US2552636A

US2552636A - Time-delay relay arrangement

Info

Publication number: US2552636A
Application number: US104579A
Authority: US
Inventors: Luhn Oskar
Original assignee: HERBERT CLEMMENS
Current assignee: HERBERT CLEMMENS
Priority date: 1949-02-14
Filing date: 1949-07-13
Publication date: 1951-05-15
Anticipated expiration: 1968-05-15

Description

INVENTOR OSKAR LUHN ATTORNEY Flled July 13 1949 O LUHN TIME-DELAY RELAY ARRANGEMENT May 15, 1951 Patented May 15, 1951 OFFICE TIME-DELAY RELAY ARRANGEMENT O'skar Liihn, Hunfeld, Germany, assignor to Herbert Clemmens, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application July 13, 1949, Serial No. 104,579 In Germany February 14, 1949 8 Claims.

The present invention relates to a time-delay relay arrangement in which the making of a connection may be effected by means of a very weak current. This arrangement permits for instance that after a signal has been produced by means of a very weak current, the signal is again automatically disconnected after a predetermined period of time by means of a time delay device such as a thermo-bimet'al or the like after a predetermined period of time depending on the setting of the dela device. The breaking may of course be effected also manually. The use of the relay arrangement is extremely versatile. It may serve for example as telephone call repeater for connecting a heavy power horn or a heavy power bell of very great loudness. It is, however, also possible to connect with the help of the relay arrangement a repeater so that the transmission of certain communications may be effected by telephone and loudspeaker. The time-dela relay may also be used in conjunction with a midget transformer connected in the circuit of a push button switch or the like, for staircase illumination or similar purposes in which cases it is the matter to effect an automatic cut out after a predetermined period of time.

One form of embodiment of the invention is diagrammatically illustrated in the accompanying drawing by way of example.

The time-delay relay arrangement comprises the switching relays A and B each of which being provided with a making winding i. e. an attraction winding I and 2 respectively and a compensating winding 3 and 4 respectively. The relays further consist of the'pole shoes 5 or 6, the armatures I and 8, the contacts 9, I0, II and I2, I3, I4 respectively. The time-delay arrangement in addition comprises a thermo-bimetal I5 with heating winding I6 and the contacts H and I8 with which the bimetal contact I9 has electric contact corresponding to its position. 2I indicates a resistor for the compensating winding 4, 22 is a power source, 23 a current load (e. g. a lamp), 24 is the connection of the control winding or compensating winding 3, through which the relay arrangement is caused to respond.

If a weak alternating current e. g. of the magnitude of 0.1 ma. and 4 volts is applied to the terminals 24 i. e. to the compensating winding 3, the remanence in the armature 8 and in the pole shoe 6 which has been produced by means of the winding I and retains the armature on the pole shoe 6 owing to the adherence, is neutralized. The neutralization of the remanence has as a result the release of the armature. The release of the armature 8 will close contacts 9, IE] and the source 22 will cause current to fiow through the contact springs connected to contacts I0 and 9, the winding 2, the contacts I-2, I3 and back to 22. The armature I is accordingly attracted and the contact spring I3 separated from I2 whereupon the armature still adheres to the pole shoe 5 owing to the remanence in the relay B, so that the circuit will remain interrupted. Simultaneously with the establishment of the contact between I0 and 9 the power source 22 is connected through the contacts I0, 9 and the series resistor 26, the heating resistor I 8 and its thermo-bimetal strip 55 whereupon the expansion of the latter in the direction of the contact I8 is effected. Simultaneously therewith the power source 22 is connected through the contacts I3, I4 to the current load 23 as a result of the closing of the contacts l3, I l effected by the attraction of the armature I. According to the adjustment of the time-delay conditioned by the thermo-bimetal the contact I!) is moved towards the contact I8. In the moment of a contact between I8 and I9 the current from the source 22 flows through the thermo-bimetal I5, the contacts I9 and I8, the winding I, the contacts 9, II] and back to the source 22. The current flow in the winding I has as a result that the armature 8 is attracted by the pole shoe 6 in consequence of which the contact spring I0, which owing to the current conducted through the winding 3 following the precedent release of the armature 8 has made a connection with the contact 9, is again lifted and thus the current of the source 22 is switched off the making winding I.

After this procedure the one terminal of the power source 22 is again applied through the contact spring ID to the contact II and thus to the one end of compensating winding 4, which on the other hand is connected to the contact I? through a resistor 2I. In consequence of the interruption of the contacts 9, l0 simultaneously the heating resistor I6 is again disconnected, so that the thermo-bimetal (contact) which owing to the influence of heat has connection with the contact is permitted to move back to its initial position.

If after a predetermined period of time the contact I9 is in connection with the contact H, the circuit including the compensating winding is closed, which has as a result that owing to the weak current of the source 22 flowing through the compensating winding the armature I is released in consequence of the neutralization of the remanence in the relay B and takes again the contacting position shown.

After the release of the armature I the circuit 23 is again interrupted following the separation of the contacts I3, I4. If e. g. after the attraction of the armature 8 following the closing of the contacts I8, I9 a new current pulse is generated or if the supply of current to the winding 3 continues, the armature is immediately released again. If, after the closing of the contacts 9, I!) the armature is again attracted owing to the current of the source 22 flowing through winding I, the said armature will continue to oscillate at a certain rate until the influence of the control current on the winding 3 ceases. The contacts 9, being permanently closed the heating winding l6 receives current pulses so that a contact between the contacts l9 and I1 is not possible unless the movement of the armature continues 1. e. as long as the current continues to excite the winding 3. The bimetal contact I9 continues to have connection with the contact [8 owing to its expansion, so that the current load 23 is not influenced by the movement of the armature of the relay A.

In making use of the relay arrangement for controlling purposes a thermo-bimetal, a contact moving coil or any other appliance of very low directing force may be connected in the circuit of the compensating winding 3, whereby a weak current is released to be applied to the compensating winding 3.

I claim:

1. A time-delay relay arrangement responsive to very weak signal currents, comprising a first and a second relay; exciting windings for said relays; compensating winding for said first relay; 9. thermo-sensitive deflecting device; heating element for said deflecting device; a load circuit operatively associated with said second relay; a source of energizing current for said relays; contact means operatively associated with said first relay and connected in circuit with said energizing current source, the energizing winding of said second relay and said heating element; means for impressing a source of signal current across said compensating winding to cause said first relay to respond to operate said contact means thereby causing energization of said heating element to cause deflection of said thermo-sensitive deflecting device and causing energization of the energizing winding of said second relay to operate said last-named relay to close said load circuit; and means including contact means operatively associated with said deflecting device and in circuit with the energizing winding of said first relay to cause said last-named relay to assume its original position after a predetermined deflection of said deflecting device in response to energization of said heating element,

2. A time-delay arrangement according to claim 1, contact means operatively associated with said second relay, said last-named contact means being in circuit with said load to close said load circuit upon operation of said second relay.

3. A time-delay relay arrangement according to claim 2, compensating winding for said second relay, a pair of contacts closed when said deflecting device is in normal undeflected condition, said last-named contacts being in series with said last-named compensating winding, said contact means operatively associated with said first relay being connected to said last named compensating winding thereby causing energization of said compensating winding of said second relay when said deflecting device is in undeflected condition and said first relay is in responded condition, thereby causing said second relay to release.

4. A time-delay relay arrangement according to claim 3, a pair of contacts operatively associated with said deflecting device closed upon said deflecting device being deflected a predetermined amount, said last-named contacts beingin circuit with the energizing winding of said first relay, said first-named relay being arranged to remain in operated condition after deenergization of the energizing winding thereof, said lastnamed relay being released upon a Weak current of and operated upon said deflecting device being deflected to close said last-named pair of deflecting device contacts, thereby energizing the energizing winding of the first relay.

5. A time-delay relay arrangement according to claim 4, said first relay having front contacts and back contacts, said back contacts of said first relay being in circuit with said source of energizing, said back contacts being closed upon a weak signal current flowing through the compensating winding of said first relay, thereby releasing said last-named relay, the closing of said back contacts closing the circuit to the heating element for said deflecting device and simultaneously closing the circuit for the energizing winding of said second relay to cause said second relay to operate thereby closing said load circuit.

6. A time-delay relay arrangement according to claim 5, the second relay being adapted to remain in operated position by the remanence in the armature thereof after having been operated by current flow through the energizing winding thereof, the front contacts of said first relay being in circuit with said compensating winding of said second relay to energize said compensating Winding of said second relay and to cause the release of the second relay upon operation of said first relay.

'7. A time-delay relay arrangement according to claim 6, a current limiting resistor in series with the compensating winding of said second relay.

8. A time-delay relay arrangement comprising a relay, said relay being of the type remaining in operated position after once being energized by i'emanence in the magnetizing circuit thereof, a pair of windings for said relay, one of said windings being adapted to be connected to a source of weak signal current, the flow of signal current through said one winding overcoming said remanence to release said relay, a source of energizing current, energizing winding for said relay, contact means operatively associated with said relay adapted to connect one side of said energizing winding to one side of said source when said one relay is in released condition, a thermal deflecting device, heating element for said deflecting device, contact means operatively associated with said deflecting device, said last named contact means being open when said deflecting device is in undeflected condition and closed when said deflecting device is deflected a prededetermined amount, means for energizing said heating element when said one relay is in released condition to heat said deflecting means to cause said deflecting means to deflect and after a predetermined period of time to close said lastnamed contact means, said last-named contact means being in circuit with the other side of said energizingwinding and with the other side of said source of energizing current to cause energization of said winding upon closure to operate said relay.

OSKAR LiiHN.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,636,900 Darker July 26, 1927 2,170,694 Perry Aug. 22, 1939 2,441,984 Armstrong May 25, 1948 2,463,469 Sherwood Mar. 1, 1949