US2289565A - Timer - Google Patents

Description

July 14, 1942. V c, ANDERSON 2,289,565

I TIMER Filed July 19, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet l 4 INVENTOR. G 2 CARL LUDW/G ANDERSON A TTORNEY S.

July 14, 1942. c. 1.. ANDERSON 2,289,565

- TIMER Filed July 19, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 CI IRL LUDWIG HNDERS ON ATTORNEYS.

July 14, 1942. c. ANDERSON TIMER Filed July 19, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 4

INVENTOR. (,WRL LUDl/IG fl/VDERSON fl T TOR/V5 Y y 14, 1942- c. L. ANDERSON 2,289,565

TIMER Filed July 19, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I06 FIG.

INVENTOR. k J CHRL LUDW/G ANDERSON BY HQ ywwww.

ATTORNEY Patented July 14, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TIMER Carl Ludwig Anderson. Moline, Ill., assignor to Eagle Signal Corporation, Moline, 111., a corporation of Massachusetts Application July 19, 1940, Serial No. 346,383

7 Claims.

this invention are suited for controlling the pe- 3 riods of energization and shut down of electric circuits, for controlling relays, for turning valves in gas or liquid lines, and for other related service. This invention further relates to a snap switch of particular utility in conjunction with the timer of this invention.

It has been common in the art to construct cycle timers having a cam shaft driven in one direction by a motor at the proper speed to provide the required time cycle. Such constructions have been unsatisfactory for many applications because of the difficulty in varying, conveniently, the cam shaft speed over a wide range, and also because any change in the cam shaft speed or time cycle varies the on and off time proportionately.

Among the important objects of this invention are to provide a cycle timer in which the time cycle is adjustable over a wide timing range; to provide a timer in which the periods of the cycle are adjustable independently of each other; and to provide a timer in which the adjustments in timing are easily and conveniently made on a calibrated dial, particularly a dial which may be calibrated to show separately the timing of the various periods. It is a further object to provide a switch mechanism operated by the actuating member of the cycle timer as the actuating member passes the same point moving in either direction.

To those skilled in the art, other objects and features of this invention will be readily apparent from the following specification and annexed drawings illustrating certain preferred embodiments of the invention in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation showing the dial as- 1 Fig. 9 is a detail of the assembly involving the timer plate and the time controlled member;

Fig. 10 is a rear elevation of the timer with a different type of switch substituted, and with the case removed;

Fig. 11 is a partial plan of the timer of Fig. 10 showing the switch;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary section showing the switch taken on the plane of the line |2l2 in Fig. 10;

Figs, 13, 14, and 15 show the operating mechanism for the switch in various positions, together with a showing of the relative location of the switch arms; and

Fig. 16 is an edge view of the structure shown in Fig. 13, looking in the direction of the arrows H5 in that figure.

In Figs. 1 to 8, an embodiment of the invention is disclosed involving a repeating cycle timer in which the phases of a two-phase cycle are independently timed. In this embodiment, an open front case 14 is provided to which is hingedly connected a door [5 having therein a slight opening closed by a transparency l6 suitably secured in the opening. A timer frame is arranged to be secured to the open front of the case It by the frame plate I! being attached to brackets l8 secured within the case. A second frame plate I9 is rigidly attached to plate I! by a plurality of frame posts 20, the two plates I! and I9 being parallel and spaced apart.

In order that the timer may be readily removed from the case, all electrical connections are made to the timer through contacts carried by block 2|, secured in the back of the case. Four contacts are provided on the block, each of the type shown in Fig. 3, in which a terminal plate 22 and bolt 23 are secured to the block 2! by a bolt 24, and in which a spring contact arm 25 is clamped between the terminal plate and the block and is provided with an upwardly and forwardly inclined contact finger 2t. Cooperating contact members are carried by the timer by a block 21 supported by posts 28 attached to the rearward frame plate I9. These contact members comprise contact fingers 29, downwardly and rearwardly inclined into engagement with fingers 26, the fingers 29 being secured to the block 21 by suitable bolts.

Referring now to Fig. 2, to one such pair of contact members 30 on block 21 is communicated power through the mating terminals. The motor 3| which drives the timer is directly connected with the contact members 3!], whereby, when current is communicated to the timer, the motor 3| will be continuously driven in one direction. A second pair of contact members 32 on block 21 is connected by conductors to the two switch arms 33. These switch arms 33 are pivoted on a post 34 extending rearwardly from the plate 19 and have a spring 35 positioned between their lower ends below the pivot post. A cam 35 carried on shaft 3'! is positioned between the upper ends of the switch arms, and the cam is so shaped that upon rotation the contacts 33 move together and apart.

In general terms, the timer shown operates by producing alternate movement of a member in opposite directions, the member producing actuation of the shaft 3'! upon each passage of the member past an intermediate index point. The extent of movement in each direction from the index point at which actuation occurs may be adjusted whereby to adjust each of the periods of the cycle.

To produce movement in opposite directions, a pair of similar gears 38, 39 is mounted for rotation about a shaft 40 fixed in the rear frame-plate IS. The driving of these gears 38, 33 is effected through a gear 4| fixed on the motor shaft which drives a gear 42 through gear 43 whereby gears 42 and 43 rotate in opposite directions. The gear 42 has a gear 44 non-rotatably secured thereto with the two being rotatably carried on a post secured to frame plate 13, and the gear 44 in driving engagement with the aforementioned gear 38. Likewise, a gear 45 is non-rotatably secured to gear 43, the two being rotatably carried on a post secured to frame plate is with the gear 45 in driving engagement with gear 35. By this arrangement, continuous opposite rotation of gears 38 and 39 is effected.

The gear 38 is non-rotatably secured to a ratchet wheel 45 through a sleeve 41 rotatably carried by shaft 4!]. A second ratchet wheel 48 is non-rotatably secured to the other gear 39 through a sleeve 48 which fits rotatably around the sleeve 41 between gear 33 and ratchet Wheel 45. The inner sleeve 41 is made separable so that the outer sleeve may be placed thereover.

The two ratchet wheels 46 and 48 have the teeth thereon directed in opposite directions to effect driving in opposite directions.

A timing plate 49, carrying an indicator finger 49a and secured to the sleeve 55 which is rotatably carried on the shaft 45 between the ratchet assembly and'the front frame plate l1, carries for rotation therewith a reversibly acting pawl assembly means for effecting reversing of the action of the pawl assembly, which means is best shown in Fig. 6, and means for cooperating with the switch operating shaft to effect actuation of the switch.

The pawl assembly 5i which is carried for oscillation as a unit on a pin 52 extending rearwardly from the timing plate 49, is built up of a pair of plates 53 secured together in spaced relation by a pair of pins 54. Intermediate the ends of the plates 53, a sleeve 55 is secured in openings in the plates. A pair of dogs 55 is interposed between theplates, both of which are supported at one end by the sleeve 55 and each of which is supported at its other end by one of the pins 54. The sleeve 55 is provided with a collar integral therewith positioned between the dogs 55 which is of a thickness to space the dogs a distance equal A collar is placed on each of pins 54 vided with one or more teeth suitable for engaging with the cooperating ratchet wheel.

The forward plate 53 is provided with an arm 5! extending generally toward the shaft 43. This arm 51 carries a pair of posts 58, 53 extending forwardly therefrom through openings in the plate 49 (see Fig. 6). The openings through which these posts 58 and 5-9 extend are so located and are of suilicient size to permit oscillation of the pawl assembly 5!, about the shaft 52, into driving engagement with either of the ratchet wheels.

The means heretofore mentioned for oscillating the pawl (see Fig. 6) involves a lever secured to a sleeve rotatably carried by the sleeve (Figs. 3 and 4) between the timing plate 43 and the forward frame plate ll. The arm ti of lever 50 extends outwardly from shaft 43 sufficiently to engage adjustable stop pins 52, 53 which are hereinafter more fully described. A second arm 54 of lever 53 has a finger of geartooth type which engages between two similar fingers carried by a lever 55 pivotally mounted on post 65 secured to timing plate 49. Upon counterclockwise movement of lever 5i with respect to timing plate 43 from the position shown in Fig. 6, the lever 55 will be raised. Two links 51 are separately pivoted to the lever adjacent the end thereof, and are biased together by a spring connecting their free ends. These links 6'! are each provided with a roller near their free ends, these rollers effecting rapid movement of the pin 58 therebetween, upen movement of the lever 65. Thus upon raising of the lever as viewed in Fig. 6, the links 6?. will move upwardly until the dead center between the rollers passes the greatest diameter of pin 53, whereupon the pin will be forced downward.

In order to increase the speed of actuation of the pawl assembly with respect to movement of the lever 60 and thereby increase the accuracy of the time of operation, an arm 68 is formed with the lever 53, and is provided with a notch 59 in which the pin 59 carried by the pawl assembly is movable. The notch 68 is so located that when the lever 50 is oscillated relatively to the timing plate 49 in either direction it moves free of the pin 59 until just slightly prior to dead center positioning of the rollers on the pin 53, whereupon the end of the notch pushes the pin enough to send the pin 58 past dead center.

From the above description it can be seen that when the pawl is engaged so as to rotate the timing plate 45 clockwise and the lever arm 6i engages a stop terminating rotation thereof, the engagement of the pawl assembly will be reversed, reversing the direction of rotation of timing plate 49. The same occurs upon rotation in the opposite direction.

In order to efiect ready adjustment of the stop pins 52 and 53 about the shaft 45, the front frame plate I! is formed with an annular opening '55 therein. The portion ll of the plate within the annular opening is supported by the shaft 45 and a shouldered nut 12 on the forward end of the shaft. A pair of arms it, 74 is supported on the nut between the shoulder and the portion H of the frame plate IT for free rotation about the shaft 45. The free end of arm '53 is provided with a bolt having the pin 52 extending axially from the head thereof, and with the head rearwardly of the annular opening. The shank of the bolt extends through the annular opening, through an opening in arm 13, and has a knob 15 on the forward end thereof. The arm T3 is further provided with an indicating pointer 16 for cooperation with the scale 77. The arm M is provided with a similar bolt and knob assembly for supporting the stop pin 63 and for securing it in adjusted position, and is provided with an indicating pointer 13 for cooperation with the scale 79. The scales Ti and 79 have their markings in radial alignment and are calibrated in opposite directions.

While any suitable means may be provided for turning the shaft 3? when the timing plate 49 passes a fixed position, traveling in either direction, there is shown in the embodiment disclosed a Geneva like type of operating means which is of particular utility in this device as it produces rapid turning of the shaft and as it holds the shaft in the turned position at all times, preventing the switch from becoming out of phase.

In the switch operating means shown, a notch 80 is formed in the edge of the timing plate as, and two pins 3! are secured to the rear surface of the plate adjacent to the notch. A gear-like member 82 is positioned on the shaft with three equally spaced teeth 83, 84 lying in the plane of the plate and two teeth 85 positioned in a plane rearwardly of the plate for coaction with the pins BI, and half way between the tooth 83 and each of teeth 84.

When the plate rotates counterclockwise from the position shown in Fig. 9, the tooth 83 is moved into the notch 89 when the tooth 85 adjacent the plate contacts pin 8!. The shaft 3? will be turned one-third of a rotation, after which the tooth 83 and the right hand tooth 84 will ride on the periphery of the timing plate 49. The timing plate 49 is made circular to coact at all times with tooth 83 and one of the teeth 84 in maintaining the shaft in its moved position.

The notch 3t) and cooperating switch operating member may be placed at any point about the shaft 40. It is desirable, however, to have the notch in the disc spaced circumferentially of the disc from the lever arm 6| which effects reversal a distance equal to the spacing of the of the timer at any particular time, the free end i of the lever arm 65 is bifurcated and a pointer the is secured to the timing plate 49 at the mean operating position of the lever arm. The notch in the end of the lever arm 6! is of sufficient size to permit adequate operating movement of the 5' lever arm whereby, if the pawl assembly is manually turned out of its operative position, the pin 58 will not pass dead center between the rollers supported by toggle arms 6'5. Further, the notch is sufficiently small as to bias the pawl assembly at all times in its then operative position. The pointer 48a is positioned to extend through the annular opening in the frame plate H.

In operation, the motor 3| drives the gears 38 and 353 continuously in opposite directions and therefore, through the sleeve connections, also he ratchet wheels 175 and 43. lfhe pawl assembly will be in operating position controlled by the lever arm El. As shown in Fig. 6, the lever arm El will hold the in contact with the ratchet wheel which rotates clockwise, thereby effecting movement of the timing plate 69 clockwise. When the lever arm 5! contacts the adjustable stop pin 63, it will be stopped, but the timing plate 49 will continue to rotate, thereby turning the lever arm 6| counterclockwise with respect to the timing plate. This as heretofore described. shifts the pawl assembly into engagement with the other ratchet wheel, resulting in counter" clockwise rotation of the timing plate. When the pointer 49a reaches the 0 marking, the switch shaft 3'! will be turned, thereby turning cam 36 and operating the switch. Counterclockwise rotation will be continued until lever arm 61 is reversed by stop pin 62, whereupon clockwise rotation will be resumed. I

In the embodiment of the timer of this invention, shown in Figs. 10 to 15, there is disclosed a snap action switch, substituted for the switch shown in Figs. 1 to 9. When the timing plate 3-9 is run slowly in order to increase the maximum total cycle, it is desirable to employ a snap action switch. However, the heretofore known types of such switches are not particularly desirable for this service as they do not snap upon movement in opposite directions in the same position of the movable member, which in this timer would result in the switch being opened and closed at different positions of the timing plate 49. While it should be understood that the scales can be calibrated to allow switch actuation at considerably divergent points about the timing plate, actuation at the same position is desirable for purposes of simplicity of calibration.

As shown, in Figs. 11 and 12, three contact arms 86, 8?, 83 are provided which are pivoted on shaft 88 carried in bracket 96 which is secured to the rear surface of the frame plate [9. Springs 8!, individual to each of the contact arms, bias the upper end of each arm forwardly toward frame plate l9. The contact arm 8% provided with a contact point Q2 facing rearwardly, i. e., away from plate W, at its upper end The middle contact arm 81 is provided with a pair of contact points, one point 93 facing forwardly and being supported in alignment with contact point 92 for cooperation therewith, and the other 94 facing rearwardly. The third contact arm 88 is provided with a single contactpoint 555 facing forwardly in line with contact point 94 for cooperation therewith. Positioning stops 95 and 97 secured to frame plate l9 are provided in conjunction with each of contact arms 86 and $8 to limit forward movement of the upper ends of these contact arms. Stop 95 cooperating with contact 86 is sufficiently short that, in the normal positions of arms 86 and 8d, the contact points carried by arm 8'! do not form a bridge therebetween. In normal spring-urged positioning of contact arm M, the circuit is closed between contact points carried by arms and 8?, and in moved positioning of arm 87, which is hereinaf er referred to as supported position, the circuit is close-d between the contact points carried by arms 3? and 83, as shown in Fig. 11, by means hereinafter described. Suitable electrical connection from the contact points is made to terminals on the block 21.

A contact operating arm 53 pivoted on stud 99 carried by frame plate l9 extends below cam I fill, which is secured to shaft 37, to a position between the frame plate l9 and the contact arm- 81. A spring Hill is provided to urge the operating arm 98 upwardly into contact-supporting position. The free end of contact operating arm 98 is provided on its rearward surface with a cam surface lfiZ inclined to cooperate with contact arm 81 to move this contact arm into supported position upon spring-urged movement of the operating arm. Arms 98 and N33, pivoted, respective'l'y, on posts 9!) and MM, lie in the same vertical plane. The arm 98 has on its forward surface a boss Ill, while arm I93 has on its rearward surface a lug I05.

The post or stud I M is carried by the frame plate 59 and extends above the cam liiii and therebeyond to a position adjacent the upper end of contact arm 55?. The lug H95 on arm Hi3, when positioned between the contact arm 8? and the frame plate l9, holds the contact arm in supported position. Flanges maybe provided on the free ends of arms 98 and H33 as shown at 18311, Fig. 11, to space these arms properly from the frame plate E9, the flanges moving in contact with the frame plate.

A latching member lilfi is pivoted on the stud I01 and comprises a pair of arms Hit and Mt. This latching member swings in a vertical plane between the plate l9 and the arms 98 and m3.

The post ill limits the downward swinging of arm i I 63 and the lateral swinging of arm Hi] occasioned by spring Iiliia. This will insure that the lower extremity of arm Hi! may be in the path of the boss II! when the arm 98 is released for upward swinging motion, if member N16 has not been moved laterally by cam I09 until the lower end of the arm HE] is out of the way of lug III. This post 9'! also limits the forward swinging motion of the contact arm 88, biased by the spring 9!. This permits the separation of contacts M and 95 when arm 81 moves forwardly to close the gap between contacts 92 and 93. The spring H3311, provided between the contact supporting arm m3 and the latching member lfiii, is to bias both in clockwise direction.

In the operation of the snap switch, starting from the position shown in Fig. 13, which i the position during one of the timed periods of the cycle, in which the operating arm 98 is lowered and the contact arm 81 is supported by the supporting arm I03, the lug I being between arm 87 and arm I83, the shaft 31 will turn from the position shown counterclockwise, upon the indicator finger 49a passing the 0 index. Upon counterclockwise movement of the plate 49 and the indicator 49a, the cam Hit! allows the operating arm to rise until the boss Ill engages the latching arm Ilfll. At substantially identical positions, the shoulder H2 comes into alignment with the shoulder H3 on the arm 98 and a high part of the cam Hit? moves the contact supporting arm H13 upward out of supporting position,

as shown in Fig. 14.. The contact arm 81 at that time, therefore, moves to normal position under action of its cooperating spring SH. Further movement of shaft 31 brings the cam E09 into engagement with latch arm I08 effecting movement thereof which releases the boss H! from the latching arm I ID, as shown in Fig. 14. Release of the latch allows the shoulder M3 on the contact operating arm 98 to move into engagement with shoulder H2 on cam mu, thereby holding the arm 98 out of supporting position. Upon clockwise movement of the shaft 31, after staying in the position shown in Fig. 14 during the second period of the cycle, at the switchoperating position of cam I90, above described, the shoulder on arm 93 clears the shoulder M2 on the cam l iii, allowing the arm Q8 to move into supporting position as shown in Fig. 15. Further movement of the cam I68 clockwise depresses the arm 93 to a position releasing the latching arm H0 from the boss III for clockwise movement, as shown in Fig. 13.

While I have above described a specific embodiment of my timer in conjunction with two specific switches particularly suited to being controlled by this timer, it is to be understood that the scope of this invention is not limited to this particular disclosure, but should be considered as limited only by the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. A timer comprising, a timer means movable in oppesite directions, driving means for moving said timer means in either of said directions, two reversing means, said timer means including means movable therewith for operative engagement with one of said reversing means upon movement in either of said directions and cooperating therewith upon such operative engagement for effecting reversal of the direction in which said driving means moves said timer means, and means actuated by said timer means upon movement in each direction thereof at a position of the timer means intermediate the positions of said timer means when in operative engagement with said reversing means.

2. In a timer, the combination comprising a rotatable timer means, a pair of rotatable drive mounted for rotation on the same axis as the timer means, means for driving said drive means in opposite directions, engageable means carried by said timer means for engagement with disengagement from one of said drive means for effecting rotation of said timer means in one d ection upon engagement thereof, engageable ans carried by said timer means for engagement with disengagement from the other of said drive means for effecting rotation of said timer means in the opposite direction upon engagement thereof, and a pair of stop means, said timer means including actuating means movable into operative engagement with said step means,

step means and said actuating means cooperating upon operative engagement of the actuating means with either of said stop means to shift one of said engageab-le means out of engage and the other into engagement.

3. A timer compri. ng a timer means, driving for d1 /mg said timer means in opposite .=".-S actuated by said timer means by movement of said timer means in one of said directions through a fied position of said timer means, said actuated means also being actuated by movement of said timer means in the other of said directions through a fixed position, and a pair of adjustable reversing means to effect reversal of the direction in which the driving means drives said timer means at independently adjustable times with re .:6Ct to the actuation of said actuated means.

4. A timer com-prising, a timer means suppored for rotation in either direction, a pair of driving discs mounted for rotation in opposite directions on the same axis as said timer means, a driving means carried by said timer means shiftable to either of two positions in which it is severally cooperable with one of said discs to drive said timer means in the one or the other of said directions depending on the position in which it is shifted, shifting means carried by said timer means for movement to either of two positions with respect to said timer means and for rotation therewith in either of said positions, movement of said shifting means from either of said positions to the other of said positions thereof effecting shifting of said driving means from one of said positions thereof to the other of said positions thereof, and adjustable means fixable non-rotatably for effecting movement of said shifting means from either of the positions thereof to the other of said positions thereof.

5. A timer comprising a timer means movable in opposite directions, means actuated by said timer means upon movement of the timer means in opposite directions respectively through a position thereof, means for moving said timer means in said opposite directions, and means for limiting the extent of movement of said timer means in each direction from said position and for efiecting reversal of movement at the extent so limited from either direction of movement to the other.

6. A timer comprising a timer means, driving means for driving the timer means through a fixed position in opposite directions at controllable times, a cam, means controlled by said timer means to eiTect opposite oscillation of said .cam upon movement of said timer means through said position in opposite directions, a switch, and snap action means for effecting opening and closing of said switch upon oscillation of said cam in opposite directions at the same rotative position of said cam in both of said directions, respectively.

7. A switch, snap action means for opening and closing said switch, and a cam mounted for oscillation in opposite directions cooperating with said snap action means to effect opening and closing of said switch at the same rotative .position of said cam upon movement of said cam in both of said directions, respectively.

CARL LUDWIG ANDERSON.

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