US840582A

US840582A - Electric alarm device.

Info

Publication number: US840582A
Application number: US32925706A
Authority: US
Inventors: John F O'neill
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1906-08-04
Filing date: 1906-08-04
Publication date: 1907-01-08
Anticipated expiration: 1924-01-08

Description

ELECTRIC ALARM DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED `AUG,v 1906.

YHE Nonms PETERS co., wAsHmn'mN, n. c.

PATENT OFFIOE.

JOHN F. ONEILL, OF NEWBURGH, NEW YORK.

g ELECTRIC ALARM DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 8, 1907.

Application filed August 4, 1906. Serial No. 329,257.

To a/ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN F. ONEILL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newburgh, in the county of Orange and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Alarm Devices, of which the following is a specification accompanied by drawings.

This invention relates to electric alarm devices, and the object of the invention is to construct an automatic electric signaling device adapted to be used in the household in an ice-chest or ice-box for indicating when the drip-pan is full of water from the melted ice, thereby preventing the overflow of the water, which ordinarilyT causes much inconvenience and annoyance.

The device is so constructed that it is particularly adapted when in use to meet the conditions specified and insure that due notice shall be given the occupants of the household when the drip-pan is full of water.

The device is simple in construction and cheap to manufacture and may readily be placed in the bottom of the ice-chest underneath the drip-pan without interfering in any way with the ordinary use of the ice box or chest.

Further objects of the invention will hereinafter appear; and to these ends the invention consists of a device for carrying out the above objects embodying the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts having the general mode of operation substantially as hereinafter fully described and claimed in this speciiication and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which* Figure l is a perspective view of the device connected in circuit. Fig. 2 is a longitu- `dinal sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. l, and Fig. 3 is a front view of the lower portion of an ice-chest with the drip-pan and alarm device in position.

It is necessary that the mechanism of the device be so constructed that it will be simple in operation and at the same time will prevent short circuits, which would cause the alarm or signal to be prematurely sounded or indicated. The contact device is adapted to be placed either upon a stone, cement, or wooden floor or ioor of other insulating material, or else it may be placed within a metal-lined box or chest, without danger in the latter case of short circuits occurring through the metal lining of the chest.

The base A of the apparatus is preferably of metal constructed in the form of a horseshoe-that is, substantially U-shaped-in order to make the mechanism as cheap and light as possible and obviate the use of Waste metal. The base A may be made of one continuous piece of metal stamped, cut, or otherwise formed in a desired shape. A movable member or platform B is suitably hinged or pivoted at one end, preferably to the open end ofthe base A, in this instance the base being provided with ears C, in which are piv oted studs or projections D on the platform B, thereby permitting the platform to swing at its pivotal points. The member B may be constructed of any suitable material, preferably wood or other insulating material, and, as shown, is substantially of the form of the interior portion of the base A, so that interference of movements of the platform is prevented. The platform B is preferably provided with an outer rim E of metal for strengthening purposes to prevent the wooden member from splitting or becoming warped from moisture. As shown, the metallic rim E is suitably secured to the meinber B by pins, nails, or other fasteningvdevices F, and this rim preferably projects above the surface ofthe platform to take the weight of the drip-pan G, as shown in Fig. 3. The drip-pan is ordinarily larger than the alarm device and will rest partly on the bottom of the ice-chest or on the iioor and partly on the rim E.

Projecting from the end of the platform B opposite the pivots is shown a metallic contact-tongue H, normally separated from the base A by means of the spring I, but adapted to make contact with the base and complete the circuit when the weight of the water in the drip-pan presses the platform down against the tension of the spring. Preferably the front portion of the rim E is cut away a sufficient distance at J to prevent electrical contact between the tongue H and the rirn, which would otherwise short-circuit the apparatus.

The spring I is suitably supported from a bridge K, suitably secured to the base A over the tongue H and of sufficient height to permit a spring of any desired character to be suspended within the bridge. Means are also provided for adjusting the tension of the spring, so that the device may be adjusted for differentsized pans to hold different amounts of water. Furthermore, the ten- TIO vided, but in this instance I have shown a n adjusting-screw L, carried vertically in an insulating-sleeve O, which extends through an aperture in the top ofthe bridge K and- `insulates the screw from the metal bridge. The spring I vis shown in Ithis instance in the form of a coiled spring, which is connected in yanysuitable manner to the tongue and to the lower end of the .adjusting-screw L. Suitable lock-nuts Pand Q on the screw L permit said screw to be adjusted up and down and flocked in position, and these `nuts also form abinding-post for one of the electric wires R. The other wire S, as shown, is `connected to the ybinding-post T, carried by the 4base A, and .these wires in use should be connected with a suitable battery U and any form of k.alarm or indicating device-as, for instance, a bell V-although an electric light could be used, if desired.

Inthe operation of .th eapparatus when the weight ofthe water is sufficient to depress lthe platform B and tongue H, so that the tongue is in contact with the base A, afcircuit will lbe completed from the battery U by means of the vwire R to and through the `screw L, down through the spring to the -tongue H, which is in contact withvthe base A, and the circuit will then pass through the base and out by -the wire S, through the bell V, back tothe battery U, thereby sounding the bell and notifying the occupants of the household that the ice is melted and the pan is full of water. When the pan is emptied, the platform B and tongue H resume their normal position.

It will be seen that owing to the arrangement of the insulation the device may be resting directly on a `metallic surface but shortcircuits will not occureven if a metallic pan is -placed partly on the platform B and partly on the metallic surface upon which thedevice rests, because the tongue H is entirely insulated from the metallic rim E and from the base A.

Obviously some features of this invention may be used without others `and the invention maybe embodied in vwidely-varying forms.

Therefore, Without limiting myself to the construction shown and described, I claim, and desire `to obtain by Letters Patent, the following:

l. An electric overflow-alarmor indicating device for ice-boxes and other uses comprising a metallic base, a bridge at one end, a.

movable member or platform vpivoted at the other end of the base and adapted to support a pan or other receptacle, a contact connected to said platform and insulated therefrom,

means connected to the bridge for resisting downward pressure on said pivoted base, and electrical indicating meansv adapted to be set in operation when the said contact touches the base due to the weight of the material in the pan.

2. An electric overflow-alarm or indicating device for ice-boxes and other uses comprising a metallic base, a bridge at one end, a movable member or platform pivoted at the other .end of the base .and adapted to support a pan or other receptacle, a contact connected to said platform and insulated therefrom, adjustable means vconnected to the bridge for resisting downward pressure .on said pivoted -ba-se, and electrical indicating means adapted to be set in operation lwhen the said contact touches the vbase due to the weight of the material inthe pan.

3. An electric overflow-,alarm or indicat ingfdevice for ice-boxes and other uses comprising a metallic' base, .a bridgeatone end, a movable `member pivoted at theother end of the base and adapted to support a pan or other receptacle, an insulated contact-tongue projecting from said Abase and extending underneath said bridge, a spring connecting the tongue with the bridge, and electrical indicating means adapted to be set in operation when the said tongue comes in contact with the base due to the weight ofthe lwater or other material in the pan.

4. An electric overflow-alarm or indicat-` ing device for ice-boxes `and other uses comprising a ybase, a bridge connected thereto, a movable member or platform pivoted atene end of the said base, a contact-tongue secured to said member and insulated therefrom, and an adjustable spring connecting said bridge to said tongue and adapted to yield to pressure on the movable member, and an electric alarm included in the circuit of the base, the contact-tongue and said spring.

5. An electric overflow-alarm or indicating device for ice-boxes and other uses comprising a metallic base, a metallic bridge secured thereto, a wooden member or platform provided with a reinforcing metallic edge, one end of said member being pivoted to the base, a `metallic contact-tongue secured to the wooden portion of said platform andin sulated from the metallic rim, an adjustable spring connecting said bridge to said tongue, and an .electric alarm device included in the circuit of the base, the contact-tongue and the spring.

6. An electric overflow-alarm or indicating device for ice-boxes and other uses comprising a metallic base, a platform of insulating material pivoted at one end to the base and provided at the other end with a contact adapted `to coperate with the base, a bridge over said contact, an adjusting-screw carried by said bridge and insulated there- IOO from, a retraoting-spring connecting said In testimony whereof I have signed this Contact with the screw, adjusting-nuts 0n specification in the presence of two subsorib- [o said screw7 and an electric alarm or indioating witnesses. i

ing device included n the circuit of the T 4 screw7 the spring, the Contact and the base, JOHB F O NEILL' whereby a circuit will be completed when the Witnesses: tongue is brought into 'Contact with the base PETER CANTLINE,

due to pressure upon the platform. HARRY MCDOWELL.