US2681443A

US2681443A - Current responsive signal

Info

Publication number: US2681443A
Application number: US360028A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr Barrett E Caulk
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1953-06-08
Filing date: 1953-06-08
Publication date: 1954-06-15
Anticipated expiration: 1971-06-15

Description

June 15, 1954 B. E. CAULK, JR

Y CURRENT RESPONSIVE SIGNAL Filed June 8, 1953 Fig.2

III/l/ Barreff E. Caulk, Jr.

' JNVENTOR 9 BY MF HM Patented June 15, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CURRENT RESPONSIVE SIGNAL Barrett Caulk, Jr., Tampa, Fla.

Application June 8, 1953, Serial No. 3605028 Claims. .1

This invention relates generally to household appliances and pertains more particularly to an attachment for use with electrical appliances provided with current shut-off mechanisms.

A primary object of this invention is to provide an appliance attachment which incorporates audible signal means actuatedin response to deenergization of an appliance with which it is associated.

Another object of this invention is to provide an attachment for producing audible indicating signals in conjunction with household electrical appliances which is simple, yet efiective, in construction and lends itself readily to mass production.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout and in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the novel attachment shown in use with a suitable household appliance;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the attachment with its cover removed, showing details of its internal construction on an enlarged scale;

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section taken substantially along the center line of the attachment, as indicated by the section line 33 of Figure 1, the section showing details of the internal construction of the attachment on an enlarged scale; and

Figure 4 is an elevational view of a modified form of attachment.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral It! indicates generally the wall of a room to which the novel attachment may be conveniently secured, the attachment in its entirety being indicated generally by the reference character l2, while reference numeral l4 indicates generally a household appliance, such ciated that this means of indicating the desired operating condition of the appliance is not wholly desirable inasmuch as it requires close scrutiny of the same to ascertain whether or not the indicating light has been lie-energized. For this reason, the hereinafter described attachment is to be connected through the suitable lead-in cord 20 of the appliance.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 2 and 3, the attachment includes the main base plate portion 22 which may be provided with suitable countersunk apertures 25 for the reception of fastening means for securement of this plate portion to any suitable support, such as the wall It, and a cover 25 is secured by the fastening elements Zl thereto. An angulated bracket plate is secured to the inner surface of the cover 25 and this plate includes a generally u shaped central portion presenting the vertically spaced horizontally extending legs 23 interconnected by the bight portion as between which the electromagnetic coil 32 is sandwiched. The free ends of these legs are provided with right angularly bent feet Hand 36 which are rigidly secured to the inner surface of the cover, and the upper foot 34 is provided with a stop car 38 extending parallel to the legs 26 and whose under surface at its free end is provided with a resilient buffer 40 for a purpose presently apparent.

Legs '28 are provided with registering apertures through which a guide sleeve 42 extends, audit will be seen that the outer surface of this sleeve is in frictional engagement with a vertical bore extending through the coil 32 while the inner surface of the sleeve provides a guide for the core 44. In this manner, the sleeve 3?. serves not only to properly maintain the coil 32 in position between the legs 28 but also serves as a guide member for the core 44.

Core 44 is longitudinally recessed and receives the upper end of a striker rod 46, there being a tight frictional engagement between these two members. A guide shelf &8 extends inwardly from the front wall of the cover 26 and is notched at its inner end, as indicated by the reference numeral 5|], to present bifurcated leg portions 52 which receive the striker at therebetween. A washer 54 surrounds the striker and a coil spring 56 is telescopically received on an intermediate portion of the striker member 46 in interposition between the lower end of the core as and the upper surface of the washer 54 so that the coil spring will normally maintain the assembly in the position shown in Figure 3. A chime member 58 of elongated U-shaped configuration is provided at its bight portion with a mounting flange 60 which is suitably secured to the cover,

26, this chime member being disposed slightly below the lower end of the striker rod 46 when the latter is in the normal position shown in Figure 3.

An outlet socket 62 is provided on one side of the cover and, as is conventional, this outlet socket is provided with a pair of contact elements 64 and E6, the former of which is connected to a conductor'fill of the inlet wire assembly 10. Contact 66 is connected through the conductor 12 to one side of the coil 32 whereas the other side of the coil is connected through the conductor M which constitutes the other conductor of the wire assembly 19.

In operation, the wire H1 is provided with a.

plug 16 which is inserted into a wall outlet 18 and the plug 80 of the inlet wire 20 ofthe electrical appliance I 4 is connected with the outlet socket 62 of the attachment. Assuming the appliance to be turned to the on positiomsuch appliance will draw current through. the attachment to energize the coil 32 and. elevate the plunger 44 from its normal position shown in Figure 3, the buffer Ml being providedto-prevent too great an upward displacement of the plunger. When the appliance has reached its proper operating temperature or condition, its'mechanism shuts off the flow of supply current, thus deenergizing the coil 32 and. allowing the plunger 44 and striker 46 to fall by gravity to strike upon the chime 58 andproduce an audible sound. The spring 58 will, ofv course, immediately return the striker G6 to its spaced position with relation to the chime so as to allow the latter to freel vibrate and produce a pleasing and 1asting tone to call the users attention to the fact that the appliance has reached its proper operating condition.

Referrin now more particularly to Figure4, a modified form of attachment is shown whose construction is substantially identical to the previously described attachment with the exception that its cover 82 is provided with an electrically operated clock 84, there being no outlet socket in this cover. Instead, the wire assembly 86 is provided-with suitable conductors which supply current to the electromagnetic mechanism within the housing of the attachment, and which also constitute supply conductors connected to the combination plug and socket 88 so that the appliance wire 90 may be connected thereto through it's plug. 92. The mem.- ber 88 is, of course, provided with suitable prongs for engagement with the conventional Wall outlet 94.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly; all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination with an electric appliance provided with control means for disestablishing electrical input thereto, a signal apparatus comprising a housing provided with an outlet for connection to said appliance, an electromagnetic coil inv said housing connected serially with said outlet, a core received in said coil and movable therebyto an elevated position, an audio indicating mechanism in said housing below said core whereby the core will fall by gravity and strike said mechanism when the appliance disconnects its input energy.

2. The combination of claiml wherein a guide member is disposed between said coil and said mechanism, guidably receiving said core.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said core is provided with an enlarged upper portion, resilient means engaged between said enlarged portion andsaid guide.

4.. The. combination of claim 3 wherein said resilient means Comprises a coil spring telescopi- & cally received on said core.

5, A signal apparatus for electric appliances of the type having temperature responsive. input control devices, said apparatu ,v comprising a housing having an electrical outlet for connection to an appliance, an electromagnet coil in said housing connected. to said outlet and provided with a movable core, a chimedispcsed below said core, said core being elevated when said coil is. energized whereby the core will strike said chime when the flow of current through said coil is interrupted.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,980,194 Ford Nov. 13, 1934 2,427,444 Colombo Sept. 16, 1947 2,582,790 Newell Jan. 15, 1952 2,592,989 Wilson Apr. 15, 1952 2,609,431 Faltz Sept. 2, 1952 MAL)...