US2155758A

US2155758A - Automatic circuit breaker

Info

Publication number: US2155758A
Application number: US157058A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hinde Marion Kelly
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1937-08-02
Filing date: 1937-08-02
Publication date: 1939-04-25
Anticipated expiration: 1956-04-25

Description

April 25, 1939. M. K. HINDE AUTOMATIC CIRCUIT BREAKER Filed Aug. 2. 1537 Patented Apr. 25, ,1939

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

, cult breakers in general, and has particular, relerence to a cirucit breaker adapted to be mounted on an automobile for thepurpose of autornati- 5 cally breaking the electric circuit oi the automobile whenever the automobile becomes either o inverted or tilted ata dangerous angle.

In the prior art circuit breakers have been applied to automobiles for this purpose, but the break in the circuit upon inversionor tilt of the automobile occurs only while the vehicle is in-' verted or tilted and becomes closed, when the vehicle is returned to proper position. This frequently results in setting tire to, the vehicle, be-

This application is a continuation in part oi my Patent 2,099,483, November 16, 1937,

In the drawing: 7 so Figure l is an elevation of a preferred form oi the invention, part oi the enclosing casing being broken away toshow details of construction; Figure2 is a vertical section taken on the line 22 ot Figure l; f

as Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-4 of Figure l; and I Figure 4 is a vertical section taken length through a modification oi thatoi the apparatus illustrated in Figure 3. t u Rolex-ring to the drawing, in which similar parts are designated by like numerals: I

o The elements comprising the circuit breaker are enclosed in the casing of insulating material.

To facilitate disclosure, however, only two or the 4s walls of this casing are shown in the drawing.

Therear wall I, issuit'ably secured at right angles toasidewall3,bymeansoitheangiebrackets I and 3.

' A cylindrical container 3 for a conducting liqgo uid, such as mercury, is suitablyuseeured to'the back wall 5 by ,iiioa r astrap in, having its opposite ends bent to form outwardly directed flanges II, which are secured to'the wall 5 by means of bolts l2. Only one oi theseiianges 5. and bolts appear in the drawing; However, the

t (Cl. 180-82) Thisinvention relates to improvements in cirinvention is not concerned with any particular means {or securing the container to the wall 5. The container 3 comprises the lower part i 3 of conducting material screw-threaded at its upper end, to an insulating part ll. The bottom 5 I! of the container is provided with an aperture I, to receive a conducting bolt I'l, locked tothe bottom i by means oi the lock not i3 and washer It. A second nut 20, screw-threaded on to the bolt I], is used to clamp. a contact terminal 2| 10 against washer l3 to'corinect it to the lower part l3 of the container 3. The upper part I4 is made oi insulating material and has the head 22 there- 'of apertured axially to receive the conducting member 23, which is provided with a head 24, i6 seated in a counter-sink 25, formed in said head 22.

Thelower part of the member 23 is screwthreaded to receive a nut 26 which serves to clamp the conducting disk 21 against ashoulder formed on the member 23. The disk 21 is or the samejdiameteras the interior of the cylindrical member 9 and serves as a contact element between the conducting part i3 01' the cylinder and the conducting member 23, when thecylin- 2 der is moved from a vertical to a horizontal po sition, and the mercury 28 contained in the cylinder closes the circuit between the conducting part II and the member 23 through the disk 21. The upper end of the member 23 is axially bored 30 and screw-threaded to receive a conducting screw 23, used to clamp the contact terminal 30 against a washer 3|, which is in conducting contact with the said member 23.

' To prevent grounding otxthe circuit by splashing of the mercury in the container 3, dueto the passage or the vehicle over rough roads, and without any tilting of the cylinder into horizontal position. the lower end of the member 23 is provided with an externally screw-threaded projection 32 to which is detachably connected 0. rod 33 of insulating material. Spaced apart along the rod 33 is a series of disks 34, "and 33, suitably secured in position by means oi screws 31. The

disks

34, 38 and 38 are beveled downwardly i5 sons to deflect downwardly in the cylinder 3. any mercury which might come in contact with the beveled periphery of these disks by vertical splashing oi the mercury. Preferably the disks increase in diameter with their distances from G0 the bottom of the cylinder, so as to eilectively prevent short-circuitingot the system by splashing of the mercury due to the e of the vehicle over rough roads;

Centactterminalu isconnectedbyawire ll to a conducting plate It, suitably secured to the back wall 5 oi the casing. A second wire 44 extends irom the same plate to the ammeter oi the system. A clamping nut 42 secures the terminals of the

wires

38 and 4| in electrical contact with the plate 39.

The plate 39 has suitably pivoted thereto, an armature 43 oi conducting material and adapted to rest normally by gravity against a stop 44 suitably secured to and projecting from the rear wall 5 of the casing. The armature 43 terminates at its free end in a hook 45, adapted to engage the upper free end oi va conducting strap 4, pivoted at its lower end to swing about the shank 41 oi a pivot bolt suitably secured as by nuts 4! and II,

to and projecting from the rear wall 5 oi the easing. A contact terminal 40, clamped betwem the two nuts 48 and iii, is connected by a wire II to a source of electric supply.

A strong wire spring 52 is wrapped around the nuts 49 and 50, which secure the pivot bolt 41 to the rear wall 5. One branch of the spring 52 extends along the inner face oi the rear wall 5 into contact with a stop 53 suitably secured to said wall 5. The other branch of the spring 51 extends upwardly in the casing and is bent at its upper end to form a transverse member 54, which contacts with the inner face oi the strap 44 and forces the upper end of that strap into electrical contact with the hook 45 on the end oi the armsture 43.

The apparatus includes an electrical magnet 55, suitably secured as by angle bracket 5! to the rear wall 5 of the casing. One terminal oi the magnet 55 is connected by a wire 51 to the contact terminal 30 at the upper end of the liquid container 9. The other terminal oi the electrical magnet is connected by a wire 54 to ground.

It will be apparent irom Figure 1 oi the drawing, that when the magnet 55 becomes energized, the armature 43 will be drawn irom its stop 44 to release the strap 46; and the spring I will cause this strap 46 to move against the projecting end 59 of a re-setting plunger 60, which is slidably mounted in an externally screw-threaded collar GI, having a flange 62 at its outer end clamped against the outer face oi wall 6 by means oi the nut 63. The end 6| is screw-threaded to receive the nut 64, which acts as a stop to limit the outward movement of the plunger ill in the collar 6|. A compression spring 65 is interposed between the fiange B2 and a handle 86 on the plunger to maintain the plunger normally retracted.

The circuit closer shown in Figure 4, comprises a cylindrical container 61, made oi glass or other insulating material. The upper part oi the container is closed by acover l4 oi conducting material, centrally apertured and counter-sunk to receive the conducting member N. A rod 33' oi insulating material is secured to the inner end of the member 69, and is provided with the antisplash members 34', 35' and 38', secured to the rod by the screws 31'.

In this form oi container, the wire it is clamped to an annular band 14 oi conducting material seated in an annular recess II and having a screw-threaded conducting rod II projecting through the wall of the container II to iorm with the washer l3 and nut 14, a clamping terminal for the wire 38.

The device, when in operative position, is suitably secured to any part of an automobile, with the container 9 or H, as the case may be, in vertical position. Referring now to the iorm oi the invention shown in Figure 1, it will be apparent that when the conducting strap 44 is in locked engagement with the armature 41. the circuit controlling the operation oi the automobile is completed through wire ll, strap 44, armature 43, and wire 40. In the event oi such overturn oi the automobile that the container becomes horizontal, it will be evident that the mercury II in the container will close the circuit through the conducting part ll, disk 21, the wire Bl, electromagnet 54, wire 8|, to ground, the other terminal oi the container being connected by wire II to the armature 43.

Upon closing oi the circuit through the magnet the armature 48 becomes attracted toward the core oi the magnet, and immediately releases the conducting strap 4! to break the circuit, as well as the circuit through the magnet. These circuits remain broken until the automobile is restored to upright position, and until the strap 48 is iorced back into operative engagement with the armature 43, by operation oi the plunger ll.

In the manufacture oi this device, it is particularly essential that the hook part 48 oi the armature shall be inclined suiilciently to prevent disengagement oi the armature irom the strap 40 by any movements oi the vehicle other than that which causes energization oi the magnet 55. The upper end of the strap 48 must be correspondingly shaped to ensure good looking and electrical contact with the hook 4!.

Numerous variations may doubtless be devised by persons skilled in the art without departing irom the principles oi my invention. 1, thereiore, desire no limitations to be imposed on my invention, except such as are indicated in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A vehicle having a main electric circuit system including a source oi current, a circuit maker and breaker ior said system comprising a support, an electro-magnet, an armature ior said magnet pivoted at one end to said support and having a hook at its free end, a stop ior supporting said armature normally in substantially horizontalposition, means ior connecting the pivoted end oi said armature to said source, a conducting strap connected at one end to said source and having its other end normally in locked engagement with said hook to close the main circuit oi said system through said armature and means, yielding means ior moving said strap out oi the path oi said book when the armature is removed irom strap locking position by energization oi said magnet, and means connected at one end to the pivoted end oi said armature and grounded at its other end through said electro-magnet and operable only by overturn oi the vehicle to substantially horizontal position to energize said magnet and move the armature irom locking engagement with said strap, whereby the circuit system is broken and the magnet deenergized.

2. A vehicle having a main electric circuit system lnlcuding a source oi current, a circuit maker and breaker ior said system comprising a support, an electro-magnet, an armature ior said magnet pivoted at one end to said support and having a hook at its iree end, a stop ior supporting said armature normally in substantially horizontal position, means ior connecting the pivoted end oi said armature to said source, a conducting strap connected at one end to said source and having its other end normally in locked engagement with said hook to close the circuit oi said system through said armature and means, yielding means ior moving said strap out oi the path of said hook when the armature is removed from strap locking position by energization of said magnet, means connected at one end to the pivoted end of said armature and grounded at its other end through said electro-magnet and operable only by overturn of the vehicle to substantially horizontal position to energize said magnet and move the armature from locking engagement with said strap, whereby the circuit system is broken and the magnet deenersized, and means for moving said strap into locking engagement with said armature upon restoration 0! the vehicle to normal operative position.

3 A vehicle having a main electric circuit system inlcuding a source of current, a circuit maker and breaker for said system omprising a support, an electro-ma net, an armature for said magnet pivoted at one end to said support and having a hook at its free end, a stop for supporting said armature normally in substantially horizontal position, means for connecting the pivoted end 01' said armature to said source. a conducting strap connected at one end to said source and having its other end normally in locked engagement with said hook to close the circuit of said system through said armature and means, yielding means for moving said strap out of the path 01' said hook when he armature is removed from strap locking pos ion by energization of said magnet, means connected at one end to the pivoted end of said armature and grounded at its other end through said electro-magnet and operable only by overturn of the vehicle to substantially horizontal position to energize said magnet and move the armature from locking engagement with said strap, whereby the circuit system is broken and the magnet deenergized, and a plunger slidably mounted on said support to move said strap into position for locking engagement with said armature.

MARION KELLY HINDE.