US463694A - Commutator for electrical machines - Google Patents

Description

(NoModel.)

W. W. VAIL. GoMMUTAToE EOE ELECTRICAL MACHINES.

Patented NOV.24,1891.

D 2. 5 rif/#42% UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

IVILIIIS IV. VAIL, 0F QUAKER'IOWN, NEV JERSEY.

COM-MUTATOR FOR ELECTRICAL MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming` part of Letters Patent No. 463,694, dated November 24, 1891.

Application tiled June 23, 1890. Serial No. 356,417. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, IVILLIS IV. VAIL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Quakertown, in the county of Hunterdon and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Commutators 'for Electrical Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertain to make and use the same.

This invention relates to commutators or devices for shitting the electric current from a continuous to an alternating current; and it consists in an improved construction for such devices, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a side view of a commutator provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 is a top view of the same. Fig. 4 is a section taken online @c a; of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a section taken on line y y of Fig.

The commutator is cylindrical in form and is mounted on a shaft A, which is journaled in the standards B on the base C. On the shaft A is placed a tubular seat a for the brass rings c c', placed thereon, the seat a being of vulcanite or other suitable non-conductingmaterial and provided with a rib or collar e, which separates the said rings. The collars b b are placed on the shaft A at the extremities of the seat d, and the rings c c are thus insulated by said collars and seat. The cylinders d cZ, extending along the shaft from the collars b b', are of brass, vulcanite, or other suitable material for supporting other parts.

Outside of the parts above described is a vulcanite spool or cylinder D, provided with heads f at its extremities, one of which is made solid with the cylinder and the other secured thereto, as shown. Secured to the cylinder D and extending along the same are a series of bars F and E E, the said bars F extending Jfrom one head f to the other, and the bars E E being short bars and arranged two on the same line between the bars F, as shown. At their inward ends the bars E E are separated by blocks g, of vulcanite, and thin longitudinal strips 72 of vulcanite or mica, are placed between the bars for severally insulating them. The bars E E are connected by screws i i" with the rings c c.

Four brushes G G and H II extend upward from the base C in positions to bear against the bars F and E E of the commutator, two brushes being on each side, and connected with each brush-holder is a bindingpost I. In the drawings (see Fig. the commutator is shown with six bars F and six couples of bars E E', the latter being ar-v ranged two on a line, so that alloccupytwelve lines, and the construction should be such that the number of lines of bars should be divisible by four.

Vhen the commutator is in position so that the brush G bears against one of the bars F, the brush G bears against the same bar and the brushes II II bear against a bar F, diametrically opposite. If the position of the commutator is such that the brush G bears against a bar E, the brush G will bear against the bar E', which is in line with said bar E, and the brushes II Il will bear respectively against the bars E E,which are diametrically opposite to those in contact with G and G In operation,suppose a continuous current to enter the machine at G, the brush G resting against a bar F, the current will then leave the coinmutator by the brush G on the circuit employed, and returning to the brush II passes from thence through a bar F to the brush I-I, and thence back to the dynamo. Il the position of the commutator is such that the brushes G G bear against two bars E E, then the current enteringat G passes through a bar E and a screw i' to abrassringc,tl1ence around through another screw t' to a bar E, diametricallyopposite the bar E,whichit iirst entered, and thence out at the brush II on another circuit employed. Returning to the brush G the current passes througha bar E', a screw i', a ring c', another screw fi', and a bar E to the brush II', and from thence to the dynamo.

In the working circuit any translating device adapted to be operated by an alternating current, as a motor, an incandescent lamp, a focusing arc lamp, or an electric-welding machine, may be employed.

In Fig. 3 the course of a current is indicated in dotted lines running from the arrow s, en-

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tering the machine at G, leaving the same at G', and passing to an alternating-current motor, and from thence returning and entering the machine at Il.

As Will be seen, the current, while flowing continuously in one direction in the wires from the dynamo connected with brushes G and H', may be'oaused to flow alternately in one way and the other through' wires connecting brushes G and H.

The device may be driven by any suitable motor, an electromotor of low resistance introduced in the circuit being preferable. The entire current may be passed through the motor or a shunt may be employed, so that just a sufficient amount passes through it to give the required speed. The number of alternations per second may be varied by varying the speed of the motor or byincreasing orde- WILLIS W. VAIL.

Witnesses:

Il. W. CRAWFORD, J. W. AsHWoRTH.

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