US2608626A

US2608626A - Circuit closing panel

Info

Publication number: US2608626A
Application number: US93878A
Authority: US
Inventors: Donald P Morgan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1949-05-18
Filing date: 1949-05-18
Publication date: 1952-08-26
Anticipated expiration: 1969-08-26

Description

Aug. 26, 1952 D. P. MORGAN 2,608,626

CIRCUIT CLOSING PANEL Filed May 18, 19 19 -lla 3nventor Donald P. Mon an W 6mm Patented Aug. 26, 1952 CIRCUIT CLOSING PANEL Donald P. Morgan, Warren, Pa.

Application May 18, 1949, Serial N 0. 93,878

(Cl. ZOO-51.07)

4 Claims.

of this type, it is necessary to provide a multiplicity of sets of circuits that may be closed or opened as a group to enable performance of particular kinds of work. Generally, these devices are completely wired for several distinct types of work and the circuits are all brought in an open or unclosed state to a board that is readily accessible to an operator of the device. Each lead-in to the'board terminates in some form of clip or receptacle that is capable of receiving or engaging a contact member. A circuit connec- "tor, in the form of a wire, is fitted at its ends with contact plungers and when these plungers are projected into or engaged with a pair of leadin receptacles, a circuit is closed.

In devices of this type, a different set of circuits must be closed to enable performance of each given kind of work and, to avoid the necessity of sorting out and individually establishing each circuit for a given work with the attendant possibilty of error, it is proposed to provide panels that are selectively applicable to the circuit board of the device. with circuit connectors of such number and arrangement that, when the panel is applied to the board, the plungers will register and may be engaged with certain open circuit receptacles. When the various circuits are thus closed by the connectors, the device is capable of performing a given work. For example, if a device, such as a bookkeeping machine, is capable of performing five different kinds of work, then five panels will be provided, each being equipped with previously arranged circuit connectors. It would be merely necessary, when changingfrom one type of work to another, to withdraw'the plungers to disconnectthe circuits and remove the panel from the board. Another panel, with a different arrangement of circuit connectors, would then be applied to the board, and this new set of circuits closed by moving the contact plungers into engagement with the corresponding lead-in receptacles.

The present invention has for one of its objects the provision of circuit connectors that are carried by a removable panel and which are operable, by axial movement, to engage open circuit terminals for the purpose of closing one or more sets of predetermined circuits and enablin Each panel is equipped r 2 a given performance of an electrically operable device. 4

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of circuit connectors that may be individually moved into or out of circuit closing position when a panel has been mounted in a position of use.

A further object of the invention lies in the provision of a contact plunger that is carried by a panel and which will remain in either circuit open or closed position, as may be desired, without the possibility of movement toward one or the other positions due to vibration caused by operation of the device, or for any other reason.

A still further object of the invention lies in the provision of a removable panel and contact plunger structure that is easily assembled, readily set up for the establishment of given sets of circuits, and can be produced in required numbers to establish or complete various sets of circuits in a device at reasonable cost.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from a consideration of the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing; and in which Fig. l is a front elevational view of a removable I panel and several circuit connectors embodying Referring more particularly to the drawing, the

reference numeral I0 is employed to generally designate an exposed portion of a device to which the invention is applicable, and this portion, for purposes of illustration, consists of a board H in which is provided a recess l2. In the particular disclosure, this recess is rectangular andextends approximately half the depth of the board H. The base wall I3 of the recess [2 is provided with a multiplicity of cylindrical openings M that, at their ends adjacent the rear wall [6 of the board, have centered connection with reduced-diametered openings [1. This portion of the board, through which the openings I l are made, is adapted to receive the permanent lead-in terminals. For this purpose, several of the lead-in cables I8 are disclosed. These cables, as suggested in the drawing, terminate in receptacles F9. The body of the receptacle is adapted to fit snugly in the opening [1, whereas the outer or sleeve 34.

receiving end of the receptacle is formed with an outwardly rolled rim 2|. Two or more clips 22 have spring ends 23 that project through openings into the interior of the receptacles. These clips may be secured in the position shown by any suitable means, such as the collar 2 1. Any suitable means may be employed to hold the receptacle in a position such that the flared end 2| is flush with the base wall l3. In the present instance the collar 2d and the body of the receptacle [*9 have a press-fit with the walls of the openings l4 and i1.

A plunger carrying panel 2 6 is proportioned to t into the recess l2, with the top surface thereof preferably flush with the corresponding surface of the board I I. This panel is drilled to provide transverse openings 2! of a number and arrangement corresponding to the number and arrangement of the openings Id of the board. Each of the openings 21 is adapted to receive a contact plunger unit. These units are secured to the ends of short cables or wires 28 and include a collar 29 adaptedto firmly secure a wire end 3| as well as the end 32 of a plunger 33. A portion of the body of the plunger is mounted in a The length of this sleeve is preferably the depth of the panel 26. One end of. the sleeve is intended to be flush with the outer face of the panel, although, for satisfactory operation ofthe structure, this is not necessary. It is advisable, however, that the inner end 36 of the sleeve be flush with the inner face of the panel or lying slightly within the opening 21. 'The sleeve 34, through a, substantial portion of its length, is formed with an opening 37 of a diametert enable free movement of the plunger 33 therethrough. At the end 36, however, the open- 'ing 3! is slightly flared, as at 38, and this flared opening decreases in diameter through an incline 39 to the diameter of thev opening 37. The other end of the plunger terminates in a contact head 4.1 which is connected with the plunger body by a reduced neck portion 42.

It is. evident from examination of Fig. 3, that whenthe plunger is moved in one direction with respect to the sleeve 3d, the end 43 of the collar 29 will come into abutment with the adjacent end ofthesleeve 34 and thus movement of the plunger in this direction is limited in this manner. However, when the plunger is moved in the opposite direction, the head M moves int the flared end 38 of the sleeve and has wedging engagement with the inclined walls zfi. Thus the plungor may be frictionally held in a position within the sleeve such that the head All is flush with the sleeve end 36 and the corresponding face of the panel 25.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing, panel 26 is shown to be, provided with three cables or wires 28, to the ends of which are attached plunger units, as above described. To illustrate the use of the invention, it may be assumed that only three circuits are required to be closed through the application of panel 26 to the board II, and that these circuits are in the arrangement shown. It will, of course, be understood that the arrangement of the circuits, toperform a given Work of the device, is known and, before the panel 26 is mounted, the plungerunits that terminate the cables are inserted in the panel. The sleeves 34 are press-fitted into the openings 21 and the plungers 33 are in withdrawn position; that is, each head 4| is enclosed in the enlarged or flared end of the sleeve34. The panel 26 may now be projected into the opening [2 of the board II and any suitable means, if required, may be employed to prevent displacement of the panel, such, for example, as the clips 44. When the panel is in place, the collars 29, at the ends of the cables 28, are moved inwardly toward the panel, thus disengaging the plunger heads 41 from the sleeves Bil and projecting them into the open ends of the receptacles :9. When the end 43 of the collar contacts the sleeve 34, the plunger head 4| will have been projected into the'receptacle l9, past the spring ends 23 of clips 22. The clips prevent inadvertent disengagement of the plungers from the terminal receptacles and also aid in establishing a non-arcing contact. When it is desired to remove panel 26 for the purpose of inserting another panel having differently arranged circuit connectors, the collars 29 are preferably Withdrawn from the terminal receptacles l9 and become fixed in their respective sleeves 34. The clips A l may now be released and the knobs thereof provide suitable means for Withdrawing the panel from the opening in the circuit board. While it may be possible to withdraw the panel from the terminal receptacles, as, for example, in the present illustration, when only three circuits are closed, it might be found somewhat difficult to break the circuit by merely withdrawing the panel from the board when some ten or fifteen circuits, with a corresponding double number of plungers, are in use.

Although applicant has shown and described only one form of his invention, it will be apparent that variations of the structure may be made in adapting the invention to diiferent devices requiring this type of circuit closing structuraand that such variations are considered as being within the spirit and scope of the invention insofar as they are set out in the annexed claims.

Having thus set forth my invention, what I claim as new and for which I desire protection by Letters Patent is:

' 1. A removable circuit closing device applicable to a control board having a plurality of open circuit terminals, said device comprising. a panel having transverse openings registerable with said terminals when mounted on said board, circuit closing units on said panel, said unitsv including relatively fixed and movable telescoping elements, the fixed elements being secured in the openingsv in said panel, and the movable elements being of a length to have end portions that extend. beyond one face of said panel, cables connecting pairs of said end portions, heads on the other ends of said movable elements engageable. with said terminals, when said movable elements are moved in a direction to extend beyondthe other face of said panel, and means forming part of said fixed elements for engaging said heads and securing said movable elements in retracted noncircuit closing position.

2. A circuit closing unit for use on the detach.- ablepanel of a circuit control board, comprising a sleeve mounted in a transverse opening in said panel, a plunger carried by said sleeve. of

, a length at least twice that of said sleeve, a

cable receiving collar on one end of said plunger, a contact head on the other. end of said plunger, said head serving to limit axial movement of said plunger in a direction to be withdrawn from circuit closing position and said collar serving to limit axial movement in the direction of closing a circuit, and means for engaging and securing said plunger in non-circuit closing position.

3. A circuit closing unit for use on the detachable panel of a circuit control board, comprising a sleeve mounted in a transverse opening in said panel, the ends thereof being substantially flush with the faces of said panel, a plunger carried by said sleeve, a cable connector on one end of said plunger, a contact head on the other end of said plunger, one end of said sleeve having an inclined opening for wedge receiving said head when said plunger occupies a non-circuit closing position, said connector serving to limit movement of said plunger in a direction to close a circuit.

4. A removable circuit closing device applicable to a control board having a plurality of open circuit terminals, said device comprising a panel having transverse openings registering with said terminals when mounted on said board, circuit closing units on said panel, said units including relatively fixed and movable telescoping elements, the fixed elements being secured in the openings in said panel, and the movable elements being of a length to have end portions extending beyond one face of said panel, cables connecting pairs of said end portions, contact heads on the other ends of said movable elements engageable with said terminals when said movable elements are extended beyond the other face of said panel, means on said fixed elements cooperating with said heads when said movable elements are retracted to secure said movable elements in a position with said heads within the confines of said panel.

DONALD P. MORGAN.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,391,324 Martin Dec. 18, 1945 2,401,430 Lake June 4, 1946 2,407,176 Piatt et a1. Sept. 3, 1946 2,441,393 Buchanan et al. May 11, 1948