US673391A - Current-regulator. - Google Patents

Description

lo. szasl. n i Pa'nma may 7, |901.

J. P. eme. n

CURRENT REGULATOR.

`llll-llllllbn UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.v

JAMES PHILIP ERIE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO rlHE ERIE EXPLO- RATION COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE-AND DOVER, DELAWARE.

CURRENT-REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 673,391, dated May 7, 1901. Application filed January 4. 190].. Serial ]o42.,099. (No model.)

To cir/ZZ L11/tom, t waa/y concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES PHILIP ERIE, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Current-Regulators, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to current-regulators, and has for its object to improve and simplify lo such devices and adapt them for the purposes more particularly set forth hereinafter; and to these ends my invention consists in the various features of construction and arrangement of parts adapted to operate substan tially as hereinafter more particularly set forth;

Referring to the accompanyingv drawings, Figure l is a face view of the device, the rotating disk or brush carrier being partly zo broken away to show the segmentplates.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation with the operatinghandle removed to better show the parts and showing the rheostat and connections more in detail, and Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section through the medium plane of the device.

While my present invention is adapted for use in many and various relationsA wherein it is desired to control or regulate an electric 3o current and While the details of construction of the device may be varied from those shown and described in order to adapt it for various uses, it is intended more particularly for use in connection with a current-regulator of the 3 5 general type more fully set forth and described in my application, Serial No. 30,346,

filed September 17, 1900; and the particular object of my present invention is to provide improved Ineans for cutting off or controlling the current supplied to the translating device, so that the Vcurrent is allowed to flow to the translating device during short intervals, which intervals follow each other in rapid succession, and which intervals may be longer or shorter, as required to produce the desired effect.

A further object of my present invention is to avoid the injurious effects caused by the spark produced in breaking the circuit.

5o The construction shown and presently to be.

described can be used in connection with the circuits arranged substantially as shown in my prior application above referred to, and I do not deem it necessary herein to illustrate and describe such circuits in detail, and of course the device may be used in connection with other arrangements of circuits and, in fact, in any circuit where it is desired to accomplish theresults intended. Among other uses to whichit may be applied is in connec- 6o tion with the conversion of alternating into direct currents, which direct currents are controlled or delivered to the translating devices at intervals of greater or less length or continuously, as may be desired.

With this general statement of the objects of my invention I will now `proceed to describe more in detail the present embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 7o y Mounted on a suitable base A, which is preferably of insulating material, is a standard or support B', in which is fixedly supporteda shaft or rod C. The upper portion B' of the standard is of suitable shape, pref- 75 erably being extended, as shown, and is provided with a series of openings b, arranged around the shaft C, the purpose of which will hereinafter be explained. Mounted to rotate on the shaft O is a disk or plate D, the body 8o of which is preferably of insulating material, and arranged around the periphery thereof are a series of segments E E E2, dac., which are insulatedV from each other, and which in the'present instance 'are shown as having two 85 bearing or contact faces, one of which, e, is in the form of a groove in the periphery of the segments, and the other of`Which, e', is on the extended face of the segments.

Some vmeans must be provided for making 9o electric contact with a segment or a number of segments on the disk D, and in the present instance I showa flexible contact device in the form of a band F, one end of which is secured to one of the segments in any suitable way, as to the segment E, by means of a screw c2, while the other end of the band is secured to some suitable take-up device-as, for instance, a drum G, which is suitably mounted on a shaft G in the extension B2 of the standroo ard and is connected to some means for keeping the drum under stress, shown in the pres- -ent instance in the form of a coiled spring H,

the number of segments so in contact and included in the circuit can be adjusted and regulated by adjusting the disk D.

While any suitable means may he used for adjusting the disk or plate D so as to include more or less of the segments in contact with the flexible contact F, I have shown a plate or arm. I, loosely mounted. upon the shaft C and connectedy with the disk D in any suitable way, as by the pin 1l, and this arm is provided With an. opening if, corresponding in position with the annular ring. of openings. Z1 in they standard B. rlhi's arm I may be held i-n proper position on the shaft byany suitg' effect of thespark.

able means, as bya collar J, and further mountedon the. shaft C is an o-perating de- "segment, E onto the. segment O, and' I'have divided the segment 0 into a number of small segments and: connected between these segy ments circuit resistance devices, so. that the circuit Will not be completelybroken at once,

vice or handle,.shown in theform ofa hand- Wheel K, preferably of insulating materiali, having secured thereto a plate K, recessed to receive the collar J, and provided.- with a pin Zo, adapted to engage. the opening/Z inthe arm I, so that the hand-.Wheel and arm Will move together, and thus moveandadjust'the disk D circumferentially on its axis.

In order to lock the parts in their adjusted positions, the hand-Wheel K is arranged. to

.slide longitudinally on the shaft C, and the pin Zr isof such length thatwhen in properI position it Will engage the. opening t" in the arm I but when the hand-Wheel is: moved toward the. standard B: into. the. position shown in Eig. 3. the pin Zt also. engages one or the other of the openings b inv the. standard, and itfwill thusbeiseen that the-disk is securely locked and held in. its adjusted position. When it is. desired toA release thesame, the hand-Wheel K is. moved outward on the shaft C until ,the pin Za becomes. disengagedfrom the. opening b, andi WhileA still engaging the opening t" of.` the armfI the. hand-Wheel, arm, and d-isk may. be turned' in eitherdirection, as desired, to securetheproper adjustment ofthe segments. andzagain locked in position.

A thu m b-nutv K24 or other f suitable device. is placed on the shaft C in suchapositionas to permitl thelhand-wheel K toslidethereon the proper distance and prevent its-disengagement from. the arm Ilv through the medium of the pin Za.

Ihn order tosupply current tothe segments, various` means: maybe. used, which may-be causedf, to.. pass over the faceof the seg ments in successioni; but: in the` presentconstrue,

tion I haveshownadisk or p-lateL, Which is mounted on. an .insulating-hub'L', securedto a shaft L2, which may be. the armature-shaft of-'anlelectric motor or other device, by mea-ns of vvhichA the disk or plate may be caused to face of the segments, and the disk is also in the present instance provided with a fia-nge Z', against the periphery of which a carbonl `brush or block Z2 bears, it being shown as nmounted in a case Z3 and supported by a spring Z4and connected bya plate Z5 to a binding-post Z6. Other means of supplying current tothe disk may be used, but I find this l extremely satisfactory and effective. The other terminal of the circuit may be suitably connected with the segments,and I have shown a binding-post b' mounted on the base or vstandardl and the connection is through the shaft G to the drum G, and thence through 'the flexible contact F to the segments with which ilt is incontact. vIn the ,useof a device of this character when the circuit is broken jthei-e is. liable to. be av spark, which is detrif mental and destructive andV otherwise objectionable, and in orderto. avoid these'di'sadvantages I provide means for overcoming the Inthis instancethe spark (if any). occurs as the brush Z passes off the but a series of resistancesfwilil be in troduccd f into the circuit before it is actually broken. 'Various connection-s may be madzef whereby l thisis. accomplished, and: in. the deviceshownfIi connect the segment E, for. instance, toa A Qring-R onthe daislkforplateD, and; the portion 0.of segment@ to-a ringRf, and the portions o. o? to the. rings R2 RS, respectively, and I .provideso mev means, as the spring-lingers r r.' r2 r3, which are suitably insulated from each other andi from. the standard-and vwhich bear upon the respective rings and make connection withtheir" respective seg- -mentsvthateven may be the position of;V the disk D'.

The. rheostat or resistance 4may be of; any

jsu-itableconstructions but as: shown it comprisesa bOX S, in Whichare mounted anum- `ber of-insulating-strips s s .S2-8.3, die., Wound wi thwire-ofsui table resistance and connected tobinding-posts. on thezboxf, and these posts areconnectedA to the spring-lingers in. the man-.ner indicated. Thus. the linger r, bearing-on the ring R', connectedV tothe segment E, is connected: to the lirstbinding-post, and

l thefi-ngerfr, bearingon the ringR, connected tothe segmento, is connectedff tothe second vbinding-post, and; the others. aresim-i-larly connected.

Irfifnd: by: experiment that. i-tfis.-best tol inztrodfuce'into'thecircuit.a relatively sm-all= re. sistance and to gradually increase the same until the resistance isininiterorthebreak is completed', andWhileI amfnottlimited to any IOO IIO

particular resistance in. actual practice the .insulating-strips is Worind so that when the brush Z passes froml theisegmentE tothe segment o a resistance of six ohms is introduced between the segments,and as the brush passes to segment o a resistance of eighteen ohms is introduced, and as it passes to segment o2 a resistance of sixty-tive ohms is included between the adjacent segments. This arrangement of resistances is effective to choke or neutralize the current producing the spark, so that when the brush Z passes onto the next segment, completely breaking the circuit, no appreciable spark will occur.

Such being the general construction of the device, its operation will be understood by those skilled in the art, and it will be seen that the disk D can be adjusted in any desired position, so that the iiexible contact F will progressively include or exclude a greater or less number of segments E E E2, dac., it being shown in the present instance in contact with the segments from E to E8 and all of these segments from E to E8 will be supplied with current, so that when the brush l in rotating comes in contact with the face of the segment EB the circuit will becompleted and remain completed until the brush passes off the face of the segment E, and then when the resistance or rheostat device is used the circuit still remains completed through the rheostat until the brush Z passes off the segment o2. The remaining segments being out of circuit, no current will pass during the movement of the brush Zover such segments. In this way it will be seen that a very accurate and easily-adjusted device is provided whereby the intervals of the` breaks may be nicely and satisfactorily regulated so as to include one or more of the segments, as desired.

It will be understood that when the disk is turned to cut out a number of segments the spring H will wind up the flexible contact F and keep it under tension and in contact with the peripheries of the desired number of segments.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of my invention without limiting myself to the exact construction and arrangement described, what I claim is l. A current-regulator, comprising a movable series of segments, a iiexible-band contact connected to one of the segments, and means for bringing the band into engagement with or disengaging it from the segments progressively, substantially as described.

2. A current-regulator, comprising a rotatable disk having a series ot' segments, a ilexible contact connected to one of the segments, and means for holding the flexible contact under tension, whereby the flexible contact may positively engage more or less of the segments progressively, substantially as described.

3. In a current-regulator, the combination with a disk having a series of segments, of a flexible contact one end of which is connected to one of the segments, a drum under tension to which the other end of the contact is connected, and means for adjusting the disk, substantially as described.

4. In a current-regulator, the combination with a rotatable disk carrying a number of segments, of a flexible contact connected to one of the segments, means for supporting the flexible contact under tension against the segments, and means for rotating the disk and securing it in position, substantially as described.

5. In a current-regulator, the combination with a rotatable disk carrying segments, of an arm connected to the disk and having an opening, and a handle provided with a pin engaging said opening, substantiallyr as described.

6. In a current-regulator, a standard having openings, a shaft mounted in the standard, a disk mounted on the shaft, an arm also mounted on the shaft and connected to the disk and provided with an opening, and a handle provided with a pin to engage the opening in the arm and in the standard, substantially as described.

7. In a current-regulator, the combination with a disk provided with a series of segments, of a rotating disk provided with a brush and having a fiange, and a contactbrush bearing on the flange, substantially as described.

8. In a current-regulator, the combination with a disk provided with a series of segments, of a rotating disk, a brush carried by the disk and bearing on the segments, and a Spring-,actuated contact-brush bearing on the periphery of said rotating disk, substantially as described.

9. In a current-regulator, a disk the body of which is of insulating material having a number of segments mounted thereon, the segments being provided with a peripheral groove and a fiat face, substantially as described.

10. In a current-regulator, a disk the body of which is of insulating material having a series of segments mounted thereon, the segments having a peripheral groove, in combination with a iiexible contact connected to one of the segments and adapted to bear in the groove, substantially as described.

1l. In a current-regulator, the combination with a disk provided with a number of segments, of means for including a greater or less number of segments in the circuit, acircuit-breaking device, and means for avoiding sparking by progressively introducing resistance into the circuit prior to its ultimate break, substantially as described.

l2. In acurrent-regulator, the combination with a series of'segments more or less of which may be included in a circuit, of a circuitbreaker coperating With the segments and means for avoiding sparking, comprising a series of insulated variable-resistance devices, whereby as the circuit is broken resistance will be progressively included in the circuit, substantially as described.

IOO

IIO

in the circuit, aseries of insulated segments, rings connectedto said segments, spring-1ingers bearing on the rings, a resistance device connected to they spring-fingers, and means for breaking the circuit and progressively including the resistance in the circuit before final breaking, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses. Y

JAMES PHILIP ERIE. Witnesses:

W. CLARENCE DUvALL, F. L. FREEMAN.

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