US2473693A - Mercury contact device - Google Patents

Mercury contact device Download PDF

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Publication number
US2473693A
US2473693A US775081A US77508147A US2473693A US 2473693 A US2473693 A US 2473693A US 775081 A US775081 A US 775081A US 77508147 A US77508147 A US 77508147A US 2473693 A US2473693 A US 2473693A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
mercury
armature
contact
plates
plate
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US775081A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Jr Charles E Pollard
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
AT&T Corp
Original Assignee
Beil Telephone Lab Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority to NL70005D priority Critical patent/NL70005C/xx
Priority to BE482168D priority patent/BE482168A/xx
Priority to FR964631D priority patent/FR964631A/fr
Application filed by Beil Telephone Lab Inc filed Critical Beil Telephone Lab Inc
Priority to US775081A priority patent/US2473693A/en
Priority to GB21393/48A priority patent/GB646117A/en
Priority to CH278395D priority patent/CH278395A/fr
Priority to DEP28907A priority patent/DE824811C/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US2473693A publication Critical patent/US2473693A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H1/00—Contacts
    • H01H1/06—Contacts characterised by the shape or structure of the contact-making surface, e.g. grooved
    • H01H1/08—Contacts characterised by the shape or structure of the contact-making surface, e.g. grooved wetted with mercury

Definitions

  • This invention relates to circuit makers and breakers and particularly to relay type apparatus having wetted mercury contacts.
  • the element constituting the armature of the relay is in the form of a small thin sheet of magnetic material suspended by mercury and having no mechanical connection with any other part of the device except to make contact with an electrode when it is energized.
  • the relay is in the form of a sealed envelope having a pool of mercury at the bottom. Rising from this pool is a mercury wick in the form of a pair of parallel mercury wetted wires spaced sufficiently close together, so that mercury will rise by capillary action to the tops thereof. These wires terminate in two flat parallel plates somewhat smaller than the armature which is suspended between them and. held in position by the force of surface tension of the mercury. Placed above or to one or both sides of this armature plate is or are electrodes with which the armature makes contact when through magnetic force it is caused to slide through the mercury in the plane of its own surface. By this means the mass of the armature may be extremely small so that it must depend on the surface tension of the supporting mercury in addition to its own weight for its restoring force.
  • the surface tension force exerted by the mercury depends upon the angle with which the meniscus makes contact with the metal surface and hence acts'like a spring whose increase in tension is non-linear with displacement. Therefore, when the armature plate is in its normal position the equivalent spring force will be zero since it is balanced on all four edges thereof. When the plate is moved upwardly by magnetic force, however, the equivalent spring force rises in a characteristic exponential form so that after the meniscus has been drawn out to a point where its upper edge is practically parallel with the plane of the plate, no further force is exerted. For this reason the relay becomes far more sensitive than one in which the armature is restrained by the conventional spring operation under the conventional linear characteristic.
  • Another feature of the invention may be stated as a means for securing an armature and exerting thereon a restraining or restoring force having non-linear characteristics whereby the movement of the armature becomes unimpeded after the restraining force has been overcome in the first slight movement thereof.
  • FIGs. 1 and 2 are very greatly enlarged fragmentary views of the contact arrangement in which Fig. 1 shows the armature in its normal unoperated position and Fig. 2 shows the armature is its operated position;
  • Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 show sectional views of the contact arrangement, Fig. 4 looking at the face of the armature arrangement and Fig. 5 looking at the side thereof;
  • Fig. 6 is a similar sectional view of a contact arrangement in which the armature works against two contact pieces;
  • Figs. 7 and 8 show a similar arrangement in which an armature will move sidewise in either direction to make contact with on or another contact.
  • Fig. 7 an arrangement of a neutral polarized relay is shown in which the armature makes contact normally with neither of its contacts but may be moved in either direction at will.
  • Fig. 8 is a side view of the same;
  • Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing how a relay with its armature normally resting against the back contact may be caused to act as a conventional transfer to make connection with a front contact;
  • the contact device consists essentially of a glass envelope i in which a pair of magnetic material wires 2 and 3 is sealed at the bottom and extends upwardly through a pool of mercury 4.
  • the wires 2 and 3 are spaced sufficiently close together to form a capillary path for the mercury which thereupon rises to the armature arrangement.
  • This consists of a pair of plates 5 and 6 attached as by welding to the upper portions of the wires 2 and 3.
  • a thin plate of magnetic material I and 8 is then fixed to each of these plates. All of this material is easily wetted by mercury and, therefore, the space between the plates 1 and 8 will be filled with mercury.
  • a very small and thin plate 9 is held mid-way between the two plates I and 8 by the surface tension of the mercury provided by its meniscus at the edges of these various plates. Thus the force of the surface tension will hold the armature plate 9 firmly in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 4.
  • a tube Ill Spaced a short distance above the upper edge of the plate 9 will be a tube Ill having fixed thereon a contact piece ii at right angles to the plane of the armature piece 9.
  • the solenoid in which the unit shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is inserted is energized then the armature piece 9 will move upwardly and make contact with the contact piece ll as illustrated in Fig. 2.
  • This contact piece H is also wetted by mercury so that the contact will be substantially as shown in Fig. 2.
  • the armature piece 9 is of very small dimensions being a square sheet of magnetic material about A; by ,2; inch square and .003 inch in thickness and weighing less than 5 milligrams. Due to this very small weight the restoring force of the armature practically resides in the surface tension of the mercury, the weight being only a minor fraction of this restoring force.
  • the thin plates 1 and 8 are provided to control the surface tension of the mercury in order to hold the armature element firmly mid-way therebetween.
  • a contact device in which the armature piece 9 may be caused to move either to the left to make contact with a contact piece It or to the right to make contact with a contact piece ll.
  • the contact pieces I6 and I! are affixed respectively to the wires l8 and I9 sealed through the top of the glass envelope 20.
  • both of the wires 2 and 3 be sealed through the bottom of the envelope I.
  • One of them may be terminated in the seal or as an alternative arrangement no electrical connection may be made to either of these wires but an arrangement in which the circuit is closed from a wire It to a wire I 5 through the armature piece 9 may be used.
  • Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view of an arrangement in which the armature piece 9 normally rests against a contact 2! but may be moved therefrom to the contact 22 to provide a conventional transfer arrangement.
  • Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary view in which the plate 23, the plate 24 and the armature piece 25 are made oblong so as to prevent skewing of the armature in its movement.
  • a sealed contact device of the nature above described numbered 26 is shown inserted in a solenoid 29 so that when this solenoid is energized a circuit between the electrodes 21 and 28 will be completed.
  • a sealed envelope having a pool. of mercury therein, a mercury wick sealed in said envelope and extending from said pool of mercury, a pair of parallel plates terminating the upper end of said wick and spaced sufficiently near each other to maintain mercury therebetween, a magnetically movable armature in the form of a thin plate of magnetic material conforming in shape but of slightly larger area than said plates suspended between said plates and supported by the force of the surface tension of said mercury and an electrode in cooperative relationship with said armature normally out of contact with said armature but within the plane of the surface of said armature.
  • a sealed envelope having a pool of mercury therein, a mercury wick extending through said pool of mercury, a pair of parallel plates terminating the upper end of said wick and spaced sufficiently near each other to maintain mercury therebetween, a magnetically movable armature in the form of a thin plate of magnetic material conforming in shape but of slightly larger area than said plates suspended between said plates and supported by the force of the surface tension of said mercury and an electrode in cooperative relationship with said armature normally out of contact with said armature but within the plane of the surface of said armature.
  • a sealed envelope havin a pool of mercury therein, a mercury wick extending through said pool of mercury, a pair of parallel plates terminating the upper end of said wick and spaced suiilciently near each other to maintain mercury therebetween, a magnetically movable armature in the form of a thin plate of magnetic material conforming in shape but of slightly larger area than said plates suspended between said plates and supported by the force of the surface tension of said mercury and an electrode. in cooperative relationship with said armature normally out or contact with said armature but within the plane of the surface of said armature and a support of magnetic material for said electrode sealed in the said envelope.
  • a sealed envelope having a pool of .mercury therein, a mercury wick secured to an electrode sealed through said envelope at the bottom end thereof and extending through said pool of mercury, a pair of parallel plates terminating the upper end of said wick and spaced sufilciently near each other to maintain mercury therebetween, a magnetically movable armature in the form of a thin plate of mercury wetted magnetic material conforming in shape to but of slightly larger area than said plates suspended between the said plates and supported by the force of the surface tension of said mercury and a mercury wetted contact in cooperative relationship with.
  • said armature above but normally out of contact with said armature having a substantially linear contact surface normal to the plane of said arma-- ture.
  • an armature in the shape of a rectangular thin plate of mercury wetted magnetic material of the order of .016 square inch in area, .003 inch in thickness and less than 5 milligrams in weight, sandwiched be-' tween two similar plates slightly less in area and conforming in shape to said armature and supported by the surface tension of mercury filling the spaces between said armature and said plates.
  • an armature weighing less than 5 milligrams sandwiched between two mercury wetted surfaces, each of said surfaces comprising a plane face of a thin plate of magnetic material smaller than the said armature but conforming thereto in shape, the edges of said plates being insuflicient in breadth to allow the meniscus of mercury held between said plate and said armature to approach parallelism with the plane of said edge, whereby said armature is supported by the surface tension of the said mercury.

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  • Electromagnets (AREA)
US775081A 1947-09-19 1947-09-19 Mercury contact device Expired - Lifetime US2473693A (en)

Priority Applications (7)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL70005D NL70005C (xx) 1947-09-19
BE482168D BE482168A (xx) 1947-09-19
FR964631D FR964631A (xx) 1947-09-19
US775081A US2473693A (en) 1947-09-19 1947-09-19 Mercury contact device
GB21393/48A GB646117A (en) 1947-09-19 1948-08-13 Devices for the relay type
CH278395D CH278395A (fr) 1947-09-19 1948-09-18 Relais à contacts de mercure.
DEP28907A DE824811C (de) 1947-09-19 1948-12-31 Quecksilberkontaktvorrichtung

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US775081A US2473693A (en) 1947-09-19 1947-09-19 Mercury contact device

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US2473693A true US2473693A (en) 1949-06-21

Family

ID=25103267

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US775081A Expired - Lifetime US2473693A (en) 1947-09-19 1947-09-19 Mercury contact device

Country Status (7)

Country Link
US (1) US2473693A (xx)
BE (1) BE482168A (xx)
CH (1) CH278395A (xx)
DE (1) DE824811C (xx)
FR (1) FR964631A (xx)
GB (1) GB646117A (xx)
NL (1) NL70005C (xx)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2609464A (en) * 1949-10-05 1952-09-02 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Relay
FR2498689A1 (fr) * 1981-01-23 1982-07-30 Socapex Dispositif de rappel par tension de surface d'un liquide, interrupteur comportant un tel dispositif et son utilisation dans les relais a commande magnetique

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2295602A (en) * 1941-07-17 1942-09-15 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Switching device
US2317695A (en) * 1940-06-15 1943-04-27 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Electric switch

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2317695A (en) * 1940-06-15 1943-04-27 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Electric switch
US2295602A (en) * 1941-07-17 1942-09-15 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Switching device

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2609464A (en) * 1949-10-05 1952-09-02 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Relay
FR2498689A1 (fr) * 1981-01-23 1982-07-30 Socapex Dispositif de rappel par tension de surface d'un liquide, interrupteur comportant un tel dispositif et son utilisation dans les relais a commande magnetique
EP0057130A2 (fr) * 1981-01-23 1982-08-04 Compagnie De Constructions Electriques Et Electroniques (Ccee) Interrupteur à mercure utilisant la tension de surface du mercure pour le rappel de l'élément mobile
EP0057130A3 (en) * 1981-01-23 1982-08-18 Socapex Retaining device using the surface tension of a liquid, switch provided with such a device and its application in magnetic relays

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR964631A (xx) 1950-08-19
BE482168A (xx)
NL70005C (xx)
DE824811C (de) 1951-12-13
GB646117A (en) 1950-11-15
CH278395A (fr) 1951-10-15

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