US2194634A

US2194634A - Relay device

Info

Publication number: US2194634A
Application number: US198751A
Authority: US
Inventors: Paul L Betz
Original assignee: Consolidated Gas Electric Light and Power Company of Baltimore
Current assignee: Consolidated Gas Electric Light and Power Company of Baltimore
Priority date: 1938-03-29
Filing date: 1938-03-29
Publication date: 1940-03-26
Anticipated expiration: 1957-03-26
Also published as: BE432437A

Description

March 26, 194 L; B'ET; 2,194,634

RELAY DEVICE Fi ed'uaich ze. 193a Patented Mar. 26, 1949 sar RELAY DEVICE Paul L. Betz, Baltimore, Midgassignor to Consolidated Gas Electric pany of Baltimore, Ba

tion of Maryland Light and Power Comltimore, Mid, a corpora- Application March 29, 1938, Serial No. 198,751

8 Glaims.

This invention relates to relay devices and more particularly to relay devices suitable for use in controlling the operation of a gas burner, although the invention is not restricted to this application.

Devices of this type are described in my prior United States Patent No. 2,087,216 dated July 13, 1937, and in my 38,656 filed August vices an energized whenever the relay is energized and is connected with the relay in such a manner that the relay will not be energizedv to turn on the gas unless current flows through the ignition device. These prior devices give very satisfactory results in many cases, but in the control of certain gas burners, the operating life of such a continuously energized ignition device may be too short.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel relay device of the type characterized above wherein the circuit arrangement of the relay is such that the ignition device is energized only during a period necessary to ignite the gas burner and is' thereafter deenergized until the system has been shut down and the relay is called upon to operate again.

While the invention is structionand arrangement of the type disclosed.

ignited while preserving the safety features of said prior devices.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic drawing of a relay circuit embodying the invention. 55 The devices disclosed in my aforesaid patent and application embody a relay armature which, when the relay is deenergized, occupies a position such that it cannot be actuated by the main relay coil, so that supplementary 'means such as a bimetallic strip or a supplementary relay coil is needed to prior application Serial No.

initiate the-operation of the relay. By suitably delaying the operation of these supplementary means, a time interval is provided during which the electric ignition device may be heatedto ignition temperature before the relay operates to turn on the gas.

For purposes of illustration the invention is described hereinafter with reference to a relay device of this type embodying a supplementary relay coil, but it will be understood that the inm vention is not restricted to this particular type of device as any other suitable construction may be employed.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the structure of the relay is similar to that described in my prior Patent No. 2,087,216 and comprises a frame consisting of spaced side plates i between the ends of which are secured upright supports 2 of any Intermediate their ends the s1de plates I are connected by upper and lower 20 plates 3 which provide a means for supporting a tube 4. A solenoid armature 5 is slidable within the tube 5, said armature being suitably secured to an operating rod 6 as by means of a set screw. .The movement of the armature and rod is limited in any suitable manner as by the nuts 1 adapted to engage the lower and upper ends of the tube 4.

As stated above the relay device shown herein embodies two solenoid coils both of which must be energized to cause the initial movement of the 39 armature 5 from the position shown in Fig. l, the main coil being, however, suflicient to retain the armature in operative position. The main relay coil is shown at 8, being wound on the tube ii and energized by leads 9 and it, and the supplementary relay coil is shown at H, this coil being also wound on the tube 5 and energized by leads l2 and I3.

The support 2 at one end of the relay carries 0 two pairs of contacts. One pair of contacts, comprising the contact arms and i5 and the cooperating contacts 16, are closed when the relay is deenergized as shown in Fig. 1. The other pair of contacts, comprising the arms ll and I8 carrying contacts l9, are open when the relay is deenergized. To this end the arm l8 may be arranged to depress the arm 14 by means of the block 26 to maintain the contacts I6 normally in engagement and the contacts l9 normally open. When the relay is operated, the nut I on the upper end of the operating rod 6 engages the forked end H of the arm I8 and lifts said arm to bring contacts l9 into engagement, whereupon contact arm ll rises preferably because of its resilience and 55 separates the contacts 16.

At the other end of the relay a third pair of

contact arms

22 and 23 are provided with cooperating contacts 24 which are normally open.

These contacts are arranged to be closed after a if predetermined interval following the energize-tion ignition temperitul'e so thst when the relay is of the relay and to this end the arm 22 may comturned on. the ignition device is in operative conprise a bimetallic strip surrounded by a heating dition to ignite the gas.

coil 25. The circuit arrangement also embodies provi- 5 The circuit arrangement of the relay is more sion for deen rgizlnz ignition device 33 alter it 5 clearly shown in Fig. 2. The relay is connected has accomplished its function of igniting the gas to the circuit at the terminals 23- and 21. The as above described. As will be seen, the circuit wire 9 leads from terminal 26 to the main relay of the ignition device is completed by two percoil 8 and the wire Ii leads from the other end allel paths, one .by way of the contacts I4 and the l of the coil a by way or a wire 28 to the terminal heating coil as, and the other by way of. the supn 21, whereby the coil 8 is connected across termia plementary coil II and the contacts 24. The

opnals

23 and 21 and is energized whenever current eration of the relay as described above opens the is supplied to the relay. The supplementary recontacts II, but the ignition device is not imlay coil H is connected across the terminals 26 mediately deenergized because its circuit is comand 21 by a circuit which includes the normally pleted through the supplementary coil II and 15 open contacts 24 to provide the delayed operacontacts 24, this circuit providing a shunt around tion of the relay as described above, and which the open contacts I. These contacts 24 remain circuit also includes an electric ignition device closed until the heating coil 23 cools off to the to prevent operation of the relay unless current point where contacts 24 are separated whereflows through the ignition device as explained uponthe ignition device 33 and the supplemenabove. To this end one of the contacts 24 is contary coil II are both deenergized. The period nected to the wire 9 by a wire 29, the other condurins which the ignition device remains enertact 24 being connected to one end of the coil H gized alter the relay operates thus depends on by the wire I2. The wire l3 leads from the other the thermal capacity of the heating elements and 25 end of the coil II to a wire connected to one maybecontrolled in the design of these elements. 25 of a pair of relay terminals 3| and 32 across which N an i t p on i th am ure is is connected the ignition device 33, the other tercaused by these operations because the main coil minal 32 being connected by a wire 34 with the 8 as stated above is suflcient to maintain the wire 23 leading to the relay terminal 21. Hence armature in its upper position, and said coil 3 30 it will be observed that the supplementary coll II is not flc tc by conta t l5 4- T rel cannot be energized to initiate the operation of therefore remains in this condition until deenthe relay unless its energizing circuit is completersized whereup the ar retur t its ed through the ignition device 33 and until the 1 po tio Opening the contacts I! and closeontacts 24 are closed by the heating coil 25 as mg the contacts T r 8 1 H W a 10 35 above described. This arrangement provides the another per o safety features described in connection with the It w b Seen that the pr invention 9 prior devices referred to above in that the relay Vida the fl h 0f the e tu will not operate to turn on the gas unless the igni- 1 my P1101 devices with provision for deenersl tion device 33 is in operative condition and furs h ign ti n d cc after the relay hi be 4 therrnore will not operate until after a predep r Thi fefltlll is of advantage in the do termined interval during which the i nition dentr l of gas burn where otherwise the 9-- vice 33 may reach ignition temperature. weratins liie of the ignition device, if c ntinu- The circuit of the heating coil 25 is also com- 1 5 rg would b S r e -N t pleted through the ignition device 33, in order frequent s cin an repla ement 0! the ener- 46 that said device may be energized during said si ce i order to maintain the system i predetermined interval and may reach ignition Operative conditiontemperature before the relay operates. For this While n y one embodiment of the invention purpose one end of the coil 25 is connected to has been described and illustrotedln the -v the wire 9 by means of a wire 35 and the other 8 it 18 to h expressly understood that the 50 end is connected to one of the t t 5 invention is not limited to this embodiment, nor I0 wire at. The other contact is is connected t to any part cu ar me ha c tr i n. as wire to by means of wire 31 thereby completing a u c se ay b ad i the rm. details the circuit of the coil 25 by means of wire to, v n r t d arrangement of t pa ignition device 33 and

wires

34 and 28. without depart s o t e sp of t ln n- 56 Th operation of th relay will be und r tood tion. Reference is therefore to be had to the 65 from the foregoing description and may be sumpp n ed c aim for a definition the limit! marized briefly. as follows-When current is supof the invention. plied to the relay, the main coil 3 is energized What is claimed is: through the circuit across the relay terminals 24 1. A relay for controlling the operation of a 60 and 21 as described above. The relay is not opbumer provided with an electric ignition device, erated, however, inasmuch as the position of the said relay comprising relay contacts, an armature armature 5 is such that the magnetic field of the for operating said contacts, an electromagnet, coil 8 is insufficient to lift the armature. Hence said armature occupying a position when the it is necessary to energize the supplementary coil relay is deenergized wherein it cannot be actuated ll so that its magnetic field may assist the magby said electromagnet, means for supplementing netic field ofthe coil 8 to initiate the operation the action of said electromagnet to cause initial of the relay. The heating coil 25 is energized, movement of said armature into the range of provided that its circuit is completed through the actuation by said electromagnet, said means inignition device 33, and after a. predetermined includlng a. control device having time-delayed opterval closes the contacts 24. This completes the eration, a relay circuit for energizing said concircuit of the supplementary coil ll so that the trol device including a circuit breaking device oprelay is now operated to close the main relay erated by said armature and a pair of terminals contacts l3. During the interval required for between which said ignition device may be conthe coil 25 to reach the necessary operating ternnected to complete said circuit, the circuit of said 1| perature, the ignition device 33 has also reached ignition device also being completed by a path in parallel with said circuit breaking device and said path including contacts operated by said control device.

2. A relay for controlling the operation of a burner provided with an electric ignition device, said relay comprising relay contacts,- an electromagnet ha ing a movable armature for closing said contacts, said armature occupying a position when the relay is deenergized wherein it cannot be actuated by said electromagnet, supplementary means for causing initial movement of said armature into the range of actuation by said electromagnet, a relay circuit for said supplementary means including a pair of contacts and a pair of terminals between which said ignition device may be connected to complete said' circuit, means having time-delayed operation for closing said contacts after the relay has been energized to cause operation of the relay and for opening said contacts after the relay has operated, and an energizing circuit for said lastnamed means in parallel with said pair of contacts and in series with saidpair of terminals and said ignition device.

3. A relay for controlling the operation of a burner provided with an electric ignition device, said relay comprising relay contacts, an electromagnet having an armature for closing said contacts, said armature occupying a position when they relay is deenergized in which it cannot be actuated by the field of said electromagnet, means operative in response 'to temperature changes to cause initial movement of said armature into the range of actuation by said electromagnet, an electric heating element for said means, a relay circuit for said heating element comprising a pair of contacts adapted to be opened by movement of said armature, a relay circuit including a pair of contacts closed on heating said element and opened when said element cools off, and a pair of terminals between which said ignition device may be connected, said circuits being in parallel with each other and in series with said pair of terminals and said ignition device.

4. A relay for controlling the operation of a burner provided with an electric ignition device, a

said relay comprising relay contacts,'an armature for operating said contacts, an electromagnet, said armature occupying a position when the relay is deenergized wherein it cannot be actuated by said electromagnet, supplementary means to cause initial movement of said armature into the range of actuation thereof by said electromagnet, a circuit for said supplementary means including a pair of terminals between which said ignition device may be connected and a pair of contacts, temperature responsive means for closing said last named contacts after the relay has been energized and for opening said last named contacts after the relay has been operated, and a heating circuit for said temperature responsive means in parallel with said pair of contacts and in series with said pair of terminals and said ignitionv device, said heating circuit comprising contacts opened by said armature on actuation thereof. a

5. A relay for controlling the operation of a burner provided with an electric ignition device, said relay comprising a pair of contacts, an armature for operating said contacts, an electromagnet, said armature occupying a position when the relay is deenergized wherein it cannot be actuated by said electromagnet, supplementary means to cause initial-movement of said armature into the range of actuation thereof by said electromagnet, a circuit for said supplementary means including a pair of terminals between which said ignition device may be connected and a pair of contacts, an electrically heated temperature responsive means in series with said pair of terminals and said ignition device for closing said last named contacts after the relay is energized, the circuit of said heating meansincluding a circuit breaking means operated by said relay to deenergize said heating means whereby said last named contacts open when the heating means cools ofi and said ignition device is thereby deenergized.

6. A relay for controlling the operation of a burner provided with an electric ignition device said relay comprising main relay contacts, a

main relay coil, an armature, a supplementary relay coil for causing initial movement of the armature when the relay is energized, a circuit for said supplementary coil including a pair of normally open contacts and a pair of relay terminals between which said ignition device may be connected to complete said circuit, temperature responsive means having a heating circuit in parallel with said first circuit and in series with said pair of terminals and said ignition device whereby said means is heated on energization of said relay to close said pair of contacts, said second circuit including a circuit breaking means operated by said relay to deenergize said temperature responsive means whereby said temperature responsive means cools off and said last named pair of contacts are opened to deenergize said ignition device.

7. A relay for controlling the operation of a burner provided with an electric ignition device, said relay comprising a pair of terminals, a main relay circuit including a relay coil and connected across said terminals, a second relay circuit connected across said terminals and including in series a second pair of terminals between which said ignition device may be connected, said second circuit having two parallel branches, one of said branches comprising a supplementary relay coil for causing initial operation of the relay and a pair of normally open contacts, and the other branch comprising temperature responsive means for operating said normally open pair of contacts and a second pair-of normally closed contacts opened by final operation of said relay.

8. Apparatus for controlling and igniting a gas burner comprising in combination a relay having an armature, and relay contacts operated thereby, a relay coil, an electric ignition device for said burner, a relay circuit for energizing said device having parallel branches one of which is normally closed and the other normally open, a supplementary relay coil in'said normally open branch for causing initial movement of said armature, temperature responsive means heated by said normally closed branch for making and breaking the circuit through said normally open branch, and means operated by said armature for breaking the circuit through said normally closed branch when said armature moves to its attracted position.

PAUL L. BE'IZ.