US2647961A - Multicontact relay - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 4, 1953 Original Filed May 9, 1946 N. H. SAUNDERS ETAL MULTICONTACT RELAY 3 Sheets-Sheet l [IIIIII "l1 Hfl::::::ll

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INVEINTORS NORMAN H. SAUNDERS CLAUDE J. HACKETT JOHN I. BELLAMY BYMM 9% ATTORNEY g 4, 1953 N. H. SAUNDERS ETAL 2,647,951

MULTICONTACT RELAY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed May 9, 1946 INVENTORS: NORMAN H. SAUNDERS CLAUDE J HACKETT JOHN I. BELLAMY BM d I M7 ATTORNEY Aug. 4, 1953 Original Filed May 9, 1946 N. H. SAUNDERS ETAL 2,647,961 MULTICONTACT RELAY 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 7A

INVENTORS: NORMAN H. SAUNDERS CLAUDE J. HACKETT |5 JOHN I. BELLAMY |o BY ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 4, 1 953 MULTICONTACT RELAY Norman H. Saunders, Chicago, Claude J. Hackett,

Oak Park, and John I.

Bellamy, Brookfield,

Ill., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Kellogg Switchboard and Supply tion of Delaware Original application Ma 668,356, now Patent N Divide gust 12, 1952.

Company, a corporay 9, 1946, Serial No. 0. 2,606,958, dated Aud and this application June 20, 1950, Serial No. 171,988

Claims.

This application is a division of our application Serial No. 688,356, filed May 9, 1946, now Patent No. 2,606,958, August 12, 1952.

This invention relates to multi-contact relays.

One object is to provide an improved form of multi-contact relay which utilizes mounting space more efficiently than heretofore, and which permits the relays to be mounted in rows and columns with economical intermultipling between concerned contacts of relays in the same row, as well as between concerned contacts of relays in the same column.

Another object is to provide suitable means for so locating and controlling the contact-carrying members of the relays that they require a minimum of adjustment after assembly.

An important feature of the invention resides in the arrangement for economically multipling correspondin contacts of all relays in the same row, while permitting each relay to have a plurality of columns of contact members arranged side by side thereon to utilize the full width of the electromagnet. In carrying out this feature of the invention, a contact bank is provided at the rear of the row containing thin lateral conducting strips, with which the movable blades of the contact pairs are integrally formed, and appear in staggered relationship, whereby each column of contacts of any relay of the row is served by a separate group of bladed conducting strips interspersed with the bladed conducting strips serving the other columns of contacts.

Accordin to a further feature of the invention, the movable blades of any contact column are controlled by a rack resting on the armature, while the stationary blades are fixedly positioned by a rack resting on a fixed portion of the structure. Both the movable blades and the stationary blades have a bifurcate form, and the racks lie between the arms of the bifurcate portion. This construction minimizes adjustment requirements, and leaves the space between adjacent contact columns free to permit ready inspection and adjustment.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear as the description progresses.

The accompaning drawings, comprising Figs. 1 to 9, show the construction and arrangement of relays embodying the principles of the invention.

Fig. 1, taken along line |-l of Fig. 2, shows a top view of the relay gang shown in full in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a front view of a section of a switchboard having a number of similar gangs of multistrips employed in the mounted.

contact relays mounted in a column, one such gang being shown in full.

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the apparatus of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the apparatus of Figs. 1 to 3 as seen from the left generally along line 44 of Fig. 2.

Figs. 5 to 7 are bottom views of the three specifically diiTerent forms of movable-blade apparatus of Figs. 1 to 4, while Figs. 5A to 7A are end views thereof.

Figs. 8 and 8A are a bottom view and an end view of one of the stationary-blade strips employed in the apparatus of Figs. 1 to 4.

Fig. 9 is a circuit diagram showing the vertical and horizontal interconnections between contact blades of the relays.

Figs. 1 to 3 show a section of a switchboard on which the relay angs are adapted to be This switchboard includes a row of upright bars between which relay gangs and other associated units of apparatus may be mounted in columns. Of these upright bars, only bars II and I 2 are shown, as switchboard construction of this type is quite common.

Between bars II and 12, any desired number of relay gangs constructed according to the invention can be mounted in a column. One such relay gang is shown in full front view in Fig. 2, together with a fragmentary portion of the relay gang immediately overlying it in the column. Any such relay gang includes apparatus mounted on common plate I3, of angular construction.

ends, as shown best in Fig. 2, to receive a pair of screws I4 through which it is attached to uprights n and I2.

Plate 13 is made of magnetic material to serve as a common return path for the several relays in gang assembly thereon. In the illustrated embodiment, ten multi-contact relays I to I G comprise a gang mounted on the common plate l3. Of these, relays 3 to 9 are omitted tion, attached at the rear to the vertical portion of plate l3 by a screw l6. Each relay is further provided with an angular armature l1, held pivotally in position by nut 18, threaded onto Each of the relays of the gan is provided with three columns of contact blades, A, B, and C. Those for relay l are shown at IA, IB, and IC; those for relay 2 are shown at 2A, 2B, and 2C;

and those for relay If! are shown at lilA, lilB, and 00.

The contact columns IA to lilC comprise thirty laterally spaced columns of contact-carrying blades supported at the rear in the composite bank 22, and extending forwardly therefrom. It will be observed that electromagnets are mounted along common plate |3 very nearly in contact with each other. The slight space between them is substantially that required for mass-production manufacturing tolerance. The length of the assembly is therefore dictated substantially by the electromagnets. The three columns of contact blades for any relay are mounted directly above the electromagnet thereof, and are spaced uniformly about as close together as considerations of inspection and adjustment will permit. Since the contact columns on the several relays are of uniform height, the arrangement under discussion is apparently as economical of space on the face of the switchboard as any arrangement which can be devised.

One of the major features of the invention is that multi-contact relays having their columns of contact members disposed in the disclosed space-saving arrangement are nevertheless interconnected according to the usual requirements of multi-contact relays. That is, one blade of each contact-blade pair of any relay is connected to the corresponding blade of each other relay of the group, or gang.

Contact bank 22 is attached to mounting plate l3 by fifteen mounting screws 25 (one for each two columns of contact blades) which pass vertically through the bank and enter threaded openings (not shown) in plate |3. Contact bank 22 comprises a pile of transverse contact-blade strips held in place between base plate 23 and cap plate 24. These strips are shown individually in end view in Fig. 4, but are not shown individually in Figs. 2 and 3 to avoid undue crowding of lines.

It has been chosen to illustrate the relay gang as made up of thirty-point relays; that is, of relays each of which closes thirty circuit points on operation. Accordingly, since the previously discussed considerations of space economy dictate that each relay (for the chosen width and lateral spacing of contact blades) has three columns of contact blades, each column must contain ten pairs of contact blades, as is shown in Fig, 4 for column |A, the first column of relay I of the gang of ten.

Referring to Figs, 4, 8, and 8A, the top contact-blade strip in bank 22 (immediately underlying cap plate 24) comprises an insulation strip 5| having thirty contact blades on the underside thereof, clipped thereto as by bent-over tabs 65, passing through locating notches in the front and rear edges thereof. These contact blades comprise fifteen blades 63 for the odd columns of the assembly, and fifteen blades 64 for the even columns. The blades 53 and 64 are similar except that the rear terminal extensions 66 thereof are oppositely located to provide common working spaces (one for each pair of columns of contact blades) for the attachment, as by soldering, of vertical multipling conductors such as group VIA (Figs. 4 and 9). The thirty contact blades 63 and 54 carried underneath strip 6| provide one fixed blade for each of the thirty CO1? umns of the relay gang.

The topmost contact strip BI is underlaid by three contact strips 3|, 4|, and 5| detailed respectively in Figs. 5, 6, and 7.

P fixed with strips 3|,

Strip 3| is referred to as an A strip in that the ten contact blades 36 fixed therewith are so located along the strip as to appear only in the A columns, lA, 2A, and so forth, a single appearance along the strip for each relay; strip 4| is referred to as a B strip in that the contact blades 46 attached thereto appear only in columns IB, 2B, and so forth; and strip 5| is referred to as a C strip in that the contact blades 56 fixed therewith are so located as to appear only in the C columns, IC, 20 and so forth. The staggered arrangement of the contact blades on these strips is diagrammatically shown in Fig. 9.

Insulation strips 32, 42, and 52 are laid on and 4|, and 5|, respectively to keep them out of contact with each other and with the blades 63 and 54, and to hold them in alignment in the bank with respect to mounting screws 25. For example, each such insulation strip and its underlying conducting strip may be fixed with each other as by being pressed together after one or the other of the parts has been coated with a suitable adhesive material.

Holes, such as 35 in insulation strip 32, rather snugly receive the bank screws 25, while holes, such as 34, in the underlying conducting strip are substantially larger to avoid undesired contact with the bank screws. End lugs 33, 43, and 53 permit external connection to be made at either end of conducting strips 3|, 4|, and 5|.

Contact blades 38 carried on strip 3| are offset downwardly to the level of the non-offset contact blades 46 carried by a strip 4|, while contact blades 55 carried by C strip 5| are offset upwardly to the said level, bringing the contact blades on the three strips overlying each other, as a level group, into horizontal alignment and in fixed uniform relationship to their immediately overlying fixed blades mounted on strip 6 i.

It will appear from the foregoing that the three contact blades carried by the topmost strip 5| for any one of the ten relays overlie, respectively, a contact blade 36 secured to strip 3|, a contact blade 46 secured to strip 4|, and a contact blade 56 secured to a strip 5|, whereby closure of the topmost contact pair of each of the three columns of any one of the ten relays closes three separate circuit connections not multipled with each other, while closure of the corresponding contacts of any other relay connects the same horizontal strips 3|, 4|, and 5| to such conductors as are attached to the cooperating stationary contacts thereof, fixed with the uppermost strip 6|.

The, described arrangement, including the uppermost fixed-blade strip 6| and the immediately underlying movable-blade strips 3|, 4|, and 5|, provides the three uppermost contact points for each of the ten relays. This arrangement is repeated below for each of the remaining nine contact points in any column of any relay in the gang. The lowermost contact strip 5| in the bank is underlaid by an insulating strip to keep it out of contact with base plate 23. v

Preferably, each of the stationary blades 63 and 54, and each of the movable blades 36, 46, and 55, is so preformed as to slope downwardly toward the front of the relay when not supported, so as to provide the required normal tension when the positioning racks are installed. That is, the contact blades shown in Fig. 4 are approximately straight merely because of the front-end support afforded by racks 26 and 21.

Each of the thirty columns of contact blades has a movable rack 21 (see Figs. 1 and 4) having a vertical body portion lying between the arm of the bifurcate forward end portion of the contact blades. Rack 21 has rearwardly extending lifting portions-86 which underlie the movable blade, respectively. The rack is held in position by an upstanding top portion 85 and an upstanding bottom portion 84 which enter openings 31, 41, or 57 (Figs. to 7), depending upon whether the rack is serving an A column, a B column, or a 0 column. Foot portion 83 of rack'21 provides a bearing location on the top of the concerned armature [1, directly underneath the point at which the movable blades are lifted.

The rack 21 is prevented from rotating substantially aboutits ownaxis by being confined between the arms of the movable blades through which it passes.

Each of the thirty columns of contact blades is provided with a stationary rack 26 for supporting the forward end of the fixed blades 63 or 64 in fixed relationship to mounting plate 13. Rack 26 is generally similar torack 2'! except that it has a foot portion 13 appropriately longer than the foot portion 83 and is made from material having approximately twice the thickness of the material from which rack 21 was made. p

As seen best in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, each armature I1 is cut away at HA, I13, and HG to accommodate the foot portion 13 of the three associated stationary racks 26.

The reason for the greater thickness of fixed I racks 2 6 is that the bifurcations in both the movable-contact blades and the fixed-contact blades must be wide enough to permit rack 21 to be inserted first, followed by rack 26. As is shown best in Fig. 8, each of the fixed blades 63 and 6-2 is provided with a pair of inward extensions 10 which are far enough apart to permit rack 27 to pass between them, but are close enough together to permit both arms of the fixed blade to lie on top of the concerned support members 16 fixed with rack 26. This construction of racks and contact blades permits the contact bank and attached blades to be completely assembled without racks 26 and 27, followed by the successive insertions of movable racks 21 and fixed racks 26. Since these racks can be inserted with the assembly otherwise intact, it is obviously unnecessary to take the assembly apart to replace any rack 26 or 21 which may become broken or otherwise defective.

After the assembly of Figs. 1 to 4 is installed between upright bars II and [2, along with the associated assemblies in the same column, and in adjoining columns if desired, external connections can be made to the horizontal conductors represented by horizontal conducting strips 3|, 4|, and 5|, through terminal lugs 33, 43, and 53 on either end thereof.

The stationary blades of the relays of the several installed relay gangs in the same column may next be suitably connected in multiple through vertical conductors such as groups VI, V2, and VII) of Fig. 9, comprising ten groups such as VIA of Fig. 4, there being one such group of ten vertical conductors for each of the thirty contact columns carried by any assembly. These vertical conductors can be conveniently attached to the staggered side lugs 68 (see Figs. 1 and 8) and may comprise bare wires soldered thereto.

Finally, external conductors may be joined, as desired, to the rear terminal tabs 61 of one or more of the relay gangs multiply connected in the same column.

relay has its coil terminals 2| located in a different position thereon, so as to underlie the first and second columns of rearwardly extending members 66 in their different location with respect to the even-numbered relays.

Operation When, for example, relay I of the relay gang of Figs. 1 to 4, and 9 is to be operated, the electromagnet i5 thereof energized, by passing current through the Winding thereof through its rear terminals 26, causing it to attract the depending portion of its armature IT. This causes the horizotnal portion of the armature to rise, lifting each of its three movable racks 21 a sufiicient distance to carry the associated movable blades into engagement with their respective overlying fixed blades. Preferably, the stroke of armature I1 is suflicient to lift rack 21 slightly higher than is necessary to make contact, causing the bifurcate arms of the movable springs to be slightly bent under the applied force. With a given thickness of material in the movable blades, the amount of bending with the contacts engaged is directly indicative of the contact pressure applied.

As illustrated in Fig. 4, the fixed blades are.

somewhat thicker than the movable blades, whereby they bend less readily under the ap-- plied contact pressure. Additionally, the downward tension in the fixed-contact blades (governed by the amount of out-of-line forming as indicated in Fig. 8A) is sufiicient that the fixed blades remain firmly in engagement with their rack 26 with the relay in operated condition. Operation of the relay I connects each of the 36 horizontal conductors (represented by ten sets of strips 3|, 4|, and 5|, Figs. 5 to 7, and 9) to a separate one of the thirty vertical conductors VI.

When the operated relay is to be restored, deenergization of the electromagnet I 5 thereof permits its armature I! to be returned to normal position under the influence of the downwardly tensioned movable blades supported by movable racks 27.

We claim:

1. In an electrical contacting device, contact blades and means at the rear end thereof for superposed relationship, the front portion of each blade being of open bifurcate construction providing laterally displaced rurcations having a rack-receiving space between them, an insulating rack lying in the rack-receiving space of all the blades, said rack being of a blade-like form, having its width dimension greater than the lateral displacement of said furcations, and having its thickness dimension small enough to permit the 7 the remaining blades corresponding respectively to said alternate ones, and means for moving the rack endwise to bring all said alternate blades into and out of engagement with their respectively corresponding blades.

2. In an electrical contacting device as set forth in claim 1, the said remaining blades being fur'cate more deeply than the said alternate ones to permit the said rearwardly extending por tions of the said rack to move freely between the furcations thereof.

3. In an electrical contacting device as set forth in claim 1, the furcations of each of the said remaining blades extending forwardly beyond the end of the said alternate blades, and fixed support means separately engaging and supporting each furcation of each said remaining blade at a point forward of the end of the iurcations of the said alternate blades.

4. In an electrical contacting device as set forth in claim 3, the inner edge of each furcation of the said remaining blades be'rng offset outwardly at a given location forwardly of the end of the said alternate blades to provide a widened rackreceiving space, a support rack lying in said widened space, said support rack being of a bladelike form, having its width dimension greater than the lateral dimension of the widened space, and having its thickness dimension small enough to permit the support rack to be brought into the: widened space, and to be removed therefrom, by a movement lengthwise of the contact blades, but larger than the unwidened rack-receiving space to the rear of the widened space, the support rack having its rear edge serrated to provide rearwardly extending support portions each underlying and unofiset portion of each furcation of a separate one of said remaining blades.

5. In anelectrical contacting device, first and second contact blades appearing alternately, means at the rear end of the blades for support ing them separated from each other in super posed relationship, the unsupported endof' each blade being of bi'urcate construction providing laterally displaced furcations having a rack-receiving space between them, a first insulating rack lying in a rearward location in the rack-receiving space of all the blades and having uniformly spaced rearwardly extending portions for respectively engaging the first blades at a noniurcate portion thereof, the second blades being bifurcate more deeply than the first blades to permit the first rack to move freely between the furcations thereof, a second insulating rack, fixed with the supporting means, lying in a forward location in the rack-receiving space of the second blades, the second rack having parts engaging each {creation of each second blade to hold it in a predetermined position, each rack having a thickness dimension small enough to permit the rack to be brought into its said position in the rack-receiving space, and to be removed therefrom, by a movement of the rack lengthwise of the contact blades, and means for moving the first rack endwise to move the first blades so as to bring each arm of each into and out of engagement with the overlying furcation of an adjacent second blade.

NORMAN H. SAUNDERS. CLAUDE J. HACKETT. JOHN I. BELLAMY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,279,811 Baker Apr. 14, 1942 2,282,687 Vigren 'et a1 May 12, 1942 2,306,355 Gensburg Dec. 22, 1942 246L360 Vincent Feb. 8, 1949 2,500,413 Horlacher Mar. 14, 1950 2,574,134 Vigren et a1 Nov. 6, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 67,366 Denmark Aug. 9, 1948 627,570 Great Britain Aug. 11, 1949

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