US2775669A

US2775669A - Thermally operated circuit maker

Info

Publication number: US2775669A
Application number: US428071A
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard C Sloan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1954-05-06
Filing date: 1954-05-06
Publication date: 1956-12-25
Anticipated expiration: 1973-12-25

Description

Dec. 25, 1956 R. c. SLOAN 2,775,669

THERMALLY OPERATED CIRCUIT MAKER Filed May 6, 1954 40 A la INVENTORZ fi/amwo C $1.04

ATTORNEYS United States Patent THERMALLY OPERATED CIRCUIT MAKER Richard C. Sloan, Newton, N. C.

Application May 6, 1954, Serial No. 428,071

7 Claims. (Cl. 200142) This invention relates to a circuit maker adapted to be associated with a fire alarm system or it could be used for actuating a sprinkling apparatus to prevent a fire within a building.

It is an object of this invention to provide a circuit maker which is normally held in open position and which, upon a predetermined high temperature being reached within the space in which this device is positioned, will automatically move a switch to closed position to actuate an alarm or other system to thus indicate a tire is disposed within the building in which this device is located.

It is an object of this invention to provide an efficient and inexpensive circuit maker for activating a fire alarm system which is not liable to get out of order and which will operate with precision and accuracy.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in Which Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device;

Figure 2 is a side elevation looking up at the lower side in Figure l;

Figure 3 is an end view looking at of the apparatus in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an end view looking at the right hand end of the device in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 55 in Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure l but showing the parts in a position they will occupy upon temperature reaching a predetermined point;

Figure 7 is an elevation of the left hand portion of Figure 6 looking upward fromthe bottom of Figure 6.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates a main portion of the device which has a pair of uprising portions or supports 11 and 12 each providedvwith cavities 13 and 14 in which the remote ends of

suitable bars

16 and 17 are mounted for movement. These

bars

16 and 17 are pivotally secured to each other by a pivot pin 18'and have their overlapped ends beveled as at b. The member 10 has a longitudinally extending slot 20 which is penetrated by

uprising post members

21 and 22 which are integral with a base member 23.

Slidably mounted in the uprising posts 21 and 22 is a shaft 25 the right end of which in Figures 1 and 2 is adapted to press against the

bars

16 and 17 by means of a compression spring 27 disposed between post 21 and a collar 28 fixed on the shaft 25. The bars 16 and 1'7 are held in alinement with each other by means of spots of

glue

30 and 31 applied to their upper surfaces and are positioned to engage the tapered ends of the

bars

16 and 17 in alined position even though the pressure of the spring 27 is exerted against them in their strengthened position as shown in Figures 1 and 2. This glue is of a type which has a rather high melting point somewhat higher than paraffin and is sometimes referred to as jewelthe left hand end 2,775,669 Patented Dec. 25, 1956 ers glue. However, it has a melting point of between and degrees F. or above any normal temperature but has a melting point which is low enough to melt upon the rising of the temperature in the location of the device which will be created by a fire in the vicinity.

The left hand end of the shaft 25 in Figures 1 and 2 has a downturned portion 40 which is adapted to travel in alinement with a toggle switch lever 41 which is a part of a toggle switch mechanism 42 which is mounted on the base member 23 and insulated thereupon and has

wires

44 and 45 leading therefrom to a suitable alarm device 46 and these

wires

44 and 45 are connected to a suitable source of energy E.

As shown in the drawings the base member 23 and the portion 10 are made of plastic material to insulate the toggle switch mechanism, but the

parts

23 and 10 could be made of any suitable material so long as the toggle switch mechanism 42 is insulated from the parts 10 and The

parts

10 and 23 are secured together by any suitable means such as a screw 47 penetrating the member 10 and embedded in the member 23. These two parts are secured together when they are adjusted relative to each other so as to cause the parts to occupy the position shown in Figure l.

, The device is set in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2 and when the temperature has risen to a predetermined point so as to melt the glue spots 30 and 31, the spring 27 acting upon the shaft 25 will move the parts to the position shown in Figure 6, at which time the toggle switch lever 41 will be moved from the position shown in Figure 2 to the position shown in Figures 6 and 7 which will make a circuit in the switch mechanism 42 and energize the alarm 46.

Instead of connecting the

wires

44 and 45 to an alarm 46 they could be connected to a sprinkler mechanism or extended to a fire station or any other suitable place if desired.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A circuit controlling element comprising a base member having a pair of uprising supports, a pair of members pivoted to each other intermediate their ends, and having their distal ends engaging said pair of supports, a shaft slidably mounted in said base member and having one end thereof adapted to engage a medial portion of the two members pivotally connected to each other, a compression spring mounted on said shaft, said shaft being settable manually to a position to where one end thereof will engage the two members pivoted to each other, the other end of the shaft having a downturned portion, a toggle switch mechanism mounted on the base member and having a lever projecting upwardly in the path of the downturned portion on the shaft, the two members pivoted intermediate their ends having a fusable material on each adapted to hold the two members in alined position against the pressure of said compression spring and said material meltable at a predetermined temperature to allow the compression spring to pivot the two members out of alinement with each other and to allow the downturned portion of said shaft to move the toggle switch lever mechanism from one position to the other.

2. A circuit controlling element comprising a base member having a pair of uprising supports, each provided with a slot, a pair of members pivoted to each other intermediate their ends and having their distal ends mounted in said slots, a shaft slidably mounted in said base member and having one end thereof adapted to engage a medial portion of the two members pivotally connected to each other, a compression spring mounted on said shaft and biased to press one end of the shaft against the pair of members, said shaft being settable manually to a position to where one end thereof will engage the two members pivoted to each other, the other end of the shaft having a downturned lug, a toggle switch mechanism mounted on the base member and having a lever projecting upwardly in the path of the downturned lug on the shaft, the two members pivoted intermediate their ends having a fusable material on each adapted to hold the two members in alined position against the pressure of said compression spring, and said fusable material being meltable at a predetermined temperature to allow the compression spring to pivot the two members out of alinement with each other and to allow the downturned lug on said shaft to move the toggle switch lever mechanism from one position to the other.

3. In a circuit maker and breaker for an alarm circuit, a base member having a pair of upwardly projecting portions, a shaft slidably mounted in said upwardly projecting portions, compression spring means on said shaft for moving the shaft in one direction, a pair of members pivoted intermediate their ends and having overlapping portions, a member associated with said base member and having a pair of spaced upwardly projecting portions, each provided with a cavity therein into which the distal ends of the pair of members pivotally connected to each other are adapted to rest, the pair of members each having thereon a meltable substance adapted to hold the pair of members in alined position, the pair of members being mounted in the path of said shaft and said compression spring tending to move one end of said shaft against an intermediate portion of said pair of members, a toggle switch mechanism mounted on said base member adjacent the end of the shaft remote from the pair of pivoted members, said shaft having a downturned portion disposed adjacent the lever of the toggle switch mechanism, said shaft being manually settable to where the pair of alined members which are pivotally secured to each other may have their distal ends inserted in said cavities and be disposed in the path of said shaft so that the compression spring mounted on said shaft will exert pressure on a medial portion of said overlapped members, and said shaft having a downturned portion adapted to travel in the path of the lever of the toggle switch mechanism, whereby upon a fusing of the meltable substance on the pair of members pivotally connected to each other the members will be allowed to pivot relative to each other under pressure of said compression spring and thus allow the movement of the shaft with its downturned end to move the toggle switch mechanism from one position to another.

4. A circuit controlling element comprising a base member having a pair of uprising supports, a pair of members pivoted to each other intermediate their ends and having their distal ends'engaging said pair of supports, a fusable material on said pair of members adapted to normally hold said members in alined position transverse to said pair of supports, a switch mechanism mounted on said base member remote from said pair of members and means mounted on said base intermediate said switch and said pair of members adapted to exert pressure on said pair of members pivoted to each other to pivot said pair of members out of alinement and to move the switch from one position to another upon said fusable material being melted at a predetermined temperature.

5. A circuit controlling element comprising a base member having a pair of uprising portions, a pair of pivotable members having their distal ends engaging said pair of uprising portions, 21 fusable material on said pair of pivotable members adapted to normally hold said pivotable members in alined position transverse to said pair of uprising portions, a switch mechanism mounted on said base member remote from said pair of pivotable members and means mounted on said base intermediate said switch and said pair of pivotable members to pivot the same out of alinement and to move the switch from one position to another upon said fusable material being melted at a predetermined temperature.

6. A circuit controlling element comprising a base member having a pair of uprising portions, a pair of pivotable members having their distal ends engaging said pair of uprising portions, a fusable material on said pair of pivotable members adapted to normally hold said pivotable members in alined position transverse to said pair of uprising portions, :1 switch mechanism mounted on said base member and means mounted on said base adapted to exert pressure on said pair of pivotable members to pivot the same out of alinement and to move the switch from one position to another upon said fusable material being melted at a predetermined temperature.

7. A circuit controlling device comprising a base member having a pair of uprising portions, at least one pivotable member having one end engaging one of said pair of uprising portions, a fusable material on said pivotable member adapted to normally hold said pivotable member in alined position transverse to said pair of uprising portions, a toggle switch having a switch lever mounted on said base member and means mounted on said base adapted to exert pressure on said pivotable member to pivot the same out of alinement and to move the toggle switch lever from one position to another upon said fusable material being melted at a predetermined temperature.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,412,501 Zinger Apr. 11, 1922 1,879,383 Marshall Sept. 27, 1932 1,891,540 Howard Dec. 20, 1932 1,894,746 Johnson Ian. 17, 1933 2,084,198 Johnson June 15, 1937