US1917481A

US1917481A - Circuit closer

Info

Publication number: US1917481A
Application number: US590920A
Authority: US
Inventors: Anderson Joseph; Leo V Anderson; Joseph B Anderson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1932-02-04
Filing date: 1932-02-04
Publication date: 1933-07-11
Anticipated expiration: 1950-07-11

Description

Patented July 11, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE JOSEPH ANDERSON, LEO V. ANDERSON AND JOSEPH B. ANDERSGN", OF LEH, UTAH CIRCUIT CLOSER Application filed February 4, 1932. Serial No. 590,2

'This invention relates to a circuit closer, and it is primarily an object of the invention to provide a device of this kind actuated by a time operating mechanism and which em- J bodies a structure whereby a desired circuit may be closed and opened in predetermined. timed sequence.

Another object of the invention is to pro-` vide a device of this `kind comprising a mova- 73 ble contact member arranged for coaction with a second contact` member, said second contact member being adjustable with respect to the movable contact member to regulate or control the period of time with which both 3" of such contacts 'are in working engagement one with respect to the invention.

The invention also has for an `object to provide a device of this kind comprising a movable contact for coaction with what might be 'ii-l termed a stationary Contact, together with a stop member arranged for coaction with the movable contact to provide means to assure working engagement between the movable and stationary contacts at substantially a pre- 'f determined period of time.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind comprising1 two contacts, one being movable with respect to the other, the movablecontact being of a.

99 charac-ter to have immediate effective engagement withvthe other contacter release therefrom with the liability of sparking or gapping substantially eliminated.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and airangement of the several parts of our iinproved circuit closer whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient and advantageous for use, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The novel features of our invention will hereinafter be definitely claimed.

In order that our invention may be the betterunderstood, we will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein kFigure l is a view in elevation of a circuit closer constructed in accordance with an embodimcnt of our invention;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantiaily on the line 2 2 of Figure l looking in the direction of the arrow;

A Figure 3 is a ciagramniatic view illustrating certain features of the invention as herein comprised.

' is disclosed in the accompanyingl dra-wing, l denotes a body member of desired confiouration and formed of any suitabie mateiiial non-conductiife` of electricity. This member l may be supporteri by a base bracket 2 ci' otherwise as the requirements of practice may prefer. Rotatably disposed through the member l is a shaft 3 of a material conductive of electricity and which is adapted to be engaged by a coupling L with a drive member 5. L

The .couping i is of a material non-con- 70 ductive of electricity and the member 5 is adapted to be driven by any desired type of time actuating mechanism, the member 5 however, preferably rotating at a speed td require twenty-four hours to complete a single revolution of the shaft 3.

The shaft 3 is preferably disposed direct` ly through sujl'iporting bearing G also of a material conductive of electricity and which is iixedly secured by the screws 7 or the like 80 tothe body member l. @ne of the screws in the present embodiment of our invention constitutes a terminal connection for a conductor a adapted to lead from a suitable source of electrical energy.

. In the present embodiment of the inventioii the member l at opposite sides of its vertical center is provided with the arcuate slots 8 concentric to the sha t 3 and slidably arranged within each of the slots S is a con tact member 9. Each of these members 9 has leading therefrom an electrical conductor leading to a suitable point of translation, as for example a potentiall illuminating medium. The shaft 3 in the present embodia- 95 ment of the invention rotates in an anticlockwise direction and each of the slots 8 has arranged therein in advance of its contact member 9 a stop member l0. Each of the contact members 9 as well as each of the 100 stop members 10 is adapted to be adjusted along its associated slot 8 tol a desired selective location in accordance with the desired timed sequence of operation, and one of the slots 8 beyond the contact member 9 is provided with a second contact member 11 in electrical connection by the conductor c with a conductor b and interposed in this conductor c is a resistance coil 12.

Each of the contact members 9 and the stop member 10 is held in desired adjusted position in its slot 8 in a conventional manner by a holding nut 4.

The shaft 3 carries a rock arm 15 overlying the outer or front face of the member 1 and pivotally connected, as at 16, with the outer extremity of the rock arm 15 is an elongated and relatively broad contact member 17 which, in the present embodiment of the invention, is substantially straight from end to end.

Coacting with the roch arm 15 and with the contact member 17 is a spring element 18 which serves to urge the contact member 17 in one direction. This spring element constitutes an intermediate coil surrounding the pivotal mounting 16 for the member 17 with y one extremity of the spring element in effecn tive engagement with the rock arm 15 and the opposite extremity in effective engagement with the contact member 17.

In the present embodiment of our invention a period of twenty-four hours is required for the rock arm 15 to completely travel around the adjacent face of the member 1, and as the rock arm 15 travels upwardly from the vertical the contact member 17 will come into contact with the stop member 10 at what we might call the evening side of the device. The location of the stop member 10 within its slot 8 with respect to the adjacent contact member 9 will determine the period of time required for said contact member 17 to pass from the stop member 10.

As the rock arm 15 travels with the contact member 17 in contact with the stop member 10 the spring element 1S will be placed under such tension that immediately upon' the contact member 17 passing free from the stop member 10 the spring element 18v will throw the contact member 17 into abrupt enga-gement with the contact member 9. This is important as it minimizes the liability of sparking or gapping which might otherwise occur and which would have a tendency to impair the efiiciency of the device.

lVhen the member 17 comes into engagement with the contact member 9 due to the fact that the rock arm 15 as well as the contact member 17 are conductive of electricity, a circuit will be closed through the conductors a and Z) thusassuring the desired translation of electrical energy, as for example an electric lighting system such as employed in chicken houses.

The placement of the stop member 10 with respect to the contact member- 9 and, of course, the particular location of the contact member 9 will determine the period of time at which the contact member 17 will come into engagement with the contact men'lber 9. The setting of these

members

10 and 9 may be readily done by initially turning the shaft 3 and considering the readings of the conventional time hands with respect to the associated time dial. To facilitate this placement, however, the outer face of the member 1 may'have thereon the graduations 19 which, as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawing, may be placed at one-half hour intervals. As is believed to be obvious these graduations, however, may be otherwise spaced or arranged.

As the contact member 17 passes from the Contact member 9 at the cevening side of the device, said contact member 17 under the iniiuence of the spring element 18 Will then be immediately brought into engagement with the contact member 11 which, owing to the interposed resistance in the conductor c lea ding therefrom, will reduce the translation of the current and which is particularly desirable in chicken houses as the glow from the lighting system will be reduced somewhat in simulation of a sunset.

It might be mentioned at this time that our improved device can be employed to advantage in connection with chicken houses to assure: longer hours of light than would be obtained if depending wholly and entirely upon the sun.

It is believed that the coaction and operation of the contact member 17 with the stop member 10 and thev contact member 9 in the .slotvS at the morning side of the device will be clearly understood from the aforesaid description with respect to the similar men'lbers in the slot at the evening side of the device.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a circuit closer constructed in accordance with our invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that our invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason We do not wish to be understood as. limiting ourselves to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out our invention in practice except as hereinafter claimed.

We claim 1. A circuit closer comprising a member, a rock arm rotatably supported by said member, arcuate slots in the member concentric to the axis about which the rock arm travels, means for connecting the rock arm to a source of electrical energy, a contact member in each of the slots, a stop member in each of the slots in advance of the contact member, a contact member' pivotally connected to the rock arm and of a length to have contact With a stop member and a first named contact member, and a spring element coacting With the rock arm and the last named Contact member for bringing said last named contac-t member into engagement With the stop member and then to abruptly bring the last named contact member into engagement with the contact member in the same slot as the stop member immediately upon the rock arm travelling a distance to throw the last named contact member free of the stop member.

2. A circuit closer comprising a member, a rock arm rotatably supported by said member, arcuate slots in the member concentric to the axis about which the rock arm travels, means :tor connecting the rock arm to a source of electrical energy, a contact member in each of the slots, la stop member in each of the slots in advance of the contact member, a contact member'pivotally connected to the rock arm and of a length to have contact with a stop member and a rst named contact member, and a spring element coacting With the rock arm and the last named contact member for bringing said last named contact member into engagement With the stop member and then to abruptly bring the last named contact member into engagement With the contact member inthe same slot as the stop member immediately upon the rock arm travelling a distance to throw the last named contact,

member free of the stop member, the contact member and stop member in each of the slots being adjustable in the slot one With respect to the other. l

3. A circuit closer comprising a rock arm, means for operating the same, means for placing the rock arm in connection with electrical energy, a member, a contact member carried thereby, a stop member carried by said member, said contact member and stop member being adjustable one with respect to the other, an elongated contact member pivotally connected with the rock arm for contact with the stop member and the contact member in timed sequence, and spring element coacting With the rock arm and the elongated Contact member for urging the elongated contact member into effective engagement With either the stop member or the tiret contact member, said spring element being placed under tension during travel of the rock arm with the elongated member in engagement with the stop member and abruptly throwing the elongated member into engagement With the lirst named contact member immediately upon the rock arm mov ing a distance to free the elongated member from the stop member.

In testimony whereof We hereunto aHiX our signatures.

JOS. ANDERSON. LEO V. ANDERSON. JOSEPH B. ANDERSON.