US848519A - Indicator. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED MAR. 26, 1907.

C. VERSTEEG.

INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 110E214, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I A l 5 A! f? GHESTERVERSTEIE e.

WITNESQES A/TORNEYS PATENTED MAR. 26, 1907.

0. VERSTEEG.

INDICATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV.14.1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

[jig l GHESTERVERSTEEG ATTORNEYS CHESTER VERSTEEG, ASHTON, SOUTH DAKOTA.

'mmcAroR.

Specification of LetteraPatent. Application m November 14, 1906. serial-No. 343,386.

To all whmn it may concern.-

of Ashton,

Be it known that I, CHEsTER VERSTEEG, a citizen of the United States, and a resident in the county of Spinkand State of South'Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in indicators for grain-bins, and consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings forming a part hereof, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bin provided with my improved indicators. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the swinging box and its supporting-plate, showing the parts in their normal position at the bottom of the bin. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the position of the parts when the circuit is closed. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatical view of a number of devicesand the switchboard to which they are connected. Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the indicator, showingthe parts in their normal position when used at the top of the bin. Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the position of the parts when the circuit is closed, and Fig. 7, is a perspective view of the rod on which the box is mounted.-

The present invention is an improvement over the device shown in Letters Patent No.

' 831,911, granted to me Se temb'er 25, 1906,

vtion to be and comprlsing an open e ectric circuit, including a signal to be operated by the contact of the terminals of the circuit, the said terminals being arranged within the bin in posimoved into contact by-the movement of the grain when. it reaches a predetermined de th in the bin, and in means for preventing t 6 direct contact with the grain of the contact-points, while permitting their movement toward and from each other.

In the present embodiment of the invention a support A is arranged within the bin-,-

the sup ort comprising a vertical portion a whereby it may be secured to the side of the bin by the screws a at any suitable point, and a horizontal portion a, provided with a threaded pin a, on which is a thumb-nut'a for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

A red a"is provided atone end with a flattened portion 0., having therethrough an o ening through which extends the pin a t e rod being secured in its adjusted position with respectto the support by the thumbas at a, to permit the passage 0 e reduced ortion a of the rod whereby to securely clamp the slotted portion of the rod upon the reduced portion of the shield. The slotted end of the rod is provided with a threaded o ening, in which is engaged a screw a an a'washer a? is arranged between the head of the'screw and the end of the rod.

A closed box a, is rotatably mounted upon the rod, and insulating material a? is arranged between the box and the rod whereby'to' insulate the said box from the rod. The box is slotted at its u per portion,

the reduced portion a ofthe shield, and the slot is sufficiently wide to permit the swinging of the box upon the rod without the edges of the slot contacting with the shield.

Thebox a" thereof with an insulating-plate a, secured to the'box by any suitable means, as by the Patented March 26, 1907. i

' The slot a exten s to the end is'provided upon the inner face 1provided a longitudinal screws a, and extending through the-plate is Y a binding-post a, the box belng cut away around the binding-post, as shown more particularly in Fig. 1, whereby to insulate thev binding-post from the box.

The portion a" of the shield outside of the box is of ap roximately the width of the box, and the said portion a arches over'thetop of' the box and rod, as shown in Fig. 1, whereby to deflect the running grain over the top and to each side of the box, the shield extending to a proximately the bottom of the box;

ires a, a are connected'with the" end of the rod a and with the, binding-post a), respectively, the wire a" being arranged between the washer a and theend'of the rod and. thewire a, being withthe binding-post a).

In practice an indicator may be arrangedand at the tops.

in each bin at the bottom H thereof, and. theiconductors from the md1ca' tors lead to a common switchboard arranged in some convenient part of the building.

, The switchboard B comprises a base I), having arranged upon the face thereof a pluralityof conducting-bars 5 b parallelwith ands aced apart from each other, the ends, of sai( bars being connected by the conductors b 'm'an open current which includes abattery b Between the contact-bars b and b are arconnected directly 7 ranged a plurality of longitlidinally-alined and s aced plates b the abutting ends of the p ates being recessed, as at b, for the receptlon of plu s b, whereby to connect the plates with eac 1 other.

It will be evident from the drawings that the alternate plates b are divided vertically by a strip of insulation 6. The upper contact-bar b is connected to an intermediate 1 late I) by conductors I). The wires a a eading from the rod and the binding-post, respectively, are connected one with the contact-bar b and the other with the plate b and a bell b is interposed in each of the conductors. It will be evident from the description that when the plugs are inserted in the openings the contactoints of each of the indicators 1, 2, ,3, 4, am 5 are the terminals-of in connection with the bell.

rod in its adjusted position.

accumulatin In operation the support A is placed in the bin in any suitable position, and the rod a of the indicator is turned to bring it into the position shown at the upper art of Fig. 1 when the indicator is to be used at the to ofthe bin or to bring it into the position s own at the lower part of the said figure when it is to be used at the bottom of the bin, after which the thumb-screw is made use of to secure the In either case the shield a is between the indicator and the side of the bin, whereby to prevent the grain directly between the box and the side of the bin. When the indicator is placed in the bottom of the bin in the position shown in Fig. 1', the grain in the bin moves the box into the .position shown in Fig. 2, with the contact-point of the bindingpost out of contact with the reduced ortion' of the shield. When the bin is emptied and the grain is Withdrawn from the front of the box, the box swin s forward to the position shown in Fig. 3, t us com leting the circuit and ringing the bell. en placed at the top of the bin, the box normally stands in the position shown in Fig. 5 until the entering grain reaches a level sufiiciently high to swing the box into the position shown in Fig. 6, when thecircuit is completed, as before.

In filling the bin after the alarm is sounded enough grain may be run into the bin so as to entire y submerge the indicator before the flow can "be strapped. If at an time grain should be with rawn from the in sufficient It is obvious that a might bell be arranged to relieve the pressure against the box, thusbreaking the circuit, yet not enough to entirely clear the box, and under these conditions ,more wheat should be introduced into the bin, the wheat already between the box and the wall would not permit the box to swing back as it should.

The shield permits the placing of the indicator close to the bin-wall, and since it is always close to the box but a small amount of grain is permitted to enter between the box and the shield.

In Fi s. 2.and 3 the reduced portion a, of the shie d is shown as bent slightly in order that the binding-post may contact with the reduced portion when the box hangs vertically from the post, and the outer end of the binding-post is provided with insulating material which forms a stop between the bindingpost and the body portion of the shield.

I claim 1. An indicator for ain-bins comprising a support having a vertical portion for attachment to the wall of the bin, and a horizontal portion provid'ed.with a threaded post, a rod aving a flattened portion resting upon the horizontal portion of the support and provided with an openin through which passes the post, such rod being slotted at its opposite end, a thumb-screw engaging with the post for securing the rod in its adjusted position, a closed box ivotally mounted upon the rod and insulated therefrom, a shield having a reduced portion passing through the slot of the rod and within the box, the portion of the shield outside the boxbeing arranged substantially parallel with the side thereof and spaced apart therefrom, said box depending normally substantially vertical from the rod, and being provided on its inner face with a plate of insulating material having a binding-post for coacting with the reduced portion of the shield, an electric circuit having its terminals connected with the bindingpost and with the reduced portion of the shield respectively, said circuit including a signal operated by the contact of the bindingpost with the reduced portion of the shield.

2. An indicator for grain-bins comprising a support arranged in the bin, a rod adjustably secured to the late and having its free end slotted, a shiel comprising areduced portion passing through the slot of the rod, the body portion of the shield lying alongside the reduced portion and spaced apart therefrom, a box mounted for rotation upon the rod and insulated therefrom, said box inclosing the reduced portion of the shield, a binding-post extending into the box and insulated therefrom, an electric circuit having its terminals in the bindingost and in the reduced por- -tion of the she d, respectively, and an electric circuit having a signal operated portion of the shield.

b the contact of the binding-post with said rediiced 3. An indicator for grain-bins com ising a support within the bin, a rod adjusta 1y connected with the-support, a box pivotally mounted on the rod and insulated therefrom, a shield having a reduced portion within the box, thebody portion of saldshield lyin outside of the box and spaced apart there rom, a binding-post extending through the box and insulated therefrom, and an electric circuit havin its terminals in the binding-post and the re uced portion of the shield, respectively, and including a signal 0 erated by the 7 contact of the binding-post wit said reduced portion of the shield.

v4. An indicator for grain-bins, comprising a box, a shield arranged alongside the box and spaced apart therefrom, said shield having a reduced portion extending into the box, the box bein movable With respect to said reduced portlon, said box having a contactpoint for coacting with the reduced ortion of the shield, an an electric circuit' aving its terminals in the reduced portion of the shield and the contact-point of the box respectively, said circuit including a signal operated by the contact of the contact-point and theshield.

I CHESTER VERSTEEG. Witnesses l D. H. RoBER'rs,

v E. N. GRAvEs;

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