US2965739A - Contact spring set - Google Patents

Contact spring set Download PDF

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Publication number
US2965739A
US2965739A US654514A US65451457A US2965739A US 2965739 A US2965739 A US 2965739A US 654514 A US654514 A US 654514A US 65451457 A US65451457 A US 65451457A US 2965739 A US2965739 A US 2965739A
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United States
Prior art keywords
contact
wires
springs
grooves
spring
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
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US654514A
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English (en)
Inventor
Alexandersson Harald Valdemar
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.)
Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB
Original Assignee
Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB
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Application filed by Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB filed Critical Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB
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Publication of US2965739A publication Critical patent/US2965739A/en
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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

Definitions

  • the invention relates to sets of contact springs for electromagnetic relays and other electromagnetic switching devices.
  • Contact spring sets for electromagnetic relays are usually provided with contact springs of the Hat type. Spring sets have also been made with wires as contact springs. By bending the wires differently it is achieved that the dilferent contact springs may press against each other with suitable contact pressures. However, in manufacture it is troublesome to obtain the right contact pressures and for a few types of contact springs it is also difficult to obtain a great variation of contact combinations.
  • a simple and cheap manner of obtaining a contact spring set, which requires a small adjustment and which provides a very great diversity of contact combinations with only one design of the contact spring, is the object of the invention described below.
  • the contact spring set is built up by suitably elastic, straight wires, which at their movable ends are forming contact with a rigid contact device, which preferably has no outer fixed connections.
  • the contact pressures between the wires and the rigid contact device is obtained in such a way that the contact wires at the mounting are brought out of their non-tensioned condition to a position either above or below the rigid contact device, so much that, when resting against the device, they give a suitable contact pressure. Desired contact combinations are obtained in such a way that the rigid contact device, which for each type of relay may be of a standardized design, during the mounting of the spring set, by punching out of holes or recesses, is given the contact combination which is desired for said relay.
  • the rigid contact device consists suitably of a bar of insulating material, to which a metal strip has been fixed, which is so shaped that by means of recesses through the metal strip it obtains the desired contact combination.
  • the contact spring set is furthermore provided with a lifting bar of insulating material with two rows of holes or grooves, the upper row of which is intended for contact springs, which produce breaks and the lower row for contact springs, which produce makes.
  • the contact spring set may either be made with the contact springs located in one plane and the free ends of the wires may thereby be arbitrarily placed above or below the rigid contact device, or with the contact wires located in two parallel planes, the free ends of the upper wires thereby being all located above the rigid contact device and the free ends of the lower ends all located below the rigid contact device.
  • Fig. 1 shows a side view of a relay with a contact spring set
  • Fig. 2 the same relay seen from in front
  • Fig. 3 is an enlarged view 2,965,739 Patented Dec. 20, 1960 of the contacts
  • Fig. 4 is an enlarged illustration of an altered design of the rigid contact device.
  • a contact spring set On a normal knife-edge relay with a relay angle bar 1, an armature 2, a relay core and a winding 3 there is located a contact spring set.
  • This latter consists in the shown example of seven contact springs 4 fixed in one end to a plinth 5 of insulating material, a plate 6 supported by the plinth, a rigid contact device 7 and a lifting bar 8, which upon movement of the armature operates the springs 4.
  • the rigid contact device consists of a bar of insulating material 9 mounting a metal strip 10. The metal strip is cemented at the bar and is at its edge provided with wedge-shaped contact points 11, at which the contact springs are making contact.
  • the contact springs which suitably consist of elastic, in nontensioned condition straight wires, are at their movable ends in the contact point provided with tubes of contact material 12, a twin contact effect thus being obtained when the contact tubes rest in the wedge-shaped contact points 11.
  • the rigid contact device is held in its position by being stretched between two arms 13, which extend from the plate '6.
  • the lifting bar '8 is fixed between two springs 14, 15, which also extend from the plate 6.
  • the lifting bar is provided with two rows of holes or grooves 16, 17, through which the contact wires 4 protrude.
  • the spring 14 is given so strong a pressure downwards that it can overcome the up-pressure from all contact wires brought through the lower row of grooves 17.
  • Normally all wires or springs 4 in the upper row will in non-operated condition rest against the rigid contact device and all springs 4 in the lower row will be kept by the lifting bar 8 at a certain distance from the rigid contact device.
  • the armature operates the lifting bar, which is moved upwards. Then the springs 4 in the upper row are deflected out of engagement and the springs 4 in the lower row follow the movement upwards until they stop, pressed against the rigid contact device by their own spring tension.
  • the metal strip 10 on the bar 9 is slotted between each two adjacent notches 11.
  • the slots 18 extend from opposite longitudinal edges of the strip so as to form narrow bridges 10' between each adjacent pair of notches 11.
  • holes 19 are cut, counting from the left of the figure, between the third and fourth contact notches and between the fifth and sixth.
  • the effective contact combination can be further varied by varying the depths of grooves 16.
  • the grooves 16 for the first and fifth springs are so deep that the first and fifth springs cannot be operated by the lifting bar 8 and will thus remain in the notches 11.
  • the groove 17 for the sixth spring is also so deep that this spring will remain in its notch 11.
  • all the contact wires 4 are secured to the plinth 5 in one plane. As stated before, all the wires are initially straight, and each individual wire, during assembly, may be placed as desired into either its respective upper notch 11 and groove 16 or lower notch 11 and groove 17.
  • the contact combinations thus obtainable, can be freely selected as required. It is to be noted that only one type of contact wire is required. The total number of contact points is, of course, limited by the practical width of the relay.
  • the contact Wires are all mounted in one plane, the contact wires may also be mounted in two planes so that each pair of opposite notches 11 has assigned thereto a respective wire.
  • the upper row of wires passes through the upper row of grooves 16, Fig. 3, in the lifting bar and the lower row is placed in the lower row of grooves 17.
  • the metal strip for the fixed device 7 can be formed as shown in Fig. 4.
  • the contact wires can be disposed to effect many combinations, the only limitation being that it is not possible to use the wires in the upper row as make contacts and the wires in the lower row as break contacts.
  • the contact combinations in this case are obtained by severing bridges such as 41, 42 in the metal between the contact points.
  • the narrow bridges at 41 and 42 are cut, the two wires located farthest to the left in the upper row may, together with the wire located farthest to the left in the lower row, be used for a switching similar to that described in connection with Fig. 2.
  • the second wire in the lower row is connected with the other contact points to the right by way of the bridge 43 and may therefore be included in other combinations.
  • the invention is of course not limited to the construction described here. It may advantageously be used in the majority of known relay constructions and also for switches or the like.
  • the used contact springs are shaped as round wires. Of course these may be designed in different ways without departing from the principle of the invention.
  • the round wires have proved to be very suitable, but other springs, particularly such that take up small room laterally, may be used, if during the mounting they give a suitable contact pressure when resting against the rigid contact device.
  • a set of contact springs for an electromagnetic switching device comprising several flexible springy wires, a mounting means fixedly mounting said wires at one end in coplanar relationship, a stationary contact device including an elongated conductive member extending transversely of the plane of said wires and having contact points at opposite longitudinal sides, one for each contact wire, said wires being flexed out of said plane and overlying contact points on opposite sides of said device to bias the overlying wire portions toward the respective contact points with pressure contact for connecting the wires through said member, and a lifting member displaced transversely of said wire plane, said member being engaged with the flexed wires for transverse movement of the latter in unison with the lifting member whereby a transverse displacement of the member varies the operational positions of said overlying wire portions relative to the respective stationary contact points correspondingly.
  • a set of contact springs according to claim 1- wherein said stationary contact device comprises an insulation-backed metal strip mounting at each end said contact points, said strip being divided in selected electrically separated portions conected to contact points, the selection of the division of said metal strip controlling the contact connections effected by displacement of said lifting member.
  • a set of contact springs according to claim 1 wherein said lifting member comprises an axially dis placeable insulation bar having two longitudinally spaced rows of grooves, one for each wire, the grooves of said rows holding in one displaced position of the bar selected wires in pressure contact with contact points at one end of the contact device to form break contacts and other selected wires in disengagement from the contact points at the other end of the contact device to form make contacts and in another displaced holding break contacts in the disengaged position and make contacts in the engaged position.
  • a set of contact springs according to claim 5 wherein selected ones of said grooves have a longitudinal length different from that of other selected grooves whereby displacement of the wires in relation to the said contact points is staggered upon displacement of said lifting member.
  • a set of spring contacts according to claim 8 wherein said stationary contact device comprises a metal strip mounting said contact points along its two longitudinal edges, said strip having slots extending transversely from both longitudinal edges between each two contact points and each terminating short of a slot extending from the respective opposite longitudinal edge and said strips further including apertures between each two contact points situated between the respective inner slot ends, the strip material between the slots and the apertures constituting readily severable bridges, severance of seleced ones of said bridges controlling the combination of contact connections effected by displacement of said lifting member.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Contacts (AREA)
US654514A 1956-05-05 1957-04-23 Contact spring set Expired - Lifetime US2965739A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
SE809889X 1956-05-05

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US2965739A true US2965739A (en) 1960-12-20

Family

ID=20342802

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US654514A Expired - Lifetime US2965739A (en) 1956-05-05 1957-04-23 Contact spring set

Country Status (5)

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US (1) US2965739A (xx)
BE (1) BE557227A (xx)
DE (1) DE1075741B (xx)
FR (1) FR1173745A (xx)
GB (1) GB809889A (xx)

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3033957A (en) * 1960-07-12 1962-05-08 Gen Electric Electromagnetic relay
US3124670A (en) * 1961-09-25 1964-03-10 Reed switch having improved reed positioning means
US3133177A (en) * 1960-02-10 1964-05-12 Ericsson Telefon Ab L M Electrical contact means in wire springs
US3166662A (en) * 1961-08-21 1965-01-19 Pollak Corp Joseph Relay contact assembly
US3218410A (en) * 1960-08-26 1965-11-16 Hasler Ag Electromagnetic switch mechanism
US3240898A (en) * 1962-10-01 1966-03-15 Perry Lab Inc Selectable multi-channel resonant reed relay
US3256401A (en) * 1963-04-03 1966-06-14 American Mach & Foundry Spring pile-up electromagnetic relay

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1133786A (en) * 1912-09-21 1915-03-30 Frederick C Stevens Multiple-contact relay.
US2488669A (en) * 1942-10-19 1949-11-22 Hartford Nat Bank & Trust Co Electrical contact device
US2671840A (en) * 1952-03-26 1954-03-09 Gen Electric Electric switch
US2683192A (en) * 1946-02-15 1954-07-06 Stromberg Carlson Co Contact spring assembly for relays
US2686850A (en) * 1950-10-26 1954-08-17 Itt General purpose relay

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB381746A (en) * 1930-11-11 1932-10-13 Landis & Gyr Sa An improved contact device serving for the production of electrical impulses, for use in connection with measuring instruments, more especially electricity meters
FR1124511A (fr) * 1955-04-04 1956-10-12 Cie Ind Des Telephones Relais électromagnétique

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1133786A (en) * 1912-09-21 1915-03-30 Frederick C Stevens Multiple-contact relay.
US2488669A (en) * 1942-10-19 1949-11-22 Hartford Nat Bank & Trust Co Electrical contact device
US2683192A (en) * 1946-02-15 1954-07-06 Stromberg Carlson Co Contact spring assembly for relays
US2686850A (en) * 1950-10-26 1954-08-17 Itt General purpose relay
US2671840A (en) * 1952-03-26 1954-03-09 Gen Electric Electric switch

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3133177A (en) * 1960-02-10 1964-05-12 Ericsson Telefon Ab L M Electrical contact means in wire springs
US3033957A (en) * 1960-07-12 1962-05-08 Gen Electric Electromagnetic relay
US3218410A (en) * 1960-08-26 1965-11-16 Hasler Ag Electromagnetic switch mechanism
US3166662A (en) * 1961-08-21 1965-01-19 Pollak Corp Joseph Relay contact assembly
US3124670A (en) * 1961-09-25 1964-03-10 Reed switch having improved reed positioning means
US3240898A (en) * 1962-10-01 1966-03-15 Perry Lab Inc Selectable multi-channel resonant reed relay
US3256401A (en) * 1963-04-03 1966-06-14 American Mach & Foundry Spring pile-up electromagnetic relay

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR1173745A (fr) 1959-03-02
BE557227A (xx)
GB809889A (en) 1959-03-04
DE1075741B (de) 1960-02-18

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