US2318822A - Lead connector - Google Patents

Description

c. wANTz y LEAD CONNECTOR May 1l, 1943.

Filed Sept. ll, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 1l, 1943. c. wANTz LEAD CONNECTOR Filed sept. 11, 19:59

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 772 vena/*f Zarence /nz.

Patented May ll, 1943 LEAD CONNECTOR Clarence Wantz, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Mil; waukee Gas Specialty Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application September 11, 1939, Serial No. 294,264

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a lead connector, and has particular relation. to an improved detachable lead connector for detachably connecting a thermocouple to a thermoelectric safety device for heating and other apparatus.

One of the main objects of my invention is to provide an improved lead connector of simple and inexpensive construction and which is composed of few parts adapted for convenient assembly; also a device in which the cooperating terminal connector members constituting the lead connector parts are adapted for convenient application to the thermoelectric safety device and to the thermocouple lead conductors respectively, and a device which is adapted to provide a quick detachable connection between the thermocouple leads and the thermoelectric safety device.

It is a more specic object of my invention to provide a lead connector which includes a thermal connector having a simple, inexpensive, and improved form of attachment to the safety device, and particularly to the magnet base of said device, although this may vary within the broader aspects of the invention.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent fromthe following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a part of a thermoelectric safety device, showing lead connector means embodying my invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a sectional view partially vin side elevation and showing one form of thermoelectric safety device, with the lead connector means of my present invention applied thereto; and

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through one illustrative form of thermocou-ple and lead means therefor, and showing the detachable lead connector means on the thermocouple leads,

The lead connector means of the present invention can be employed in a wide variety of devices, but for purposes of illustration the invention has been shown, more or less fragmentarily, as embodied in a device adapted for maintaining in open position a valve in a gas or other fuel supply line leading to a burner as long as a pilot light in juxtaposition to the burner is lighted and for automatically closing the valve to shut oi the supply oi fuel to the burner upon extinguishment of the pilot light.

The part indicated at I constitutes a magnet base for the thermoelectric control device. It has, for instance, a notched lug II at one side and an opening I2 at the opposite side by means of which the magnet base is secured to the body of the control device (not shown). The Ibody of the control device lmay be a valve body having a valve therein, or it may be a control body having a switch therein for controlling an electroresponsive valve in the fuel supply line. The control body may have temperature selecting means adapted to be set to maintain selected temperatures, or such selecting means may be omitted.

The magnet base also has openings ld through which, for instance, screws or the like are adapted to be inserted to secure the magnet base to a hood or other suitable enclosure I5 for enclosing the electromagnet which comprises a magnet frame I6 and an electromagnet coil Il. The magnet frame IS is shown of generally U-shaped form, but the invention is not limited to use with a magnet frame of this particular form. The base of the magnet frame I6 is secured to the magnet base I in a depression I8 therein and between integral posts I9 on the magnet base as, for instance, by a thin and preferably spring metal retention piece 20 secured to the yposts I9 =by pins 2|, and binding the magnet frame I6 rmly in place to the base I0. The magnet base is preferably formed of a relatively soit metal or alloy, and the pins 2i may have pressed fit therein, although features such as this may vary widely.

The electromagnet coil I1 comprises a conductor 22 provided with a wrapping of insulation 23 and wound about the legs of the magnet frame I6. The terminal leads of the coil Il are shown at 24 and 25, respectively. The electromagnet is provided with an armature 26 ,positioned as 'shown in Figure 2 upon the outer end of a plunger or armature stem 21 which extends through an axial opening in the armature26. The armature 26 preferably has atleast a slight amount of relative movement on the stem 21, at 28, for self-accommodation to the poles of the magnet frame I6', and cooperates with a shoulder 29 on the stern 21 to hold the stem pressed to the right, as viewed in Figure 2, as long as the armature is in attracted position.

The right hand end of the stem 2l, as the device is viewed in Figure 2, cooperates, for instance, e

with a valve in the body of the control device to hold said valve open as long as the armature is in attracted position. Upon extinguishment, for instance, of the pilot-light, the electromagnet becomes deenergized, or at least insumciently energized to hold the armature 26 in attracted position, and means, such as a coiled spring (not shown), in the body of the control device actuates the armature to retracted position and the valve to closed position to shut off the supply ot fuel to the burner. Suitable reset means (not shown) is preferably provided for resetting the device. insulating strips 3| may be wrapped about the legs of the magnet frame and between said legs and the coil l1 further to insulate the same from the magnet frame.

In the illustrated device, the reset meansl is operable, for instance, to overcome the armature retracting and valve closing action of the spring (not shown) in the body of the control device, whereupon a weaker spring 90 in the hood I5 moves the armature 26 yieldingly to attracted position. These particular features constitute no part of the present invention and may vary widely. Moreover, the device is illustrated on different scales of enlargement for purposes of illustration. In one actual commercial form of device, the hood I 5 is about one and one-quarter inches in diameter, with the other parts proportioned accordingly, The particular size and proportioning of the parts, however, may vary widely. l

The thermocouple; except for the improvements which the present invention provides in the lead connector means therefor, is shown by way of illustration and not by way of limitation as of the general character disclosed and claimed in YOscar J. Leins Patent No. 2,126,564, granted August 9, 1938. The thermocouple 40 comprises an outer tubular metallic thermocouple member 4l and an inner metallic thermocouple member 42 joined at one end to the end of the outer thermocouple member to form the thermal junction 44 which is placed in position to be heated bythe pilot light r any other desired flame. An inner lead conductor 45 is joined to the inner thermocouple member to form an internal thermal Junction 46, and an outer tubular lead con- .ductor 41 is connected to the outer thermocouple member 4|, for instance through a sleeve 48 to form a third thermal junction 49. The outer lead conductor 41 encloses the inner lead conductor 45 and, with the sleeve 48 and the outer thermocouple member, constitutes an enclosure about the inner thermocouple member and the inner lead conductor and the inner thermocouple junction 46. The inner lead conductor 45 is insulated from the outer lead conductor, for instance, by a wrapping of insulation on the inner lead conductor` as indicated at 50. f

The lead connector of my present invention comprises a terminal connector on the safety control device and a cooperating terminal connector on the thermocouple leads and adapted for quick detachable connection with the terminal connector on the safety device.

'Ihe terminal connector on the safetydevice comprises a metallic connector socket 68 having at its inner end an axial opening 6l defined by an integral annular ange 62. The opposite end of the socket so is internally threaded at sa. Secured in and insulated from the socket 60 by a body of insulation 64 1s a metallic connector stud 65. The enlarged outer end oi the stud 65 has a generally conical recess 66 and, at its opposite end, the stud 66 has an integral stem 61 which extends through the opening 6| and is connected at 68 to one of the terminal leads of the coil I1,

- for instance to the lead 25. The body of insulation at 64 may be formed of fibrous or any other suitable insulating material. It may be held, for instance, by pressed llt in the inner flanged end of the socket 60, and the connector stud may aaiaaaa be held, for instance, by pressed iit in the body of insulation 64.

The connector socket 60 is preferably attached to the magnet base I0 by die-casting the magnet base thereto. To assure that the socket 68 will be rmly retained in place in the portion of the magnet base I 0, which'is die-cast to the same, the external periphery of the socket is preferably provided intermediate its ends with an integral enlargement 68 of generally hexagonal'or polygonal form, or of any other suitable form. In making up the magnet base the socket 60 is placed in such position in the mold for the magnet base that the integral hub-like portion 10 of the magnet base will -be die-cast around and directly to the socket 6.0 as shown in Figure 1 in the operation of die-casting the magnet ba'se to the desired form. The die-casting of the magnet base permits accurately conforming the same to' relatively intricate conguration, and, forexample, with retention ribs indicated at 12, for cooperation with the adjacent end of the hood or enclosure l5. At the-same time, by die-casting the magnet base directly to the connector socket 60, this socket is firmly and, in eil'ect integrally Joined or attached to the magnet vbase without addi-f tional operations or additional attachment means and in a simple and inexpensive manner.

The free end of the inner thermocouple lead 45 extends from the adjacent end of the lead conductor 41 and has fixed thereon, at 15, and in goodconducting contact therewith a wedge member or metallic connector cone 16. 'Ilie adjacent end of the outer lead conductor 41 is flanged or belled out rat 18, and may be doubled back, as shown, although, of course, the doubling back of the flange 18 may be omitted or varied. The flanged end o1' the outer lead conductor 41 is insulated from the connector cone 16, and thereby fronrthe inner lead4 conductor 45 by a body of Llill is connected at to the other terminal lead 24 of the coil l1.

Byapplying the connector means on the thermocouple lead conductors to the connector terminal means on the safety device withthe connector cone 16 positioned with its generally conical surface 86 in engagement with the conical recess 66 in the stud 65 and threading the nut 82 into the socket 60, the cone 16 is wedged into the recess 66 and consequently makes good positive contact with the stud 65, thereby connecting the inner lead conductor 45 with one terminal of the coil I1. At the same time, the threaded engagement between the nut 82 and the socket 68 with the clamping of the inner end of the nut 82 into engagement with the flanged or belled end .18 of the outer lead conductor. forms la good positive connection between the outer lead conductor 41 and the bushing 60, thereby connecting the lead 41 to the other terminal 24 of the coil I1.

The thermocouple leads are adapted to be quickly detached from the safety device merely by unthreading the nut 82 from the socket 10 and withdrawing thev terminal connector means on the thermocouple leads from the bushing This permits the thermocouple leads to be quickly detached from the safety device so that the thermocouple and its leads may be disconnected and shipped separately from the safety device, and this quick detachable lead connection permits replacement of the thermocouple and its lead lconductors without replacing the safety device,

or, if desired, the safety device may ybe replaced without replacing the thermocouple and its lead conductors.

The particular magnet base selected for illustration i's shown as having an outstanding flange 92 die-cast integral with the magnet base Il) and adapted for engagement in an opening in the hood or housing I for the electromagnet. This, however, may vary widely within the scope of my present invention. l

In operation, when the pilot light or other flame (not shown) is burning, the heat thereof upon the thermal junction 44 produces a thermoelectric current in the coil I1. The magnet frame and armature are preferably formed of an alloy of relatively low magnetic reluctance and, as a result, the relatively weak thermoelectric current produces a magnetic eld of sufficient strength so that Whenthe armature is positioned in contact with the pole ends of the magnet frame-for instance by the operation of the reset means not shown-the magnetic attraction holds the armature in attracted position against the magnet frame and, for instance, the valve (not shown) in open position as long as the pilot flame is burning.

If the pilot name is extinguished, theholding action of the electromagnet ceases to be' sufficient to hold the armature .26 in attracted position and the valve member in open position, and the valve member is moved to closed position to shut off the supply of fuel to 'the main burnerfor instance, by means of the spring means positioned in the body of the control device, or otherwise as desired.

While the magnet base l0 may be .formed of e ber, a contact on `the inner end any suitable material, a No. 2 "Zamak alloy constitutesA one satisfactory material for this purpose. While the connector socket is described as die-cast to the magnet base i0, it is to be understood that it.may be attached in this or any equivalent manner to any other part of the thermoelectric safety shut-off device.

I claim: l .A lead connector comprising a generally cupshaped member having at its inner end an end Wall provided with an `opening and open at its outer end, a connector stud having a headed end disposed within said cup-shaped member in proximity to the end Wall said member, said connector extending 'through the opening in the end wail of said generally cup-shaped member, a pair of terminal leads one connected to the shank of said stud and the other connected to said generally cup-shaped member, insulating means positioned within 'said generally cup-shaped member between the Wall at the inner end of said member `and the .headed inner end stud, a pair of concentric lead conductors insulated from each other and adapted to enter the open endof `said generally cup-shaped memof one of said lead conductors, a flanged portion at the inner end of the other lead conductor, insulating means between said contact and said and a connector nut having detachable connection with the outer end of said generally cupshaped member and cooperable with the flanged portion at the inner end of one lead conductor` for clamping the -contact at the lead conductor in contact with the headed inner end of said stud and connecting the lead conductor with the ange at its inner end in circuit with the terminal lead connected thru said generally cup-shaped member.

. CLARENCE WANTZ.

at the inner end of stud having a shank i of said anged portion',

end of the other l

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