US2556716A

US2556716A - Relay

Info

Publication number: US2556716A
Application number: US743981A
Authority: US
Inventors: Walter E Viol
Original assignee: Bell Telephone Laboratories Inc
Current assignee: AT&T Corp
Priority date: 1947-04-25
Filing date: 1947-04-25
Publication date: 1951-06-12
Anticipated expiration: 1968-06-12

Description

June l2, 1951 RELAY Filed April 25, 1947 fill!! uw H.

/7 FIG. 4

v1/avro@ W. E'. V/ OL j ATTORNEY Patented June 12, i 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Bell Telephone Laboratories,

Incorporated,

New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 25, 1947, Serial No. 743,981

(Cl. D-104) 4 Claims.

This invention relates to electromagnetic "switching devices.

relay in which the operating gaps may be adjusted Without removal of the protective cover.

Another object of the invention is to provide a relay in which the contact springs are mounted so as to prevent the entrance of dust from the terminal side of the mounting.

A further object of the invention is to provide for ready interchangeability of the relay coil windings without changing the circuit wiring.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In general, the relay comprises a ceramic, glass, or plastic base in which sets of contact springs are embedded. The contact ends of the xed springs are held in position by cards of insulating material and the movable springs are operable by a card of insulating material. A tubular cover member surrounds the springs and has its lower end attachable to the base. The operating magnet is supported above the spring assembly in the upper end of the cover member and may form a closure for the upper end of the cover. The core of the magnet extends perpendicular- 1y to the direction of movement of the springs, and the armature, therefore, also acts at right angles to the direction of movement of the springs thereby reducing vibration. The armature has an operating lever extending at right angles therefrom, the free end of which engages a tapered stud-gap adjuster which, in turn, bears against the end of the spring-operating card. The coil of the magnet has depending plug members which are insertable into jacks molded into the base member so that the magnet and cover may be readily detached from the base as a unit.

The features of the invention will be readily understood from the following detailed description made with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: s

Fig. l shows a partial cross-section of the front elevation of a relay embodying the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 shows a partial cross-section of the side elevation;

Fig. 3 shows a top cross-section along 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 shows a fragmentary side elevation along 4-4 of Fig. 3.

In a ceramic, plastic, or glass base Il, a plurality of contact springs I2 and I3 are embedded. The fixed, L-shaped contact springs I2 are maintained relatively stationary by the insertion of their upper portions into the teeth of a card I4 of insulating material. The movable contactsprings I3 are bifurcated to provide double contact with the springs l2, and are notched to provide an interlocking engagement with teeth on an insulating actuating card I5. Lateral movement of the contact-actuating member I5 is limited by a card stop IB, also embedded in the base.

A cover l1 is removably attached to base II by means of two cover projections I8 engaging notches in the base as best disclosed in Fig. 4 and by two screws I9 engaging tapped holes in the base.

A removable closure member 20 in cover I1 is attached by means of a tang 2| and a screw 22, thereby providing ready access to the working elements of the relay for maintenance.

Attached to the cover I 1, in any suitable manner, is a pot type magnet 23 with a central core 24. A coil 25 supported on core 24 serves to operate a rectangular armature 28 which is held in pivotal contact with return path member 23 by means of a hooked spring 21. Screws 23 threaded into tapped holes in member 23 engage a slot in the spring 21 to provide that the tension of said spring be adjustable. A back-stop 29 is provided at the opposite edge of armature 26 and is similarly mounted in order to permit adjustment of the armature gap.

The armature 26 has an integral angularly extending lever 30 which actuates card I5 through an intermediate tapered separator 3|. This separator is attached through a wire spring 32 to an adjusting screw 33 which engages a tapped hole in base II and is adjustable from the outside of the base.

The separator is allowed lateral movement by virtue of its flexible spring mounting, and may be adjusted longitudinally by means of screw 33 to control the card gap between armature lever 30 and card I5.

Also insulatedly mounted on each side of the cover l1 are two upper terminal connectors 34 which at their upper ends are connected to the coil winding terminals 35, and at their lower ends mate with lower terminal connectors 3G embedded in base member I I. Figs. 2 and 3 show two mating pairs of said terminal connectors mounted on each side of the cover to provide for double-wound relays. In the single-wound relay depicted, only two of the four mating pairs are utilized.

In operation, the energization of the coil causes the armature 26 to pivot about the line of contact with member 23. As a result lever 30 is forced against separator 3| in a direction substantially perpendicular to the spring movement. Pressure from the separator causes a lateral movement of card l5, thereby bringing the active springs I3 into contact with passive springs I2.

A contact protection condenser and resistance may be aiiixed to the base in the space between the sets of contact springs as at 31 in the drawing and connected across the coil winding in the wellknown manner.

It may be seen from the nature of the construction that upon release of screws I9, the cover may be disengaged from the base at i8 and lifted therefrom. The electromagnet and armature lever will remain within the cover and the winding terminal plugs 34 will be disengaged from the terminal jacks 36 thereby permitting ready accessibility to the operating parts and also allowing for the interchanging of the relay coil windings Without changing the circuit wiring.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matterA hereinbefore set forth, or shown in the accompanying drawing, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

l. In a relay, a base of insulating material, a plurality of contact springs mounted therein, a cover surrounding said springs and detachably secured at one end to said base, a core, an energizing coil supported on said core, upper terminal connectors joined to the terminals of said coil, lower terminal connectors mounted in said base and detachably connected to said upper terminal connectors, a magnetic mem-ber surrounding said coil and supported in the end of said cover, an armature, and means controlled by said armature to move certain of said contact springs with respect to others of said springs.

2. In a relay, a base of insulating material, a plurality of contact springs mounted therein, a cover surrounding said springs and detachably secured at one end to said base, and an electro'- magnet supported in the other end of said cover, said electromagnet having an armature provided with a lever for operating said contact springs, a contact actuating element controlled by said lever to move certain of said contact springs with respect to others of said springs, a means for adjustably separating said lever and said contact actuating element comprising a screw threaded into said base, a flexible rod attached to said screw and a tapered separator aixed to said iiexible rod and intermediate the contact actuating element and the armature lever.

3. In a relay, a base of insulating material, a plurality of contact springs mounted therein, a cover surrounding said springs and detachably secured at one end to said base, a core, an energizing coil supported on said core, a magnetic member surrounding said coil and supported in the end of said cover, an armature having a lever, a contact actuating card controlled by said lever to move certain of said contact springs with respect to others of said springs, a means for adjustably separating said lever and said card comprising a screw threaded into said base, a ilexible rod attached to said screw and a tapered separator affixed to said flexible rod and intermediate the contact actuating card and the armature lever.

4. In a relay, a base of insulating material, a plurality of contact springs mounted therein, a

cover surrounding said springs and detachably` secured at one ond to said base, a core, an enersizing coil supported cn said core, upper terminal connectors joined to the terminals of said coil, lower terminal connectors mounted on said base and detachably connected to said upper terminal connectors, a magnetic member surrounding said coil and supported at the end of said cover, an armature having a lever, a contact actuating card controlled by said lever to move certain of said contact springs with respect to others of said springs, a means for adjustably separating said lever and said actuating card comprising a screw threaded into said base, a flexible rod attached to said screw and `a tapered separator affixed to said flexible rod and intermediate the contact actuating card and the armature lever.

WALTER E. VIOL.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,847,208 Bennett Mar. 1, 1932 1,997,655 Sanford et al Apr. 16, i935 2,052,319 Siegmund Aug. 25, 1936 2,069,162 Hailes Jan. 26, 1937 2,069,171 Merkel Jan. 26, 1937 2,134,945 Howe Nov. l, 1933 2,246,301 Hanna et al June 17, 1941 2,258,122 Merkel Oct. 7, 1941 2,416,569 Cianchi Feb. 25, 1947 2,449,221 Hammerly Sept. 14, 1948