US851576A - Controlling mechanism for belt-shifters. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTBD APR. 23, 1907.

A. B. WALES. CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR. BBLT SHIPTERS.

AYPLIOATION FILED FEB.6.1907.

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UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED B. WALES, OF EAST WHITMAN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ON E- FOURTH TO EDWARD W. MCALLISTER AND ONE-FOURTH TO IRA W. HOLBROOK, BOTH OF BROCKTON,

MASSACHUSETTS.

CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR BELT-SHIFTERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 28, 1907.

Application filed February 6,1907. Se l o- 356,001.

T on whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED B. W'ALEs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of East Whitman, county of Plymouth, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Controlling Mechanism for Belt- Shifters, &c., of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like let- IO ters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of novel, simple, and efficient controlling mechanism for belt-shifters, clutches, fire and bulk-head doors, etc., whereby such I 5 device, or a plurality of such devices, can be released from a distant point, or points, at Will and the position thereof quickly changed by suitable actuating means.

In many mam'ifacturing establishments a number of machines are often driven by individual belting from a main shaft, and it is sometimes of great mportance to stop such a shaft quickly without the delay attendant upon communicating with the engine room.

By my present invention this can be easily and rapidly accomplished, the driving belt for the main shaft being governed by a shifter moved by a spring, for instance, to shift the belt onto a loose pulley, and my novel con- 0 trolling mechanism normally retains the shifter retracted, with the belt in running position.

The controlling mechanism is electrically governed, and from any suitable point, or from any one of a number of such points, said mechanism can be made to instantly release the retracted shifter.

I have herein illustrated my invention in connection with a belt-shifter, for purposes of 0 explanation, but it will be manifest that a clutch may take the place of the belt-shifter. So, too, my controlling mechanism is ap plicable for use in connection with any movable objects, such as fire-doors, which under 5 ordinary-circumstances are held open, but which it may be desirable to close promptly from a distant point, the closing being effected by a spring or weight when released by the controlling mechanism. Doors in col- 5o lision bulk-heads on shipboard may also be controlled in a similar manner.

The various novel features of my invention will be fully pointed out in the subjoined l I l I g y 1 l f specification and particularly pointed out in the following claims.

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a beltshifter and a controlling mechanism therefor embodying one form of my present invention, the electric circuit and the circuit-changer being shown in connection therewith; Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof below the line 22, Fig. 1, omitting the electric circuit; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the controlling mechanism, the inclosing casing being shown in section, taken on the line 33, Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a sectional detail on the line 4-4, Fig. 3, looking toward the left, the combined latch and armature being shown by full lines in effective or operative position; Fig. 5 is a detail on the line 5*5, Fig. 4, to show more clearly the cooperation of the armature and detent.

In Fig. 1 I have shown a shaft A, having fast and loose pulleys A, A and a belt A by which the shaft is driven from any suitable source of power, not shown, it being supposed that such shaft may drive a number of machines, and I have arranged my invention to stop rotation of the shaft from a distant point.

The belt-shifter is herein shown as a bar 1 slidable longitudinally in suitable fixed bearings 2 and provided with prongs 3 between which the belt travels, this shifter being broadly the movable member hereinafter referred to in the claims, and by such term any movable member, such as a firedoor, a bulk-head door, the movable member of a clutch, etc., is indicated for the purposes of my invention.

In the present instance the movable member, i. (2., the shifter, is moved forcibly in one direction by a sufficiently strong spring 4, Figs. 1 and 2, attached at one end to the bar 1, and fixed at its other end, as to one of the bearings 2,,the spring being broken out in Fig. 2.

As will be manifest the spring is under ten- T sion when the shifter, or movable member, is retracted, and herein the belt A is on the loo fast pulley when the shifter is retracted.

As a means of detachably connecting the retracted shifter with my novel controlling mechanism I have shown a flexible connection, as for instance a chain 5, attached at one end to the bar 1 and having at its other is in its operative or effective position,

end a ring 6, the connection being broken out in Figs. 1 and 2, as it may be of any suitable length to lead to the controlling mechanism.

I will now describe the latter as embodied in one practical form illustrated herein.

A strong casting 7 is shown as semi-spherical in shape and provided with ears or lugs 8 by which it is rigidly attached to the wall or any other suitable part of a room, as by screws 9, Fig.- 1. A boss 10 having an elongated slot 11 therein is formed on the top of the casting, which latter serves as a casing and support for the working parts of the controlling mechanism, upright parallel ears 12 at opposite sides of the slot sustaining a pivot or fulcrum pin 13, Figs. 3' and 4. Upon this pin is pivotally mounted a combined latch and armature, shown as a flat metal bar 14, 15 adapted to swing on the pin in the slot 11. The part 14 is the latch portion of the bar, and it is cut away at one edge adjacent the pivot to leave a concave seat 16, which is outside of the boss 10, and in which seat the ring 6 is held when the latch see full lines Fig. 4, and also Figs. 1 and 2. At such time the spring 4 is under tension and istending to pull the connection 5 in the direction of the arrow 50, Figs. 1, 2 and 4, the line of such pull or strain being close to the pin 13, so that the leverage is very short. The latch portion has a notch 17 in its edge opposite the seat 16, to engage the casing when the latch is in effective position, to serve as a stop in that direction. Said latch portion is extended to form the armature 15 of an electro-magnet 18, connected by a bracket 19' with the casing 7, the electromagnet being so located that when the latcharmature is in effective position the armature 15 will be opposite the poles of the magnet, see Fig. 4. The latch-armature can swing on the pivot or fulcrum 13, and it can also move a slight distance laterally in the slot 11, when the magnet is energized. The armature 15 is provided with a small projection or lug 20 on the face away from the magnet, to cooperate with a detent 21 fastened to the interior of the casing 7 by a screw 22 which also serves as a binding post. The detent 21 is a resilient piece of metal, and substantially V-shaped, as shown, so that the lug 20 can wipe across its inclined face when setting the latch, the free end of said detent engaging the lug when the parts are set.

A light spring 23, Fig. 3, connecting the latch-armature and the casing, tends to draw the armature laterally away from the poles of the magnet and against the detent, as in full lines Fig. 3. The leverage between the lug 20 and the pin 13 is very much greater than the leverage between said pin 13 and the point at which the ring 6 acts upon the latch 14, so that a powerful force acting against the latch can be easily resisted by the detent.

If the parts of the controlling mechanism are in effective or operative position, with the latch-armature in full line position, Figs. 3 and 4, the movable member, as the beltshifter, will be maintained retracted against the force of the actuating spring 4.

When the electro-magnet is energized it attracts the armature, moving it a slight distance laterally, toward the right Fig. 3, but enough to disengage the lug 20 from the detent 21, thereby freeing the latch and armature from control by the detent. Now the spring 4 is free to act and it immediately throws the'latch-armature into ineffective or inoperative position, see dotted lines Fig. 4, and the ring 6 draws out of the seat 16, releasing the connection between the controlling mechanism and the member to be controlled thereby. In this instance the belt shifter is released and the belt A is instantly shifted to stop rotation of the shaft A. One end of the magnet coil, as 24, Fig. 3, is led to a binding post or screw 25 on the casing 7, and one branch 26 of an electric circuit is connected with said post, the circuit including a circuit-closer, as a push-button 27, Fig. 1. The other branch 28 of the circuit is connected with the binding post 22, and the end 29 of the magnet coil is connected in circuit with the casing 7 in any suitable manner, as by screw 30. Normally the circuit is open at the push-button 27 which is located at any convenient point, and when the circuit is closed thereat the end 29 of the coil is electrically included in the circuit through the casing 7, latch-armature, detent 21, and binding-screw 22, in practice both binding screws being insulated from the casing.

When the energized magnet attracts the armature the circuit is broken at the detent 21 the instant the lug 20 is freed from the de tent, so that the magnet is denergized and offers no resistance whatever to the swinging movement of the latch-armature to release the shifter.

The setting of the controlling mechanism is readily effected by moving the latch-armature from dotted to full line position, Fig. 4, the fingers engaging the part of the latch outside of the casing for such purpose, and the armature wiping over the detent till the lug 20 is in its operative position, as described.

The action of the electro-magnet is directly upon the armature, and the latter is a part of Y the latch itself, as will be manifest, affording a very simple, direct-acting and efficient form of controlling mechanism.

As many operatin points or circuitchangers may be included in the electric circuit as may be desired, so that the controlling mechanism can be governed from one point or a plurality of points.

' The casing within which the majority of the operating parts of the controlling mechanism are inclosed serves to protect them from injury and also affords a lirin, rigid and efficient support therefor.

So far as the lateral movement of the armature is concerned it is so slight that practically a loose fit on the fulcrum pin 13 will be sufficient to afford the desired lateral play.

My invention is not restricted to the precise construction and arrangement herein shown and described, as I have merely illustrated one practical embodiment of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In apparatus of the class described, a movable member, means to forcibly move it, and mechanism to retain said member retracted, said mechanism comprising an. armature adapted to be detach-ably connected with said member when retracted, a detent to hold the armature in elfective position,

and an eleetro-magnetic device to actupon the armature and free it from the detent the freed armature being thereupon moved to release said movable member by the action of the means for forcibly moving the same.

2. In apparatus of the class described, a movable member, means to forcibly move it, and mechanism to retain said memberretracted, said mechanism comprising a pivotally mounted armature having a limited lateral movement and adapted to be detachably connected with said member when retracted, a detent to hold the armature in effective position, and an electro-magnet to act upon the armature and effect lateral movement thereof to free it from the detent, the armature when so freed being swung on its pivot, by the action of the means for forcibly moving the said movable member, to thereby release the latter.

3. In apparatus of the class described, a movable member, a spring to move it in one direction, and mechanism to retain said member retracted against the action of the spring, said mechanism comprising a combined latch and armature adapted to be detachably connected with said member when retracted, a detent independent of said member to at such time cooperate with the latcharmature, and an electro-magnet to act upon the latter 'and free it from the detent, whereby the spring acts to inoperatively position the latch-armature and effect movement of the movable member.

l. In apparatus of the class descril'ied, a movable member, a spring to move it in one direction, and mechanism to retain said member retracted against the action of the spring, said mechanism comprising a pivotally mounted latch-armature, a detachable connection between it and the movable mem ber when retracted, the pull on the connec tion acting close to the fulcrum of the latcharmature when the latter is in effective position, a detent independent of the detachable connection, to retain the latch-armature in such position, and an electro-nnignet to free the latch-armature from the detent and permit movement of the former on its pivot to release the movable member.

5. In apparatus of the class described, a spring-actuated movable member, a pivotally mounted armature having a latch portion adjacent its pivot, a detachable connection between the latch portion and said spring-controlled member, to retain the latter retracted, a detent to cooperate directly with and retain the armature in effective position, and an electro-magnet to effect slight lateral movement of the armature and free it from the detent.

6. In apparatus of the class described, a springactuated shifter, a latch adapted when operatively positioned to hold the shifter retracted, a detent independent of the shifter to engage and hold the latch in such position, and an electromagnetic device to act directly upon the latch and free it from control of the detent, to release the shifter.

7. In apparatus of the class described, a spring-actuated shifter, a pivotally mounted latch extended to form an armature and eapable of slight lateral movement, a detent to engage the armature and maintain the latch from pivotal movement, means to detachably connect the retracted shifter with the latch when held by the detent, and an electromagnet to act upon the armature and free it from control of the detent, to thereby permit pivotal movement of the latch and release of the shifter.

8. In apparatus of the class described, a spring-actuated movable member, a latch having an extension. constituting an armature, a casing on which the latch is fulcrumed and through which it extends, a detent within the casing to cooperate with the extension and hold the latch in effective position, a detachable connection between the movable member and the latch when the latter is effectively positioned, to retain said movable member retracted, an electro-magnet to act when energized upon the armature and free the latch from control of the detent, a controlling circuit in which the magnet is included, and a spring to withdraw the annature from the magnet when the latter is deenergized.

9. In apparatus of the class described, a movable member, an actuator therefor, an electro-magnet, a pivotally mounted armature therefor having a latch portion adjacent its pivot, a detent to engage the armature and operatively position the latch portion, a detachable connection between the movable member and the latch portion when so po sitioned, to maintain said member retracted,

the electro-Inagnet When energized freeing In testimony whereof, I have signed my the armature from the detent and permitting name to this specification, 1n the presence of pivotal movement of said armature, whereby tWo subscribing Witnesses.

the latch portion releases the movable mem- ALFRED B. WALES. 5 ber, and means to denergize the electro- Witnesses.

magnet upon disengagement of the armature EDWARD l/V. MoALLIsTER,

and detent. JOHN C. EDWARDS.

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