US2630500A - Electric contact making device - Google Patents

Electric contact making device Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US2630500A
US2630500A US198061A US19806150A US2630500A US 2630500 A US2630500 A US 2630500A US 198061 A US198061 A US 198061A US 19806150 A US19806150 A US 19806150A US 2630500 A US2630500 A US 2630500A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
contact
springs
contacts
spring
fixed
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
US198061A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Frederick E Rommel
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.)
Telephone Manufacturing Co Ltd
Original Assignee
Telephone Manufacturing Co Ltd
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
Application filed by Telephone Manufacturing Co Ltd filed Critical Telephone Manufacturing Co Ltd
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US2630500A publication Critical patent/US2630500A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H50/00—Details of electromagnetic relays
    • H01H50/54—Contact arrangements
    • H01H50/56—Contact spring sets
    • H01H50/58—Driving arrangements structurally associated therewith; Mounting of driving arrangements on armature
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T29/00—Metal working
    • Y10T29/49—Method of mechanical manufacture
    • Y10T29/49002—Electrical device making
    • Y10T29/49105—Switch making

Definitions

  • This invention relates. to electric contact malt: ing devices of the type such as i widely used in telecommunications apparatus and including a p a ty of fixed, spacedali ncd an subst at tially parallel contact carryingmcmbcrs, adaptedto cooperate with. a plurality of. aligned spaced contact carrying members movablein the direction of alignment toma-ke or breal; connections between the contacts carri d byhe resp v members.
  • the present invention has for its object to pro-.- vide an imp o ed form r r lay o he pe e.- ferred to and in which multiple contacts sets are used, and whore h ndi dual adius m nt o he contact carrying members can be assisted by mechanical means.. in contrast to the. conventio arrangement where manual adjustment is largely necessary.
  • the nventio lso hasior ts. ject to provide an improved method ofmanufacturing electrical contact making devices of this kind.
  • n nti n ns sts f on e tr c contact-making device comprising means for securing and spacing the fixed contact carrying members independently of the moving contact carrying members, whereby the latter can be assembled without affecting the spacing of the fixed contacts and means for maintaining substantially constant the spacing of themoving contacts.
  • the invention further includes an electric contact-making device of the type referred to comprising means for supporting said fixed contact carrying members in parallel spaced relationship, and means for supporting said moving contacts independently of said first supporting means, and insulating means for maintaining substantially constant the separation of said moving contacts.
  • FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a selective relay unit, partly in section,
  • Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same unit
  • Figure 3 is a plan view of the contact arrangement of the unit
  • Figures 4 and 5 are diagrams indicating modified forms of contacts.
  • This embodiment of the invention is a selective relay unit, of the type having a series of electromagnets, each with associated sets of contacts, and a main operating magnet; when one of the'series of electromagnets is operated no "contacts of the various sets are actuated, but operation of the main electromagnet causes to be operated only those contacts associated with the energised electromagnet. It is convenient to fjrefer to the electromagnets of the series as the finger magnets.
  • This relay unit comprises an open box frame IID within which are located finger magnets II, in this case five in number.
  • the finger magnets "are secured to a magnetic support plate I2, fastened in the frame by screws I3, connecting 'tags [4 for the magnets pass through the plate.
  • the magnets have armatures l which carry spring fingers I6 having at their free ends lugs .I6a and IBb formed thereon and bent respec- "tively 'downwardly'and upwardly.
  • the operation of a finger magnet causes the armature to be drawn'rearwardly in to the position of the rearmost finger shown in Figure 1.
  • lugs Iiia are brought into the position in which they serve to couple movement from a main magnet to the contacts to be actuated.
  • the main magnet closely resembles a type adapted as standard in relays used by the British 'Post Office and comprises a magnetic frame I1,
  • the armature is ad- 'justably spring loaded by a helical spring 20;
  • the fittings of the magnet are so well known as not to warrant further description, except that the pivoted armature carries a support member 2
  • the main contact assembly of the relay unit is disposed above, and is secured to the box frame Ill.
  • This assembly includes a base plate 23 secured to the frame by screws 24; the base plate, and the parts, including the contact-carrying members, which form part of the contact assembly can be detached as a sub-unit from the box frame.
  • the contact assembly includes contact-carrying springs arranged in five vertical banks, disposed one above each finger magnet armature, and associated with that armature.
  • Each bank includes fixed contact carrying springs 25 alternating with moving contact carrying springs 26.
  • the fixed springs are clamped between spacers 2'! formed of strips of insulating material, the spacers being secured by bolts 28.
  • the free length of the fixed springs, extending from the stack of spacers is short, being less than one inch, and preferably of the order of half an inch.
  • the moving contact carrying springs are likewise mounted at one end in the stack of spacers 21, but are not clamped therein, and are held in a manner to be described hereinafter,
  • the moving springs 26 are shown as being of approximately the same length as the fixed springs but may be slightly longer.
  • the contacts on the springs are formed by suitably shaping the ends, and by coating these parts with an appropriate metal.
  • the contact ends of the moving springs of each bank are spaced from each other by engaging and being located in one of five insulating members 2%. These are formed each of a thin strip of sheet insulating material which is stamped with a series of thin transverse slots 29a along its one edge into which fit the ends of the moving springs of one bank.
  • the insulating strip is guided for movement vertically by means of two slotted guide plates 30 and 3
  • the downward movement of each strip in the slotted plates is limited by a shoulder 292) formed on the strip and adapted to engage the lower plate 3
  • each of the strips 29 are adapted to rest between the lugs I62) on the appropriate necessary to set up the moving springs either as to pressure or as to separation for the reason that each spring, very near the contact, is located by the slots 29a in the strip 29. It is, of course, a relatively simple matter to manufacture the strips with a very high uniformity from one to the next, and by this means a corresponding high degree of uniformity of spacing of the moving contacts can be obtained. It is necessary for the springs to fit with a working clearance in the slots, but this can easily be made smaller than the tolerance in the desired spacing between fixed and moving springs.
  • the movingsprings can be made as thin and light as desired, since the springs are relieved of the duty of locating the contacts as in the usual arrangement and serve only to carry the contacts and the electric current to them.
  • the moving contact carriers can be made as shown in Figure 3, each with a central stem portion 2611 which is relatively thin and narrow, an enlarged end portion 260 by which the spring is positioned in the stack of insulating spacers and an enlarged contact carrying end 262).
  • the latter end is then forked, by slotting the enlarged portion and the insulating strip 29 can then be located within the fork, with one arm of the fork on each side.
  • Each arm is transversely corrugated at its ends to provide contact making portions.
  • the fixed contact springs are similarly made double to pass each side of the insulating strip and to engage the double moving contacts, but in this case each spring is slotted back to the clamping point so as to provide two virtually independent arms.
  • Such independent arms can more easily accommodate themselves to small variations of dimensions or the moving contacts than can the comparatively short arms on the ends of a conventional twinned spring.
  • spring sets of this type for cross bar switches in a selective relay unit for a cross bar system rows of springs may be connected together, it is then possible, with the construction described to make the fixed contact springs as a single member.
  • This member is stamped from a metal sheet and is shaped so that extending from the clamping line are pairs or independent springs as indicated at 25 in Figure 3. Sufiicient space is provided between each pair of springs to accommodate the width of the insulating strip 29 operating the contacts so that the contacts proper remain visible for inspection from the front of the spring set when the final assembly is completed.
  • the spring tips may be provided with contacts in the conventional manner, or, in order to further facilitate the automatic adjustment'and to reduce production cost, the complete row of springs may be blanked in one operation out of a strip of spring material with a suitable thickness of appropriate contact metal rolled on to the part which will form the spring tips, thus providing a surface of contact metal on the tips.
  • the overall thickness of the springs is the same at the contacted surfaces as on the rest of the length and this facilitates automatic adjusting.
  • the rigid contact springs may also be provided with contacts in the conventional way, or may embody locally rolled on contact metal as in the case of the springs.
  • the contact carrier in order to provide a definite position of the contact, may be suitably corrugated as shown or may have raised pips embossed into it. This latter operation may be performed in a manner suitable to increase the effective thickness of the contact metal locally at the position of the contact.
  • the springs may, of course, be embossed in a similar manner to provide counter contacts if desired.
  • the-fixed contact springs can be assembled and clamped before the moving springs are inserted in position between them. This'is of great practical importance, since it is not a diificult matter to design an apparatus for straightening or adjusting only the fixed springs when there is no obstruction by the moving springs and this is particularly so with the present construction since accurate spacing only of the springs is required.
  • each moving spring is formed an enlargement 26c and this serves as a stop to limit the'movement of the spring in a slot formed in the spacers 21 to receive it.
  • each moving spring isof course retained by the insulating strip 29 so that the spring is therefore securely held in'the completed unit.
  • the fixed springs are assembled clamped and adjusted; this adjustment is effected by bending, the springs in alternate directions, to a decreasing extent each time.
  • the moving springs arethen dropped into the slots in the spacers provided to receive them, withoutany release of the now adjusted, fixed springs.
  • the insulating strips are inserted, and held in position by the slotted plates 30 and 3
  • a separate restoring spring operating against the insulating strips may be provided, but in the case where numerous springsare used the sum of the pressures exerted by the individual contact springs may be suflicient to provide the necessary restoring force. This measure still does not constitute a reversion to the old lever spring principle as no individual adjustment of springs is involved and one or more of the moving springs may even rest on the upper edge of the slot in the insulating strip without detriment to the proper operation of the spring set.
  • the operating pressureto be provided by the armature is equal to the sum of-all contact pressures plus'the restoring pressure; It is, of course, desirable to keep the latter as low as'possible and, it is for this reason, that-the cross sectionof the flexing length of the connector strips is kept as low as possible with due regard to mechanical stability, and the length of this portion of the connectoras great as-possible. At the same time, since there is no need to clamp the moving springs it is not difiicult to achieve a low restoring force, even with multiple springs. It will be seen also thatwith the slotted mounted arrangement for the moving spring the flexing length is increased.
  • the fixed springs are kept short, as is pointed out above. This has the obvious merit of compactness, but in addition this reduces variations in the position of the contact tips owing to small movements in the clamping edges of spacers, which may be caused by pressure changes resulting from alteration of temperature or humidity.
  • the springs can now be automatically adjusted in toto by means of a tool, considerations of accessibility no longer apply and the length of the spring can be reduced to a value determined only by production and contact pressure considerations, and the figure of half an inch becomes practicable. This comparative shortness of the spring relative to the contact travel also increases the rubbing which occurs and thus the self-cleaning properties of the contacts are improved.
  • the fixed springs are located in a stack of insulating spacers, as described above, but the moving springs each take the form of a wire 32.
  • the end of the wire is bent at right angles and is passed through the insulating strip 29 which is guided for vertical movement as before.
  • the other ends of the wires pass freely through openings in the stack of insulating spacers and project behind the stack to provide connecting lugs at 32a.
  • the moving spring can be dispensed with as such, the moving contacts being rigidly supported upon an insulating member.
  • FIG. 5 Such an arrangement is shown diagrammatically in Figure 5; here'the fixed contact springs 25 are clamped in the pile of spacers 21, but moving contacts 33 of a relatively short and rigid construction are secured to the insulating strip 29.
  • the strip 29 is actuated as described above.
  • Connection is made to the contacts 33 by any light conductors, such as thin foil connections 34.
  • the foil connections may be supported in the stack of spacers 21, or in a separate stack, and with a relay unit for a cross bar system, instead of connecting the fixed contacts together, the moving contacts of the various banks can be joined by light foil connections.
  • An electric contact making device comprising the combination with a plurality of fixed contact carrying members and a cooperating plurality of movable contact carrying members; of insulating spacer means notched to provide a plurality of slots for receiving the respective fixed contact carrying members to support and space the same independently 0f the movable contact carrying members, whereby the latter can be assembled without affecting the spacing of the fixed contacts, means comprising a bar of insulating material supporting the contactcarrying ends of said movable contact carrying members and maintaining the spacing of the contacts thereon substantially constant, and means including said bar for retaining said movable contact carrying members with portions thereof seated in said slots and in interleaved relation to the fixed contact carrying members.
  • An electric contact making device comprising a series of substantially parallel fixed spring members, contacts on said fixed members, spacers of insulating material between said fixed members adjacent the ends thereof, clamping means for clamping said fixed members and said spacers to hold said fixed members in spaced substantially parallel relationship, a series of movable contact carrying members, contacts on said movable members, insulating spacing means for maintaining substantially constant the separation of the contacts on said movable members, and means including said spacers and said insulating spacing means for removably supporting said movable contact carrying members in cooperative relation to said fixed members, said spacers when assembled with said fixed members providing slots for the entrance or removal of said movable members.
  • a device according to claim 2 wherein said insulating spacing means are recessed to receive the ends of moving contact carrying members.
  • said movable contact carrying members comprise wires
  • said insulating spacing means comprises a bar of insulating material having openings therethrough through which the ends of the said wires pass.
  • a device comprising, as a part of said means removably supporting said movable contact carrying members, means guiding said insulating spacing means for linear movement; said movable contact carrying members being seated in recesses in said insulating spacer means, said movable members being thereby held against removal from said recesses and from said slots of said assembled spacers.
  • a device according to claim 2 wherein the said fixed contact carrying members are supported near one end thereof and the free contact carrying part thereof is not greater than one inch in length.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Contacts (AREA)
US198061A 1949-12-08 1950-11-29 Electric contact making device Expired - Lifetime US2630500A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB31544/49A GB728891A (en) 1949-12-08 1949-12-08 Improvements in and relating to electric contact making devices

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US2630500A true US2630500A (en) 1953-03-03

Family

ID=10324700

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US198061A Expired - Lifetime US2630500A (en) 1949-12-08 1950-11-29 Electric contact making device

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (1) US2630500A (en))
BE (1) BE499871A (en))
GB (1) GB728891A (en))
NL (2) NL78452C (en))

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2762866A (en) * 1954-08-30 1956-09-11 Automatic Elect Lab Multi-position relays
US2810040A (en) * 1953-08-24 1957-10-15 Telephone Mfg Co Ltd Electric switches
US2821598A (en) * 1953-08-24 1958-01-28 Telephone Mfg Co Ltd Electromagnetic switches
US2859301A (en) * 1954-09-09 1958-11-04 Ericsson Telefon Ab L M Electromagnetic relays
US2863018A (en) * 1954-09-07 1958-12-02 Telephone Mfg Co Ltd Electromagnet relays and to apparatus incorporating such relays
US2907983A (en) * 1956-06-19 1959-10-06 Leich Electric Co Mechanical counting relay
US3024610A (en) * 1956-04-26 1962-03-13 Monarch Machine Tool Co Electrical control system

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1027253B (de) * 1955-09-06 1958-04-03 Siemens Ag Verhindern des Kontaktprellens beim Anzug von Flachrelais

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2086136A (en) * 1933-10-18 1937-07-06 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Method of manufacturing switches
US2348088A (en) * 1940-11-20 1944-05-02 Ibm Detachable relay
US2385858A (en) * 1943-06-11 1945-10-02 Smaller War Plants Corp Relay
US2390344A (en) * 1944-03-01 1945-12-04 Gen Electric Electric switch
US2444026A (en) * 1943-07-24 1948-06-29 Western Electric Co Method of making selective switch banks
US2500413A (en) * 1945-11-26 1950-03-14 Clare & Co C P Gang relay switch arrangement
US2523360A (en) * 1947-04-25 1950-09-26 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Electromagnetic relay

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2086136A (en) * 1933-10-18 1937-07-06 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Method of manufacturing switches
US2348088A (en) * 1940-11-20 1944-05-02 Ibm Detachable relay
US2385858A (en) * 1943-06-11 1945-10-02 Smaller War Plants Corp Relay
US2444026A (en) * 1943-07-24 1948-06-29 Western Electric Co Method of making selective switch banks
US2390344A (en) * 1944-03-01 1945-12-04 Gen Electric Electric switch
US2500413A (en) * 1945-11-26 1950-03-14 Clare & Co C P Gang relay switch arrangement
US2523360A (en) * 1947-04-25 1950-09-26 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Electromagnetic relay

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2810040A (en) * 1953-08-24 1957-10-15 Telephone Mfg Co Ltd Electric switches
US2821598A (en) * 1953-08-24 1958-01-28 Telephone Mfg Co Ltd Electromagnetic switches
US2762866A (en) * 1954-08-30 1956-09-11 Automatic Elect Lab Multi-position relays
US2863018A (en) * 1954-09-07 1958-12-02 Telephone Mfg Co Ltd Electromagnet relays and to apparatus incorporating such relays
US2859301A (en) * 1954-09-09 1958-11-04 Ericsson Telefon Ab L M Electromagnetic relays
US3024610A (en) * 1956-04-26 1962-03-13 Monarch Machine Tool Co Electrical control system
US2907983A (en) * 1956-06-19 1959-10-06 Leich Electric Co Mechanical counting relay

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
BE499871A (en))
NL78452C (en))
GB728891A (en) 1955-04-27
NL157717B (nl)

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US2630500A (en) Electric contact making device
US2069171A (en) Relay
US2608630A (en) Relay
US2348088A (en) Detachable relay
US2500413A (en) Gang relay switch arrangement
US2755346A (en) Sensitive relay
US2516772A (en) Cross-wire switch
US2582131A (en) Spring set for electromagnetic relays and similar connecting apparatus
US2341029A (en) Switching mechanism
US2682584A (en) Relay
US2362551A (en) Switching mechanism
US3622924A (en) Electric switches
US2853578A (en) Electric contact-making devices
US2396332A (en) Relay construction
US2641665A (en) Electromagnetic relay armature mounting and biasing
US2689894A (en) Electrical contact means
US2178289A (en) Electrical relay
US2765381A (en) Contact spring assemblies
US2326054A (en) Multiunit relay
US2863018A (en) Electromagnet relays and to apparatus incorporating such relays
US2735910A (en) Dautry
US2515769A (en) Bar relay
Keller A new general purpose relay for telephone switching systems
US2541355A (en) Relay with passive springs
US2621269A (en) Electromagnetic relay with compensated contact pressure