US773119A - Circuit-breaker. - Google Patents

Description

No. 773,119. 7 PATENTED OCT. '25, 1904} A. F. CHRISTMAS. CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22 1903.

N0 MODEL.

g :No. 773,1 19.

NITED STAT-ES Patented October 25, 1904.

' ADOLPH r. CHRISTMAS," orrirrseuae, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIoNoR or TWO-THIRDS TO FRANK a. ,MCFEAT'rERs, or w LiuNsenae.

SYLVAN'IA.

ciRouiT-BREA ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 773,119, dated October 25,1904.

A nmaa filed June '22, 1903.

To (btl whom it may concern.- '2

Be it known that I, ADOLPH F., GHR1sTMAs, a resident'oi' Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny. and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Circuit-Breakers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to circuit-breakers; and the object is. to provide a device of this kind which will automatically make and break the circuit by the mere closing of the circuit 'at some other point. v

A further object of myinvention is to provide a device of this character which'is simple and cheap in construction, which cannot get out of order, and Which can be used in places where more complicated devices cannot be used.

In many relations it is desirable to use an interrupted direct current or an alternating current of less" frequency than the standard commercial circuits. It is also often desirable to havea current made and broken at short intervals in order to properly operate certain translating devices such, for instance, as bells, signals. reciprocating tools, and the like, where the magnet-coil must be energized to move the armature to give the stroke and which must then be deenergized in order to permit the'armature to return to its normal position.

My invention has for its object to provide a simple circuit maker and breaker which is adapted for the uses above specified.

To this end it consists of suitable circuitterminals'or contacts in series in the circuit, together with a magnet also in seriesinthe circuit and whose armature is connected to the contactsand so arranged as to separate the same as soon as the circuit is closed at the translating device, said contacts being so arranged that as soon as the magnet is denergized by the breaking of the circuit the contacts will automatically close, thus again making the circuit, the arrangement being such that the time interval between the breaking of'the circuit and when it is again closed,

serarnofieasvo. (No model.)

as well asthe length of contact, can be regulated. I

In the accompanylng drawings, Figure l'is a view, partly in diagram and partly in. secv Fig. 2

tion, showing my circuit-breaker. is a cross-section through the magnet-armature, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing a slight modification. r

The generatoris shown at 1, and this may be of any suitable type, an alternating generator beingshown for illustration; butthis is not essential. The mains Q-and 3 lead from this generator and may have connected therein one or more, translating devicesv of any kind or description.

The circuit making and breaking device comprises a magnet-coil, such as the solenoid 10, which is placed in series in the circuit as,

for instance, inthe main 2-and the armature I 11 thereof being connected to suitable circuitt'erminals and so arranged as to separate the same on the making of the circuit. Various forms and arrangements of magnets and contact-terminals may be employed, the arrange; ment shown in the drawings belng largely illustrative and being preferred because of the mercury contact contained therein, which will not oxidize and is thus free from one source of trouble generally found'in circuitbreakers.

As shown in the drawings, the circuit-wire Qis connected to the mevcury-cu p 12. A companion mercury-cupTS is placed in proximity thereto, and to this is connected the circuitwire 14, which leads to the translating device.

The mercury-cups 12 and 13- are formed in a block of insulating material 15, such as fiber, and in order to make the circuit said cups are bridged by means of a suitable metallic piece, such as the copper fork 16. This fork is attached toa piece of fiber 17 or other insulating material, which at its upper end is provided with an enlargement, such as the washer l8, and is-s'urrounded by the core 11 All of the movable parts of the solenoid 10. are inclosed by means of a tube or casing 19, of glass, fiber, or other insulating material, and said case is closed at the top by the spool that shown in Fig. 1.

or bobbin 20 of the solenoid. Preferably the solenoid-core 11 is split, having the gap 21, as indicated in Fig. 2, so as to prevent the formation of eddy-currents. The solenoid core 11 is preferably of less length than the distance between the fork 16 and washer 18, so that upon the energization of the magnet the core will be free to moveupwardly slightly before it begins to raise the fork 16. By varying the distance between the top of the core 11 and the washer 18 the time that the circuit remains closed can be regulated. in Fig. 1' the top of the core 11 is quite close to the washer 18, while in Fig. 3 there is an appreciably greater distance between the top of the core and 'the washer. Consequently the circuit-closer shown in Fig. 3 will maintain the circuitclosed fora longer period than The rapidity of the upward movement of the core can also be varied by varying the number of turns of the magnet, and this also will affect the length of time the circuit remains closed. As soon as the core comes into contact with the washer 18 it will lift the fork out of the mercurycups, thus breaking the circuit. This immediately deenergizcs the solenoid, so that said core will to drop back into the mercury-cups and again make the circuit. This again immediately energizes the magnet. raised and will again break the circuit, and this operation will continue automatically and repeatedly as long as the circuit remains closed at the. translating device. As aconsequence the translating device will be alternately energized and decnergized.

It will be observed that the circuit-making device 16 drops by gravity, and as a consequcnce an appreciable interval of time will elapse between the breaking of the circuit and the moment when it is again made. The

interval of time depends upon the distance throughwhich the circuit-making device 16 must drop. If this distance be comparatively large, the interval of time will be correspondingly large and the frequency of the current correspondingly low,- whereas if the distance through which this device falls is small the time interval will alsobe small and the frequency of 1 Means will the current correspondingly high. therefore be provided for ad usting or regulating the distance to which the circuit-clos-v ing device 16 is raised, thus determining the distance through which said device must fall by gravity,an -l therefore determining the time interval of the current. It is found in actual practice that the energization of the coil will causesuch an upward movement of the core as to bring the top of the stem 17 into contact with the end of the bobbin 20. Consequently if suitable adjusting device's be placed between the stem 17 and bobbin-head 20 the distance through which the circuit-closing dedrop, thus permitting the fork 16' The core will again be r vice 16 must fall will be regulated. A convenientmcans for accomplishing this is by merely placing one or more additional washers 18 on top of the washer 18 and securing the same in place by the screw shown. This will have the effect of lengthening the stem 17 so that the upward movement of the circuit-closing device 16 will be less than when only one washer is employed, and this will decrease the time interval between the breaking and mak ing of the circuit, thus giving a current of higher frequency at the translating device than when only a single washer is employed on the end of the stem 17. Various other 5 means for securing this zuljustment will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art such as an ordinary screw the bobbin head 20, as shown in Fig. 3. Should the contact-piece 16 drop too slowly,- it may be assisted in its downward movement by a coiled spring 23, placed between the stem 17 and bobbin-head 20.

The operation of my device is very simple and will be understood from the foregoing description. Suflicc .it to say that as long the circuit is kept closed at the translating device the circuit will be automatically broken and made by the upward and d wnwar il play of the circuit-closing device 16, due to the alternate energization and deenergization of the solenoid 10. In this way an interrupted current is supplied to the translatii'igdevice, and the frequency of such interrupted current can be regulated by varying the distance to which the circuit-closing device 16 is raised, while the length of the impulses can be regulated by either varying the number of turns in the solenoid 10 or by varying the distance between the top of the core 11 and the washer 18. The circuit maker and breaker is not only automatic in its operation, but is exceedingly simple, so-that it-cannot get out of order and needs practically no attention. The mercury contact also is not subject to oxidation, and inasmuch the movable parts are inclosed in a tightcasing the volatilization of the mercury will do no harm and will result in no loss, as the fumes will again condense and seek their proper position in the mercury-cups.

l/Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A circuit-breaker comprising a movable contact, a cooperating contact, a magnet in the circuit, an armature for said n'iagnet, connections between said armature and movable contact so arranged that said armature may move for a short distance before moving the movable contact, and means for varying the extent of movement of said armature.

2. A circuit-breaker comprising a movable contact arranged to close by gravity, a cooperating contact, a magnet in the circuit,"an armature for said magnet, connections between said armature and movable contact so 2:2, tapped through 10 said solenoid is energized.

, 4. A circuit-breaker comprisinga movable contact arranged to close by gav'ity,,a coop- ,erating contact, a magnet in" the circuit, an armature for said magnet, and connections between said ari'natu-re and movable contact so arranged that said armature may move idly for a short-distanee and then engage the contact and raise the same. 1

5. A circuit-breaker comprising a movable l il.

contact arranged to close by gravity, a'coopw 5 that the solenoid-core has a certain amount of crating contact, a solenoid in the circuit, a.

hollow core therefor, anda stem connected to said movable contact and extending through said hollow core, th'earrangei nent being such free or idle movement on saidste'm.

.6. A circuit-breaker comprising 'aimovable A contact arrangedto close by gravity, a cooperating contact, a solenoid in the circuit, a

3 hollow split coretherefor, and a stemeoncrating contact, a magnet in the circ nected to the movable contact and projecting through said hollow core. 1' 7. A circuit-breaker comprising a movable contact arranged to close by gravity, a coopt, an armature therefor, connections between'the armature and movable contact.wherebythe presence of current on the circuit will open said contact, and means for adjusting the open- 4 ing movement of said movablecontact.

8. A circuit-breaker comprising a'movable contact arranged to close by gravity, acoop-l erating contact, a solenoid in the circuit, a core therefor connected to said movable contact, an

abutment against which said core will strike in the openingmevementt and adjustable means between said core and abutment.

of the contacts, whereby the presence of current on the circuit will break the latter.

10. A cireuit-brez'iker comprising a m'crcury contact in series in the circuit, a movable contact arranged to fall into the mercury contact by gravity, 'a magnet in the; circuit, an armature therefor, and coni'iectionsbetween said armature and movable contact whereby the presence of current onjth'e "ir'cuit-will break the latter.- I

11. A circuit-breaker comprising 'rnercury contacts inclosed in an aii?tigli t casing and arf ranged in series in the circu t,- am'ovable contact arranged to fall -into the mercnrycontach by gravity, a 'magnet'in itmwuiaan arma'- ture therefor, and. connections Fbetween said v,

arn'iature and movable con'tact vi iih'erebythe presence of current'on tlie c'ircu the latter,

will b te I Acircuit-breakercgmp i m I contact arranged to cl b gmvlwaa c061)? crating contact, a. magnet the 'circuit,an.

armature for saidmagnet', connections her for a short-distance and'then engage the-contween saidjarma ture and movable contact so I arranged that said armature may movei'id1y" 5 tact and raise the same, and meansforadjustin'gthe opening movement of saidjmov'ablef. contact.

, 13. A circuit breaker comprising-a 1 cury contact, a movable contaet'arran'ged to fallinto the mercury contact by gravity, an

cury contact; a movable contact arranged to tall intoithe mercury. contact by gravity,- an

9; A circnitbr'eaker comprisingcontacts in series in the circuit;a solenoid also in the cir- 5o cuit with itsbore arranged'fvertically,a vertically-movable core-tor said solenoid and connections between; said 'core and the contacts so arrange d' that the armature can move idly for a short distance and then move one armature arranged to engage saidmo'yable' contact and lift'the same out oft'hemereury contact, a tight casein which said contacts and armature are arranged, and a magnet-coil.

in the circuit and arranged to',actuate-said armature cooperating-with said movable contact and arranged to move idly for a short arranged, and'famagnet-coil" in the cirjeuitland arranged to-actuate said armature. In testin'iony whereof I, thesaid ADOLPI'I F.

CrmIs'r Aghavehereunto set my hand.

I f ADoLrirF.,eniiis'r As.

= Witnessesz j ROBERT, C. Terran, (LC. RAYMOND.

distance before raising the contact, atqght 7 'casingljn which said contacts and armature ai

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