US2066575A

US2066575A - Time delay relay

Info

Publication number: US2066575A
Application number: US739390A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles C Ralph
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1934-08-11
Filing date: 1934-08-11
Publication date: 1937-01-05
Anticipated expiration: 1954-01-05

Description

Jan. 5, 1937. c. c. RALPH 2,066,575

TIME DELAY RELAY Filed Aug. 11, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 M Hum 9 1 (III N/E/VTU c c. RAL

)4 TERA/E Jan. 5, 1937. c. CRALPH 2,066,575

TIME DELAY RELAY I Filed Aug., 11, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Mu/ENTUR Wg 5 C..C..RALPH )4 *TURNE Patented Jan. 5, 1937 v 2,066,575 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,066,575 TIME DELAY RELAY Charles C. ltalphylortland, Oreg. Application August 11, 193 4, SerialNo. 739,390

1 Claimc1. zoo-9'1) This invention relates generally to switching Fig. 11 is similar to Fig. 10 but showing the devices, and particularly to a time delay relay. maximum amount of resistance offered to the The main object of this invention is the conflow of current. struction of a thoroughly reliable and inexpensive Fig. 12 is a section through the point of a contime delay relay by means of which there may tact screw.

be interposed a deflnite lag in the opening or 0105- Similar numbers of reference refer to similar ing of one or more electrical circuits after the parts throughout the several views. opening or closing of another,circuit. Referring in detail to the drawings, there is The second object is to provide a time delay shown a tubular shell l2 of ferrous metal whose relay which is independent of temperature conlower end I3 is of a similar material and has 10 ditions and which can be set with extreme acmounted on the center thereof a magnet core l4 curacy. whose upper end l5 extends through the floor IS The third object is the utilization of mercury of insulating material which flts tightly within in the .switching element and the provision of the shell l2 and forms a well for mercury I1. means for protecting the mercury against oxida- Between the lower end l3 and the floor i6 and 15 tion under-atmospheric and arcing conditions. surrounding the core I4 is the electromagnet 18 The fourth object is to utilize the well known to which current is supplied from a source of enaflinity between mercury and certain other metals, ergy, such as a battery l9, through the lead wires such as copper, in order to obtain a rapid sep- 20. The flow .of current to the magnet 18 is aration of the switching points when the circuit controlled by means of a switch 2| which maybe 20 is broken. either manually operated or responsive to time,

The fifth object is to provide a construction temperature, or other conditions. which will improve the action of the solenoid. Within the shell l2 and floating in the mer- The sixth object is to provide a form of relay cury I1 is an open float 22 having a recess 23 in adaptable for continuous use in controlling deits top side. -The float 22 is preferably provided 5 vices-operated from ordinary lighting circuits. with

non-ferrous rings

24 and 25 which hold the.

These, and other objects, will become more I float 22 out of intimate contact with the shell l2. apparent from the specification following as il- Extending upwardly through the ring 24 and into lustrated in the accompanying drawings, in the float 22 are the vertical holes 25 which com-- which: municate by means of the inclined holes 21 with 30 Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the manthe recess 23. ner of connecting a plurality of lights to the re- In the bottom 28 of the float 22 is mounted lay. a bushing 29 made of copper, or some other suit- Fig. 2 is avertical section through the preferred able metal, and having a hole 30 formed thereform of the device showing the relay closed. through. 35

Fig. 3 is similar to Fig. 2 but showing the relay The top of the shell I2 is closed by means of a open. head 3| of insulating material in which are Fig. 4 is a vertical section through a modified mounted ,

various contact screws

32, 33, 34, 33, form of the device employed for handling the cur- 36, 31 and 38, the lower end of each of which m rent from a lighting circuit. I is provided with a copper tip 39 (as shown in m Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the rotor illustrated Fig. 12). in Fig. 4, a portion of which is broken away'in sec- It will be seen in Fig. 1 that the contact screws tion and showing the circuit open. 32, 33,, 34 and 35 inclusive are connected to the Fig. 6 is similar to Fig. 5 but showingthe rotor lamps 40, 4!, 42 and 43. This, however, is meretilted and the circuit closed. ly for the purpose of illustration since they are Fig. 'lis a vertical section through a simple capable of being connected in any other manform of the device showing the circuit closed. ner desired, and the screws 36 to 38 may be con- Fig. 8 is similar to Fig. 7 showing the circuit nected to other lamps or apparatus'if desired. about to be broken. The lamps 40 to 43 are connected to the battery Fig. 9 is similar to Fig. 8 showing the circuit IS. The battery i9 is also connected by means completely broken. of a wire 44 to the bottom end l3.

Fig. 10 is a view through a modification oi the The operation of this form of the device is as device inwbich it isused to operate a rheostat and follows: Assuming that the switch 2| is closed, ini'whichtbe amount of resistance is either manually or automatically, as the result- 5. offered to the flowoi current. of a thermostatic action, or by a time switching mechanism, or in any other manner which will permit current to flow to the magnet 6, thus overcoming the balance of buoyancy of the float 22 and submerging it in the mercury I1, forcing the mercury up through the holes 26, then through the holes 21 into the recess 23, some of the mercury also passing upwardly through the small hole 30.

The submerging of the float 22 has brought about a rise in the level of the mercury H which now surrounds the lower ends of the screws 32 to 36. It will be understood that the float 22 is in reality the armature for the magnet l6 and will descend when the magnet I6 is energized, or rise to a floating position when the magnet i8 is not energized.

The various lamps 46 to 43 will remain lighted as long as the switch 2| remains closed, and in addition thereto until the mercury H has had time to pass downwardly through the small opening 36, thereby permitting the float 22 to rise and displace less of the mercury thereby uncovering the various screw points 33 in the order of their elevationthat is, the highest point 36 for example, will be uncovered flrst and the lowest point 32 will be uncovered last. 1

It willbe observed that the rapidity of the 'operation is controlled to a large extent by the size of the

openings

26, 21 and 36, while the timing may be accurately controlled by the setting of the various screws 33 to 36.

In the form of the device shown in Figs. 4 to 6 the same armature or float 22 is employed, as well as the magnet l8 and shell l2. With this form of the device, however, is employed a gas filled orevacuated sphere 45 which is rockably mounted on the metallic trunnions 46 which journal in the

brackets

41 and 46, which are separately mounted on the under side of the head 49 made of insulating material.

The

brackets

41 and 46 are joined by the wires 56 and 5| to a motor 52 which is connected to a power circuit 53. Within the sphere 45 is a dam 54 which, like the sphere 45, is made of an insulating material such as glass. The dam 54 is normal to the axis of the trunnions 46.

Connected to the trunnions 46 and extending into the sphere 45 are the electrodes 55 which.

extend almost to the dam 54, somewhat near one end thereof. A trunnion 46 is provided with a crank 56 which is joined by a connecting rod 51 to an eye 56 secured to the float 22, preferably near the middle thereof.

The operation of this form of the device is as follows: When the switch 56 is closed and the float 22 submerged the sphere 45 is rocked on its axis to the position shown in Fig. 6, permitting current to flow between the electrodes 55 through the mercury 60, however when, the switch 69 is again opened and when enough mercury H has passed downwardlythrough the hole 36, thereby permitting the float or armature 22 to rise, then the sphere 45 isreturned to its original position (as shown in Fig. 5).

The point to be observed here is that when the break in the circuit is made it occurs from the dam 54, and this break is very rapid and a very small amount of power is required to rock the sphere 45 as compared with the mercury switches of the tilting tube type.

In the form of the device shown in Figs. '7 to 9 a simple form of float or armature 6| is illustrated and there is provided sufllcient clear-.

ance 62 around the float 6| to permit the rapid upward movement of the mercury ll. In this form of the device a single electrode screw 63 is illustrated, and there is also shown the use of the oil fllm 64 on the surface of the mercury H, the purpose of which is to reduce oxidation either from atmospheric conditions or from arcing conditions.

It will be noted that the screw 63 is provided with a copper tip 33 whose afllnity for the mercury causes it to form a connecting column 65 (as shown in Fig. 8); however, when the column 65 has reached its maximum length it severs very rapidly, bringing about a very desirable action for the circuit breaker.

In the form of the device shown in Figs. 10 and 11 instead of employing the contact screws 32 to 36 or the rockable sphere 45, there is illustrated the use of a rheostat which consists of a simple resistance coil 66 which is suspended from the head 61 by means of the

screws

68 and 69.

It can be seen that in this form of the device the flow of current to the lamp'lll may be variably controlled, since the resistance offered by the element 66 is effected by the amount which is shorted out by the mercury II.

It will be noted that plug 29 is preferably made of copper or some metal which will amalgamate with mercury and this plug has a small hole 36 drilled therethrough. The side 01 this hole amalgamates with the mercury and offers a capillary attraction which aids in the flow of mercury through the hole, thus permitting the use of a very minute hole that is at all times covered with mercury preventing any possibility of foreign substances clogging the hole.

The use of this plug increases the efllciency ot the device by allowing delays on a small relay up to five minutes, whereas the greatest possible delay without the amalgamating plug will be about flve seconds.

The amalgamated tip 39 allows a delay on the return of the armature to its floating position. This feature of the relay makes it automatic in action whereby it will cause a continuous recycling action of the armature with a predeter-- mined time delay both on the closing and the opening oi the circuit.

In other words, it is the combined action of the amalgamated plug and. the amalgamated tip which makes possible the abnormally long delay interval obtainable with this relay.

I claim:

A time delay relay comprising a mercury bath, an armature in the form of a container adapted to float in said bath, said armature having an opening in the bottom thereof through which mercury can pass to or from the interior of the armature, an electromagnet associated with said armature for exerting a pull thereon for the purpose oi submerging said armature, the emerging action being retarded by the.flow of mercury through said opening and a mercurial switch in the form of a sphere rockably mounted on a horizontal axis and having a dam across the lower portion thereof normal to its axis, said switch having spaced electrodes therein separated by said dam and having a body of mercury confined withlnsaid sphere, together with means for rocking said sphere to conform with the movements of said armature.

CHARLES C. RALPH.