US371583A - Electrical registering device - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

A. S. HOBBY.

ELECTRICAL REGISTERING DEVICE. No. 371,583. Patented Oct. 18,1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR S. HOBBY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

ELECTRICAL REGISTERING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 371,583, dated Qotoloer 18, 1887.

Application filed April 9, 1887. Serial No. 234,291.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, .ARTHUR S. HOBBY, a citizen of the United States, residing at (Jincinnati, Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electrical Registering Devices, of which the following isaspecification.

My invention relates to devices for indicating at a distance, by means of the electric current, the height of liquid in tanks, pressure of steam, &c., in boilers and closed vessels, or other physical changes by which initial motion may be produced in suitable mechanism; and it consists in the mechanism and apparatus hereinafter more fully described, embodying, first, a combination and arrangement of circuit-closing devices governed by the initial movement referred to; second, a combination and arrangement of devices controlled by the electric current upon temporary closing of the circuit to actuate the registering apparatus; and, lastly, in certain details of combination, construction, and arrangement pertaining to the apparatus as a whole and certain parts thereof, all as more fully hereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

A form of mechanism embodying my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1 and 2 are side and end elevations of the register-actuating device, respectively; and Fig. 3, a plan view of the same, showing, also, a diagram of the circuits complete and a diagram elevation of the cireuitclosing devices.

Referring now to the drawings illustrating my invention as applied to a tank for indicating the relative height of fluid therein, 1, Fig. 3, designates a float (tank and contents not shown) carried upon the surface of fluid; 2, a balancing-weight, and 6 a cord or chain connecting the float and weight and passing over a suitable sheave upon a shaft, 3, thereby communicating rotary motion as the height offluid varies in opposite directions. Upon theshaft 3 and rotated thereby is a spur-pinion, 4, having teeth 5 set at regular intervals upon the periphery, corresponding with the units of rise orfall ofthe fluid. Pivotally suspended below the spur-pinion 4 is a pendulum, 7, having its extended upper terminal in the path of the teeth 5, and arranged between two sets of spring-contacts, 8 9 and 10 11, these being arlNo model.)

ranged, as indicated, in pairs, each pair to be brought into contact by the vibrations of the pendulum and carriedin contact against contact-abutments 12 or 13, as the case may be, thus closing three circuits at each side, as Will be more fully explained later.

The circuit-wires are arranged in groups of three at each side, making six in all, indicated by the figures designating the terminal with O addedthus 8O 130. In each case the central wire of the group designatesthe return. The entire series may be arranged in and carried by a single cable properly insulated.

The operation of the pendulous circuit closer 7 is as follows: Being engaged by one of the teeth 5 moving, for example, from left to right of the figure, it first carries the contact 10 against the contact 11, thus closing a circuit over wires 100 and 1L0. Further movement of the pendulum carries the terminals 10 and 11, still in contact, against the contactabutment 13, thus bringing the wire into circuit with 100 110 as a loop. The opposite rotation of the wheel 4 produces a corresponding succession of contacts 8 with 9, closing circuit 80 90 and then looping in wire 120.

The remaining portion of the apparatus consists of a dial, 14, with one or a series of indicatingfingers, 15, immediately actuated by the usual gearing,which need not be here described, from a driving-pinion, 16, connected and actuated as follows: The pinion 16 is carried rigidly upon a hollow shaft, 17,which terminates at one end in a disk, 18, of soft iron, the whole being mounted upon bearings concentrically in relation to a shaft or pivot, 19, suitably supported from a base, 20. The pivotal shaft 19 extends beyond the disk 18, and also carries pivotally a T-crank having a central depending arm, 21, and a horizontal crossarm, 22. At the lower terminal of the depending arm 21 is secured an elcctro-magnet or a pair of magnets, 23, which thus vibrate with the arm and also serve as a poise or balance-weight to retain the arm 22 in its normally-horizontal position. This magnet or pair of magnets presents its or their poles to the face of the disk 18 near its periphery, and it Will be readily understood that when the magnets are chargedthe disk becomes an armature and is held against the magnets, and as ICO and thereby communicate motion to the dialfinger. The vibratory movement referred to is given by two other electro-magnets or sets of electro-magnets, 24 25, secured to the base beneath armatures carried by the terminals, respectively, of the horizontal arm 22. The alternate charging of these magnets actuates the arm 22 and its connections, as above indi-.

. cated.

' from post 27 through magnets to line 130,

and from post 28 a wire, 32, to line 90, and a wire, 33, to line 110.

The general operation of the apparatus may now be described and the circuits traded as follows: Suppose the rotation of wheel 4 to carry the teeth 5 and the upper terminal of the pendulum 7 from right to left of the figure. The first effect is to close the contacts 8 9. Thebattery-circuit is then established as fol; lows: From battery 26 to and through post 27, wire 30, magnets 23, wire 31, line 120, contacts 8 9, line 90, and wire 32 and post 28 to battery. The continued motion of the wheel 4 in the same direction then closes the two contacts 8 9 against the contact abutment 12, whereby a portion of the battery-current at post 27 passes over wire 29, the latter portion of the current passing through magnets 24 and line 90 and the two portions reuniting at contact 9. Supposing the motion of wheel 4 to be reversed, the teeth 5 carry the pendulum 7 in the opposite direction, first closing contacts 10 11. 'In such case the circuit is from post 27, wire 30, magnets 23, part of wire 30 to line 100, through contacts 10 11 and line 110 to wire 33, and thence to post 28 and to battery. The looping in of line 130 by contacts 10,11, and 13 shunts part of the current from post 27 over wire 34, magnets 25, and line 130, reuniting at contact 11.

It will be seen that in either movement the contacts close in such manner successively as to charge the magnets 23 an appreciable interval before charging the actuating-magnets 24 or 25. This insures the due engagement of the magnets 23 with the disk 18 before the arm 21 is vibrated, and secures a proper pawl-action.

It will also be observed that the pendulum 7 stands normally independent of the electric contacts, and the adjacent spring-contacts serve as resistingsprings to retain it in its normal central and neutral position. Moreover,

if in its reaction it should close the two adjacent contacts at either side, no registering movement of the apparatus could take place, since the effect of charging the magnet 23 without also charging 25 would not affect the registering-finger. This is important as a means of safety in preventing false registry.

The pendulum 7 practically acts merely as a push-button, securing an appreciable interval of time between its successive closures of contact.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. In combination with a toothed wheel rotated in opposite directions by physical changes, such as the rise and fall of water, and a registering device operated by electric impulses controlled by such rotation, a circuitcloser actuated by said toothed wheel between and against two sets of contact-terminals, to carry at each side alternately a first contact against a second, thereby establishing a bat tery-circuit through the holding-pawl of the registering device, and then to carry the two terminals in contact against a third, thereby establishing adouble or looped circuit, including the actuating devices of the register, and releasing said terminals in the opposite succession, substantially as set forth.

2. In electrical registering apparatus, in combination with a rotating disk of soft iron or similar metal, carrying upon its shaft suitable engaging mechanism for actuating the register, a T-crank vibrating concentrically with said disk, an electro-magnet carried upon the central projecting arm of said T-crank,

presenting the pole to the face of said disk as an armature, and two other magnets arranged adjacent to the remaining terminals of said T-crank in actuating relations thereto, and suitably-controlled circuits arranged to send electric impulses through said magnets-substantially as set forth.

3. In registering apparatus of the character IIO described, embodying a pivoted arm, fixed magnets for vibrating the same, and a suspended magnet vibrating therewith and actuatinga rotating armature, the line-connections 8O 90 120 and 100 130, in combination with the spring'contacts, arranged as shown, whereby the successive closing of one set of contacts at' either side first actuates the suspended magnet and afterward the fixed magnet, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination and arrangemento'f the shaft 19, sheave 17, and disk 18 with the vibrating arm 21 22. and magnets 23 24 25 and their electrical connections, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing'witnesscs.

ARTHUR S. HOBBY. Witnesses:

L. M. HOSEA, G. D. KERR.

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