US2377765A - Control device - Google Patents

Description

June 5, 17945. i E. J. DILLMAN 2,377,765

CONTROL DEVICE Filed Jan. 29, 1943 FIG-2 T5 0 ATTo EY Eate'nted June 5, 1945 ilNiiED STATES Parser series cosmos nsvros Earnest J. Dillman, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Detroit Lubricator Company, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application January 2%, 1943, Serial No. 473,81?

Claims. (Cl. 200-139) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in control means and more particularly to an al-itomatically actuated device such as a room thermostat.

in object of the invention is to provide a con: trol device which is adjustable from one to another of two predetermined limits.

Another object is to provide a time controlled means for changing the setting of the device.

Another object is to provide means for adjusting the predetermined limits at which the device is set.

.Rnother object is to provide such a control device in which the predetermined limits may have overlapping relation.

The invention consists in the improved construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and the novelty of which will be particularly pointed out and distinctly" claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, to be taken as movement toward and from the lever member 3. Secured to the base portion i there is s. temperature responsive operating member I of bimetal which is movable in response to temperature change in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the base member I; Secured by'a resilient blade '8 mounted to the free end of the bimetal member l there is a control element 5 such as a switch contact member. The mounting means 8 may be provided with a terminal clip ill-for a direct lead wire connection instead of through the blade l as hereafter described. Secured to a metal mounting bracket H fixed on the base member i there is a control element such as a. switch contact member cooperable with the contact member 9. --This member i2 is a part of this specification, there is fully and Y clearly illustrated. a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which drawing-'- Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a control device having theinvention but with the cover or closure memberremoved to show internal construction.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in front elevation and partly in section and having certain clocls mechanism removed to show underlying parts.

Fig. 3 is a detail view in section showing the cooperative relation of certain of the parts and taken on. the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. i is a detail View of the clock mechanism and associated parts but having the dial member removed to show underlying structure, and

Fig. 5 is a detail view in section on the line s -s of Fig. 4. Q

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference, 31 designates generally-a base or sup porting member of electric insulating material.

Projecting from the front face of the base member adjacent its lower end there is a pivot pin 2 on which is rotatably mounted an adjustment lever 3 which extends longitudinally of the'base member and in overlying parallel relation thereto. The lower end portion of the member 3 which receives the pin lie of generally U-shaped form to provide a base portion 4 extending normal to the base member I and longitudinally of the-lever member 3. This lower end portion also has a heat exchange member 5 which cooperates with an electric resistance heater member 6 adjustably mounted on the base member I for carried by a resilient adjustment blade l3 so.

that it is adjustable toward and from the contact 9 by an adjustment screw it. The contact member i2 is positioned between the poles of a U-shaped permanent magnet which is cooperable with an armature member i6 carried by the free end of the operating member I. Ad-

justment of the contact supporting member i3 determines the air gap between the magnet l5 and the armature it when the contact members are in engagement and therefore the difierential of operation of the control device. The bracket ii is of metal and has a metal arm H which is connected to a terminal post !8 secured to the rear face of the base member l. Extending from the arm N there isa metal linkage l9 which is electrically connected to one end of the resistance element (6. A terminal post 20 secured to the rear face off the base member i is electrically connected to the other end of the resistance member 5. The lever member 3, preferably of metal, is electrically connected byconducting means 25 to a terminal post 22 secured to the rear face of the base member I. The terminals l8 and 22 are preferably utilized to connect the switch contacm 9 and 12 in series with the load or device to be controlled, the terminal 26 letting the resistance element 6 be connected in parallel with the load.

' The upper end portion of the lever member 3 has an extension or amt 23. which terminates at its upper end in a rebent or U-shaped portion 24 through which there is adjustably threaded a. cam follower or stop member 25 which extends parallel to the plane of the base member I and projects it its opposite ends from the portion 24.

ment of the follower member for engagement therewith. The abutment member 26 is in the form of a cam member rotatable by a drive shaft 28 journaled in the base member and extending therethrough to receive a hand adjusting wheel 29. Cooperable with indicia 36 on the wheel 29 to indicate the position of the cam member 26, there is a finger or pointer 3| secured to the base member The follower member 25 is urged away from the cam member 26 by the wire spring 32 coiled about the lever supporting post 2 and having one end anchored to the base member I, as at 33, and having its other end 34 bearing against the lever base portion 4.

Cooperable with the lever member 3 to hold the follower member 25 in engagement with the cam member 26 against the force of the spring 32 there is a driven flexible resilient lever member 35, see Fig. 1, extending parallel to the base member and having an arm 36 extending normal to and toward the base member The arm 36 carries an insulating member extension 31 engageable with a flange 38 extending outward relative to the base member I and transverse to the lever arm 36. The lever is journaled on a stub shaft or pivot pin 39 projecting from the front face of a clock mechanism casing 40 and has an arcuate or curved end portion 4| which terminates in an upstanding flange 42. The clock casing 40 is mounted on a base plate 43 which is secured by screws 44 to supporting posts 45 projecting from the base member and by a screw 46 to a bracket 41, also projecting from the base member The casing 40 is ,thus rigidly secured to the base member and in overlying relation to the lever member 3 and bimetal plate member 1. Cooperable with the lever flange 42 there is a rotatable arm or rod 48 pro ecting radially from the clock mechanism drive and winding shaft 49. The rod 46 is preferably screw-threaded at one end to serve as a set screw to lock a hand grip supporting member 50 to the shaft 49 which projects from a gear wheel 5|. A pinion 52 meshes with the wheel 5| and is fixed on the spring shaft 53. Surrounding the shaft 53 there is the usual spiral clock driving spring 54 having one end connected,

as at 55, to the shaft 53 and having its other end 55a, see Fig. 4, anchored to a post of the clock framework. Journaled on the shaft 53 is the main driven gear 56 of the clock gear train having the usual escapement mechanism, not shown. This gear 56 is coupled to theshaft 53 by a pawl 51 journaled on the gear and a ratchet wheel 58 held tightly on the shaft 53 by a friction sleeve 59. Secured to a stubshaft 66 projecting from the supporting member 50, there is a winding key or hand grip member 6| which is spaced from the member 50 to receive therebetween an adjustable indicator finger 52 carried by a ring or annular member journaled on the shaft 60. The finger 62 is frictionally held to the member 50 for rotation therewith by a spring washer 63. The finger 62 cooperates with the indicia or markings on a dial plate 64 which is mounted on the front face of the clock casing 40 by means of supporting legs 65 and 66, the leg 65 having ears or flanges to. receive clamping screws 61 threaded into the casing" 46. A stop member 68 on the casing 46 is positioned in the path of movement of the lever member 35 by thev arm 48 so that under no conditions can the switch mechanism be unduly strained." The force of the clock 'spring .54 acting through thelever members 35 and 3 overcomes the force of energizing the resistance member 6.

the spring 32 and holds the follower member 25 in engagement with the member 26.

The abutment member 21 is in the form of an adjustable lever which is pivoted intermediate its ends on a stub shaft or pivot pin 56 projecting from the front face of the base member The end portion of the lever abutment member 21 on the other side of its fulcrum from the member 25 has a cam follower screw. member 14 cooperable with a helical cam member 1| rotatably supported on a screw 12 projecting laterally outward from an upstanding or forwardly projecting flange 13 on a bracket member 14 secured to the base member I. The power member 13 is resiliently urged and held in engagement with the cam member 1| by a coil spring 15 coiled about the post 66 and having one end anchored to the bracket 14, as at 16, and having its other end secured as at 11 to the lever member 21 to urge it counterclockwise facing Fig. 2. The spring 15 has sufiicient strength to hold the cam members 16, 1| in engagement against the force of the spring 32. The cam member 1| has a hand adjustment wheel 16 carrying a dial 19 with indicia to indicate the setting of the abutment member 21. A finger or pointer 66, see Fig. 1, cooperates with the dial plate 16 and is carried by the control device cover member of which a portion only is shown.

The operation of the control device is as follows. Assuming that the control device is connected in an electric circuit to be controlled as above noted, the temperature responsive bir'netal element is satisfied, that is, the desired temperature has been reached at which the contact elements 9 and i2 are to break circuit. Upon decrease of temperature to which the element 1 is subjected, it will flex toward the left facing Fig. 2 and move contact 9 toward the contact |2 and when the temperature is reached for which the cam abutment member 26 is set by the wheel 26, the contact 9 will engage the contact i2, thereby energizing the device to be controlled and also The resistance member 6 will now act in the usual manner to compensate for the lag in heating of the element 1. If it is desired to change the normal or day setting of the thermostat or control device, the wheel 23 is rotated to rotate the abutment member 26,- clockwise rotation permitting the clock spring 54 to move the contact 9 closer to the contact 2 so that contact 9 will be moved into engagement with contact l2 at a lower ambient temperature. In the event the wheel 6 is rotated counterclockwise so that the cam member 26 moves the follower member 25 into engagement with the abutment member 21, then upon continued rotation of the wheel 26 the cam 26 will rotate the abutment member 21 clockwise facing Fig. 2 on its fulcrum 69 against the force of spring 15 so that adjustment of the normal or day setting is not interfered with by the abutment member 21. The night setting of the thermostat or control device is determined by the cam member 1|, clockwise rotation of abutment member 21. However, as soon as the key BI is released, the clock mechanism will be in operation and start moving the arm 4t toward the lever flange 42, so that the time period during which the thermostat remains at night setting will be variable, depending upon the extent of manual rotation of the key Bl. determine the time at which thermostat will be moved to its day setting, and therefore the length of time during which it is at night and lower setting, the finger 62 is adjusted to the time when day setting is again desired. The key 6i is then rotated clockwise carrying with it by its friction connection the finger 62. until the finger 62 reg isters on the dial with the actual time when the key i being rotated. It'will then be apparent that with the finger 52 set at say :30, the time to again establish a day setting, that upon rotation of the finger E32 by the key @5 to the time when the setting is made, say 10 oclock, that the spring 54 will have been wound up to an extent to position the arm 68, l /2 hours operating time from the position at which follower member will be engaged with cam member 26. Referring to Fig. 5, the clockwise rotation of key 6| will rotate the spring shaft 53 counterclockwise, thereby winding up the spring, the gear wheel 56 being held stationary by the resistance of the gear train, as the ratchet wheel 58 is turned under its pawl 51. When the key ti is released, the pawl 51 will couple the gear wheel 56 to the shaft .53 and the gear train and escapement mechanism will govern the reverse rotation of the shaft 53 under the force of the spring 54. The spring 32 will, of course, hold the lever 3 in its night setting position with the follower member 25 against the abutment member 21. Any desired adjustmentof the night temperature setting may now be had by rotation of the wheel 18 although, of course, any attempt to move the night setting to a temperature above the day setting determined by cam member 25 would not be possible and injury to the parts would be prevented by the lost motion spring l5. When the spring 54 has rotated the arm 48 to the point where it has picked up the lever member 35 and moved the insulating member Winto engagement with the lever member flange 38, any continned clock operation will move the followermember 25 away from the abutment member 21, assuming of course that the night setting is lower than the day setting. This initial movement of the adjustment lever 3 away from the night setting abutmentmember 21 will, it will be apparent, occur at an increasing interval of time before the day setting is established, de-

' pending upon the extent of increase in the difierence between the day setting and the night In order to pretemperature from'the night to the day setting. It will also be noted that by employing a clock mechanism having the friction sleeve 5% that an overwinding of the spring 54 can be corrected by counter-clockwise rotation of the key iii, the

sleeve 59 permitting slippage of the shaft 53 witln in or relative to the ratchet wheel 58.

What is claimed and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In an automatically operable control device, a lever member for adjusting the setting or the device, spaced abutment members coopcrable with said lever member to limit the movement of said lever member in opposite, directions, resilient means acting to hold said lever member against one of said abutment members, time con trolled means operable to overcome said resilient means and to move said lever member into engagement with the other of said abutment'memhers, means pivotally supporting said one of said abutment members for adjustment and for over-- travel of said lever member, mean for adjusting said one of said abutment members, and resilient means holding'said one of said abutment mernbers in engagement with said adjusting means against the force of said first-named resilient means. y

2. In an automatically operable control device, an adjustable lever member having an extension at one end, a bimetal element mounted on and supported solely at the other end of said lever setting. By providing a control devic in which there is a time interval of gradual increased thermostat settings between the night setting and the day setting, it is possible for the heating ap paratus to raise the ambient temperature to the day setting substantially coincident with the time when the day setting is desired, whereas if the change from night to day setting were made substantially instantaneously there would be a delay varying in time depending upon'the difference between night and day setting before the heating apparatus could bring the ambient temperature to the desired day setting. This gradual contin,

uous increase to the higher temperature or day setting has the further advantage in that the heating apparatus is not unduly burdened by an instantaneous demand to increase the ambient member, spaced abutment members cooperable with said lever member extension to limit the movement of said lever member in oppositedirections, resilient means acting directly on said lever member other end and operable to hold said lever member extension against one of said abutment members, time controlled means operable to overcome said resilient means and to move said lever member extension into engagement with the other of said abutment members, and resilient means for transmitting the movement of said time controlled means to said lever member so that said time controlled means can have continned movement upon engagement of lever member with said other of said abutment hers.

3. In an automatically operable control device, a lever member for adjusting the setting of the device, spaced abutment members cooperable with said lever member to limit the movement of said lever member in opposite directlons,-re silient means having direct engagement with and acting to hold said lever memberaga-inst one of said abutment members, a flexible resilient lever member operable to move said lever ber against the force of said resilient means and intoengagement' with the other of said abutment members, and time controlled means operable upon a lapse of time to engage and to move said second-named lever member into moving engage ment with said first-named lever member, said resilient lever member flexing upon engagement of said first-named lever member with said other of said abutment members so that said time corn trolled means can have continued movement.

4. In an automatically operable control device, alever member for adjusting the setting of the device, spaced abutment members cooperable with said lever member to limit the movement of said lever. member in opposite directions, resilient means acting directly on and to hold said lever rotated by said motor and having a radial arm,

' spring driven clock mechanism in said said lever member.

5. In a room thermostat having a day adjustment and a night adjustment, a day setting cam member, a contact member adjusting lever engageable with said cam member, clock mechanism operable to move and to hold said lever in engagement with said cam member, a night setting cam member, a pivoted abutment member normally continually in engagement with and adjustable by said night cam member resilient means directly engaging said lever and operable upon release of said lever from said clock mechanism to move said lever away from said cam member and into engagement with said pivoted abutment member, and a spring holding said abutment member against said night cam member and against movement by said lever under the force of said resilient means.

6. A room thermostat comprising a base member, an adjustment lever pivoted adjacent one end to said base member, a contact actuating bimetal member extending in overlying relation to and longitudinally of said lever and secured to said lever adjacent said one end, a day setting cam member pivoted on said base member, an adjustable follower member extending transverse to said lever at its free end and having one end engageable with said cam member, motor driven means acting through said lever to hold said follower member against said cam member, means to release said motor driven means from holding relation with said follower member, a spring operable to move said lever away from said cam member upon release of said motor driven means, an abutment member pivoted on said base member and engag'eable by the other end of said follower member to limit movement of said lever by said spring, a night setting cam member adjustably carried by said base member and engageable with said abutment member on the opposite side of its fulcrum from the engagement of said abutment member with said follower member, and

. a spring holding said abutment member in engagement with said night setting cam member against the force of said first-named spring.

7. A room thermostat comprising a base member, an adjustment lever pivoted adjacent one end to said base member, a contact actuating bimetal member extending in overlying relation to and longitudinally of said lever and secured to said lever adjacent said one end, a day setting cam member pivoted on said base member, an adjustable follower member extending transverse to said lever at its free end and having one end engageable with said cam member, a casing mounted on said base member in overlying relation to said bimetal member, a flexible resilient lever member pivoted on the front face of said casing and having an arm extending toward said base member for engagement with said lever, casing, an arm driven by said mechanism and cooper-able with said lever member to hold said lever against aid day cam member, means to wind said mechanism and simultaneously move said driven arm away from said lever member, a spring operable to move said lever away from said day cam member upon operation of said last-named means, an abutment member pivoted on said base member and engageable by the other end of said follower member to limit movement of said lever by said spring, a. night setting cam member adjustably carried by said base member and engageable with said abutment member on the opposite side of its fulcrum from the engagement oi said abutment member with said i'ollower member, and a spring holding said abutment member in engagement with said night setting cam member against the force of said first-named spring.

8. A room thermostat comprising a base member, an adjustment lever pivoted adjacent one end to said base member, a contact actuating bimetal member extending longitudinally of and secured to said lever adjacent said one end, a day setting cam member pivoted on said base member, said lever having an extension engageable with said cam member, motor driven means acting through said lever to hold said extension against said cam member, means to release said motor means from holding relation with said lever, an abutment member positioned on the opposite side of said extension from said cam member and pivoted on said base member, a spring acting directly on said lever and operable upon release of said motor means to move said extension into engagement with said abutment member, a night setting cam member pivoted on said base member and engageable with and operable to position said abutment member, and a spring holding said abutment member in engagement with said night setting cam member against the force of said first-named spring.

9. A room thermostat comprising a base member, an adjustment lever pivoted adjacent one end to said base member, a contact actuating bimetal member extending longitudinally of and secured to said lever adjacent said one end, a day setting cam member pivoted on said base member, said lever having an extension engageable with said cam member, a night setting cam means positioned on the opposite side of said extension from said cam member and engageable by said extension, motor means mounted on said base member in overlying relation to said lever, a lever mounted on said motor means and having an arm extending toward said base member for engagement with said first-named lever, said secondnamed lever being operable by.said motor means to engage said first-named lever to hold said extension in engagement with said day cam member, means to release said motor means from holding relation to said extension, and a spring on said first-named lever to move said extension into engagement with said night setting cam means upon release of said motor means.

10. A room thermostat comprising. a base member, an adjustment lever pivoted on said base member, a contact actuating bimetal member adjustable by said lever, a day setting cam means on said base member, said lever having an extension engageable with said cam means, a night setting cam means on said base member, said extensio being disposed between said day and said night cam means and being movable into engagement with said night setting cam means,

ing and said base member, a lever member havacting ixznding toward said base member for engagement with said lever, motor mechanism in said casing and having a shaft extending out of said casing, a pivot pin projecting from the front face of said casing laterally of said shaft and extending into said bearing aperture, an arm driven by said shaft and cooperable with said lever member to hold said lever extension against said day setting cam means, means to release said shaft driven arm from holding relation to saidiever member, and a spring operable on said lever to move said lever extension against said night setting cam means upon release of said shaft driven arm.-

EARNEST J. DILLMAN.

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