US2467243A - Hermetically sealed rotary circuit controller - Google Patents

Description

April 12, 1949. l. c. TlLLMAN.

HERMETICALLY-SEALED RQTARY CIRCUIT CONTROLLER Filed May 13, 1947 Inventor: Irvin C. Tillman,

His Att orneg.

Patented Apr. 12, 1949 HERMETICALLY SEALED ROTARY CIRCUIT CONTROLLER Irvin C. Tillman, Baltimore, Md., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application May 13, 1947, Serial No. 747,820

4 Claims.

My invention relates to improved hermeticallysealed circuit controllers or spark gaps and while not limited thereto is particularly well adapted for use as a modulator for radar transmitters.

It is well understood that rotary switching devices may be enclosed within a sealed envelope to minimize the current interrupting duty on the contacts. The present inventionv relates to improved devices of this character, which is of simple construction and which may be readily inserted in and removed from the circuit in which it is employed.

It is an object of my invention to provide a new and improved circuit controlling device.

It is another object of my invention to provide a new and improved hermetically-sealed circuit controlling device in which the rotary contact structure forms the rotor of a dynamoelectric machine.

My invention will be better understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims. In the drawing, Fig. 1 is an elevational view in section of a circuit controlling device embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a schematic representation of an operating circuit for the device of Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring now to the drawing, I have shown my invention embodied in a circuit controlling device including a cylindrical glass envelope l which is adapted to be exhausted through a sealofi tubulation 2. A pair of elongated stationary contacts 3 and 4 are supported at diametrically opposite positions within the envelope by leadin conductors 5 and 6, respectively, which are sealed through outwardly extending arms 1 and 8 formed integrally with the envelope l. A rotary contact member 9 is supported from the central portion of the envelope by a rod-like supporting member H) which is sealed at its lower end to a body of glass H formed integrally with the lower end wall of the envelope. The rotor may be straight, if desired, but the U-shaped structure illustrated is the preferred form. The

upper end of the supporting member i0 is provided with a section l2 of reduced cross-section which is received in an opening in rotor 9 and provides a bearing therefor. As illustrated, the arms l3 and M of the rotor member 9 extend parallel with the stationary contacts 3 and 4, and in one position of the rotor in closely-spaced relation with respect to the stationary contacts. Both the stationary and rotary contacts may, to

advantage, be formed of a refractory material such as tungsten. In operation, the rotor 9 is subjected to a rotating field, produced by a coil structure I5 which surrounds the envelope I. As illustrated, the coil and envelope are received within a conventional vacuum tube base IS. The coil and base are secured to the envelope by a body of cement or compound H, in accordance with a practice well known in the art of manufacturing electric discharge devices. The coil l5 includes two separate ring windings and the various phase terminals of the windings are connected with four of the terminal prongs l8 by conductors Is. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the ring winding includes two separate phase windings 20 and 2| and all four terminals are brought out to the terminal prongs l8. In use, the windings may be connected, as illustrated, schematically in Fig. 3. A terminal of one coil is connected directly to one conductor 22 of an alternating current supply circuit, while one terminal of the other winding is connected to the same supply conductor 22 through a capacitor 23. The remaining terminals of the windings 20 and 2| are connected together and to the other supply conductor 24 with this circuit it is Well-known that the two windings will provide a rotating magnetic field. As utilized in the present invention, the rotating field cooperates with the rotor 9 and reacts therewith to maintain rotation of the movable contact member at the speed of the rotating field. If desired, the motor may be a permanent magnet which rotates in the rotating electrical field.

It is apparent that the device described above includes a minimum number of parts and is relatively rugged and simple to manufacture. The device is easily plugged into the circuit in which it is used so that replacement is quickly and easily made.

While I have described and illustrated a particular embodiment of my invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from my invention in its broader aspects and I therefore, aim in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A circuit controller comprising an envelope, an elongated conducting member mounted for rotation about an axis substantially perpendicular to the length thereof, a stationary contact supported within said envelope, a winding surrounding said envelope for providing an electromagnetic field which reacts with said elongated member to produce rotation of said member to move said elongated member into circuit establishing relationship with said stationary contact in predetermined angular positions of said elongated member.

2. A spark gap comprising an envelope, an elongated member mounted for rotation about an axis substantially perpendicular to the length thereof, a conductor sealed through said envelope and positioned in closely-spaced relation with one end of said elongated member in one position thereof, a winding surroundin said envelope for providing an electromagnetic field which reacts with said elongated member to produce rotation thereof.

3. A rotary spark gap comprising an envelope, a substantially U-shaped member supported within said envelope for rotation about'an aXis substantially parallel to the arms of said member, a pair of lead-in conductors sealed through said envelope, a pair of stationary contacts connected respectively with said lead-in conductors and extending in a direction generally parallel to the arms of said U-shaped member and in closelyspaced relation with respect thereto, and winding means surrounding said envelope for producing an electromagnetic field to rotate said U-shaped member.

4. A rotary spark gap comprising an envelope. a substantially U-shaped member supported within said envelope for rotation about an axis substantially parallel to the arms of said member, a pair of lead-in conductors sealed through said envelope and providing stationary contacts extending in a direction generally parallel to the arms of said U-shaped member and in closelyspaced relation with respect thereto, a coil surrounding said envelope for producing an electromagnetic field to rotate said U-shaped mem-- ber, an insulating base including an upstandi g flange surrounding said envelope and said coil a d providing a mounting for said device. 1

JRVIN C. TILLMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 996,091 Johnson June 2'7, 1911 1,428,856 Parker Sept. 12, 1922 1,456,082 Warren May 22, 1923 1,525,350 Zuckerman Feb. 3, 1925 2,332,044 Bell Oct. 19. 1943

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