US516379A

US516379A - Switoh for secondary batteries

Info

Publication number: US516379A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1894-03-13
Anticipated expiration: 1911-03-13

Description

(No Model.) 3 Sheetis-Sheet 1.

, H. MULLER:

SWITCH FOR SECONDARY BATTERIES.

Patented Mar. 13, 1894. $1 7.1.

#WWMWWW (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. MULLER. SWITCH FOR SECONDARY BATTERIES;

No. 516,379. Patented Mar. 13, 1894.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. H. MULLER.

SWITCH FOR SECONDARY BATTERIES. No. 516,379. Patented Mar. 13, 1894.

I c: i

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IIERMANN MULLER, OF NUREMBERG, GERMANY.

SWITCH FOR SECONDARY BATTERIES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 516,379, dated March 13, 1894.

Application filed December 2'7, 1892. Serial No. 456,399. (No model.) Patented in Germany May 17, 1890, No. 59,323, and July 23, 1891, No. 62,229, and in England February 4, 1891. No. 2,040, and December 7, 1891,11'0. 21,369.

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, HERMANN hlllLLER, a citizen of the Republic of Switzerland, residing in Nuremberg, in the Kingdom of Bavaria and Empire of Germany, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Switches for Secondary Batteries, (for which Letters Patent were granted to me in Germany, No. 59,323, dated May 17, 1890, and No. 62,229, dated July 23, 1891, and in Great Britain, No. 2,040, dated February 1, 1891, and No. 21,369, dated December 7, 1891,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in switches for secondary batteries and relates in its general features to the following improvementsz-first. to a switch for secondary batteries which serves for the purpose of switching one cell after the other into the circuit without danger of short-circuiting it; secondly, of a device which serves for the purpose of preventing sparking on the fixed contact-pieces of the switch by transferring the generation of sparks to a special contact making and breaking device, the contacts of which can be conveniently and cheaply repaired; thirdly, an. apparatus which serves to control the tension or state of charge in the cells in order to switch out the cells when they are charged to their maximum-tension.

For the purpose herein set forth, my invention consists of certain improvements in the construction of switches for secondary bat teries, which will be fully described hereinafter and the new features of which will finally be pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan view of my improved switch for secondary batteries, showing also the device for controlling the tension or state of charge of the cells. Fig. 2 is a plan of a modified construction of my improved switch for secondary batteries,showing the movable contact-pieces arranged to turn on a pivot, so as to move through an arc of a circle. Fig. 3 is also a plan of my improved switch, this figure being a modified construction of Fig. 1. Figs. 4. and 5 are diagrams for illustrating the means by which sparks are prevented on the guideways of the switch. Figs. 6 and 6, 7 and '7, 8 and S, 9 and 9, 10 and 10, 11 and 11 and 2 and 12 are diagrams which show the different positions of the contact-pieces in their passage over the guide-ways and the relative position of the contact-pieces by which the current is passed from the cells over said guide-ways and contact-pieces and Fig. 13 is a plan-view of my improved switch, showing the contact-pieces by which the current is con ducted from the cells over the fixed guideways and movable contact-pieces to the linewires, without the generation of sparks.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings (Fig. 1) a, 5,, &c., represent a number of secondary battery-cells which are connected to the contacts (2 c c and c c c Between 0 c 0 there are metallic pieces a, a, a, which form together the guide G, for the sliding contact-piece 1),. In the same way a a a form together with the contacts c c c the guide way G for the sliding contactpiece 17,. The two sliding pieces I), Z7, are fastened to the nut T and are insulated from each other. The nut T is moved up and down by the screw-spindle f which can be turned by.means of the handle 71. Parallel with the guide ways G and G there are arranged the sliding rods S, and S,, which are always in contact with the guide pieces I), and b, respectively. Between the two sliding rods S and S there is a resistance WV which serves the purpose of preventing short circuiting of a cell, when the sliding contacts b, and b, are moved and also diminishing (halving) the gradations of the tension when the screw-nut T is moved. This resistance can be regulated so that these gradations of the tension are not more than one volt. By using separate guide ways G G for each sliding contact b, 11 according to the foregoing improvement the intermediate pieces a, a, a and a a a &c., can be made of metal and as shown in the diagram Fig. 1 all in one piece.

The direction of the current is as follows. As shown in the drawings the current passes from cell 2,, to the contact 0 then through the sliding contact Z), to the guide rod S, and then through the resistance a to the guide rod S and through the ammeter to thelamps. In the position a: g} the current comes from IOC the same cell 2 to the contact piece a and from the latter directly to the lamps. In

moving the screw nut T from one position to the next one, there is one position as shown by the line no in which the cell will send a current through the resistance to.

Instead of applying two guide ways G G2 in connection with two sliding contacts b hi there can also be arranged three or more guide ways in connection with three or more sliding contacts. In this case the above mentioned gradations of the tension can be diminished to one third of the voltage of one cell.

The construction of. thisappa-ratus canbe arranged as shown by Figs. 2 and 3. In Fig. 2 the two guide, ways are circular instead ofistraight. In thiscase the sliding contacts 12 12 are fastened to the end of a lever, which turns on apivot formingv the center of the circular way. In Fig. 3 theguiderods G G areseparated from the guideways S and S ndthe n e d a e pie s- 1 2 13 nde af are of single metal pieces. All thesearrangements. arecharacterized by eachsliding con ac hevin te eparet g id y- The device by which sparking is prevented onthe guide-ways of the switch and trans.- ferred to'a special contact-making and break: ing deviceisshown inFigs 4 top13, in.which Figs. 4= a nd 5 serve to illustratethefundametitalh i e wh e i s. 6 to i he the difierent positionsof the contactrpieces. duringjtheperiod offswitching one cell in and out-, for which two rotations of the spindle f eghe flt In the,figuresz e 2 representthe cells at he eeq d y t e y a 1 2 3 he e contact-pieceswhich are elect-ricallyconnected with said cells. to waret-he resistances, whicharefinterposed between the intermeate pn eet ie e 1 2 s n e l an k isthesliding contact that passes along the contact pieces. c and intermediate pieces 11, aswshowninFigs. 4 and 5. The switch a. is arranged either between the resistance wand the intermediatepiecei, asshown in Fig. 4,

or-between thepointsm and n as shown in E g! In both Figs. 4 and 5 theslidingcontact k is shown when it leaves the intermediate piece 2', so as to break circuit of the cell closed b the resistance w. As the breaking of the circuit would generate a spark at theintermediate piece. 2', the switch a is opened immediately beforeth e contact piece 79 leaves the intermediate piece t, while the switch a, shown in Fig. 5 makes the short circuit between m and n so that in both cases this contact piece It leaves the contact-piece. 2' withounforrninga spark at the moment of interrupting-contact with the same.

Inv Fig. 6 is represented the arrangement of a. switch for secondary batteries with a sliding contact, composed of. two contact-pieces k k which are electrically connected with each other by the resistance w. The intermediate pieces i i i are made of non-conducting material. The switches a, b and oz b, are arranged in the circuit with the resistancewand correspond to the switch a, shown in Fig. 4. r The operation of the switches in switching in and out the difierent cells of the battery is efiected by the double switch, shown in Fig. 6 which. is a combination of the two switches a b and a 19 and is composed of two single levers s s,, that are connected with but insulated from each other, and of four segments a b, a b which correspond ,to the correspondingly marked points of the switches a b andv (1 b, in Fig. 6. The double switch s s is moved simultaneouslywith the slide-piece of thebattery-switch, so that by turning the former through an angle of one hundred and eightydegreesthedouhleswitch is shifted from the position showninFig. 6.

t he p i epres nte n alZI het is to ay, s r eeessery o eh n. an out one cell-of the secondary.v battery.

In F shee f he w teh h s lose nd the ch a1 1 pened- The hrre from the storage battery passes therefore .f rom the current, from the contact piecep tothe v mp r ther r n a v. ees,..w il h cell 2' is. sending a current through the re-- sistance'w. I t

' In'Fig, S the sliding contact is, k isshifted still more to the right, being-still in, contact with the pieces c and c The doubleswitch s 8 has in the meantime been moved for; another one-eighth of; a rotation, so thatthe switch at b is opened, while the switch a 12 is closed, as shown in Figs. 8 and 89, consequently the cell 2 sends. no longerapurrent through the resistance 10,, so that the next shifting'of the sliding-contact 70 1s, to the posilion shown in Fig. 9 can take place without hy p k g t e n heeont et-pieee e n the sliding contact.k

In Fig. 10 both switchesab andoz b, are closed,so that the current passes from the cell 2 to the contact-piece c and to the place of use. I

In Fig. 11 the. sliding contact k k is-still inconnection with the contact piecec asfin Fig. 10, but as the double switch has moved thr u ho h -eh gh h of a tati h switch a b isopened, so that the current passes from the cell 2 over thecontact pieces 0 and k, and through the-resistancew. As no current passes over the. contact 5 there will be no sparkin-g when the. same leaves-the contact 0 a'udassumesthe position shownin Fig. 12 in which the-sliding contact is, 7.2 as-,

sumes the same relative position toward the cell 2 which it has in Fig. 0 to the cell 2. while the positions of the switches a b o; b and .9 correspond to the positions of the switches in Figs. 6 and 6 respectively. The contacts have consequently arrived at the point which answers to the switching out of the cell .2 \Vhen the sliding contact It, is shifted further on, the switches resume the same positions in the same or opposite succession, according to the direction in which the double switch is moved, consequently no generation of sparks will take place between the fixed contacts and the sliding contacts 7.3 70 but the sparks are generated only at the points of contact of the double switch 3 s with the segments a b a, b,, which can be readily renewed.

It is obvious that different arrangements of the switches can be made, as shown, for instance, in dotted lines in Fig. 12,in which by the combination of the switch Ct h with the switch a Z), a simple two-way switch is obtained.

Any suitable mechanism by which the motion of the sliding contacts k 7.: is simultaneously transferred to a switching device can be used, so that the generation of sparks at the sliding contacts of the switches is prevented and transferred to removable and interchangeable contacts. Fig. 13 represents this arrangement applied to the above explained accumulator-switch.

The transmitting mechanism, such as a bevel gear-transmission by which the double sliding contacts 3, 3 are rotated simultaneously with the sliding motion of the contact pieces 7;, 7c, is not shown, but any suitable means may be used for imparting simultaneously rotary motion to the double switch s s and a traversing motion to the sliding contact [Q 70,, in such a manner that one-half of a rotation of the double switch s s corresponds to the shifting of the sliding contact k 79 from one contact-piece to the next one. The further development of the arrangement shown in Fig. 5 would be analogous to that of Fig. 4., as here also instead of the switch a in Fig. 5 there would have to be arranged a switching apparatus actuating synchronously with the motion of the sliding contact 70. As the necessary arrangement does not differ substantially from that which is shown in Figs. 6 to 12, I have not thought it necessary to give any further explanation.

The foregoing switches can also be used for primary batteries of all kinds.

The third feature of my improvement is shown at the left-hand of Fig. l in connection with my improved switch. There are provided two small guide ways s .9 which are connected to a voltmeter, and two small sliding contacts 2), 19 which make contact with s, and s and which are fastened to but insulated from the screw nut T. These two sliding contacts are arranged at such a distance from each other, that they make contact with the terminals of one cell. The voltage of a cell, while being charged, increases from 1.8 to 2.7 volts. By measuring the voltage, the quantity of electrical energy stored in the cells can be determined. Vhen the voltage of a cell is increased to 2.7 volts, the charge is completed and the cell is to be switched out. This is accomplished by the attendant who observes the voltmeter, but it may also be accomplished automatically by means of a suitable signaling device, which is actuated by an electro magnet that makes contact when the highest voltage of the cell is ob tained.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a distribution-switch for charging and discharging secondary batteries or for working of primary batteries, the combination with two sliding contacts, of two separated guide ways composed of contact-pieces alternating with isolated pieces of metal, each sliding contact having its own guideway, and a resistance with which the isolated pieces are connected substantially as set forth.

2. In adistribution-switch for charging and discharging secondary batteries or for working of primary batteries,the combination,with two sliding contacts, of two separated guide ways composed of contact-pieces alternating with isolated pieces, two guide contact bars, joined by a resistance, each sliding contact having its own way, substantially as set forth.

3. In a distribution-switch for charging and discharging secondary batteries or for workin g of primary batteries, the combination, with two sliding contacts, of two separated guide ways composed of contact pieces alternating with isolated pieces, two guide contact bars, joined by a variable resistance, each sliding contact having its own guide way, substantially as set forth.

it. In a distribution switch for charging and discharging secondary batteries, or for working primary batteries, the combination with two isolated sliding-contacts and asingle actuating-device by which they are carried, of two separated guide-ways composed of contact-pieces alternating with isolated pieces of metal, each sliding-contact having its own way, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with a switch for secondary batteries, formed of fixed contactpieces and sliding contacts, and a resistance interposed between the sliding contacts, of a switching-device that is operated simultaneously with the sliding-contacts, so as to permit the passing of the sliding'contacts from one fixed contact-piece to the other without generation of sparks at the contact-pieces of the switch, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with the fixed-contactpieces of a secondary battery-switch, of sliding contact-pieces, guide-ways for the latter, a switching-device interposed between said guide-ways and the translating device, said switching device being rotated simultane- IOO ously with the motion of the sliding-contacts, and the resistance interposed between: the contact-pieces and the switching-device, so that no sparking takes place'when the sliding-contacts leave the fixed contacts, but the I same-is transferred to the switching device, substantially as set forth.

7. In battery switches, the combination with main sliding-contacts and guide-ways for the IO battery, of auxiliary sliding-contacts and guide-ways connected to the said main contacts, and a voltometer connected with the last-named guide-waysso' that the voltage of asingle cell is indicated, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in pres- ;ence of two subscribingwitnesses.

HERMANN MULLER.

Witnesses:

WM. J. BLACK,

OSCAR BooK.