US2647966A - Electrical switching operating device - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 4, 1953 H. T. TORNBERG ELECTRICAL SWITCHING OPERATING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 6, 1951 A-IMMS K756466267 INVENTOR.

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Aug. 4, 1953 H. 1-. TORN BERG ELECTRICAL SWITCHING OPERATING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001). 6, 1951 flaw/we Z 750 5565 //VVEA/70/P =has assumed a too low position. switch is manipulated when the position assumed by-said floating Patented Aug. 4, 1953 ELECTRICAL SWITCHING OPERATING DEVICE Henning T. Tornberg,

to Modern Plastic M Ridgewood, N. J assignor achinery Corp.,

Lodi, N. J.,

a corporation of Delaware Application October 6, 1951, Serial No. 250,048 2 Claims. (Cl. 200-52) The present invention relates to a mechanism which may be used in switching structures for the control of electric motors driving machines for winding up wire, rope, paper, cloth and the upwardly and downwardly below the first mentioned unit; the filament or web in its travel from feed to wind-up, being supported by the upper unit and supporting the floating unit. For practical working, the distance between these units should be between prescribed limits. When wind-up is not fast enough in accordance with the feed, the floating unit will descend because of the increased accumulation of the material the said units carry. When the amount of such descent brings the floating unit belowthe desired limit for the low position thereof, the motor driving the wind-up means must be speeded up until the distance between said units shall again be within the prescribed limits. Then again, if the wind-up is too fast in accordance with the feed, the floating pulley will ascend. When the amount of such ascent brings the floating unit above the desired limit for high position therefor, the speed of said motor need be lowered until said floating unit is again within said limits.

Various motors are in use on wind-up machinery which include electrical speed control systems employing a pair of manually operated switches. One such switch is manually held in closed position bythe operator to speed up the motor when he observes that the "floatin-g unit The other unit is too high. The switches are in open condition while the floating unit is between the desired limits. Such motors and their control system are for instance those known as U. S. varidrive motors, manufactured by U. S. Electrical Motors Inc'., of Milford, Connecticut. An object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved mechanism shown used in an electrical switching structure embodying a pair of switches w-hose operation is accomplished automatically and controlled by floating unit movement; No claim is made herein to the electrical circuits employed, and such circuits being known,

are not shown herein. This invention is only concerned and claims are made only to a novel and improved mechanism employable for the men- .tioned switching structure. -nism can be used anywhere else where it is de- The novel mechasired to have a shaft revolvable between adjustable limits by a movable member which has possible movement up and back between and beyond other limits. Ani it is such novel mechanism which this application seeks protection for, and also for the illustrative structures herein shown employing such mechanism.

Another object of this invention is to provide novel and improved means to control the movement of a shaft between adjustable limits by a reciprocatable body on which no adjustment is made upon any adjustment of said limits.

A further object hereof is to provide a novel and improved mechanism of the character mentioned, which is reasonably cheap to manufacture, and when employed in said switching structure, is easy to adapt for present systems and which is efficient in carrying out the purposes for which it is designed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this disclosure proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an electrical switching device embodying the teachings of this invention, shown mounted on the framework of a wire wind-up machine, and in cludes a shaft carrying a pair of mercury switches, a member carried along on the machines floating unit, and a wheel whose periphery is adapted to be in contact with said member during some part of the travel of said floating unit; the mentioned shaft receiving its movement when the said wheel is made to rotate by said member in motion. This view is partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a partial left side view of Fig. 1,, shown partly in section. This view particularly shows the wheel and its contacting member which is carried along with the floating unit of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the brackets for holding a mercury switch on the mentioned shaft.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic front view of a windup machine shown equipped with the device i1- lustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic side view of said machine.

Fig. 6 is a modified embodiment of the matter shown in Fig. 2. Here the wheel-contacting memher is itself a wheel of mechanism to be mentioned. It shows the adoption of this invention where a rotatable member is brought to limits. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, it is a reciprocatable slidable member which is brought to limits.

In the drawings, the numeral l5 designates generally a wire-winding machine receiving wire I 6 from a source onto and about the fixed sheave 3 unit l1 and the floating sheave unit Hi; the latter being mounted. to slide along the vertically positioned channels IS. The wire then travels on a swivelled guide pulley 2i], thence to the traverse guide 2!, and finally onto a wind-up reel 22. A varidrive motor 23- of' the: type here inbefore mentioned, drives the said reel, and is. provided with its usual electrical control system (not shown) which heretofore. included two-man.-

shaft 28, and areset in ad ustable angular position with respect to each other, by means of the set screws 32 and 33 respectively, which secure the brackets to the shaft '28-, after saidbrackets are turned on said shaft to desired relative position. An adjustablescrew- 34 threadedly mounted on the frame 23-, and a similar screw 35i1ikewise mounted on said frame, are respectively positioned so that their ends lie in the paths of movement of the said brackets respectively, so

as toact as stops therebylimiting the movement of the shaft 23, to a fraction of a revolution, which is of course adjustable as is evident.

Itis intended that the shaft 28' shall move upon rotation of the wheel 36, but it is preferred that said wheel shall have-a considerably greater scope a of movement than that of theshaft 28. Hence, there is provided a suitable reduction drive in the shaft means, as forinstance the worm 3! on the wheels shaft 38, in engagement with the gearwheel 39 on the shaft 28;

The driving member for the wheel 36', comprises the bar 46 which is securely mounted on the carriage 41 holding the floating pulley: unit l8. Said bar 43 holds another bar 42. in spaced and resiliently mounted relation. thereon. This is accomplished by means of the compression springs 43. between. said bars, held in suitable sockets 4'4 and 45. Headed bolts46 maintain the assembly so that the said springs are in constantly stressedcondition. These bolts are secured in the bar 42', withtheir. shanks free to, slide in their holes in the bar 4%, and with theirheads free within the counterbores 4-1. The line of movement of the carriage 411 being along the vertical, the bars 43' and 42' which are; normally in parallel relation, are mounted lengthwise along the vertical.

The framework 20 which may serve-as a. casing as shown, is fixed to the channels IS, in such position that theshafts 28 and- 38 are horizontal and so that the periphery of thewheel 35 shall be in contact with the bar 42' and further compress the springs 43' while the bar 42-v passessaid wheel 35. Also, the shaft 38 shall be at such'position that the wheel 38-. shall be in contact with about the mid-point of the bar 42 when thefioating pulley unit IS is at its median region of desired operating positions.

The length of said bar than. the maximum distance. ever between the extreme desired working scope of movement of the floating pulley unit l8. Since the operational scope of the shaft 23 is less than one revolution, dimensions of the parts should be so chosen to preferably effect a possible one turn of said 42. is somewhat longer to be employed.

limiting positions for, the

shaft 28 or even less, but to such an extent to exceed the maximum scope. of. movement of said shaft 23' at any time required. The dimension of the parts should also be chosen so that the said wheel 36 shall yet be in contact with the bar 42 after the movement of the shaft 28 has come to a halt due to the action of the stops which are the screws 34 and 35.

important incident of the described structure, is that upon halt of the movement of the shaft 28 by the stop screws 34 or 35, any continued: movement. of the carriage 4|, with the wheel..36 still in contact with the bar 42, which causes a pressure of the stopped bracket 26 or 2?, against the stop screw such bracket is in contact with, the wheel 35 will slip and. remain motionless. Upon continued movement of the carriage 4! in the same direction it had' moved to bring the shaft 28 to its said stopped. position, the bar 42 will disengage the wheel 351 Due to the action of the springs 43, the bar 42. will become a little further spaced. from the bar;- 48. Upon movement of the carriage 41' in them:- posite direction, the bar 42 will again. contact the wheel 36', turn same, and the shaft 28 will move in the direction opposite to that it had moved before.

The mercur switches 2'4 and 25', by adjustment of the positions oftheir respective brackets 2G; and 21 on the shaft 28; are in oppositely tilted positions of equal angle withhorizontali when the carriage M is at median desired. working position along the channels. I13. The wheel 36: is then in contact with mid-point of" the: ban 4-2. Such would be the. setting if the distance between desired working" limits of the. carriage. 411, would equal approximately the.- fulL length. of the bar 42. In such: instance, thestopscrews. and 35 are entirely withdrawn so that they do not interfere with movement of the; shaft 28. However, for all practical purposes, such distance as. mentioned, is less than. said: bar length, and should be adjustable, depending; upon the nature of the material being wound; to any-distance; less than said bar length. Hence the-:needofzthdstqp screws 34 and 35, to. be. adjusted ta proper posrtions depending upon. the extent of the distance between the limits for; the desired working? positions for the floating pulley unit: 18:. The ex"- tent of the movement of the shaft28 permitted by said stop screws, is proportional. to the distance between. the limits for the desired working positions for said floating pulley unit.

It is to be noted that;whenboth-1mercux7 switches 24 and 25 arein positiorrwhere-they are tilted equallywith horizontal, such. switches". are in off or open? condition. Upmiv movement of the shaft 281 in one; direction. at: this; time, it will cause one of the switches to assume; onf condition. and the other'toremain, inv off, con: dition. It is whena switch. assumes horizontal position, that: its mercury. 50: flows and. then makes contact with. the terminals ll, 52; thereby setting the switch. into on."orclosedfcondition. Each of these switches shown, comprise a glass case 53 housing the mercury and a: pair of end terminals 5| and. 52 having external leadin wires 54, for connection in place of the-hereinbefore mentioned; manually operated switches in the motor control apparatus.

Referring to Fig. 1, consider the machine I! to be in operation performing wind-up on one of the reels 22. The floating pulley unit I8 is at aposition within its desired limit positions along the channels IS. The switches 24 and 28 are both in open condition. The motor 23 is running at a normal operating speed. Should it occur that wire I6 is being fed faster than it is being wound up, the floating pulley unit |8 will begin to descend, causing shaft 28 to move clockwise. If such descent continues, mercury switch 24 will close and actuate the control apparatus of the varidrive motor 23 to cause a speed up of said motor. This in turn will cause the floating pulley unit I 8 to rise and consequently the switch 24 will shift to be in open" condition again, whereupon the motor speed will again go to normal. Should it occur that wire I6 is being wound-up faster than it is being fed, the floating pulley unit |8 will begin to rise, causing shaft 28 to move counter-clockwise. If such ascent continues, mercury switch 25 will close and actuate the control apparatus of the varidrive motor 23 to cause a slow down of said motor. This in turn will cause the floating pulley unit I8 to descend and consequently the switch 25 will shift to be in open condition again, whereupon the motor speed will again go to normal. The action to urge the floating pulley unit to positions between certain limits along the channels I9, is entirely automatic.

It is to be noted that for an appreciable interval of movement of the shaft 28, both switches 24 and 25 remain in open condition, and that only one of said switches can be in closed condition at one time. Change in angular relation of the switches 24 and 25, will change the segment of movement of the shaft 28 during which the said switches will remain both in open condition, thus changing the scope of float of the floating pulley unit I 8, during which the motor speed will remain unchanged.

Of course, the floating pulley unit l8 will move along the channels to an extent that bar 42 will leave the wheel 36. Upon return movement of said pulley unit, said wheel and bar will reengage. The stops 34 and 35 will respectively act to halt movement of the shaft 28, while the wheel is still in contact with the bar 42. While said shaft 28 is held against movement, further motion on the part of the floating pulley unit, will only cause said wheel 36 to slip along the bar 42. If said wheel 36 is still in contact with the bar 42, or again comes into contact therewith upon reverse movement of the floating pulley unit l8, the shaft 28 will immediately begin to move away from the stop which held it.

To attain any desired scope of float for the floating pulley unit l8, adjustments are made with the screws 24 and 25, and the angular relation of the brackets 26 and 21 is changed. To change the floating region along the channels I9, the position of the casing 29 need be altered, higher or lower, as the case demands.

Where instead of the reciprocable carriage 4|, the body to be controlled is as shown in Fig. 6, the shaft revolving in oscillatory manner, and desired to be kept capable of swing within desired limits, the switching means shown in Fig. 1 may be employed for automatic operation of a control circuit for the mover of said shaft, by having a resiliently mounted ring segment 5| in concentric relation about the periphery of a wheel 52 on said shaft 50. In this instance, the wheel 36 engages the periphery of the said ring segment, with like incidents of slippage as explained for the embodiment of Fig. 1.

The wheel 36, bar 42 and the ring segment 5| may be of wood. The springs 43 are chosen of f; a strength to accomplish the required traction and permit the required slippage.

This invention is capable of numerous forms and various applications without departing from the essential features herein disclosed. It is therefore intended and desired that the embodiments shown herein be deemed illustrative and not restrictive and that the patent shall cover all patentable novelty herein set forth; reference being had to the following claims rather than to the specific description herein to indicate the scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In an electrical switching operating device, the combination of a frame, a shaft means carrying electrical switch components; said shaft means including one or more shafts revolvably mounted on the frame and related so that upon the rotation of one shaft, all the shafts will rotate, a wheel secured on such one shaft, a member mounted for oscillatory movement on the frame, adapted during movement to frictionally contact the periphery of the wheel and turn the said wheel and thereby the shaft said wheel is mounted on, adjustable stop means on the shaft means and the frame, to determine the scope of the movement of one of the shafts; the periphery of said Wheel and the surface of said member which contacts said periphery being of such nature that the said member shall slip along the periphery of said wheel without turning said wheel while in contact therewith, upon continued movement of said member during the time when movement of the shaft means is halted by the stop means.

2. In an electrical switching operating device, the combination of a frame, a shaft means carrying electrical switch components; said shaft means including one or more shafts revolvably mounted on the frame and related so that upon the rotation of one shaft, all the shafts will rotate, a wheel secured on one such shaft, a slide slidably mounted on the frame, a bar positioned lengthwise along the line of movement of the slide and movably carried thereon for lateral movement towards and away from the slide, means holding said bar and slide in assembled relation whereby the bar moves with the slide, spring means urging the bar away from the slide; said bar being adapted during movement of the slide, to frictionally contact the periphery of the wheel and turn said wheel and thereby the shaft said wheel is mounted on; said bar being moved towards the slide by the wheel upon contact of said bar with the wheel whereupon said spring means is stressed, adjustable stop means on the shaft means and the frame, to determine the scope of the movement of one of the shafts; the periphery of said wheel and the surface of said bar which contacts said periphery being of such nature and the spring means being of such strength that the bar shall slip along the periphery of the wheel without turning said wheel while in contact therewith upon continued movement of the slide during the time when movement of the shaft means is halted by the stop means.

HENNIN G T. TORNBERG.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,992,649 Brunk Feb. 26, 1935

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