US2082703A - Remote control - Google Patents

Description

s. H. LANYON REMOTE CONTROL June 1, 1937.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 14, 1935 INVENTOR,

M m m. N N, A Wm L n m E H W L June 1, 1937. s. H. LANYON 2,082,703

REMOTE CONTROL Filed Jan. 14, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR,

' SAMUEL HERBERT LANYON.

. ATTORNEYS.

Patented June l, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT -OFFlCE mmil timt Samuel Herbert Lanyon, Oakland, Calif. Application January 14, 1935, Serial No. 1,747

3 Claims. My invention relates to a means for the remote control of devices requiring a movement which can be resolved into a rotational movement and more particularly to a remote control device which isexceptionally accurate and practically deadbeat.

Among the objects of my invention are: To provide a remote control device operable at a distance; to provide a remote control device which is accurate in its operation and which, regardless of its motion away from predetermined points, will reset to those points through the shortest arc and without substantial deviation; to provide a remote control device which is deadbeat in its action and which will not overrun due to inertia; to provide a remote control device which will not hunt; and to provide a remote control device adaptable for use in controlling radio equipment, elevators, shipboard rudders or in fact, any machines or instruments wherein the exact positioning of a part is to be controlled electrically.

Other objects of my invention will be apparent or will be specifically pointed out in the description forming a part of this specification, but I do not limit myself to the embodiment of the invention herein described, as various forms may be adopted within the scope of the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is the top view in elevation of a simplified remote control device adapted for about 180 total rotation and provided with only two cams in order to simplify the explanation of its operation.

Figure 2 is the wiring diagram reduced to lowest terms and simplified for clarity, no attempt being made to show the relative positions of camoperated contacts. 4

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of cam followers and cam contacts and associated mechanical lock, the cam itself being shown in elevation.

Figure 4 is a side view in elevation of the device of Figure 1, some of the parts being omitted.

Figure 5 is an elevational view taken at right angles to that shown in Figure 4, to show therelation of the gear shifting magnet to the remainder of the apparatus.

It is believed that the broad aspects of my invention can be more fully understood by direct reference to the drawings.

A shaft I, rigidly connected to the shaft to be rotated, either directly thereby obtaining about 180 rotation or less, or through step-up gears thereby obtaining 360 rotation or several revolutions as desired, is mounted in a frame 2 on bearing apertures 4-4 passing through two op- I posite ides of theframe 2. .Mounted on the shaft I do not desire, however, to be limited between the two bearings are a plurality of cams I; In Figure 1 only two are shown, but as many may be used as there are position settings of the shaft desired. As will later be seen, the position setting of the device is such that error is much less 5' than one degree, so that if desired, I80 or more cams may be used. It will also be seenthat a single cam may be used whereon a plurality of operating surfaces may be out. I prefer, however, to describe the device as having separate cams, each of them being adjustable on the shaft as to rotation with respect thereto and being fixed in position by set screws 6. Outside of the frame is positioned a main driving gear 1 fixed on the shaft by a gear set screw 9.

An auxiliary frame "I is fastened to the frame 2 by an angle arm II and the frame In carries mounted thereon a motor l2 having directional windings I3 and I4. Winding I3 is adaptemto cause the motor to run in one direction when 0 energized and winding i4 is adapted to rotate the motor in the opposite direction when energized. in any way by this type of motor as any reversing motor is perfectly satisfactory, particularly when supplied withthree leads, a common lead and two other leads, one of which when energized with the common lead will cause the motor to run in one direction, the other when energized with the common lead, causing the motor to run in the opposite direction.

The motor shaft I5 is extended and carries upon it a brake drum l6 and a worm l1. Mounted also on the auxiliary frame I0 is a gear shaft l9 slid- Bear ing through bearings in both frames, the shaft being parallel to the main rotatable shaft I. The gear shaft l9 carries a pinion whichis adapted to be engaged with the teeth of the main gear I but which is held out of engagement from that gear by means of 'a spring 2|, the distance 40 that the pinion is removed from the main gear being determined by an adiustable stop 22. A driven gear 24 is positioned on the end of the gear shaft l9 in engagement with the worm I1, and is preferably made wide enough so that as the shaft I8 is shifted so that pinion 20 is engaged or disengaged from the main gear I, the worm l1 and driven gear 24 are continually engaged. Thus, pinion 20 is rotating as it approaches the main gear I, greatly aiding a quick and accurate engagement therewith.

I may desire, however, to prevent unchecked overrunning of the motor and I have, therefore, provided the gear shaft with a brake-actuating disc 25 which through a brake link "operates a spring brake 21, normally in contact with drum it so that when the gears are out of engagement this brake will stop the rotation of the motor shaft quickly.

The end of thegear shaft [8 is preferably provided with a bevel 28 which engages with a shift lever 30, only the top of which is shown in Figure 1, the remainder of the shifting mechanism being shown in Figures 4 and 5, to which I now refer.

Shift lever 30 is preferably resilient and is attached to an armature ll of a magnet 32 by an angle bar It, the armature being pivoted to a magnet core I5. Thus, when current is passed through the magnet winding the armature is drawn up and the shift lever pressed against the gear shaft ll forcing gear 20 into mesh with gear I, the direction being as indicated by the arrow I! in Figure 1. When current ceases to pass through the magnet winding 32, spring 2i returns the gear shaft, thus immediately releasing shaft I from any connection with the motor. It will be noticed that during this shift, the brake-actuating disc 2| pushes brake 21 away Iran the brake drum ll, thus allowing the motor to revolve freely and when the gear shaft i9 returns, the brake is applied. The electrical connection of the gear shift magnet to the motor will be given later.

In case the complete remote control device is used, for example, on a radio set, it may be desirable that the radio set be muted during rotational movement and I have found it convenient to utilize a pair of contacts 31, one of which is in contact with the brake-actuating disc II, the circuit being closed by the motion of the gear shaft during engagement. There may be other desirable uses for this contact.

Referring directly to the cam contour and cam contacts as shown in detail in Figure 3, I prefer to provide the cam with a semicylindrical operating surface III having a greater radius than the remaining portions ll. I also prefer to have the portion of greater radius or, as may be more conveniently called, the high portion, occupy not more than 180 of the periphery of the cam, and I prefer to have a slanting transition area 42 on each end. The reason for this will be shown later.

On each cam, substantially opposite each other, I provide a pair of cam followers 4| and associated electrical contacts operated thereby. A description of one follower will serve for all. A cam follower ll extends preferably radially toward the periphery of the cam and passes through a cam follower body 48 mounted on a. pivot 45. These cam followers are pinned in place by means of taper pins 41. The cam follower body I! together with its cam follower is urged toward the periphery of the cam by a cam follower spring 4!, and the distance through which the follower may travel toward the axis of the cam when not in contact with the high portion of the cam is controlled by means of a cam follower limit screw assembly 50.

The cam follower is allowed, by adjusting screw assembly ii, to follow down the transition surface 4! a very slight amount, as the cam is rotated, just sumciently so that a slight rocking action is given to the cam follower body when the cam follower engages the transition surface and progresses onto the high portion of the cam during rotation of the cam. I then utilize this rocking motion by attaching FQUOWer body a. contact arm I carrying a moving contact 52. I then position on the main frame a stationary contact 53 carried by a contact adjusting screw 54 so that the extent of the gap therebetween may be controlled. It will be noticed that by having the cam follower between the cam pivot and the contact carried by the cam follower body that I obtain a multiplication of the distance through which the contact 52 travels, over the actual distance of offset created by the contact of the cam transition surface with the cam follower. I then adjust contact 51 so that the gaps are open when the cam follower is opposite the low portion ll of the cam, but are closed when the cam follower is in contact with the high portion 40 of the cam.

I utilize a cam follower adjustment screw 55 to adjust exactly the position of the cam followers themselves with respect to the transition points on the periphery of the cam so that when the cam is turned to bring both of the cam followers in contact with the opposite transition surfaces, and with the cam in that one position only, both gaps will be open. At all other positions within the operative arc of rotation one or the other of the opposite gaps will be closed according to whether or not the associated follower is on the high portion of the cam.

On each cam I provide at one side of the high portion of the cam a lock brake 55 having a notch 51 therein and then provide a fixed positioning wedge 59 urged into the notch by means of a lock spring 80. This mechanical locking arrangement is in reality a self-centering brake causing the cam to stop instantly, as will be later explanied, when both of the cam follower contacts are open, thus preventing riding by or hunting. In many cases, however, I find that such a lock is not necessary as frictional components of the mechanism which is actuated by the shaft I are many times sufficient to prevent such riding by. It is to be understood that the lock may be placed at other locations around the cam periphery if desired.

The above description is concerned solely with the mechanical structure of the device. The electrical hookup will next be explained, together with the way in which the device functions when so hooked up. Direct reference must, therefore, be had to a simplified wiring diagram, shown I in Figure 2, in which the mechanical structure has also been reduced to lowest terms. The six cams indicated as positioned on shaft i are preferably adjusted so that lines drawn to the axis of the shaft from the beginning of the high portion of the dams will be in the same different angular relationship as the six points at which it is desired that the rotation shall stop.

The opposite movable contacts 52, associated with each cam, are connected together and each connection is brought out to individual selector contacts 6 i. These may conveniently be one contact of a series of interlocking switches 82, each of which will remain closed until released by operation of another or a release button, not shown. A source of electrical current will then be included between the other contacts of these switches such as a main power supply ll. One connection from mains 8! passes through the magnet winding 32 and thereafter is divided to pass through motor windings II and It. The emerging lead from winding ll goes directly to all the stationary contacts ll on one side of the cams and the emerging lead from winding closed at varying temperatures, utilizing the closure for the regulation of draft or feed of a burner for providing heat for houses, green houses or other places where a uniform heat is desired. Again, I may desire to use my instant invention in conjunction with the automatic time control described and claimed in my application, Serial No. 705,670, filed January 8, 1934. This device comprises a traveling tape having holes punched therein allowing various contacts to be made at varying or equal time intervals with particular adaptation to the use of the device as an automatic preselective and manual remote control for a radio set.

The device either as shown or so adjusted as to create a motion having uniform increments is also adapted for use as a repeater. A number of such devices may be operated in parallel by a single set of contactors and the remote control devices themselves located in different geographical positions. Each one will then move to iden-, tical settings of angular rotation in response to the impulses sent out by the single controlling set of contactors. An example of this type of use is a gyrocompass provided with repeating contacts, the remote control devices as herein described being positioned in various locations on a ship and faithfully reproducing the indications given by the main compass. A 2-1 step-up would then be used to obtain 360 readings.

It is also within the scope of my invention to mount pivots I of the cam follower bodies 40 on a frame rotatable around the axis of a single cam. With both gaps between contacts 52 and i! open as shown in Figure 3, any rotation of the frame carrying the cam follower bodies will cause one of the related gapsto close, thus energizing the motor. The cam will then turn and come to rest in a new position as determined by the new position of the cam followers. An electrical follow-up system of this, sort has many applications in industry, as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

While it is obvious in my preferred form that an operating arc of substantially 180, as indicated by the high portion ll in Figure 3, is the are within which the maximumnumber of position settings of other cams is possible, it is also to be understood that the relative position of the operating surface related cam followers should be such that at no time should the associated contacts be both closed, or both opened except when at the desired position, s determined by the related cam. If these conditions are fulfilled, the high portion ll may be greater or less than 180, but the effective operative arc of the related cam cannot be greater than 180 although it may be less.

thermostatic device whereby the contacts are I claim:

1. In a remote control device, the combination with a shaft whose rotation is to be controlled and a motor for rotating said shaft, of a cam rotated by said shaft. a contact actuated by said cam to open during slightly more than one half of its arc of operation, a second contact similarly actuated to be open during slightly more than the other half of its arc of operation, whereby there is a single position whereat both of said contacts are open, a circuit including said contacts and said motor and operative to rotate the motor in one direction when one contact is closed and in the other direction when the other contact is closed, a geared connection between said motor and said shaft including a gear slidable to break said connection, electro-magnetic means in series with said circuit for sliding said gear into mesh when either of said contacts is closed, resilient means acting in opposition to said electro-magnetic means to slide said gear out of mesh when both of said contactors are open, means for instantaneously arresting the motion of said cam at the open position of both contacts, and means operative on the disengagement of said geared connection for braking said motor.

2. In-a remote control device, the combination with a controlled shaft, a motor for driving said shaft, and a cam operated switching system for causing said motor to rotate in a direction adapted to-drive said shaft through the shortest arc to a position predetermined by the setting of said cam, of a gear connection between said motor and shaft including a gear slidable to disconnect said motor and shaft, electro-magnetic means in series with said motor and switching system for sliding said gear into mesh to drive said shaft when said motor is in operation, resilient means for sliding said gear out of mesh, and means operative upon the disengagement of said gear for braking said motor.

3. In a remote control device, the combination with a controlled shaft, a motor for driving said shaft, and a cam operated switching system for causing said motor to rotate in a direction adapted to drive said shaft through the shortest arc to a position predetermined by the setting of said cam, of a gear connection between said motor and shaft including a gear slidable to disconnect said motor and shaft, electro-magnetic means in series with said motor and switching system for sliding said gear into mesh to drive said shaft when said motor is in operation, resilient means for sliding said gear out of mesh, and means operative at the position of deenergization of said motor for stopping separately the motion of both motor and shaft.

SAMUEL HERBERT LANYON.

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