US1932449A - Controller for electrical circuits - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 31, 1933. .1. E. COFFIN 1,932,449

CONTROLLER FOR ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS Filed May 14, 1932 INVENTOR JOHN E. C OFF/N ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 31, 1933 PATENT OFFICE 1,932,449 CONTROLLER FOR ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS John E. Coflin, Maplewood, N. J., assignor to Electric Arc Cutting & Welding 00., Newark,

Application May 14, 1932. Serial No. 611,353

5 Claims.

5, 1932, wherein the entire Current is brought,

to the drum of the controller and distributed by it to the multiple -circuits shown in said application.

Therefore, the principal object of my invention is to provide a controller which is relatively simple and inexpensive in design, yet one that is 1 highly efiicient in its operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide a controller which is so constructed that the parts may be readily reached for the purpose of adjusting the various contacts, or for renewal of any parts of the controller.

My invention will be readily understood by reference to the annexed drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete controller.

Figure 2 is a view looking down on the top of the controller, only two of the contact members being indicated, but the position of the others being indicated by the broken lines.

Figure 3 is a view on the line 33 of Figure 2.

In the drawing, wherein like numbers refer to corresponding parts in the various views, 1 is a framework having end support members 2 and 3. ,Rotatably mounted between the end members 2 and 3 is a shaft 4 having some operating means, as a hand-wheel 5, on one end thereof. Carried on the shaft 4, is a cylindrical drum 6. As shown more particularly in Figure 3, two U-shaped members '7 are fastened in any satisfactory manner, as by screws 8, to the opposite ends of the drum 6. Preferably, the two members 7 are in contact with each other near the axis of the drum 6, and the shaft 4 passes through both the members '7. While I prefer to use two members 7, I have built controllers using only one.

Mounted between the end members 2 and 3, is a support member preferably in the form of a polygonally-shaped metal rod 9 which extends parallel to the shaft 4 in the drum 6. If the rod 9 is of metal, it is covered with an insulator 10 preferably all in one piece, although it is obvious that it may be made of several pieces, and around. the insulator 10 are clamped a plurality of contact members which are shown made of two sections 11 and 12 both preferably of good conducting material. As shown in Figure 3, the section 11 is clamped to the insulator by a clamping bolt 13.

The section 12 is provided with a pivot pin 14 positioned in a slot in the section 11,and is held thereto by adjusting stud 15 which is threaded at 16 so that it can be adjusted in the section ll to vary the tension of the spring 17 held in place be, tween the collars 1S and 19. As a matter of fact, the section 12 is composed of at least two pieces, a channel-shaped member 20 and a Contact piece 21 fastened thereto in any satisfactory manner as by one or more screws 22. The contact members comprising the two sections 11 and 12 are carried on the support member or rod 9 and insulator 10 in such a manner that the Contact member 21 extends over the drum 6 and is adapted to rub on the surface of the drum 6. 1

In order to determine the time at which the various circuits through the several Contact pieces 21 will be completed, the drum is cut out at different portions indicated by the numbers 23, 24, 25, etc. Preferably, one or more of the contact pieces 21 are either in Contact with the controller all the time, or they make contact with the controller on the first step thereof, so that the current from the circuit is brought to the drum by one or more of these contact members and then distributed to the various circuits connected to the other Contact members by means of lead wires connected to the clamping nuts 26 and controlled by the cuts or notches 23, 24, 25, etc., which are arranged as desired.

In order to position the drum for the different settings, a plurality of notches 27 are provided preferably at one end as indicated in Figures 1 and 2, and these notches cooperate with one of the Contact pieces 21, which is not included in any circuit, to give certain positive and Well-defined steps to the different settings of the controller. The drum is preferably made of good conducting material, preferably hard drawn copper or bronze, and likewise the fingers 21 and their cooperating parts, as has already been referred to.

As will be readily understood, the contact members are quickly adjustable longitudinally on the support member 9 so as to line up with their respective notches in the drum 6, and by reason of the separate clamping piece 28, which is providedwith a finger 29 to engage a finger 30 on the section 11, any one of the contact membore may be readily removed or applied to the support member without disturbing any of the other contact members. In addition, the drum 6 8 is so mounted on the shaft 4 that the shaft 4 can be quickly withdrawn from the frame and the drum sb tlldt tlie elitire drums maybe taken out and-endtl ier substituted in order to quickly meet the circuit requirements which may come up.

From what has been said, it will be seen that I have provided a controller that is very easy to construct, assemble, and dis-assemble, yet one that is highly eflicient in operation.

Having thus described inventiomwhat I claim is:

1. A controller for electric circuits including a frame, a metallic cylinder positioned between the ends of the frame, at least one cross-bar positinned at each end of the cylinder and fastened at both ends to the cylinder, a shaft extending said cross-members at the axial center ofttte'cyiinde'ri and directly connected to at least onepfsaid cross-pieces, a metallic rod supported bfthe ends of the frame and extending parallel wltlttlienylfndcn an'insulator covering said rod, a plurality of contact members longitudinally adjustablycarrietlonsaid rod and insulator and e f dihg'iti contactual position with said cylinsewer, said cylinder being cut away around its pemmeryin alignment with the diflerent contact mews according to the requirements of its circuit; atleast one oi said contact members being in continuous engagement with the periphery 83"of the cyimder when the same is in circuit, to

m to

bring the current for distribution directly to the cylinder.

2. A controller for electric circuits as set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that the cylinder has one row of notches therein cooperating with one of said contact members to act as a step-positioning means.

3. A controller for electric circuits aa set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that said rod and insulator are polygonal in shape, and 85 each of said contact members has a part clamped around said insulator, and further characterized in that the cylinder at one end has a row of notches therein cooperating with one oi. said contact members to act as a step-positioning means.

4. A controller for electric circuits as set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that said rod and insulator are polygonal in shape, and each of said contact members is composed of two major metallic sections, one section being clamped around said insulator, the other section being pivotally and adjustably mounted on thefirst section, and means including notches in the cylinder for positively positioning the rotary move ment of the cylinder in steps.

5. A circuit-controller as set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that said contact members are constructed so any one may be individually removed from said support rod without disturbing the others, and further that the drum is carried on a shaft which may be readily and quickly removed from theframe and drum forthe purposes described.

JOHN E. COFFIN.

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