US3609604A - Electromagnetic contactor with supplementary switching devices and mounting therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

An electromagnetic switching device made of insulation bodies on which are supported fixed contacts, a movable contact carrier, and electromagnetic operating means. Provision is made on the bodies for the attachment and annexation of supplementary poles and/or auxiliary smaller switches by interengagement and interlocking of the casings with formations that are provided on the main device so that when the bodies of the main device are assembled together they hold the supplementary or auxiliary devices.

Description

United States Patent Inventor Harold E. Schleicher West Hartford, Conn. Appl. No. 47,082 Filed June 17, 1970 Division of Ser. No. 704,363, Feb. 9, 1968, Pat. No. 3,551,859. Patented Sept. 28, 1971 Assignee Arrow-Hart,lnc.

Hartford, Conn.

ELECTROMAGNETIC CONTACTOR WITH SUPPLEMENTARY SWITCHING DEVICES AND MOUNTING THEREFOR 6 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 335/132, 335/202 Int. Cl ..H01h 45/02 Field of Search 335/132,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,118,991 1/1964 Scott 337/7 3,287,521 11/1966 Gryctko et al. 337/7 3,290,628 12/1966 McGary 335/132 3,382,469 5/1968 Conner 335/132 Primary Examiner-Harold Broome Attorney-Davis, Hoie, Faithful & Hapgood ABSTRACT: An electromagnetic switching device made of insulation bodies on which are supported fixed contacts, a movable contact carrier, and electromagnetic operating means.

Provision is made on the bodies for the attachment and annexation of supplementary poles and/or auxiliary smaller switches by interengagement and interlocking of the casings with formations that are provided on the main device so that when the bodies of the main device are assembled together they hold the supplementary or auxiliary devices.

ELECTROMAGNETIC CONTACTOR WITH SUPPLEMENTARY SWITCHING DEVICES AND MOUNTING THEREFOR This application is a division of my application, Ser. No. 704,363, filed Feb. 9, I968, patented on Dec. 29, 1970, No. 3,551,859.

This invention relates to electromagnetically operated switching devices, commonly referred to as electromagnetic contactors, and to supplementary or auxiliary poles or smaller switches and to the means for mounting the latter on the former in a way that the latter is secured to the former by the assembling of the parts of the contactor after the supplementary device is mounted on the contactor.

In electromagnetic contactors as heretofore known, movable contacts have bridged pairs of fixed contacts to open and close the circuits through each line that is connected to the device. These movable contacts were mounted on a carrier which was caused to move by energization of a solenoid coil,

' creating an electromagnetic field to attract the armature against a bias of springs or gravity or both.

On some occasions and for some usages, it has been desirable or necessary to have the energization of the electromagnet cause actuation of one or more additional units by closing movement of the armature assembly.

These supplementary units include (a) an extra pole having contacts capable of handling current and voltage requirements equal to the poles of the contactor itself, or (b) an auxiliary switch having normally open or normally closed switch contacts or combinations thereof for one or more auxiliary or supplementary circuits, or both another pole and an additional switching unit.

It is an object of this invention to provide units and contactors as aforesaid with improved and novel means for the units to be annexed or attached to the contactor without separate screws or similar securing means but held in engagement when the parts of the contactor are assembled.

It is also an object to avoid the need for separate screws and similar securing means when attaching units, as aforesaid, to the contactor in interlocked, fixed relationship. A related object is to accomplish said attachment by use of interior and exterior formations of the units and contactor. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as it is described in connection with the drawing.

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of an electromagnetically actuated switch or contactor embodying the invention, before attachment of a supplementary unit.

FIG. 2 is an end elevation view of the invention looking at the left end of FIG. 1, with an auxiliary unit attached.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of a supplementary pole switch unit, designed for use with the contactor of FIG. 1, and shown assembled on the contactor in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view, partly broken away, showing the mounting of a supplementary pole unit as seen in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal midsection view of the unit of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of a supplementary pushbut' ton type of switch unit designed for use with the contactor of FIG. I, and shown assembled on the contactor in FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view, partly broken away, showing the mounting of a supplementary switch unit which is shown in mounted position in FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 is a side elevation view of the supplementary pushbutton type switch unit of FIG. 6, but of the other side.

FIG. 9 is a longitudinal switch view transversely through the unit of FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, with the section being along line 9- 9 of FIG. 3.

The invention as illustrated in the drawings is made up of several interconnected assemblies each having a number of arts. p The assemblies are mounted on a base 10 made of molded insulating material. These assemblies are:

l. A base assembly comprising an insulation base member on which are mounted fixed contacts and terminal memhers.

2. A movable contact assembly which is mounted in the base and includes an insulation contact carrier on which is mounted a plurality of bridging contacts, each adapted to engage and disengage a pair of fixed contacts.

3. An actuating assembly for moving the movable contact carrier including a pivoted U-shaped bellcrank lever member carrying an electromagnet armature.

4. A field assembly for an electromagnet including an insulating body on which is mounted a subassembly consisting of a solenoid coil embedded in insulation and a laminated U-shaped field piece passing through the coil.

5. A cover made of insulation for the electromagnet field assembly mounted on the same.

6. Supplemental switching assemblies or units for annexation or attachment to the assembled combination of the assemblies described above.

One supplemental assembly or unit may be an extra pole unit comprising an insulating body having a pair of fixed contacts and a movable bridging contact, and an actuating member positioned to be moved by the actuating assembly when the electromagnetic operating means is energized.

Another supplementary assembly or unit may be a pushbutton-actuated switch having a pair or pairs of normally open or a pair or pairs of normally closed contact sets or combinations thereof in which a bridging contact or contacts are moved into engagement with a pair of fixed contacts or out of engagement with a pair of fixed contacts, or both, by and simultaneously with attraction and release of the armature.

The assemblies comprising the basic combination may be so formed and configured with tongue-and-groove or dovetail formations as to enable attachment, without screws or the like, of the supplementary units and to hold them in such position of interengagement with the basic units of the combination that, after the securing screws which secure the main component assemblies together are screwed tight, the supplemental unit or units are firmly attached.

The details of the electromagnetic contactor are fully described and claimed in parent application Ser. No. 704,363, to which reference may be had for details. Hence, the contactor is only briefly and in summation described herein.

THE BASEPLATE MEMBER Referring more particularly to the individual components or assemblies which make up the contactor, the base 10 is a molded insulating body of a generally rectangular shape and is hollowed out with three parallel similar cavities for the reception of pairs of aligned fixed contact and terminal members such as 12b.

One end of each member extends toward the outside of the base and has a terminal screw 12: threaded through it.

The fixed contact and terminal members are secured to the base by conventional means.

On each of the opposite sides of the base that are parallel to the contacts, two parallel spaced ribs 14a, 14b, and 15a, 15b, are formed with their parallel edges undercut'or dovetailed (see FIGS. 1, 2 and 7 for the dovetailing). These dovetail ribs provide means to secure additional units to the sides of the base, as will subsequently more fully appear.

For moving the contact carrier there is an endwise extension 28 from each end thereof, embraced by the forked ends of the arm 31 of an armature assembly 30, as hereinafter described.

To bias the contact carrier 20 and the armature assembly, spring pressed plungers 27 (see FIG. 1) are mounted in two symmetrically located wells, on in each of the walls of the base beneath each end of the contact carrier. Each of these plungets is pressed upwardly against the bottom tyne of the forked end of the arms 31 of the armature assembly 30, as in FIG. I by a coiled compression spring 29 seated in the well and received in the hollow head of its plunger 27.

This means consists of two assemblies: (1 an electromagnet field assembly consisting of (a) a supporting member or body 40 and (b) a solenoid coil and field piece; and (2) an armature assembly. They may be assembled with ease on the base as individual self-contained units; and equally they may be diassembled from the base.

The field assembly consists of an insulating support member or body 40 formed from molded insulation material into the form best observed in FIGS. 1 and 2. The body is of irregular shape but symmetrical about its longitudinal centerline. Viewed from the side(as in FIG. 1) it has generally rectangular sides with generally triangular platelike extensions 42 at the upper end of each of its sides. The extensions taper to tips 42, which, when the body 40 is assembled upon the base end, extend under overhanging projections 18, which extend up from the base at two opposite comers thereof. The width of the body 40 approximates that of the base; and the surfaces of the bottom body lie in a plane and on the top surface of the base 10. The body 40 is located in proper position on top of the base by conical collars 19 extending up around screwbolt passages through the base from the top surface of the base at those corners of the base which are opposite to the tips 42'. These conical collars are in register with and are received in conical recesses in the bottom of the body 40 when the body 40 is placed upon the base. Then screwbolts may be inserted through the registering holes in the body 40 and through the collars to secure the base 10 and body 40 together.

On the inside of each of the projections 18 on the body 40 there is a vertical wall closing the inner side of the overhang. This prevents sidewise movement of the tips 42 when they are engaged under the overhang.

The bottom of the body 40 overlies the trunnion recesses 16 in the base 10 and the trunnions 32 of the hereinafter described armature assembly thus holding the trunnions in the recesses.

The solenoid coil and field piece (not shown) are mounted in the insulating support body 40, as described in said parent application and are designed to attract (when energized) the hereinafter described armature assembly in known fashion.

To hold the field unit in the body 40, a shallow, flat-topped cover 60 of molded insulation material is secured over the field units by bolts 61 which pass downwardly through holes in the cover into the body 40 near neighboring corners. The cover is hollowed in its under surface to receive in close-fitting embrace the upper part of the coil casing.

To actuate the movable contact carrier, a belicrank-type electromagnet armature assembly 30 is mounted in the base 10 pivotally in open-V-shape recesses 16 (see FIG. 1) that are provided in the sidewalls of the base in opposite aligned positions.

The body of the assembly is made of molded insulation and is generally speaking of U-shape, with its arms formed identically in the shape of parallel belicrank levers 31. Trunnions 32 extend from the outer side surfaces of the arms 31, for seating in the V-recesses 16 in the sides of the base. The ends of the arms 31 are forked to embrace the extending ends 28 of the contact carrier, as previously mentioned, to cause the carrier and bridging contacts to move toward and away from the fixed contacts. The armature assembly is biased toward inactive position, as shown in FIG. 1, by the spring-pressed plungers 27 pressing against the bottom side of the forked ends of the arms 31, all as previously mentioned.

The transverse part of the armature assembly has a rectangular opening through it and extending longitudinally along it. In the opening is inserted a rectangular laminated bar armature 36 which is attracted by the field piece when its solenoid coil is energized.

For the purposes of actuating auxiliary or supplementary units when they are attached to the contactor, two lugs 34 may be formed on the armature assembly on opposite sides, one extending from each side of the molded bell crank member to engage a cooperating stud on the auxiliary switch, as will subsequently be described.

To enable supplementary units to be attached to or annexed to the contactor without separate screws or similar securing means, the base, body and cover members 10, 40 and 60, respectively, are formed exteriorly to cooperate and engage with exterior formations on the casings of the units, for mutual interengagement and interlocking when the components or assemblies of the contactor are fitted and secured together. The manner and means for accomplishing this will appear from the following description:

Extra Pole Addition Referring to FIG. 3-5, the supplementary unit comprises a molded insulation casing having substantially plane sidewalls in which are parallel channels 71, the parallel edges of which are undercut at an acute angle forming the channel into dove formation as viewed in transverse section (see FIG. 4). The casing is molded with a cavity for reception, mounting and movement of the switch elements as hereinafter described. A cover 73 fits over and covers the open top of the casing. The channels are dimensioned and positioned to receive snugly the dovetail ribs 14a, 14b on the base member 10 as the unit 70 is placed against the side of the base 10 above the ribs and is slid down with the channels 71 in register with the ribs.

The channels and ribs are so dimensioned and positioned that when the unit 70 is connected to the base 10 with the unit slid on the ribs as far as possible, the top of the unit will be flush with the top of base 10. In order to hold the unit 70 in that position, the side wall of the field supporting body 40 overhangs the cover 73 of the unit 70 at least as much much as the ribs protrude from base 10. Thus while the body 40 remains secured on the base 10, the unit 70 cannot be removed and no other means is required to hold the unit in that assembled position.

The switching contacts are within the casing 70 and may be of various different forms, sizes and capacities, but when the unit is to be usable as a fourth pole, it is preferable that its contact carrier 76 support backing springs 75 pressing against bridging contact 74 for engagement with fixed contact buttons 72c on terminal members 72 secured to the casing 70 by screw bolts 72s, all of like form and in a like manner to equivalent parts in the contactor itself. The carrier 76, however, need only be one-third the length of carrier in the main contactor.

To enable the contact carrier 76 of the extra pole to be actuated by and simultaneously with the carrier 26 of the contactor itself, a pair of parallel spaced lugs 78 extend one above the other from the carrier 76 through a wide slot in the casing 70 toward the base 10 in position to overlie and underlie and to be in constant engagement with the extension 28 from the carrier of the contactor. The location of the extension 28 is shown in dotted lines in FIG. 5. Hence, the bridging contact 74 of the added pole is actuated at the same time and partakes the same movement as the bridging contacts inside the contactor.

AUXILIARY SWITCH ADDITION Referring to FIGS. 6-9, and auxiliary switch has its switching parts housed within a molded insulation casing (designated generally by numeral 80) having a hollow base part 81 covered over by a cover part 82 to hold the switching parts in properly assembled position therein. The casing may be of any desired shape, the shape shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 illustrating only one convenient form. The cover part 82 is flat, while the base part is recessed in various places to receive the several switch parts and wire connection terminals.

For mounting the auxiliary switch on the contactor, a wide, rectangular, flat, platelike rib 83 is molded integrally with the base part 81. Its longer edges are undercut or dovetailed as at 832, toward the surface-of the base part, as may be seen in FIG. 9. These dovetailed edges 83e are adapted to fit in opposite parallel undercut dovetailed edges 82c of a recess 82R in the side wall ofthe body 40, as may be seen in FIG. 1.

The recess 82R is generally speaking of the same size and shape as the wide rib 83, so that the rib 83 may be fitted in the top end of recess 82R with its bevelled edges in dovetail engagement therewith. Thus the rib will slide into the recess as the auxiliary switch is pressed toward the base of the contactor.

One or more auxiliary switches 80 may thus be attached or annexed to and flush against the side walls of the body 40 without the use of screws, rivets, or like fasteners. To make that annexation and attachment the cover 60 is removed, while the rib 83 is inserted in and slid along the recess 82R. The cover 60 is then placed on the body 40 with the cover engaging the top edge of the rib 83. When the cover is secured on the body 40 by bolts 61 the auxiliary switch will be firmly and permanently secured to the body 40 of the contactor.

The interior parts of the switch 80 may be varied to suit varying demands and requirements. One particularly useful form includes a bar 84 of insulation material extending lengthwise centrally of the casing in a channel 81s in the base part 81.

Mounted slidably on the bar 84 within passages through it at opposite ends are spaced bridging contact bars 85, 85, which extend through the passages and are adapted to bridge and to disengage pairs of fixed contacts 86 and 86 as the bar is moved axially to and fro. The fixed contacts are mounted on the cover part 82 of the switch casing. A coiled compression spring 87, 87, positioned within each passage presses against each bridging contact to resiliently mount it.

To bias the contact carrying bar 84, a coiled compression spring 88 is mounted under it (as viewed in FIG. 9) pressing at one end against the base part 81 of the casing and at its other end against a lateral projection from the bar 84.

In order to actuate the auxiliary switch as the contactor operates, a stud 89 extends laterally from the bar through a longitudinally extending slot 81s in the end of the base part. The stud extends toward the contactor into the path of the lug 34 on the armature assembly.

Thus, as the electromagnet is energized and the armature assembly is actuated, the auxiliary switch will be operated when the lug 34 of the armature assembly engages the stud 89 on the movable contact-carrying bar 84.

Many modifications within the scope of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific embodiment illustrated and described.

What is claimed is:

l. A main switching device comprising, housing means made of molded insulation and having at least two parts, fixed and movable contact means mounted within said housing means, means moving said movable contacts, means mounted within said housing means operating said contact-moving means, a supplemental switching device including engageable and disengageable contact means and an insulating casing, means formed integrally with the housing means of the main device interlocking with means formed integrally with the casing of said supplementary device for mounting said supplementary device on the outside of said housing means, and means formed as an integral part of one of said parts of said main device to prevent detachment of the supplementary device from the main device while said housing parts of the main device remain assembled, regardless of the presence or absence of any back or mounting plate.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein the interlocking means on the housing means is on one part thereof and another part of said housing means is in overhanging relation to said supplementary device preventing disconnection of the latter from the main device while the parts of the main device remain assembled.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein the interlocking means comprise a rib and a channel receiving the rib, and wherein a second part of said housing means is in overhanging relation to said stpplementary device preventing disconnection of the latter rom the mam device while the parts of the main device remain assembled.

4. The combination as claimed in claim I wherein the interlocking means comprise a depression in at least one of part of said housing means and a protrusion on the casing of the supplementary device, and means on said housing and on said casing preventing disconnection of the supplementary device from the main device while the latter remains assembled.

5. The combination claimed in claim 1 wherein said supple mentary switching device also includes contacting means in said casing, interengaging means on said contacting means which is movable to cause engagement and disengagement of said contacting means, said interengaging means interconnecting with said contact-moving means of the main device to cause simultaneous movement of said movable contact means and said contacting means of said supplementary device.

6. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein the interlocking means comprises a depression and a protrusion fitting in said depression, the depression being formed in one device and the protrusion being formed integrally with the other, and means on said devices preventing their disconnection while the main device remains assembled; and wherein said supplementary switching device also includes interengaging means on said contacting means which is movable to cause engagement and disengagement of said contacting means; said interengaging means interconnecting with said contact moving means of the main device to cause simultaneous movement of said movable contact means and said contacting means of said supplementary device.

Claims (6)

1. A main switching device comprising, housing means made of molded insulation and having at least two parts, fixed and movable contact means mounted within said hoUsing means, means moving said movable contacts, means mounted within said housing means operating said contact-moving means, a supplemental switching device including engageable and disengageable contact means and an insulating casing, means formed integrally with the housing means of the main device interlocking with means formed integrally with the casing of said supplementary device for mounting said supplementary device on the outside of said housing means, and means formed as an integral part of one of said parts of said main device to prevent detachment of the supplementary device from the main device while said housing parts of the main device remain assembled, regardless of the presence or absence of any back or mounting plate.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein the interlocking means on the housing means is on one part thereof and another part of said housing means is in overhanging relation to said supplementary device preventing disconnection of the latter from the main device while the parts of the main device remain assembled.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein the interlocking means comprise a rib and a channel receiving the rib, and wherein a second part of said housing means is in overhanging relation to said supplementary device preventing disconnection of the latter from the main device while the parts of the main device remain assembled.

4. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein the interlocking means comprise a depression in at least one of part of said housing means and a protrusion on the casing of the supplementary device, and means on said housing and on said casing preventing disconnection of the supplementary device from the main device while the latter remains assembled.

5. The combination claimed in claim 1 wherein said supplementary switching device also includes contacting means in said casing, interengaging means on said contacting means which is movable to cause engagement and disengagement of said contacting means, said interengaging means interconnecting with said contact-moving means of the main device to cause simultaneous movement of said movable contact means and said contacting means of said supplementary device.

6. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein the interlocking means comprises a depression and a protrusion fitting in said depression, the depression being formed in one device and the protrusion being formed integrally with the other, and means on said devices preventing their disconnection while the main device remains assembled; and wherein said supplementary switching device also includes interengaging means on said contacting means which is movable to cause engagement and disengagement of said contacting means; said interengaging means interconnecting with said contact moving means of the main device to cause simultaneous movement of said movable contact means and said contacting means of said supplementary device.

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