US584843A - Automatic switch for electric circuits - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

B. BELPIELD.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH FOR ELECTRIC CIRCUITS.

No. 584,843. Patented June 22, 1897.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

R. BELPIELD. AUTOMATIC SWITCH FOR ELECTRIC CIRCUITS. No. 584,843. Patented June 22, 1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT EEieE,

REGINALD BELFIELD, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE ESTING- I'IOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH FOR ELECTRIC ClRCUiTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 584,843, dated June 22, 1897.

Application filed June 19,1895- Serial No. 553,289. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: relative arrangement of the switch-arms and Be it known that I, REGINALD BELFIELD, a stationary contacts, as well as the form of subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireeach, will be varied in practice as may be land, residing in Ilford, London, in the county found necessary or desirable.

5 of Essex, England, have invented a new and Mounted rigidly upon the shaft 3 and near 55 useful Improvement in Automatic Switches the end opposite to that carrying the contactfor Electric Circuits, (Case No. 644,) ofwhich arms 45 and 5 is a stop-lever 8, having a long the following is a specification. arm 9 and a short arm 10, the former being My invention relates to apparatus forautoprovided on one side at its outer end with a [O matically making and breaking electric cirlug 11, in alinement with the short arm, or, 60 cuits; and it has for its object to provide an if preferred, the two arms may be in the apparatus of this character which shall be same vertical plane and each provided with automatically and invariably operated whena lug at its outer end, as will be readily unever the current in the controlling-circuit bederstood. A worm-wheel12 is loosely mount- I 5 comes either greater or less than a certain ed upon the shaft 8, adjacent to that side of 6 predetermined value, and one which shall the stop-lever 8 which bears the lug 11, a operate with absolute certainty to instantaconnection between this worm-wheel and the neously close the switch-contacts or to sepashaft being made by means of a stiff coiled rate them, as the case may be, in such a manspring 13, one end of such spring being at- 20 ner and to such a degree as to preclude the tached to the shaft and the other to the worm- 7c formation of arcs between them. wheel in such a manner that as the wheel is A further object of my invention is the rotated in the direction indicated by the arprovision of a method whereby either the prirow in Fig. 1 and the shaft is held stationmary or the secondary of a transformer in a ary the spring will be placed under such ten- 2 5 distant station may be instant-1y and invasion that it will cause the shaft to rotate 75 riably cut in or out, or any other electric whener er the latter is released, as will be circuit may be opened or closed. hereinafter more fully described.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, The worm-wheel 12 is provided with a cam- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my switch in groove on the face adjacent to the stop-lever open position. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the 8, the two main portions 14 and 15 of which 80 switch in closed position and includes a diahave the form of arcs of circles, the radius gram of circuits and translating devices to of the former being somewhat greater than which it is applicable. Figs. 3 and atare diathat of the latter. These two arc-shaped grams of circuits showing further applicaportions of the grooves are connected at diations of the invention. metrically opposite points by spaces 16 and 8 Reference being now had to the drawings 16 of considerably greater width. in detail, 1 is a suitable base which supports Pivoted to a suitable boss or projection on hearing blocks or standards 2 for a shaft 3, the base 1 is a stop-1ever17, provided with a on which are rigidly mounted two pairs of pin 18, which engages with the caingroove 4o movable contact-arms 4 and 5, each pair bein the worm-wheel 12. This stop 17 is so o ing suitably insulated from the other pair. cated with reference to the stop-lever S that Mounted upon the base 1 in such a position one or the other of its arms will normally enas to be engaged by the arms 4: and 5 at cergage with it and thus hold the shaft 3 against tain points in their movement as the shaft movement.

rotates are the stationary contacts 6 and '7. 19 is a small electric motor supported by 5 Each of these contacts preferably comprises the base 1 and connected by means of suit two strips or leaves, between which the movable gearing 20 with the worm-shaft 21, the able contact-arms engage, as is usual in sosaid shaft carryingthe worm 22, which meshes called knife-switches. with the worm-wheel 12, and thus causes it It will be understood that the number and to rotate as long as the motor 19 is in opera- 10o tion. As this motor always runs in the same direction, the worm-wheel will also rotate in the same direction and tend to wind the spring 13.

The motor 19 may derive its current from any suitable source, but in the present instance it is shown as included in the circuit of a battery 23. The respective terminals of this battery-circuit are connected to contactpoints 24C and 24: 011 the base of the machine. These contact-points will be made of metal or carbon, as may be desired, and each pair will be electrically connected.

25 represents a plurality of translating devices fed from the secondary circuit 26 of a transformer 27, the primary of such transformer being supplied with current from a suitable generator-circuit 28.

Mounted upon the base 1, and preferably at the end opposite to that carrying the motor 19, is an electromagnet 29, the coil or coils of which are included in the circuit 26. The armature 30 for the electromagnet 29 is supported by an arm 31, pivoted to suitable standards 32, only one of which is shown in Fig. 1. This arm 31 is provided at its outer end with a pin 38, which engages with the cam-groove in the worm-wheel 12. Depending from the arm 31 are one or more contact strips or springs 34:, the lower ends of which project, respectively, between the pairs of contact-points 2i and 24'. This arm 31 is also preferably provided with an adjustable counterweight The contacts 6 constitute the terminals of the circuit 36 of the primary of the transformer 37 and the contacts 7 constitute the terminals of the secondary 36 of the transformer 37. This secondary circuit is so connected that when the circuits are closed by contact-s i 6 and 7 the current from the secondaries of both transformers will traverse the coil of the electromagnet 29 and the translating devices 25.

The mechanism hereinbefore described may be very considerably modified by any one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, as will be readily understood. For example, other means than a worm-gear may be employed for rotating the wheel provided with the cam-groove and a plurality of cam-grooves or wheels, or both, may be employed. The grooved wheel may also be rigidly mounted upon its shaft and the releasing devices attached to the motor mechanism, so that the switch will be released after the motor has done a certain amount of work. These and many other variations may be adopted, if found desirable.

Assuming that the several parts of the apparatus are in the position shown in Fig. 1, the operation is as follows: The current from the secondary 26 of the transformer 27, passing through the translating devices 25, will also traverse the coil of the electromagnet 29, and thus tend to attract the armature 30. As in this position of the apparatus the pin 233 will be in the enlarged portion 16 of the cam-groove,the armature will be free to move. If the counterweight is so placed as to 0X actly counteract the magnetic effect of a current just sufficient to supply the translating devices in circuit, there will be no movement of the connected parts. If, however, an additional number of translating devices be switched into the circuit, thus causing an additional flow of current through the magnetcoil, the armature will be drawn downward and the other end carrying the pin elevated, thus bringing the contact-springs 34: into ongagement with the contact-points 2t and 21- at the right, thereby closing the circuit of the motor 19. This will start the motor, which, by means of the gearingbetween the same and the worm-wheel 12, will cause the latter to retate. \Vhen the wide portion 16 of the camgroove reaches the pin 18, the stop 17, which now supports the short arm of the stop-lever S, will be gradually pressed outward until the stop-lever is released, when the spring 13, which has been gradually placed under increased tension by the rotation of the wormwheel, will quickly reverse the stop-lever, bringing the end of the arm 9 into contact with the stop 17 and closing the switches (5 and 5 7, thus closing the primary and secondary circuits of the transformer 37 and adding the secondary current to that supplied to the translating devices by the transformer 27. As the action just described takes place while the pin 33 engages the narrow portion of the cam-groove, the contacts 21-, 2 1, and 23:; will remain in engagement and the motor 19 will be kept running until the wide portion 16 of the cam-groove reaches the said pin 33, when the latter will be pressed outward by the inner wall of the groove until the contact is broken and the motor stopped, the parts being then in the position shown in Fig. 2. The shape of the cam is such that it will cause armature to be brought back approximately to the position it occupied before the cycle of events above described occurred and will prevent any movement thereof in the di rection of the magnet. The armature is free to move in the opposite direction, however, whenever the counterweight shall oven come the pull of the magnet. A similar locking arrangement is effected by the wide portion 10 of the cam, except that it is so shaped as to permit the armature 30 to move only toward the magnet 2.), as above described. A pin at) is attached to the rotating wheel 12, so that if by any means the switcharn1s at and 5 should strike between the leaves so that the spring alone will not be able to move them the pin will come into contact with the arm 10 of the lever 8 and force the switch-arms to move.

hen the switches 4: (l and 5 7 are closed and a sufficientnumberof translating devices are cut out to materially decrease the demand for current, the countcrbalancc-weight will overcome the pull upon armature SOby magnet 29 and the contacts 34: and the points 21 24-, opposite to those heretofore described as in engagement, will be brought into engagement, thus closing the motor-circuit 19 and starting the rotation of the worm-wheel 12. As this rotation continues the stop 17 will be gradually moved inward until it clears the lug 11 on the end of the arm 9 of the stop-lever 8, as before described, and the spring will reverse said lever and thus quickly open the switches a 6 and 7, interrupting both the primary and secondary circuits of the transformer 37.

I desire it to be understood that any known auxiliary means for suppressing or extinguishing arcs which may form or tend to form between these stationary and movable contacts may be employed, if desired, without departing from my invention; but such devices will probably be unnecessary under most circumstances on account of the very rapid and Wide separation of the contacts.

The diagram of circuits illustrated in Fig. 3 is intended to show the use of my invention at substations for making and breaking the circuits of the secondaries of the substationtransformers in accordance with the manipulation of the switches in the feeder-circuits of the main station. in this figure, 3S represents the main eircuit,fed by generators 39 and stO and 41 and 42, the feeder-circuits extend ing between the main station and the transformers 43, 4st, and 4L5 at the substations. 46 are the feedenswitehes for these feeder-circuits, and 47 the electromagnetic device hereinbefore described, the coil of which is included in the feeder-circuit at each substation. The switching device described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2 is here connected in the secondary circuit of the transformer at each substation which supplies suitable translating devices 48. Assuming that the secondary circuits are open, if the feederswitches 46, or any one of them, be closed the leakage-current, through the corresponding primary at the substation, will energize the actuating-coil of the electromagnet 47 sufficiently to start the switch-motor, which closes the secondary circuit.

It will also be apparent from the foregoing description that if the feeder-switch be opened the flow of current in the primary of the transformer at the corresponding substation and also in the actuating-coil 4L7 will cease and the switch-operating motor will be started and will open the secondary of the transformer. It will therefore be readily understood that the transformers at the substations are at all times under the control of the attendant at the main station and may be cut into or out of circuit without the employment of any additional conductors other than those employed for feeding the translating devices and also without any attention at the substations. 7

Referring to Fig. r, 3 is a generator-cm cuit fed by generators 4-1, and 42 are the feeding-mains for the primaries of transformers 43, 41-, and 45, located at substations, 48' being the work-circuits fed by the secondaries of such transformers. 50 is a second circuit fed by a battery or other source of current 51. This circuit extends to all the substations and includes at each an electromagnetic device 29 like that hereinbefore described, which controls a switch 52 in the primary circuit of the transformer,these switches being like that heretofore described.

It will be understood that the opening or closing of the battery-circuit at the main station will effect the cutting in or out of the primaries of all the transformers at the substations.

It will be apparent to any one skilled in the art that a solenoid and core or other equivalent device may be employed in lieu of an electromagnet and armature for closing the motor-circuit; but I prefer substantiall y the construction illustrated and described, for the reason that the strength of the magnetic field, and therefore the force exerted upon the armature, is increased the nearer the armature is brought to the poles of the magnet, thus surely and effectually attracting and holding the armature in the position desired.

I desireto be understood not only that the form and arrangement of the several parts may be widely varied without departing from the spirit and scope of myinvention, but that the apparatus, either in the form illustrated and described or in a modified form, may be utilized in other relations than those which have heretofore been descibed. I do not, therefore, intend to limit my invention to any of the details described, except in so far as limitations may be imposed by the state of the art.

I claim as my inventionl. An automatic circuit opening and closin g switch comprising stationary and movable contacts, a local circuit havingits own source of current, an electric motor therein rotatable in one direction only, switch-actuating mechanism intermediate the rotating member of the motor and the movable contacts, a main circuit and an electromagnetic device therein for opening and closing the motorcircuit.

2. The combination with a shaft having a switch-arm and a stop-lever rigidly mounted thereon, of a disk loosely mounted 011 said shaft and provided with a cam-groove, a spring connecting said shaft and disk, a motor for rotating said disk, a stop movable into and out of the path of movement of the stop-lever by said cam-groove, an electromagnetic device partially controlled by the cam-groove for starting and stopping the motor, substantially as described,

3. The combination with a shaft having a switch-arm and a stop-lever rigidly mounted thereon, of a worm-wheel mounted on said shaft and provided with a cam-groove, a

spring connecting said shaft and Worm-wheel, a movable stop controlled by said cam-groove, a worm meshing with said worm-wheel, an electric motor and mechanism between the same and said worm, an electromagnet, an armature having an arm engaging the camgroovc, and means carried by said arm for opening and closing the motor-circuit, sub stantially as described.

4. A system of electrical distribution comprising a central station and substations, means located at each substation for cutting the transformer into or out of circuit and a controlling-switch located at the central station, the substation-circuit-controlling means being set in motion by either the opening or the closing of the oentral-station switch.

5. A system of electrical distribution comprising a central station and one or more substations, and means located in the primary circuit at each substation whereby the secondary of the substation-transformer is out into or out of circuit as the corresponding feeder-switch at the central station is closed or opened.

6. The combination with two circuits having independent sources of current, of a motor and a switch therefor in one of said circuits, an electromagnetic device in the other of said circuits for controlling said switch, a wheel rotated by said motor, a cam for controlling said electromagnetic device and a second switch the opening and closing of which are both effected by aone -way movement of said motor.

In testimony whereof lhave hereunto subscribed my name this 20th day of May, A. D. 1895.

REGINALD BELFIELT).

Witnesses:

ETHAN I. Donns, lIUnnnT .TENER.

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