US1861631A - Mercury switch - Google Patents

Mercury switch Download PDF

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Publication number
US1861631A
US1861631A US557147A US55714731A US1861631A US 1861631 A US1861631 A US 1861631A US 557147 A US557147 A US 557147A US 55714731 A US55714731 A US 55714731A US 1861631 A US1861631 A US 1861631A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
plunger
mercury
electrodes
container
magnet
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US557147A
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English (en)
Inventor
Hatay Charles
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
General Electric Co
Original Assignee
General Electric Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by General Electric Co filed Critical General Electric Co
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US1861631A publication Critical patent/US1861631A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H29/00—Switches having at least one liquid contact
    • H01H29/18—Switches having at least one liquid contact with level of surface of contact liquid displaced by non-electrical contact-making plunger

Definitions

  • the present invention relates generally to mercury switches and more particularly the invention relates to mercury switches of the magnetic type in Which the electrical connection between the electrodes is made and broken by uniting and separating the mercury in the envelope, similar to that disclosed in co-pending application, Serial Number 481,049, filed September 10, 1930, being the invention of Charles Hatay.
  • a plunger is provided in an elongated container, the. vertical movements of said plunger being guided by one of the electrodes in said container, and controlled by an electro magnet whose armature is a part of the plunger.
  • the mode of operation is such electromagnet whose armature is a part of plunger to break the circuit through the switch, the circuit being made again when the magnet is deenergized and the plunger drops back to its at rest position, or electric contact is made when the plunger which floats in the mercury is pulled'downward by the energized magnet and broken when the magnet is deenergized permitting the core to rise.
  • Both of these modes of operation necessitate the continuous energizing of the magnet to maintain the plunger in at least one of its operating positions, either in its contact making or its contact breaking position depending on the mode of operation, so that the magnet consumes much current.
  • the object of the present invention is to provide means whereby the plunger of a magnetically operated switch is retained in its contact making or contact breaking position independent of the electric magnet.
  • a further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the electromagnet is used only to move the plunger to its contact making or contact breaking position. Still further objects attaching to the invention and to its use and operation will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following particular description and from the appended claims.
  • said electric magnet having two coils a, b wound on a common yoke, a chamber h of insulation material and having openings 0 on opposite sides thereof, and a tubular part 8, which may be of insulation material or not, as desired, to which is attached the core 6 and the spring clip f.
  • Said spring clip .f is adapted to engage the indented groove 71 of the container 1' to maintain. the plunger in a lifted position to which it has been moved by the coil a of the electric magnet a, b, e.
  • Said electrode g extends through the plunger, its lower end being immersed in the mercury pool in the float it at all positions of the plunger.
  • Electrode d is immersed in the mercury pool in the container 7*. Electrical contact between the electrodes 03 and g is made and broken by the joining and separating of the two mercury pools at the holes 0 when the plunger is moved upward and downward by electric magnet a, b, e.
  • the magnet coils a and b are deenergized and the plunger is maintained in its lifted position in container 1' by spring-clip f pressing against the upper side of the groove 2' of said container 1', the mercury pools being physically separated by the insulating walls of chamber 72. so that the electrical connection between the electrodes 0? and g is broken. If coil 6 is energized, the core e and therewith the plunger is brought downward to the contact making position, which position is shown in Fig. 2, and in which position the mercury pools flow together through openings 0 to establish the electrical connection between electrodes d and g.
  • the plunger is maintained in this position by its own weight, the buoyancy of chamber it in the mercury being insufficient to support core 6, so that the coil 6 maybe deenergized.
  • the coil a is energized to restore the plun er to its contact breaking position and may e deenergized when said plunger is in that position since spring clips f again engage groove 2' to maintain the plunger in a contact breaking position.
  • the magnet coils are energized only when moving the plunger from a contact making to a contact breaking position or vice versa and need not be energized to maintain the plunger in either of its two positions which saves current and makes the switch very efficient in operation.
  • a mercury switch comprising a container, electrodes sealed therein, a body of mercury therein, a plunger in said container, a support member for said plunger, said plunger being adapted on successive movementsthereof to make and break the electrical connection between said electrodes, said support member being adapted to maintain said plunger in each of its operating positions.
  • a mercury switch comprising a container, electrodes sealed therein, a body of mercury therein, a. plunger in said container, a support member for said plunger, said plunger having a core out of said mercury and being adapted on successive movements thereof to make and break the electrical connection between said electrodes, said support member being adapted to maintain said plunger in one of its two operating positions.
  • a mercury switch comprising a container, electrodes sealed therein, a body of mercury therein, a plunger in said container, a support member for said plunger, one of said electrodes being adapted to guide said plunger, said plunger being adapted on successive movements thereof to make and break the electrical connection between said electrodes, said support member being adapted to maintain said plunger in one of its two operating positions.
  • a mercury switch comprising 3. container, electrodes sealed therein, a body of mercury therein, a plunger in said container, a support member for said plunger, said plunger having a core out of said mercury, one of said electrodes being adapted to guide the vertical movements of said plunger, said plunger being adapted on successive movements thereof to make and break the electrical connection between said electrodes, said support member being adapted to maintain said plunger in one of its two operating positions.
  • a mercury switch comprising a container, electrodes sealed therein, a body of mercury therein, a plunger in said container, a support member for said plunger, said plunger having a core out of said mercur one of said electrodes being adapted to guide the vertical movements of said plunger, said plunger being adapted on successive movements thereof to make and break the electrical connection between said electrodes, said core being the armature of a magnetic coil located above the level of said mercury, said support member being adapted to maintain said plunger in one of its two operating positions.

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  • Electromagnets (AREA)
  • Switches That Are Operated By Magnetic Or Electric Fields (AREA)
US557147A 1930-09-12 1931-08-14 Mercury switch Expired - Lifetime US1861631A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE587841T 1930-09-12

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US1861631A true US1861631A (en) 1932-06-07

Family

ID=7746508

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US557147A Expired - Lifetime US1861631A (en) 1930-09-12 1931-08-14 Mercury switch

Country Status (2)

Country Link
US (1) US1861631A (de)
DE (1) DE587841C (de)

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE587841C (de) 1933-11-13

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