US3310863A - Manufacture of reed type devices - Google Patents

Manufacture of reed type devices Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US3310863A
US3310863A US271902A US27190263A US3310863A US 3310863 A US3310863 A US 3310863A US 271902 A US271902 A US 271902A US 27190263 A US27190263 A US 27190263A US 3310863 A US3310863 A US 3310863A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
swinger
contact
container
sealed
tube
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
Application number
US271902A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Walter B Ellwood
Joseph M Niedzwiecki
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.)
AT&T Corp
Original Assignee
Bell Telephone Laboratories Inc
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Bell Telephone Laboratories Inc filed Critical Bell Telephone Laboratories Inc
Priority to US271902A priority Critical patent/US3310863A/en
Priority to DEW36365A priority patent/DE1262455B/de
Priority to BE646031D priority patent/BE646031A/xx
Priority to GB14643/64A priority patent/GB1057185A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3310863A publication Critical patent/US3310863A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H51/00—Electromagnetic relays
    • H01H51/28—Relays having both armature and contacts within a sealed casing outside which the operating coil is located, e.g. contact carried by a magnetic leaf spring or reed
    • H01H51/282—Constructional details not covered by H01H51/281
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H11/00—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture of electric switches
    • H01H11/005—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture of electric switches of reed switches
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T29/00—Metal working
    • Y10T29/49—Method of mechanical manufacture
    • Y10T29/49002—Electrical device making
    • Y10T29/49105—Switch making
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T29/00—Metal working
    • Y10T29/49—Method of mechanical manufacture
    • Y10T29/49758—During simulated operation or operating conditions

Definitions

  • circuit controlling devices of the reed type comprise a plurality of electrically conducting elements encapsulated and sealed within the ends of a container.
  • the container is usually an elongated tubular member and the elements are sealed in a predetermined geometric orientation within its ends so that the design function, be it switching, transferring or other similar functions, takes place within the tube.
  • the elements extend beyond the sealed ends so that electrical signals may be communicated to and from the device.
  • the number of elements incorporated within each device depends upon the design function or the mechanical operations the device is proposed to accomplish.
  • the element material can be magnetic or nonmagnetic and experience has indicated that glass is the most economic and practical encapsulating material.
  • the transfer switch presented by a majority of the prior art disclosures comprises three elements sealed within a glass container or enclosure.
  • these elements may be called a front contact, a back contact, and a swinger or reed member.
  • the elements are sealed in the ends of the enclosure so that the swinger is in mechanical and electrical contact with the back contact and spaced from the front contact when the device is in the rest position which will be subsequently defined.
  • the swinger, or reed is the electrical element located between the front and back contacts and is adapted to swing between them. That is, it is adapted to operatively traverse the gap established between the two contacts.
  • the back contact is the contact in electrical and mechanical contiguity with the swinger when the device is in a rest position.
  • the front contact is the spaced contact and the one to which the swinger swings when the device is operated.
  • the elemeats may be sealed in either end of the container depending upon the geometric configuration desired.
  • the position described above is the unoperated or rest position-that is, with the swinger contiguous to the back contact.
  • the device is operated by subjecting it to an appropriate actuating or motor force such as a magnetic force or force field. This may be accomplished in many ways such as by bringing the encapsulated structure into physical proximity to the field of a permanent magnet or other sources, or by passing an electrical current through turns of wire that have been wound around the container. If the front contact and swinger are of magnetic material, or if a preferential flux path, by design and selection of materials, is provided between the swinger and front contact, the swinger will traverse the space between it and the front contact and establish electrical continuity there between, thus creating a gap between it and the back contact. When the device is in such a position, it is designated as being in its operate, operated, transferred or switched position.
  • the device may be returned to its unoperated or rest position by removing the actuating force or terminating the flow of current through the wire wound around the container. The swinger will then return to its original position contiguous tothe back contact.
  • the paramount problem is the manufacture of the device with the desired amount of prestressing between the swinger member and back contact.
  • the prestressing is particularly important because it determines the proper operation of the device. If the amount of prestressing is too great, and if the back contact is flexible, it may have a tendency to follow the swinger member when it is operated thereby causing all three members to come in contact with each other and thus short-circuiting the device. If the degree of prestressing magnetic biasing is relieved, the back contact and the swinger member may be inclined to oscillate which may result in intermittent breaks in electrical continuity between them, called chattering.
  • the swinger member is. essentially a cantilever spring, the gr'eater' the deflection of the lever required to traverse the gap, the more force required.
  • the main disadvantage of the indicated technique is that during the heating process and the consequent softening of the container material, the elements may yield elastically While in the molten or softened glass or may be affected by the sealing heat so that the predetermined gap width or degree of prestressing is annealed away, lost, altered, or changed an unknown amount.
  • the result is that it is extremely difficult to predetermine the gap width, and also that the amount of prestressing, if any, resulting from the manufacturing process is un-, known.
  • the sealing operation and subsequent cooling may introduce unwanted and undesirable stress patterns. 7
  • the critical problem is to establish during the manufacturing process, the gap width, contact force between the swinger member and back contact, and the spacing of the various elements within the enclosure once 3 the physical dimensions of the various components of the device have been determined.
  • a specific object is to overcome the problems encountered in determining the prestressing and placement of the various members of the device.
  • the invention contemplates a plurality of electrically conducting elements sealed within the ends of an elongated tube or envelope.
  • the elements include a front contact, a back contact and a swinger member.
  • the member is sealed in one end of the tube and the contacts in the other so that the back contact and swinger are contiguous to each other and the front contact spaced away.
  • the device is produced by a series of ordered steps including first sealing the swinger in one end of the tube such that the swinger lies along the inside wall of the tube. Since the swinger thickness is known, the glass side wall provides a reference or data surface from which all further steps may be based. The swinger is at this time in an unstressed, free position against the side wall.
  • the front and back contacts are formed as a unit in a hairpin shape with the distance between the two arms of the pin and their thickness being predetermined.
  • the contact unit is then inserted into the open end of the tube so that the back contact slips under the swinger and forces it away from the side wall of the tube.
  • the contact force between the swinger and the back contact then becomes a function of the thickness of the back contact.
  • the gap width is determined by the depth .of insertion of the hairpin, or, if desired, may be adjusted by changing the distance between the arms of the unit.
  • the second end is then sealed without interfering with the contact force because the tube material has a suflicient thermal resistance to allow the contact unit to be sealed before the heat raises the temperature of the swinger in the other end above its annealing temperature. Since the contact force was established subsequent to the sealing of the swinger member and prior to the sealing of the unit and because it was referenced to the relatively cool side wall and determined by the thickness of the back contact, the contact force does not become subject to the swinger sealing process and therefore can be accurately accounted for through the manufacturing process.
  • the process is then finished by clipping off the part of the contact unit that is common to both arms thereby leaving individual front and back contacts.
  • the advantages'of the device are obtained through its features one of which is isolating the contact force or prestressing and element spacing from the detrimental effects of sealing processes by sealing the swinger in one end of the container in a free or unstressed position and subsequently establishing the spacing and contact force.
  • Another feature of this invention is the use of the container side walls as a reference or data surface.
  • Another feature of the invention lies in setting the spacing of the elements and establishing the contact force by using the physical dimensions of the individual components making up the device.
  • FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a device showing the swinger sealed in one end of a tube and the front and back contacts being inserted as a unit in the other;
  • FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the device illustrated in 4 FIG. 1 showing both ends of the tube sealed around the contacts and member;
  • FIG. 3 is a sectional view of another device
  • FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of the device shown in FIG. 3;
  • FIG. 5 is a sectional view of still another device showing the contacts being inserted in the open end of a tube opposite the end in which the swinger is sealed;
  • FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the device illustrated in FIG. 5 showing the contacts and swinger sealed in the tube ends;
  • FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view taken along line 7--7 of the device shown in FIG. 6.
  • the device comprises a container 10 having a swinger member 11 sealed in one end and a front contact 12 and a back contact 13 sealed in the other.
  • the swinger member 11 in its unoperated position, is contiguous with the back contact 13 and spaced from the front contact 12.
  • the inner end of the contact 13 should be of nonmagnetic material, or if made in one piece with the conductor 12, should be plated with nonmagnetic material in the area of overlap with member 11.
  • the device is assembled, according to the invention, and as shown in FIG. 1 by first sealing the swinger member 11 in one end of the container 10.
  • the member 11 is sealed so that it either lies along or touches the side wall of the container 10.
  • the front and back contacts 12 and 13 are formed in the shape of a hairpin having a common portion 14 joining them together.
  • the hairpin is then inserted into the other end of the container or tube 10 so that the back contact 13 slips under the swinger member 11. It therefore lies between the member 11 and the side wall of the container 10.
  • the end of the back contact 13 and the end of the swinger member 11 may have beveled surfaces 15 and 16 respectively, to facilitate inserting the back contact 13 underneath the member 11.
  • the other end of the tube 10 is then sealed to fix the geometric relationship of the elements within the container 10.
  • the last step of the process includes cutting off the portion 14 so that the front contact 12 is separate and distinct from the back contact 13.
  • the contact force between the member 11 and the contact 13 is a function of the thickness of the back contact 13 and the width of the gap between the member 11 and the contact 12 is a function of the depth of insertion of the hairpin including the contacts 12 and 13.
  • the side wall of the glass tube 10 is used as a reference surface and reduces the dimensional uncertainties that establish the contact force and gap width to the thickness of the various elements 11, 12, and 13 and the distance between the ends of the two contacts 12 and 13 when they are bent into the hairpin shape. Since the member 11 is sealed into the container 10 first, any contact pressures subsequently generated will not be affected by following sealing processes because the length of the container 10 provides a sufiicient thermal resistance to shield or isolate the member 11 from the heat required to seal the other end. This prevents any contact force or spacing within the container 10 to be altered or changed by annealing or other heat phenomenon.
  • the invention contemplates the above described steps to be completed in a special chamber, such as a bell jar containing an inert gas like helium.
  • a special chamber such as a bell jar containing an inert gas like helium.
  • the device shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is similar to that shown in FIGS. 1 and-2 in that it includes a swinger member 17 sealed in one end of a container 18 and a front contact 19 and a back contact 20 sealed in the other.
  • the device differs slightly in that the member 17 has an auxiliary nonmagnetic portion 21 welded to it.
  • the member 17 is sealed in one end of the tube 18 with the portion 21 touching the side wall of the container 18.
  • the hairpin including the contacts 19 and 20 is inserted in the open end of the tube 18, the back contact 20 is inserted underneath the member 17 so that it lies between the side wall of the tube 18 and the portion 21.
  • the latter is welded to the member 17 at a suitable angle so that the depth of insertion of the contact 20 will establish both the desired contact force between the member 17 and the contact 20 and the gap width between the member 17 and the contact 19.
  • the principle remains the same, however, in that the side wall of the tube or container 18 is used as a reference surface from which the contact force and gap width are established. Also, by sealing the swinger member 17 in the end of the tube first and then establishing the force and gap, the latter are isolated from the heating effects of the subsequent sealing process because of the thermal resistance of the container '18.
  • FIGS. 1 through 4 may be made in very small sizes approximating two inches in length and a quarter inch in outside diameter, in order to miniaturize the structure, better use of available space is required. If the elements are flat and of rectangular cross section as shown in FIG. 4, considerable space within the tube is not used and prevents diminishing the size of the device.
  • FIGS. 5 through 7 apply the principles of this invention to a structure capable of being miniaturized.
  • the device comprises a tube or container 22 having a front contact 23 and a back contact 24 sealed in one end and a swinger member 25 sealed in the other. All of the elements are shaped to coincide with the inside curvature of the container side walls. The elements therefore make more eflicient use of the available space.
  • the device is assembled in a manner similar to that used for the ones above described in that the swinger member 25 is first sealed within one end of the container 22.
  • the swinger member 25 further comprises an extension wire '26.
  • the member 25 is placed contiguous to the side wall.
  • the back contact 24 also includes a nonmagnetic contact portion 27.
  • the contact 24 is placed in the opposite end of the tube 22, the portion 27 is inserted underneath the member 25 so that it lies between the member 25 and the side wall of the container 22.
  • the method of assembling a sealed reed switch including a back contact, a front contact, a reed-type swinger, and a tubular envelope; that comprises providing the swinger with a bevel end, sealing the swinger into one end of the envelope with the swingers axial center line at an angle to the axial center line of the envelope and a portion of the level end of the swinger resting against the envelope wall and another portion of the bevel diverging away therefrom, inserting the contacts which are suitably spaced from each other and joined to each other at their outer ends by a common portion into the other end of the envelope with the axial center line of said contacts parallel to the axial center line of said envelope and said common portion remaining outside said envelope, wedging the back contact end between the swinger divergent bevel portion and the contiguous envelope wall to move the swinger and decrease the spacing between said front contact and said swinger by varying the depth of insertion of the back contact in the envelope and cause the divergent bevel end to ride thereupon with deeper insertion causing said angled

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Manufacture Of Switches (AREA)
  • Thermally Actuated Switches (AREA)
  • Contacts (AREA)
US271902A 1963-04-10 1963-04-10 Manufacture of reed type devices Expired - Lifetime US3310863A (en)

Priority Applications (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US271902A US3310863A (en) 1963-04-10 1963-04-10 Manufacture of reed type devices
DEW36365A DE1262455B (de) 1963-04-10 1964-03-11 Verfahren zur Herstellung eines Schutzrohrwechselkontakts
BE646031D BE646031A (de) 1963-04-10 1964-04-02
GB14643/64A GB1057185A (en) 1963-04-10 1964-04-09 Method of manufacturing electrical switching devices

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US271902A US3310863A (en) 1963-04-10 1963-04-10 Manufacture of reed type devices

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3310863A true US3310863A (en) 1967-03-28

Family

ID=23037570

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US271902A Expired - Lifetime US3310863A (en) 1963-04-10 1963-04-10 Manufacture of reed type devices

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (1) US3310863A (de)
BE (1) BE646031A (de)
DE (1) DE1262455B (de)
GB (1) GB1057185A (de)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3388463A (en) * 1965-05-03 1968-06-18 Clare & Co C P Process of sealed switch manufacture
US3456336A (en) * 1967-04-24 1969-07-22 Charles E Gutenlag Method of forming and mounting relay structures
US3794944A (en) * 1972-09-18 1974-02-26 Morex Inc Reed switches and process for making them
US4594487A (en) * 1984-12-07 1986-06-10 Galland Henning Nopak, Inc. Mounting means for proximity sensing device

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2696543A (en) * 1948-12-18 1954-12-07 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Electric switch
US3056869A (en) * 1959-06-17 1962-10-02 Int Standard Electric Corp Sealed contact device
US3059074A (en) * 1957-04-09 1962-10-16 Int Standard Electric Corp Electrical switching device and method for making

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2506414A (en) * 1947-12-05 1950-05-02 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Sealed wire contact device
GB910784A (en) * 1957-04-09 1962-11-21 Standard Telephones Cables Ltd Electromagnetically operable sealed switch
DE1850089U (de) * 1961-09-12 1962-04-19 Siemens Ag Schutzrohrkontakt mit justiertem kontaktabstand.

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2696543A (en) * 1948-12-18 1954-12-07 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Electric switch
US3059074A (en) * 1957-04-09 1962-10-16 Int Standard Electric Corp Electrical switching device and method for making
US3056869A (en) * 1959-06-17 1962-10-02 Int Standard Electric Corp Sealed contact device

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3388463A (en) * 1965-05-03 1968-06-18 Clare & Co C P Process of sealed switch manufacture
US3456336A (en) * 1967-04-24 1969-07-22 Charles E Gutenlag Method of forming and mounting relay structures
US3794944A (en) * 1972-09-18 1974-02-26 Morex Inc Reed switches and process for making them
US3866317A (en) * 1972-09-18 1975-02-18 Morex Inc Reed switches and process for making them
US4594487A (en) * 1984-12-07 1986-06-10 Galland Henning Nopak, Inc. Mounting means for proximity sensing device

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB1057185A (en) 1967-02-01
DE1262455B (de) 1968-03-07
BE646031A (de) 1964-07-31

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
USRE25988E (en) Electrical switching device and method for making
US2289830A (en) Circuit closing device
US2889424A (en) Relay
US2406021A (en) Sealed reed contact device
US2538593A (en) Semiconductor amplifier construction
US2506414A (en) Sealed wire contact device
US3261942A (en) Reed contact with ball-shaped armature
US3310863A (en) Manufacture of reed type devices
US2732459A (en) pollard
US2247493A (en) Mercury contact relay
US2523903A (en) Jig
US2508018A (en) Method of sealing electrical apparatus
US3238325A (en) Magnetically operated sealed switch unit
US2484428A (en) Piezoelectric crystal mounting
US2577602A (en) Method for adjusting the sensitivity of contact devices
US2535400A (en) Multicontact dry reed relay
US2203321A (en) Switching device
US3018354A (en) Means for preventing contact sticking in mercury contact switches
US3426302A (en) Sealed reed switch with adjustable reed
US4148000A (en) Reed switch construction
US3307126A (en) Encapsulated magnetic switch
US3323199A (en) Method for making electrical components
US3242557A (en) Method of assembling and magnetically adjusting a reed switch
US3056869A (en) Sealed contact device
US3204057A (en) Multicontact evacuated magnetic reed relay