US579393A - Electric sunshine-annunciator - Google Patents

Description

.(No Model.)

L. HUNT. ELECTRIC SUNSHINE ANNUNGIATOR.

Patented Mar. 23, 1897.

'me nonms yuans co, pmuorumc.. wAsmNmoN, D c.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEONARD HUNT, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ELECTREC SUNSHlNE-ANNUNCEATOR.

SPECIFCATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 579,393, dated March 23, 1897'.

Application filed October 17, 1896.

T0 @ZZ wiz/077e t may concern:

Beit known that i, LEONARD ii Cnr, ot1 the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Electric Sunshine-Annunciators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My present invention relates to electric sun shine-annunciators, and is an improvement upon the construction shown, described, and claimed in my application filed March 23, 1896, and serially numbered 581,444, and both of my applications are improvements upon the device shown in United States Letters Patent No. 551,28i, granted to myself and Frederick 1V. Duenckel as joint inventors, of which patent i am now the sole owner.

My invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter shown, described, and claimed.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of my improved sunshine-annunciator, taken approximately on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device with the glass removed. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. et is a vertical sectional view illustrating the construction of a stop of which 1 make use. Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of a clip carrying contact-points and used in breaking and closing the circuit.

Referring by numerals to the drawings, i is a rectangular metal base, and said base has a rim 2 projecting downwardly from its edges. In the center of the upper face of the base 1 is located a bearing-frame 3, which is adj ustably connected to said base by means of the machine-screws 4, working in the slots 5 and screw-seated in the base-block 5".

The bearing-frame 3 consists of the base G and the upwardly-extending arms 7 and S, formed integral, and in the upper ends of the arms 7 and 8 are V-shaped notches forming the bearings 9 and 10.

The disks 11 are secured to the outer faces of the arms 7 and 8 by means of the screws 12 in such a position that said V -shaped notches are hidden from view from either side of the machine.

Projecting upwardly from the upper surface of the base 1 and near the edges thereof Serial No. 609,188, (No model.)

is a wall 13, encircling the mechanism of the annunciator. Fixed to one end of the base 1 and outside of the wall 125 are bin ding-posts 1i and 15, te which the wires 1G and 17 of the recordinginstrument 1S are attached. Oups 19 and 2O are located in apertures in the base 1 inside of the wall 13 and near the bindingposts 1i and l5. Wires 21 and 22 are fixed iu the bottoms of these cups and connect with the binding-posts 11 and 15. The cups 10 and 2O are partly filledwith mercury.

Mounted in the bearings 9 and 10 is a bar 2.3, having a knife-edge upon each of its ends to form a pivotal connection between said bar and said bearings, and projecting downwardly in parallel positions relative to each other from the centerof the bar 23 is a pair of rods 24, and a screw 25 is inserted through the bearing in the center of the bar land extends downwardly between said rod, 24C with its head resting upon said bar,

A sliding block 2G has a central aperture 27, which is screw-threaded to receive the sere f 25, and upon each side of this central aperture 27 are apertures 2S, in which the rods 21 slidingly operate. The block 2G is designed to be raised and lowered by the operation of the screw 25, and the screw 25 is operated by manually engaging the milled head thereof. A scre\\'threaded rod 29 extends from near the upper end of the block 26 and in a horizontal position toward one end of the machine, and a screw-threaded weight 30 is ad j ustably mounted upon said rod. Attached to the end of and formed integral with the block 2G is a horizontal bar 31, to each end of which are fixed the hori- Zontally-alined loops or clamps 32 and .Each of the clamps S2 and 33 consists of two parts in the form of a split bearing, and said parts are held together by means of the machine-screws 3i.

A glass pipe having the upturned ends 3G and 37 and filled with mercury, is placed iu a horizontal position in the clamps 32 and Strips 3S of packing are placed around the pipe before the clamps and 33 are tightened. The end 3G of the pipe 35 extends upwardly some distance at right angles to the body of said pipe, and then the portion 39 of said pipe is bent inwardly, and a portion O of said pipeextends downwardly. The end IOO 3G of the pipe, including the portions 30 and 40, is formed of clear glass. lhe end 37 corresponds to the end 3G in construction; but said end is painted black.

A post ttl is attached tothe base t' bymeans of the screws 42. A slot 423 is iormed in the post atl and extends Vfrom nea-r the top to near the bottom of said post and in a direction through said post transversely ot the machine. A notch it is formed from the lower end ot the post Ll-l nearly to the lower end oi the slot 43, thus leaving` the horizontal wall l5 dividing` said slot from said notch. A bloc-lr. le is slidingly mounted in the slot LLB, and a screw 47 is vertically mounted with its head resting upon the horizontal wall 4S, which 'forms the upper end of the slot i3, and with its lower end extending through a bearing in the hori zontal wall e5, and a collar l) is rigidly iixed upon the lower end of said screw e7 to prevent said screw from being drawn out of position. ln the arms 50, which extend from the block -G, are formed screw-threaded ap ertures, through which the screw-threaded portion of the screw 47 operates, as required, to raise and lower the block t6 by the man ipnlation of the milled head 5l ot' said screw.

Projecting forwardly from the upper and lower ends of the block etti are arms 52, between which the pipe 35 operates, and said arms act as a stop to limit the vibration of said pipe.

A clip 53 is placed on the pipe 35 and near the upturned end 36, and from said clip projects a horizontal arm 5l. Suitable insulation 55 is inserted between the pipe and the clip 53, and the clip 5.5 is adjustably held in position by means of the screw 5b. When the pipe 35 is made of glass, Vthe insulation 55 is not required for the purpose of insulation, rbut takes the place of packing to prevent the clip from crushing the pipe.

An inverted-U-shaped bar 57 is attached to the end of the arm 5l, with its ends depending into the cups 11) and 20. A suitable glass case 5S encireles the wall l-S and covers and protects the mechanism hereinbelore described.

Extending horizontally from the center of the end portion of the rim 2 is a post 5f), through which a rod 50 passes, and said rod is held adjustably in position relative to said post by means ot the set-screw GO. The rod 59 extends upwardly and is bent inwardly to a position approximately over the center of the machine, and a sheet-metal shoe (51 is attached to the upper end of said red and is curved into shape to fit the apex of the glass case, and said case is held in position by the tension of said rod 59"' upon said shoe (il.

By manipulating the screw 25 the center of gravity of the pipe 85 and the ends and 37 of said pipe are raised or lowered relative to the supporting-bar 23, thereby causing the apparatus to be more or less sensitive, as desired. The pipe 35 is adjusted by sliding it through the clamps S2 and 33 until it merely balances, and then said clamps are tightened, thus holding said pipe in position relative to the clamps. By manipulating the weight 30 upon the screw-threaded rod 29 the ends SG and 37 can be exactly balanced. The ends SG and 37 are hermetically sealed, and the horizontal portion oi the pipe 35 is filled with mercury until the mercury extends a slight distance into the lower parts of the vertical portions oi. the ends Sii and 37. Normally the air above the mercury in the white or clear end 36 is under the greatest pressure, and this will cause the mercury to stand slightly higher in the black end 37 than in the white end. 'lhe adjusting mechanism should be so manipulated that the white end of the pipe will be overbalanced when the sun is not shiningon the mechanism. Then the bar 57 will stand out ot contact with the mercury in the cups if) and 20. The ends and 37 oi' the pipe 35 perform the same Afunctions as the bulbs shown in the patent above cited and in my concurrent application, and at the same time they are simpler in construction. lt is obvious that the shape oi these ends is not material, but that `it is easier to make them in tubular form than to malte them in bulbous form, and that the same result is obtained.

T.Vhen the sun shines, the black end 37 absorbs more heat than the clear or white end 3G on account ot the difference in size and the dilterenee in color, and the air within said black end expands, forcing out the mercury, and thus lightening said black end and causing it to be overbalanced by the white end, and the pipe tips downwardly on the end carrying the clip 53, thus dipping the bar 57 into the mercury in the cups l.) and l0 and closing the circuit between the wires at the lower ends el said cups and causing the registering mechanism to operate. As soon s the sun passes under a cloud the black end cools and becomes heavy again, thus breaking the circuit. -3y nianipulating the screw 5l the stops 52, between which the pipe 35 operates, may be raised and lowered as desired to keep said pipe substantially in a horizontal position as the pipe is raised and lowered by the manipulation of the screw 25. Thus it will be seen that my present invention possesses advantages over my former devices7 especially in its simplicity of construction.

The pipe 235 and the upwardly-cxtending ends may be constructed ol' glass or metal, and the ends may be bent into any shape and colored in any way that will adapt them to present large surfaces for the differential absorption and radiation of heat, and instead ol' iilling the horizontal portion of the pipe with mercury any liquid may be employed which will retain its fluidity under 'the con` ditions to which the instrument is apt to be exposed.

l claimn l. in an electric suiishine-annunciator, a

IIO

supporting-frame adjustably attached to a base, said supporting-frame consisting of the base-plate G having the slot through which slot the said plate is adjustably bolted tothe i base of the machine, the arms 7 and 3 projecting upwardly from opposite edges of said base-plate 6, the V-shaped bearings t) and lO formed in the upper ends of said arms and the disks ll attached to the outer faces o1 said upper ends by means of the screws l2, substantially as specified.

2. In an electric sunshine-annuneiator, the frame 35 consisting of the base-plate G having the slot 5 through which slot the said plate is adjustably bolted to the base ot the machine, the arms 7 and S projecting upwardly from opposite edges of said base-plate G, the V-shaped bearings t) and l() formed in the upper ends of said arms in the disks ll attached to the outer faces of said upper ends by means ot the screws l2; the bar mounted in said bearings 9 and i0, the pair of rods 2lextending downwardly from said bar, the

screw inserted through the center of said.

screw-threaded rod, the horizontal bar formed integral with the lower end of said block 26, and the clamps 32 and carried by the ends of said bar 3l, substantially as specilied.

3. ln an electric sunshine-annunciator, the rectangular metal base l, the rim 2 projecting downwardly from the edges of said base, the frame 3 adjustably attached to said base by means of the screws 4- operating in the slots 5 and screw-seated in the base-block 5u; said Jframe 3 consisting ot the base-plate G, the arms 7 and S projecting upwardly from opposite edges of said base-plate G, the V-shaped iearings t) and l0 formed in the upper ends of said arms and the disks l1 attached to the outer faces of said upper ends by means ot the screws l2; the bar mounted in said bearings 9 and 10, the pair of rods Yxtending downwardly from said bar, the screw 25 inserted through the center of said bar and extending downwardly between the rods 2l with its head resting upon said bar, the sliding block 2G having the central aperture 27 in which said screw 25 operates and having the apertures 2S in which the rods 2l slidingly operate, the screw-threaded rod 29 extending from said block in a horizontal position, the screw-threaded weight 30 upon said screwthreaded rod, the horizontal bar 3 formed integral with the lower end of said block 2G, the clamps 32 and 33 carried by the encs et said bar 3l, the pipe 35 slidingly mounted in said clamps and 33 and haring the upwardly-extending white end 3G and the upwardly-extending black end 37 and the horizontal portion of said pipe being filled with mercury, the clip 53 attached to said pipe, the arm 5l attached to said clip and the U- shaped bar 57 carried by said arm, the cups 19 and 2O mounted in said base-plate l and partly iilled with mercury and in position to have said mercury engaged bythe free ends of said bar 57, and suitable electrical connections with said cups, substantially as specilied.

il. ln an electric sunshine-aiinunciator, a pipe haring the horizontal central portion 35 lille/d with mercury, the portion 3G extending upwardly from one end of said horizontal portion, the portion 30 bent inwardly from the upper end ot the portion 3G and the portion l0 extending downwardly l rom said portion 39, said portions 36, 3S) and l0 being' clear, and having the portion 37 extending' upwardly from the end opposite said port-ion 3G, the portion 30 bent inwardly from the upper end or" said portion 37 and the portion lO extending downwardly from said portion 39, said portions 37, 39 and lt) being black, and the lower ends of said portions l() being scaled, substantially as specified.

5. ln an electric sunsliine-ai'inunciator, the post il attached to a suitable base by means ot the machine-screws 2, said post haring the slot and the notch and the horizontal walls -i-5 and i3, the block i6 slidingly mounted in the slot -l-3, the screw 4:7 vertically mounted in bearings in said horizontal walls and i8 and passing through screwthreaded apertures in the arms which project from the block i6, the collar l0 iixed to the lower end oi' said screw to prevent said screw from being withdrawn from its position, the milled head 5l upon the upper end of said screw tor operating the same, and the arms 52 )rejecting from said blocl; 16, substantially as speciied.

6. ln an electric sunshine-annunciator, the rectangular base-plate l, the rim 2 projecting downwardly from the edges ot' said base-plate, the frame 3 adjustably mounted upon said base-plate, the horizontal bar 3l pivotally connected to said frame, the clips 32 and 33 carried by the ends of said bar, the pipe,haying the horizontal portion 35, sl'idingly mounted in said clips and the clear end 3G extending upwardly from one end of said horizontal portion and the blacl; end 37 extending upwardly from the other end of said horizontal portion, the cups 19 and 2O mounted in said base-plate l and partly lilled with mercury, suitable electrical connections to said cups, the clip 53 carried by said pipe and the U- shaped bar 57 carried by said clip and in position to engage the in ereury within said cups, substantially as specified.

7. ln an elect-ric sunshine-annunciator, the rectangular base-plate l, 'the rim 2 projecting downwardly from the edges of saidl base-plate, the 'frame 3 adjustably mounted upon said base-plate, the horizontal bar 31- pivotally IOO IIC

connected to said frame, the clips 32 and 33 carried by the ends of said bar, the pipe, having` the horizontal portion 35, slidingly mounted in said clips and the clear end 3U extending upwardly from one end of said horizontal portion and the black end 37 extending upwardly from the other end of said horizontal portion,the cups 19 and 2O mounted in said base-plate l and partly filled with mercury, suitable electrical connections to said cups, the clip 53 carried by said pipeand the U-shaped bar 57 carried by said clip and in position to engage the mercury Within said cups, the post il attached to said frame il by means of the screws 42, the block 4:6 arranged for Vertical adjustment in said post, and the arms 52 extending from said block upon opposite sides of said pipe to limit the vibration of said pipe, substantially as specified.

S. In an electric sunshine-annunciator, the rectangular base-plate l, the rim 2 extending Clowmvardly from the ed ges of said base-plate, the Wall 13 extending` upwardly from said base-plate, the glass case 58 surround ing` said wall and resting` upon said base-plate7 the post 50 extending horizontally from one end of said rim, the rod 50 sliding-ly mounted in said post and adjustably held in position by means of the set-screw 60, and the sheetmetal shoe 0l attached to the upper end of said rod 50 and engaging the apex oi said glass case to hold said case in position, substantially as specified.

9. ln an electric sunshine-annunciator, a pipe pivotally mounted with a substantially horizontal central portion filled with suitable liquid and the ends of said pipe being turned upwardly into planes above said horizontal portion and filled with air and hermetically sealed, and said pipe being cylindrical throughout all its upper parts and said upwardly-turned ends being` of a sufficient length to present large surfaces for the differential absorption and .radiation of heat, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEONARD HUNT.

lfitnesscs:

S. G. WuLLs, MAJU n G iur nl N.

Images