US945992A

US945992A - Diaphragm-motor.

Info

Publication number: US945992A
Application number: US48418409A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harry M Stevens
Original assignee: General Electric Co
Current assignee: General Electric Co
Priority date: 1909-03-18
Filing date: 1909-03-18
Publication date: 1910-01-11
Anticipated expiration: 1927-01-11

Description

H. M. STEVENS.

DIAPHRAGM MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED 11.53.18, 1909.

Patented Jan. 11,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. M. STEVENS.

DIAPHRAGM MOTOR.

APPLIGATION HLED-MAB-18, 190s.

945,992, Patented Jan. 11, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wnesfses: TWQTWo'r OWC Harry Mievevn i@ w by y a may irs'rnvtsns,

poses, phragm which is capable of extended move` v` UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

OF SCENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Diunamai-Moron. x

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAimYM. STEVENS, a citizen of the United States, residinv at Schenectady, count of Schenectady; itate of. New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Diaphragm-Motors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to collapsible vessels having a flexible Wall or diaphragm and more particularly to collapsible vessels suitable tor use as fluid pressure motors, iii which a difference in'pressure on the opposite sides of the diaphragm causes it to move and in which the travel of the center of the diaphragm should be as great as possible.

In fluidpressure motors the motion of the diaphragm" is usually transmitted to thev parts to be actuated' by means of a rigid member or rod which isv secured to the diaphragm at thecenter and rendersthe central part of the diaphragm unyieldin and inflexible. The greater the travel o the cen. ter member the-greater must be the width of the yielding and flexible portion of the diaphragm between its edge and the center member, andl the use of fluid lunder high pressure for actuating diaphragme' havingpa great travel has heretofore been impracti- I cable, because the flexible and unsu ported portion of the diaphragm, if ma e wide enough to secure the desired travel, would bul 'e outJ` and break under a comparativelv ino erate pressure of the fluid inithe ve'sse The ob'ect of in invention. is to provide a' collapsible vesse suitable for fluid pressure motors, but useful. for many vother purand having a flexible wall or vdiamei'it andl which cannot be bulged out and broken by theppressure of the fluid in thel vessel.

InIcarrying outfm invention, the diaphra is made flexib e and free to yield for a su cient distance from its ed e to secure therequired travel ofthe centra portion of the' diaphragm andthe lexible portion is protected from destruction by meansof diahra in supports` arran ed to support lthe exib e portionof the iaphragm at ever point in its travelin such a wa that hiv ressure cannot bulge out an exibl'e 'ortion of the dia lragmwhich is neverthe ess asfree to ben with the travel "of Athel diaphragm'. as 'thougllli the v.supports raggi supports Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed March 18, 1909. Serial No. 484,184.

` travel.

l the closed position. f, operating rod 3 and 'mountedon the, frame 5 b means of a pivot 9, is latched in the break tic.

A that the switch will. openupon. the occur- Patentea Jan. 11, 1910.

are referably in the form of rigidly mounted ugs which project inwardly from the edge of the diaphragm like the teeth of an internal gear wheel, while the rigid member on the center of `the diaphragm has outwardly projecting lugs or teeth which tit loosely between the rigidly mounted lugs, all tlie lugs being shaped to permit the required travel of the diaphragm and at t lie same time to support it My invention will best be understood in connection with Jche accompanying drawings, which illustrate one of the various forms in which`theI invention may be enibodied and in which Figure l is a view of a iluid pressure actuating mechanism ifor operating an electric switch, with the lluid pressure motor shown in section; Fig. 2 a view ofthe deviceishown in Fig. l with the parts in the position'assumed by them when fluid under pressure is admitted tothe motor; Fig. 3 a-longitudinal section along the line 33 of- Fig. 1'; and Fig. 4 a view in elevation showing the fluid pressure actuating mechanism applied to an electric switch.

The general arrangement of the specific form of device illustrated in the'drawings is bestl shownin Fig. 4, which shows an oil switch having two oil pots l, containing stationary contacts which cooperate with a movable bridging Contact Q, mounted. on a vertically movable o erating rod 3, which j. moves freelyy in aguide 4, rigidly attached 90 to andvformiug a (part of a fr ame 5, which is rigidly mounte in any ysuitable way in fixed relationto the oil pots l and supports the various; parts ofthe actuating mechanism.' In F ig. 4

closed position and constantly tends to open on. account of the pressure 'exerted' by a resilient member, such as spiral s rin which surrounds the operating ro an 1s compressed between the guide 4 and a collar 7 on the operating rod when the switch is in An operating lever 8, pivotally connected to the upper end of theI position shown in Fig. 4 and held against the strain exerted b the spring 6 by any suitable form of lato ing mechanism, which is` preferably controlled automatically, so'

at every point in its 6 the switch is shown in the 95 rence of overload. In the specific form of latching mechanism shown in the drawings, a lug 10 near the end of the operating lever 8 is engaged by a hook 11, which holds the operating lever inthe position shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The hook 11 is pivotally mounted on one end of a pivoted rockingl member 12 which carries at the other end a Ashoulder 13 .arranged to engage the hook 11 and force it out of locking relation to the lug 10 as the rocking member 12 rotates about its pivot into the position shown in F ig..1. The latching mechanism holds the operating lever 8 in switch closing position as long as the rocking member 12 is held in the position shown 1n Fig. 2, and in the preferred construction the rocking member 12 is held in locking position by means of a locking toggle 14 which has one end connected to the rocking member 12 and the other end to a pin on the frame 5. yThe locking toggle is normally slightly overset to hold the latching mechanism in latching position as shown in Fig. 2 and is breken by means of a trip coil 15 connected in series in the circuit and so arranged that upon the occurrence of an overload the core of the trip coil .15 willfbreak the locking toggle 14 and permit the parts to assume the position shown in Fig. 1.

In the specific embodiment'of my invention shown in the drawings, the collapsible vessel is made in the form 4of aV fluid' pressure motor to which fluid under pressure is supplied through a pipe 16 controlled by any suitable controlling valve 17. rl`he specifie form of collapsible vessel consists of' a cup-shaped rigid wall or member 18 with a flaring portion 19 and a flexible diaphragm 20, ofrubber or any other suitable yielding material firmly secured to the edge of the cup-shaped member 18 to form a closed vessel into which fluid under pressure may be admitted by means of the pipe 16. A rigid center member121 rests on the central portion'of the flexible diaphragm .20 and-the movement of the diaphragm istransmitted to the operating lever 8 by means of an actuating rod 22 secured to the center member 21 to engage a roller x23 which is mounted on the operating lever 8.

In order to make the travel of the center member 21 great enough to give the required movement to the bridging contact of the switch, ,the diaphragm must be left unsupported and free to yield fora considerable distance between the upper edge of the flaring portion 19 and the edge of the rigid center member 21. Thegreatery the travel of the center,.the greater must be the distance between the upper edge ofy the flaring f portion 19 and the edge of the'center'memer 21, and if the center member` is given the required travel so much of the diaphragm is left unsupported that a pressure of forty or fifty pounds cannot be used Without causing the vdiaphragm to bulge out between the edge of the rigid center member 21 and the edge of the flaring portion 19 of the wall 18 to such an extent that it will be broken. Inaccordance with my invention, the bulging and breaking of the diaphragm under the pressure of the fluid in the collapsible vessel is prevented by means of diaphragm supporting members or projections arranged in such a manner that in no position of the diaphragmlis enough of the diaphragm left unsupported to permit bul in and breaking under pressure of the ui in the collapsible vessel. The diaphragm supporting members are preferably made in the form of rigid 4extensions or lugs 24 mounted on the center member 21 to project outwardly like the teeth of a pinion and to extend between inwardly projecting lugs or extensions 25, which are formed on the inner surface of a flange or ring 26 and extend inward like the teeth of an internal gear wheel. The inwardly nrojecting lugs fit between the outwardly projecting lugs as best shown in Fig. 3, and both-sets of lugs are so shaped where they engage the diaphragm that the diaphragm is supported in all of its positions.

It will be seen in Fig. 3 that on both the flange 26 and on the center member 21 the lugs or projections are so close together that the pressure in the vessel is unable to bulge and break the diaphragm by forcing it up between the lugs. In the specific arrangement shown in the drawing, the rigid center member 21 is shaped to fit into the cupshaped rigid member'18 when the vessel is collapsed and the switch is open, with the phragm. Vid/'hen Huid is admitted beneath the diaphragm, the center member begins to rise and the' flexible portion of the diaphragm begins to engage the lower edge of the projections 25 and vis supported by them to an extent dependent upon the extent of movement of the diaphragm away from the wall 18. By the time tlierigid center member 21 has completed about one-half of its travel, the diaphragm is practically fiat and .the flexible portion is supported partly by the projections 24 and partly bythe projections 25, while as the center member 21 completes its travel` and reaches the positiony shown in Fig. 2, the flexible portion of the diaphragm is supported entirely by the rigid or stationary projections 25. Since the inwardly extending lugs 25 are formed integral with the flange 26, and the rigid wall 18 is bolted firmly to the frame 5, the lugs or projections 25 are immovable relatively to the rigid wall 18 and do not yield under the! My. 'nvention may be embodied in many other forms than that shown and described and I do not intend to limit the appended claims to the specific' arrangement disclosed,

but intend to cover all changes and modifications'within the spirit and scope of my invention. .Y

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,-

l. A collapsible vessel comprising rigid walls and a flexible diaphragm secured to .said walls, said walls having diaphragm supporting projections rigidly mounted thereon ina position to engage and support said diaphragm to an extent dependent on the extent o movement of the diaphragm relative to said walls. I

y The combination with a collapsible vessel comprising a circular wall and a circular diaphragm secured to said wall to form a closed vessel, of diaphragm -supporting means carried by said wall yand arranged to engage said diaphragm to support an an.- nular portion of which the outer edge coincides with the outer edge' ofl said diaphragm and of which the width increases as the diaphragm moves away from normal position.

3. A collapsible vessel-com'prisinor a cupsliaped rigid member and a flexible diaphragm secured tothe edge of said member to form a kclosed vessel, said member having diaphragm v supporting means mounted thereonand arranged to successively engage and support said diaphragm at points which progressively increase in distance from the edge of the diaphragm the diaphragm is moved away from said member.

4. A collapsible vessel comprising a wall` having inwardly projecting lugs, a flexible diaphragm secured to said wall in a position to engage said lugs, and a member lin engagement with said diaphragm and having" outwardly projecting lugs which lie between the lugson saidwall.

Acollap'sible vessel comprising a iexible diaphragm, a wall secured Sto the edge wardly extending'lu of said diaphragm and having -a set of inwhich project across a portion of said iaphragm toward the center thereof, and a memberfin engagement with said -diaphragmand having-a set of lugs .whichextend away from the center of said diaphragm'and lie sideby side `with the lu s on said'walhsaid. sets of lugs being shape to coperate andl support said diaphragm in all` ositions thereof.

6. A colla s'i le vessel-comprising a cupshaped mem er having side walls, a flexible diaphragm secured` to rthe ed e of said walls to form a closed vessel, sai walls having inwardly extending lugs whichproject over said diaphragm on one side thereof, and a .movable member in engagement with the same side of said diaphragm and shaped to tit into said cu -shapedmembelg said movable member being provided with'Y outwardly projecting lugs which extend between the lugs on saidcu -sh'aped member.

7. A collapsi le vessel comprising a wall lhavin a set ofinwardly projecting lugs, a

flexib e diaphragm secured'to said wall m a position to engage said lugs, and a member l1n engagement with said diaphragm land provided with aset of outward y projecting lugs which lie between the lugs .on said lwal the diaphragm engaging surfaces of one of said sets of lugs being curvedaway from a 'plane ,perpendicular to the .direction of movement of the diaphragm.

ff 8. A collapsible vessel comprising a ilexikble diaphragm, a .diaphragm supporting wall having lstationary 1u which project toward the middle of said iaphragm, and a movable member resting on said diaphragm and havin lugs which extend between said` stationary ugs'in a radial direction, whereby said diaphragm is supported at every point of its movement.

iIn witness vwhereof,'I have 'hereunto setf my hand this 17th day o fMarch, 1909.

y HARRY M. STEVENS.'

' Witnesses: I'

F. J. Donn, HnmaNnroaD.