US1995541A - Retard switch - Google Patents

Description

March 26, 1935. 5, HARTZE| 7 1,995,541

RETARD SWITCH Filed June 18, 1931 (772049 I r Samuel 4. lfiu'lzel Patented Mar. 26, 1935 PATENT OFFlCE 1,995,541 RETARD swi'rcn Samuel A. Hartzcll, Chicago, Ill., assignor of onehalf to W. 0. Duncan, Chicago, Ill.

Application June 18, 1931, Serial No. 545,294

1 Claim.

My invention relates to electrical apparatus and has special reference to improvements in electrical contact making devices, wherein the conducting terminals or electrodes at which the electrical 5 contact making" and breaking operations are ef- Iected are enclosed in a container which also contains a compact and coherent body of current conducting fluid through the agency of which the said electrodes are brought into electrical conducting relation with one another.

My present invention relates particularly to electrical contact making or electrical switching devices of the character described, which are adapted for commercial operations and which are particularly adapted to make and break contact witha retarded or delayed action.

The principal object 01' my invention is to provide an improved mercury switch mechanism having means therein for providing a delayed contact closing or opening action.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved switch mechanism of this type that may be conveniently adapted to open and close the contacts within any desired lapse of time.

A further object oi the invention is to provide an improved type of retard switch mechanism employing mercury as a conducting medium to .connect the electric contacts therein.

A further object is to provide an improved re- 30 tard switch having means therein for making a delayed connection, between a pair of electrodes and a quick instantaneous break therebetween.

Other objects and advantages will be more clearly understood from the following description wherein;

Fig. 1 is a lengthwise sectional view of a form of switch embodying my invention and in which a retarded action is accomplished in closing the circuit and an instantaneous break is. accomplished in opening the circuit, showing the switch in one extreme position; and

Fig. 2 is a view similar .to Figure 1, showing the switch in its other extreme position.

In the form of my invention shown by way 01' example, a glass container is suitably secured, midway of its length; in a clamp 55 pivoted at 68 to turn on an axis extending transversely of this container. The container comprises chambers 59 and 60 connected by a restricted timing passageway 88 and an unrestricted passageway 89. with this construction, as can readily be seen from the two positions of the switch shown in 1 and 2, tilting of the switch from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2will causethemercuryMtoinstantlyflow from chamber 59 to chamber 60 thereby making a quick break between the electrodes 63 and 64 projecting into chamber 59. This is accomplished by the particular formation of the container walls whereby the mercury is directed through the en larged conduit 89. When the, switch is tilted into an on position, to close a circuit including the electrodes 63' and 64, such as it assumes in Fig. 1, it can be seen that the body of mercury will flow through therestricted timing passageway 88 thereby giving the desired retarded action in the closing of the circuit. In order to avoid the possibility of any of the mercury flowing through passageway 89, in tilting the switch to such on" position, an overhanging lip formation 89' is provided at the end of the passageway 89 in chamber 60. To assist in directing a return flow of the mercury from chamber 59 to chamber 60, when the switch is tilted to an off position, the passageway is turned abruptly downwardly as clearly shown at 88. This is for the purpose of preventing, to a great extent, the return of any mercury through the passageway 88, and necessarily directing the mercury through passageway 89. This switch is particularly valuable in circuits where a retarded making and a quick breaking are desired.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of my invention, I desire it to be understood that I contemplate any changes and modifications that may be made in the construction thereof and which fall within the scope of the appended claim. a

What I claim is:

In a circuit controlling device of the class described, a container comprising an electrode chamber, an electrode therein, a receiving chamber above the electrode chamber in the circuit closing position of the device, a member defining a relatively free return passageway and extending from the upper part of the electrode chamber into the receiving chamber above the bottom of the latter to define amercury trap, a body of mercury adapted to be retained in said trap with its level below the top of said passageway, a member defining a restricted *timing passageway extending from the lower part of the trap to said electrode chamber for returning the mercury from the receiving chamber to the electrode chamber to close the circuit after an interval of time following the initiation of flow from the trap to the electrode chamber, said device being adapted to be tilted to bring the electrode chamber above the receiving chamber.

SAMUEL A. HARTZEIL.

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