, and the movement of the armature 36 is thereby retarded.

At approximately the same time that the energizing circuit for the coil 44 is interrupted and before the weight 34'can be conductor 73, contact fingers 75 and 98,

bridged by the contact segment 77, and actuating coil 590 to negative 79. In this manner, an increased voltage is applied to the motors and an increased current flows in the coil 19. The energization of the coil 19 is sufiicient to raise the plunger 15, with the weight 34 seated thereon.

As will be readily understood, the coil 91 cannot be energized at this time and, therefore, the sequence drum remains in position a. Upon building .up-of an electromotive force in the motors 56, the current flowing in the coil 19 is reduced and the plunger 15, under the influence of the Weight 34, tends to return the contact plate 26 into engagement with the contact fingers 30. Upon lowering the plunger, a new circuit is established which extends from'the source 63, through conductor 71, contact fingers and 67, bridged by the contact segment 66, conductor 99, contact fingers 100 and 101, bridged by the contact segment 102 of sequence drum 55, conductor 103, contact members '54'and 51, conductor 104:, contact members 30, bridged by thecontact plate 26, conductor 105, contact fingers 106 and 89, bridged by the contact segment 83 of sequence drum 55, conductor 90, actuating coil 91 of the air-engine and conductor 88 to the source. At this time, therefore, both actuating coils 91 and 87 of the air-engine are energized, and the sequence drum is again moved forward to its position b.

As will be understood from the above description, my control device functions to prevent the overrunning of the sequence drum and also causes the closure of the desired circuits to set the sequence drum in operation to cause a further acceleration of the motors after the proper electromotive force has been built up to prevent the flow of an excessive current.

Since various changes may be made in the above-described construction and arrangement of parts, and different embodiments of i the invention may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended'claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim as my invention:

1. In control apparatus, in combination, a

movable contact carrier, means for restricting the operatiolr of thecontact carrier, means for releasing the contact carrier from said means'provided to restrict its operation, means for actuating the contact carrier when subject to and when released from the restricting means, and means for retarding the operation of said releasing means.

2. In control apparatus, in combination, a movable contact carrier, means for actuating the contact carrier, means removably mounted on the contact carrier for restrlcting its operation, and means for releasing the contact carrier from the means provided to restrict its operation.

3. In control apparatus, in combination, a movable contact carrier, means for actuating the contact carrier, a weight disposed to seat on the contact carrier to restrict its operation, and means for lifting the weight to release the contact carrier.

4. In control apparatus, incombination, a movable contact carrier, means for actuating the contact carrier, a weight disposed to seat on the contact carrier to restrict its operation, means for lifting the weight to release the contact carrier, 9 and electromagnetic means for retarding the operation of said lifting means.

5. In a limit relay, in combination, a verti-' cally disposed movable contact carrier, electromagnetic means for actuating the contact carrier, a weight disposed to seat on the contact carrier and adapted to restrictits operation, and electromagnetic means for removin the weight from the contact carrier.

6. In a limit relay, in combination, a vertically disposed movable contact carrier, electromagnetic means for actuating the contact carrier, a weight disposed to seat on the contact carrier disposed to restrict its operation, electromagnetic means for removing the weight from the contact carrier, and means for restricting the action of the weight-removing means.

7. In control apparatus, in combination, a vertically disposed movable contact carrier, electromagnetic means for actuating the .contact carrier, a weight slidably mounted on the contact carrier, a pivotally mounted armature disposed for operation to lift the weight, thereby to relieve the contactcarrier, and electromagnetic means for actuating said armature.

8. In control apparatus, in combination, a vertically disposed movable contact carrier, electromagnetic means for actuating the contact carrier, a weight slidably mounted on the contact carrier, a pivotally mounted armature disposed for operation to lift the weight, thereby to release the contact carrier, electromagnetic means for actuating said armature, and electromagnetic means adapted to be periodically energized for retarding the operation of said armature.

9. In control apparatus, in combination, a vertically disposed movable contact carrier, means for actuating the contact carrier, a Weight slidably mounted on the carrier, a pivotally mounted armature disposed for operation to lift the Weight to permit the contact carrier to move independently thereof, electromagnetic means for actuating the armature, and an arm carried by said armature and means for developing a magnetic field to retard the movement of said arm, thereby to retard the operation of the armature.

10. In control apparatus, in combination, a movable contact carrier, contact members provided on the contact carrier, a Weight disposed to seat on the contact carrier to restrict its operation, means for actuating the contact carrier When relieved of said Weight and when carrying the Weight, and means for lifting the Weight from said contact carrier to facilitate its operation.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 2nd day of October,

WALTER H. SMITH.