US2043771A

US2043771A - Electric relay

Info

Publication number: US2043771A
Application number: US693614A
Authority: US
Inventors: Peter Leslie Hurst; Mac-Gregor Roderick Marcus
Original assignee: Union Switch and Signal Inc
Current assignee: Hitachi Rail STS USA Inc
Priority date: 1932-10-20
Filing date: 1933-10-14
Publication date: 1936-06-09
Anticipated expiration: 1953-06-09
Also published as: GB409004A

Description

L. H. PETER-ET AL 'ELECTRIC RELAY June 9, 1936.

Filed Oct. 14, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTORS Hurst Peter and fiMarvw/ffaodmgor THEIR ATTORNEY ELECTRIC RELAY Filed Oct. 14, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Leskl/urszPeier and THEIR A TTORNE Y Patented June 9, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC RELAY Application October 14, 1933, Serial No. 693,614

In Great Britain October 20, 1932 7 Claims.

This invention relates to electric relays of the time element type in which the relay contacts are adapted to be opened or closed only after the expiration of a predetermined interval of time from the energization or denergization of the relay.

The invention has for its object to provide an improved relay of this character and according to the principal feature of the invention the relay comprises an electrically operated motor mechanism which is arranged to be started into operation when the relay is energized or deenergized and to be operatively coupled by an electrically actuated clutch me'chanismor its equivalent to a rotary mechanism adapted to effect the operation of the relay contacts after this mechanism has been rotated to a predetermined extent by the motor mechanism.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings of which Figures 1 and 2 are views in front elevation and plan respectively of a time element relay adapted to be operated by direct current and constructed in accordance with a preferred form of the invention. Figure 3 is a view of the relay in side elevation and Figure 4 a detail view on an enlarged scale of a portion of the relay mechanism. Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of the circuit connections of the relay shown in the preceding figures. Figure 6 is a plan view similar to Figure 2 of a modified construction of relay adapted to be operated by alternating current, Figure '7 being a view similar to Figure 5 showing the circuit connections of the relay of Figure 6.

Referring now first to the relay shown in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, it will be seen that the relay comprises arocking member I carrying movable contacts 2 adapted to cooperate with fixed contacts 3 of the relay to control the relay circuits in theusual manner. The rocking member I is mounted in trunnion bearings 4 and is connected by means of a link 5 to one end of an arm 6 the opposite end of which is connected to the V pivotally mounted armature l of an operating electromagnet 8 provided with an energizing coil 9.

The energizing circuit of the coil 9 includes a contact Ill (see Figure 5) controlled by the rocking member I, this contact being open when the relay is deenergized, a branch circuit for energizing the coil 9 including a spring contact I l and a contact [2 carried on a spring contact arm l3. The contact arm l3 also carries an operating member l4 adapted to engage with the periphery of a cam disc l5 provided with a cam projection l6.

The relay also comprises motor mechanism comprising a toothed wheel I! adapted to be rotated step by step by means of a pawl l8 carried by the movable armature IQ of an electromagnet having an energizing coil 20. As shown in Figure 5, the armature l9 also controls contacts 2| included in the energizing circuit of the coil 20, a rectifier 22 being connected across the terminals of the coil 20 for the purpose of providing a free path for the reverse current when the contacts 2! are opened.

The operation of the motor mechanism above described will be understood without further explanation and it will be seen from Figure 5 that with the rocking member I of the relay in its deenergized position a circuit is completed from the terminal 23 through wires 24 and 25, the coil 29 of the motor mechanism, contacts 2|,

wires

26 and 21, contacts 28, closed when the rocking member is in the position shown, and wire 29 to the other relay terminal 30.

It will thus be evident that when energizing current is supplied to the terminals 23, 30 of the relay, the wheel I! will be rotated step by step by means of the pawl l8 so long as the rocking member I remains in the position shown in Figure 5.

The shaft 3| of the motor mechanism on which the toothed wheel I1 is mounted is provided with a pinion 32 with which an idler pinion 33 is adapted to intermesh when moved into engagement therewith by means of a clutch magnet 34 comprising a coil 35 and a movable armature 36 connected by arms 3! to the idler pinion 33. The pinion 33 intermeshes with a gear wheel 38 mounted on a shaft 39 carrying the cam disc IS, the shaft 39 being provided with a pinion 40 intermeshing with a toothed segment 4| carrying a counterweighted arm 42 for restoring the shaft 39 and cam disc l5 to its normal position when the motor device and clutch are deenergized.

The coil 35 of the clutch magnet 34 is connected across the wires 25, 21 as shown in Figure 5 so that operating current is supplied to the coil 35 when the relay is energized and so long as the contacts 28 are closed.

Projecting from one face of the cam disc I5 is a stop 43 adapted to engage with a stop 44 projecting from the adjacent face of a gear wheel 45 loosely mounted upon the shaft 39, the gear wheel 45 engaging with a worm 46 carried on the lower end of a rotatable vertical spindle 41, the upper end of which projects through the top plate 48 of the relay as shown in Figure 3. By rotating the spindle 41 the angular position of the gear wheel 45 and of the stop 44 carried thereby can be adjusted as desired, this position being indicated by a pointer 49 adapted to move over a scale (not shown) graduated in minutes or seeonds.

The operation of the relay is as follows:

Under normal or release conditions in which the relay is not being supplied with energizing current, the rocking member I is in its inoperative position shown in Figure 5 so that a circuit for the motor device is completed from the terminal 23 to the terminal 39 as above described while a circuit for the coil 35 of the clutch magnet 34 is also completed from terminal 23 through

wires

24, 25 and 49, the coil 35 and wire 21 to the terminal 39. The clutch magnet 34 being deenergized the idler pinion 33 is out of engagement with the motor pinion 32 and the shaft 39 carrying the gear wheel 39 and cam disc I5 is maintained by the counterweighted arm 42 in an angular position determined by the position to which the stop 44 has been adjusted by the spindle 41. The projection 16 on the cam disc 15 will thus be separated from the operating member l4 by a predetermined angular distance and the contact l2 being out of engagement with the contact H the circuit of the coil 9 of the operating magnet 8 is interrupted.

When energizing current is supplied to the relay the motor mechanism commences to rotate and the coil 35 of the clutch magnet 34 being energized the idler pinion 33 is moved into engagement with the pinion 32 so that the rotation of the ratchet wheel I! is transmitted to the gear wheel 38 and to the cam disc [5 which are thereby rotated raising the counterweighted arm 42.

As soon as the cam disc l5 has been rotated to an angular extent sufiicient to bring the pro jection l6 into engagement with the operating member l4, the contact I2 is caused to engage with the contact ll thus completing the energizing circuit of the operating magnet 8 from terminal 23 through wires 24 and 59, the coil 9 of the magnet 8, wire 5|, contacts II and I2 and wire 52 to the terminal 39. The armature l of the operating magnet 8 is thus attracted and operates the rocking member I to its energized position in which the relay contacts are operated and the contacts l9 are closed and the contacts 28 opened.

The closure of the contacts l9 completes a stick circuit for the coil 9 of the operating magnet 8 from terminal 23 through wires 24, 59, coil 9, wire 5|, contacts [9 and wire 29 to terminal 39 so that the coil 9 remains energized so long as energizing current is supplied to the relay terminals 23, 30.

The opening of the contacts 28 interrupts the circuits for the coil 35 of the clutch magnet 34 and for the coil 29 of the motor mechanism so that the latter ceases to operate and the armature 36 of the clutch magnet 34 is released thereby causing the idler pinion 33 to be disengaged from the pinion 32.

The gear wheel 38 and cam disc 15 are then free to be returned to their normal positions under the action of the counterweighted arm 42, while the rocking member I is maintained in its energized position so long as energizing current continues to be supplied to the relay.

When the supply of energizing current to the relay is interrupted, the coil 9 of the operating magnet 8 is deenergized and the rocking member returns to its inoperative position.

It will be understood that the extent to which the cam disc [5 must be rotated from its normal position so as to permit the projection It to engage with the operating member M will be dependent upon the original position of the cam disc 15 as defined by means of the stop 44 which by means of the gear Wheel 45, worm 49 and adjusting spindle 41 is arranged to be adjusted so as correspondingly to vary the interval of time required to bring the cam projection It to a position to operate the member M as above explained.

Referring now to the modified constructions shown in Figures 6 and 7 it will be seen that the motor mechanism of the relay consists of a small synchronous motor 62, one terminal 53 of which is connected to the wire 26 leading through the contacts 28 and the wire 29 to terminal 39 of the relay, the other terminal 54 of the motor 62 being connected through a wire 55, to the wire 25 leading to the other terminal 23 of the relay.

A rectifier 56 is connected across the terminals of the coil 35 of the clutch magnet 34 so as to enable the latter to be operated by rectified current and a high resistance 51 is, connected between the terminal 53 of the motor 52 and the rectifier 59 as shown in Figure 7.

The operation of this form of relay is substantially the same as that of the construction previously described With reference to Figures 1 to 5 inclusive and will be readily understood without further explanation.

The invention is evidently not limited to the particular construction or arrangements above described and illustrated by way of example which may be modified in various respects without exceeding the scope of the invention.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, We declare that what we claim is:

1. A normally energized electric relay comprising, in combination, a normally deenergized electrically operated motor mechanism, means for at times energizing said motor mechanism to cause operation thereof, a rotary mechanism, means effective when said motor mechanism is energized for coupling said motor mechanism to said rotary mechanism, and means controlled by said rotary mechanism for effecting the operation of the contacts of said relay after said rotary mechanism has been rotated to a predetermined extent by said motor mechanism and for deenergizing said motor mechanism.

2. An electric relay comprising, in combination, a normally deenergized electrically operated motor mechanism, means for at times energizing said motor mechanism to cause operation thereof, a rotary mechanism, means eifective when said motor mechanism is energized for coupling said motor mechanism to said rotary mechanism, an operating electromagnet, a governing contact controlled by said rotary mechanism in such manner as to become operated when said rotary mechanism has been rotated to a predetermined extent by said motor mechanism, an energizing circuit for said electromagnet controlled by said governing contact, a second contact controlled by said electromagnet and a holding ciredit for said electromagnet including said second contact.

3. An electric relay comprising, in combination, a normally deenergized electrically operated 75 motor mechanism, means for at times energizing said motor mechanism to cause operation thereof, a rotary mechanism, means effective when said motor mechanism is energized for coupling said motor mechanism to said rotary mechanism, an operating electromagnet, a contact controlled by said rotary mechanism in such manner as to become operated after the expiration of a predetermined interval of time from the energization of said motor mechanism, a circuit for said electromagnet controlled by said contact, and means controlled by said electromagnet for deenergizing said motor mechanism.

4. An electric relay comprising, in combina tion, a normally deenergized electrically operated motor mechanism, means for at times energizing said motor mechanism to cause operation thereof, a rotary mechanism having a normal position of rest, means effective when said motor mechanism is energized for coupling said motor mecha nism to said rotary mechanism, an operating electromagnet, a governing contact controlled by said rotary mechanism in such manner as to become operated when said rotary mechanism has been rotated to a predetermined extent from said normal position of rest by said motor mechanism, a circuit for said electr-omagnet controlled by said governing contact, means controlled by said electromagnet for deenergizing said motor mechanism, and means for adjustably changing the normal position of rest of said rotary mechanism to vary the extent to which said rotary mechanism must be rotated before said governing contact becomes operated.

5. A normally energized electric relay comprising, in combination, a normally deenergized electrically operated motor mechanism, means for energizing said motor mechanism to cause operation thereof, a rotary mechanism, a clutch mechanism including a clutch magnet and an idler pinion, means effective when said motor mechanism is energized for coupling said motor mechanism to said rotary mechanism by means of said clutch magnet and said idler pinion, and means controlled by said rotary mechanism for effecting the operation of the contacts of said relay after said rotary mechanism has been rotated to a pre determined extent by said motor mechanism and for deenergizing said motor mechanism.

6. An electric relay comprising, in combination, a normally deenergized electrically operated motor mechanism, means for at times energizing said motor mechanism to cause operation thereof, a rotary mechanism comprising a ratchet wheel which is rotated step by step by means of an electro-magnetically operated pawl, means efiective when said motor mechanism is energized for coupling said motor mechanism to said rotary mechanism, and means controlled by said rotary mechanism for effecting the operation of the contacts of said relay after said rotary mechanism has been rotated to a predetermined extent by said motor mechanism and for deenergizing said motor mechanism.

7. An electric relay comprising, in combination, a normally deenergized electrically operated motor mechanism comprising a synchronous alternating current motor, means for at times energizing said motor mechanism to cause operation thereof, a rotary mechanism, means effec tive when said motor mechanism is energized for coupling said motor mechanism to said rotary mechanism, and means controlled by said ro- 1 tary mechanism for effecting the operation of the contacts of said relay after said rotary mechanism has been rotated to a predetermined extent by said motor mechanism and for deenergizing said motor mechanism.

LESLIE HURST PETER.

RODERICK MARCUS MAcGREGOR.