US2267602A

US2267602A - Electric circuit controller

Info

Publication number: US2267602A
Application number: US191937A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edward M Claytor
Original assignee: General Motors Corp
Current assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
Priority date: 1938-02-23
Filing date: 1938-02-23
Publication date: 1941-12-23
Anticipated expiration: 1958-12-23

Description

v Dec. 23, 1941. E. M. CLAYTOR ELECTRIC CIRCUIT CONTROLLER Filed Feb. 23, 1958 7 lNvENToR v gm/77; g Y

` ATTORNEY@ Patented Dec. 23, 1941 ELECTRIC CIRCUIT CONTROLLER Edward M. Claytor, Anderson, Ind., assigner to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a

corporationA of Delaware Application February 23, 1938, Serial No. 191,937

11 Claims. .(Ci. 20o-59) This invention relates to electrical circuit controllers comprising a movable contact member which is actuated by means having a lost-motion connection between the members.

It is an object of the invention 'to provide a simple and effective means for maintaining the movable switch contact member in either of its operating positions while the switch actuating member is being moved in either direction to take up the lost motion. To accomplish this object, I provide a permanent magnet, preferably of the horseshoe type and locate a portion of the movable contact member between the poles of the magnet. At least that portion of the movable contact member which is located between the poles of the magnet is made of magnetizable material. Either pole of the magnet will maintain the contact member in one of its positions of operation until the switch-actuating member is moved a distance sulcient to take up the lost motion and move the switch contact member tothe other position in which it is retained by the other pole of the magnet.

It is also a part of the present invention to apply a lost-motion actuated permanent magnet contr-ol switch to the control circuit of the engine starting apparatus for internal combustion engines. I have disclosed in the present application two forms of engine starting apparatus in which such a switch is employed. In the rst form of engine starter control the lost-motion mechanical actuator is pedal operated but is conditioned for operation or`for non-operation by the means responsive to the operation of the engine, for example, by suction produced by the engine. In the s'econd form of engine starter control circuit the lost-motion actuator is moved directly by a means responsive to engine suction and is not controlled manually.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a structural and wiring diagram illustrating the ilrst form of engine starter including the present invention;

Figure 2 is a structural and wiring diagram illustrating the second form of engine starter control circuit embodied in the present invention;

Figure 3 is a plan view oi the circuit controller unit shown in section in Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view looking in the direction of arrow 4 of Figure 3.

In Figure 1, 20 designates a storage battery grounded at 2|, connected by wire 22 with starter switch contact 23 connectible by a contact 24 with a contact 25 connected by wire 26 with an electric starting .motor 2T grounded at 28. The contact 24 is connected with a solenoid armature 29 cooperating with an electromagnet 30 which is connected with contact 23 and by wire 3| with an automatic circuit controller 5D to be described.

The controller is manually controlled by accelerator pedal 32 pivoted at 33 upon the floorboard 34 of an automobile. Pedal 32 is connected by a rod 35 passing through the automobile toe board 36 and connected with a throttle valve lever 31 carried by throttle valve shaft 38 which carries butterily valve 39 which controls the fuel intake passage 40. Valve 39 is normally retained in engine idling position by spring 4| xed at one end to an eye 42 attached to the automobile toe board 36 and fixed at the other end to a collar 43 attached by set screw 44 to the rod 35 in the desired position of adjustment. The spring 4| urges the valve lever 31 counterclockwise into engagement with a stop 45 in which position the butterfly valve 39 is in engine-idling position.

The controller 50 comprises a two-part housing consisting of members 5| and 52 supporting a guide tube 53 providing a guide fora bar 54 connected by eXible Wire 55 with the ear 56 of the clamp bracket 51 which can be iixed to the rod 35 in the desired position of adjustment by tightening a screw 58. The bar 54 carries a cross pin 59 which extends through longitudinal slots 6D in the tube 53. A spring 6I' is located between a flange 62 of the guide tube 53 and the pin 59 tends to urge the bar 54 toward the right. The spring 6| is weaker than the spring 4|; hence the spring 4| contracts to hold the spring 6| in compressed condition as shown.

The controller 50 includes a stationary contact 63 to which the wire 3| is connected. Contact 63 is engaged by the Contact 64 carried by an arm 65 which is pivoted on a stud 66 carried by housing member 52. At least the free end portion of contact arm 65 is magnetizable and is located between the poles of the C-shaped permanent magnet 66- secured to housing 52. The magnetizable portion of arm 65 is wider than the pole faces of permanent magnet 66 in order to pick up stray flux. The faces of the pole of magnet 66 are rounded so as to limit the contact with arm 65 to a small area in order to concentrate the flux. The contact 64 is held separated from the contact V63 by engagement of the magnetizable contact arm 65 with the lower pole face of magnet 66. The contact 64 is held in engagement with the contact 63 by engagement of the magnetizable end in contact arm 65 with the upper pole of magnet 66.

The contact arm 65 is moved up'and down by the lost-motion mechanical actuator including a lever pivoted on the stud 66 and having iingers 1| and 12 spaced apart the distance greater than the width of contact arm 65, thereby providing a lost-motion connection between lever 10 and contact arm 55. Lever 10 is urged counterclockwise, so that its finger 1| will normally engage contact 65, by a coiled leaf spring13 having its inner end passing through a groove or cross notch in the stud 66, and having its outer end engageable with a pin 14 carried byA lever 10. The upper end of lever 10 is connected by-vpin 15 with a motion-transmitting part or bar 16 which is shiftable from the full line position,v shown in Figure 1, to the dash line position 16a', in which position it is limited by a stop 11. The means for moving the bar 16 is responsive to en.- gine intake suction and comprises a diaphragm box which includes members 80 and 8|, between .A

the flanges of which the periphery of a exible cloth diaphragm 82 is clamped. Member 8| is secured to the upper side of the housing member 5|. Member 68 carries a tubular bushing 63 to whicha pipe leading to the engine intake passage is connected. Bushing 83 provides a shoulder 84, serving as a stop for the upper end of a compressed spring 85, the lower end of which bears against a cup washer 86 located on the upper side of the diaphragm 82. Diaphragm 82 is connected with a rod 61 having a reduced portion 88 passing through the diaphragm 82 and washer 86 and riveted over against the washer.

Rod 81 has a reduced portion 69, the lower end of which extends at right angles to the main portion of the rod, as indicated at 90. The portion 90 extends through an elongated opening 9| in the bar 16.

The mode of operation of the engine starting device shown in Figure l will now be described. When the engine is at rest the diaphragm 62 will be down, as shown, since spring 85 urges the diaphragm downwardly until the larger portion of the rod 81 engages the bottom of the diaphragm box member 8|. To start the engine the operator presses the pedal 32 clockwise to open the fuel valve 39 by moving the rod 35 toward the right. This movement of the rod 35 carries the lug 56 of the clamp bracket 51 toward the right thereby tending to put slack in the exible wire 55, whereupon the compressed spring 6| is released to move the rod 54 into engagement with the bar 16, thereby moving the lever 'l0 clockwise against the resistance of the coiled leaf spring 13. This causes the finger 1| to be moved away from the contact 65 and the iinger 12 to be moved into engagement therewith whereupon the lost motion is taken up and contact 64 is moved into engagement with contact 69 and held in that position during the starting of the engine. Contact 64 remains in engagement with contact 63 during the engagement Iof contact arm 65 with the upper pole face of magnet 66, although the arm 10 may Waver from contact-closing position due to the fact that the operator may not evenly apply foot pressure against the pedal 32.

When contact 64 engages contact 63 solenoid magnet is connected to the battery through the following circuit: wire 22, contact 23, magnet Varmature 3|,

contacts

63 and 64, contact arm 65 and ground connections 65a and 2|. The movable contact 24 will be attracted downwardly away. from stop 24a and against the resistance of spring 2lb. Then the motor starting circuit will be closed and the motor 21 will operate to crank the engine. When the engine becomes self operative, the suction in the intake passage will be such that the diaphragm 82 will move upwardly against the action of the spring 85 thereby moving bar 16 from the position shown in full line to the dot-dash line position of 16a. In this po' sition the left end of the bar 16 is clear of the right end of bar 54. Therefore, spring 13 wi11 be released to move the lever 10 in a counterclockwise direction thereby causing its nger 1| to engage the contact arm 65 and move it downwardly against the lower pole face of magnet 66 and thereby separate contact 64 from contact 63 causing disconnection of the solenoid magnet from battery 20 whereupon the engine starting motor 21 will cease to function. i

The bar 16 can not drop from the position 16a so long as the bar 54 is directly underneath it. This feature is used to advantage since it makes ,it impossible to bring the left-hand end of bar 16 into alignment with the right-hand end of the bar 54 so long as the engine is operating. When the-throttle valve 39 is in idle position, suction will be suiiiciently'great to hold the bar 16 in the position 16a. During, operation of the engine at full load and low speed when the valve 39 is wide open, the bar 54 will be underneath the bar 16, but the bar 16 can not drop although the engine intake suction is very low and insufficient to overcome the spring 85. Immediately the engine picks up in speed with the falling off of load the driver will release pressure on pedal 32 to withdraw the bar 54 toward the left and past the left-hand end of bar 16; but, by this time, the engine intake suction will have increased so that the bar 16 is lifted intothe position 16a.

Incase the engine should stall then the engine suction would decrease to zero and the bar 16 would drop down into alignmentgwith the bar 54. The driver would instinctively press the pedal 32 to open the fuel valve to make the engine run; and this act would, of course, eilect the restarting of the engine.

In the second form of engine starter, shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the restarting is eiected automatically, lthe starting circuit being closed at one point by the closing of an ignition switch and closed at another point by an automatic switch embodying another form of the present invention. This automatic switch is not manually actuated but is actuated automatically dlrectly by means responsive to engine intake suction.

The suction responsive means comprises diaphragm box members |00 and |0|, between the flanges of which is clamped the periphery of a cloth diaphragm |02 urged upwardly by a spring |03, the lower end of which rests against a shoulder provided by a tubular bushing |04, the lower end of which may be connected by a suitable coupling with a pipe leading to the engine intake. The diaphragm |02 is xed to a rod |05 having a reduced upper end |06, which threadedly receives nuts |01 and |08. The reduced portion |06 is joined with the larger portion of the 'rod |05 by a shoulder |09. The reduced portion |06 of rod |05 passes through a larger hole in a switch armature ,arm H0, carrying buttons anemona and ||2, engageable respectively with the upper and lower pole faces of a C-shaped electromagnet I I3, which is secured by screws ||4 and II5, and a clamp bracket IIB to a` base ||1. At least the end portion of the arm and the buttons and ||2 are made of masnetizable material.

The base |1 is attached by one or more screws I |3 to diaphragm box member |0I, the screws being threaded into a plate IIS nxedfto the inner surface of the box |0I. Plate ||1 provides spaced ears |20 supporting a cross pin I2| which provides a pivotal support for ears |22 integral with the amature lever ||0. It will be noted that the space along the reduced end of the rod |05 and between the shoulder |09 and the nut |01 is greater than the thickness of the armature lever ||0. This construction providesl a lost-motion connection between lever ||0 and its actuating rod |05. Lever ||0 insulatingly supports a resilient contact arm |30 carrying a contact |3| engageable with a contact |32 carried by bracket |33 insulatingly supported by the plate ||1 and providing a terminal |34. Leaf spring contact arm |30 is connected by a ilexible conductor |35 with a terminal |35 insulatingly carried by plate ||1.

- bracket |33, contact |32, contact |3|, contact |35 and arm |30, iiexible wire |35, terminal ground connections |36a and I4I. During the cranking of the engine the suction in the fuel intake pipe may increase slightly and tend to move the diaphragm |02 downwardly against the action of spring |03, but the movement will not be sufficient to cause nut |01 to engage the upper side of the armature arm ||0. Although the shoulder |09 moves away from armature arm I0, this arm will not'move downwardly because it is held up due to the engagement of button with the upper pole of the magnet I|3.

After the engine becomes self operative, the suction in the intake passage will be suicient to cause the diaphragm |02 to move downwardly and to cause lost motion to be taken up between |05 and the armature IIB, and the nut |01 will engage the upper side of the armature arm |I0 and move `it downwardly and bring the lower button |I2 into engagement with the face of the lower pole of magnet ||3. The contact arm |30 will be moved downwardly thereby separating its contact |3| from the stationary contact |33, thereby interrupting the connection between the magnet coil |5| and the battery |40, whereupon the engine starting motor |45 will cease to operate.

During the operation of the engine the intake vacuum will vary somewhat according to the engine operating conditions, and the rod |05 will move up and down but without causing the armature lever to move into contact-closing position, unless the engine suction has fallen to a subnormal value, that being a value below any which would exist during the operation of the engine. Therefore, the engine starter will not be operated while the engine is operating; but immediately the engine stops or operates at an excessively low speed, the spring |03 will be permitted to move the rod |05 to its upper position, shown in Figure 2, whereupon the engine starter control circuit will be re-established due to closing of contacts |3| and |32. This insures restarting of the engine automatically in case of a stall.

From the foregoing description of construction and mode of operation of the two engine starter control circuits involving the present invention, it is apparent 'that this invention includes a lost-motion-actuated, magnet-controlled switch in which a permanent magnet ls used to hold a switch contact arm in either of two positions, while the switch actuator is moved to take up lost motion either in one direction or the other. In both forms of engine starter control circuits, the movement of the lost-motion actuator is controlled automatically by means responsive to engine operation; for example, in response to suction means operated by engine intake vacuum. In the first form of invention, the engine intake suction responsive device controls a mechanical connection between the accelerator pedal and the lost-motion actuator. In the second form of the invention, the engine suction responsive means directly operates the lost-motion switch contact actuator.

While the embodiments of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

l. A circuit controller for internal combustion engines or the like comprising a magnetizable circuit controlling arni movable between two positions, magnetic means retaining the arm in either position, an operating member for moving the controlling arm toward each of its two positions, a lost motion connection between said, arm and said operating member, and means adapted to respond to a condition of engine operation for controlling the operation of said operating member.

2. A'circuit controller for internal combustion engines or the like comprising a pivotally mounted circuit controlling arm having a magnetizable portion, and movable between two positions, magnetic means cooperating with the magnetizable portion of said arm to retain it in either position, an operating member for engaging and moving the controlling arm toward each of its two positions, a lost motion connection between said arm and said operating member, and means adapted to respond to operation of an engine control member for actuating the operating member.

3. A circuit controller for use with internal combustion engines comprising a movably mounted circuit controlling arm having a magnetizable portion and movable between two positions, a permanent magnet having pole faces 1ocated on either side of said magnetizable portion to retain the arm in either position, an actuator, lost-motion connecting means between the arm and actuator, and -means responsive to-engine intake suction for controlling the operation of the actuator.

s. A circuit controller for use with internal combustion engines comprising a movably mounted circuit controlling arm having a magnetizable portion and movable between two positions, a permanent magnet having pole faces located on either side of said magnetizable portion to retain the arm in either position, an actuator, lost-motion connecting means between the arm and actuator, and means responsive to engine intake suction for moving the actuator.

5. A circuit controller for use with internal combustion engines comprising a movably mounted circuit controlling armV having a magnetizable portion and movable between two positions, a permanent magnet having pole faces located on either side of said magnetizable portion to retain the arm in either position, an actuator, lost-motion connecting means between the arm and actuator,a manually operable member, and means responsive to engine intake suction for controlling a connection between the member and the actuator. f

6. A circuit controller for use with internal combustion engines comprising a movably mounted circuit controlling arm having a magnetizable portion and movable between two positions, a permanent magnet having pole faces located on either side of said magnetizable portion to retain the arm in either position, an actuator, lost-motion connecting means between the arm and actuator, a bar movable in response to av manual control of the engine, a motion transmitting part connected with the actuator and normally located so as to be engaged by the bar, and means responsive to the self operation of the engine for moving the motion-transmitting part away from the path of movement of the bar.

7. A circuit controller for use with internal combustion engines comprising a movably mounted circuit controlling arm having a magnetizable portion and movable between two positions, a permanent magnet having pole faces located on either side of said magnetizable portion to retain the arm in either position, an actuator, lost-motion connecting means between the arm 4and actuator, a bar movable in response to afmanual control of the engine, a motion-transmitting part connected with the actuator and normally located so as to be engaged by the bar, and means responsive to-engine` intake suction for moving the motion-transmitting part away from the path of movement of the bar. n

8. A circuit controller for the starting circuit of an internal combustion engine comprising a movably mounted circuit controlling arm having a magnetizable portion and movable between two positions, magnetic means having poles located on opposite sides of said magnetizalole,portion to retain the arm in either position, an actuator, lost-motion connecting means between the arm and actuator, a bar movable in response to the control of the engine throttle, a motion-transmitting part connected with the actuator and normaly located so as to 'be engaged by the bar, and means responsive to engine intake suction for moving the motion-transmitting part away from the path of movement of the bar, said part being prevented from returning to operative position by the bar when engine intake suction falls on during operation of the engine.

9. A circuit controller for the starting circuit of an internal combustion engine comprising a movably mounted circuit controlling arm having a magnetizable portion and movable between vtwo positions, magnetic means having polesA located on opposite sides of said magnetizable portion to retain the arm in either position, an actuator, lost-motion connecting means between the arm and actuator, a bar movable in response to the control of the engine throttle, a motiontransmitting part connected with the actuator and normally located so as to be engaged by the bar, whereby movement of the actuator by the bar and part causes the starting circuit to be completed, a spring tending to resist the circuit completing movement of he actuator and to return actuator to a circuit interrupting position, and means responsive to engine intake suction for moving the motion-transmitting part away from the path of movement of the bar, whereupon the spring is released to move the actuator and movable arm into circuit-interrupting position. Y

10. A circuit controller comprising a magnetizable circuit controlling arm movable between two positions to close and open a circuit,

magnetic means for retaining the arm in eitherV one of its two positions after it has been moved thereto, a single operating member adapted to engage and move the controlling arm toward either of its two positions, said operating member being so constructed and so positioned with respect to the controlling arm that said member moves through a part of its range of movement before it engages the controlling arm when moving the latter toward either one of its two positions.

11. A circuit controller comprising a circuit controlling arm pivoted at one end and having a portion thereof at the opposite end magnetizable, said arm being movable between two positions to close and .open a circuit, magnetic means cooperating with the magnetizable portion of said arm for retaining the arm in either one of its two positions, a single operating member adapted to engage the controlling arm at a point relatively near to the pivoted end in order to move said arm toward either of its two positions, said operating member being so constructed and so positioned with respect to the controlling arm that said member moves through a part of its range of movement before it engages the .controlling arm when moving the latter toward either one of its two positions. EDWARD M. CLAYTOR.