USRE16661E - Hottse electric - Google Patents

Description

June 21, 1927. Re. 1 1

C. W. KAUTZ, JR

CIRCUiT RESTORING RELAY Original Filed Jan. 27, 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet l IIIIHHIIH I I WITNESSESz' 4 INVENTOR R 28-?@ Char/(as l M/ aufz Jr.

W W BY ATTORNEY June 21, 1927.

C. W. KAUTZ, JR 7 CIRCUIT RESTORING RELAY 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Jan. 27, 1919 INJENTOR Char/e: Wf/fau/"Z Jr.

MU ATTQRNEY WITHESSESI I 16,661 June 1927' V c. w. KAUTZ, JR Re CIRCUIT RESTORING RELAY Original Filed JanJz'r, 1919' 4 Sheets-Shee}; 5

v j) K 44 INVENTOR flaw A) ATTORNEY Char/es W/(aufzJn 16,661 21 1927' c. w. KAUTZ, JR Re C IRCUIT RESTORING RELAY Original Filed Jan. 2'7, 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet WITNESS s: INVENTOR LZZM/ V I Char/es W Kay/4.1x

i yaw ATTORNEY 1 will permit a predetermined num Reiasued June 21, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. KAUTZ, -JB., OI LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTING- HOUSE ELECTBIC 6'0 MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VAN IA.

- Original 110. 1,375,515, dated April 19, 1921, sum in. 273340, filed ma' a7, 1019. Application cor" .cmouIr-nn'sronme RELAY.

reissue Med January 30, 1923.] Serial No. 815,956.

through an overload or cutout relay, or a v similar protective device, the operation oi a main switch or circuit brcaker'in the line, and thereby kill the line although and continued trouble exists.

It is an aim of'the present invention to provide a restoringfmeans of this ty 'm byyliicleE automatic restorations ofwthe main switch,

such as an automatic oil switch having a remote control, so that in the event the cause. for the short-circuit stillexists after the first or any one of the successive restorations of the line (in which instance the cutout protective device would again kill the line,) the line will again be restored; and if the trouble on the circuit has cleared after any one of the predetermined number of restoralosed tions, the main switch will remain c and the load on the circuit uninterrupted. I

By repeatedly restoring the line, the total period of successive restorations covers a sufiicient len bein restor tinued, a d the line would not be thrown out of se ice for an extended period. The construction of my improved restoring de-' vice is such that the restorations secured thereby are limited to a predetermined number so that in the event the trouble in the line is of long duration and due to'some serious cause,- the device will not operate definitely, causing the short circuit to result in serious damage. I

Thepresent invention contemplates a re-' storing relay which is simple and compact in structure, together in a single unit; which may be used on either direct or alternatin current ofany standard control voltage; w ich may be readily regulated to time the reclosin of the line' after are which may result from the trouble in the no serious of time to insure the line. to and maintained in service,' provided the trouble is not serious or conall of the parts being brought the protective device has k1 ed the line so as to insure that any short-circuit line is extinguished; and which, after it has been actuated, may be manually reset without lnterfering in any way with the operation of the system in winch it is incorporated.

The present invention further resides in a system of wiring in which my improved restoring device com rises a component part.

.As hereinafter ascribed more in detail, my improved line reclosing or restoring device is particularly adapted for use in a system wherein the main switch for throwing a line or feeder into and out of operation has remote control means, such as a control,

switch, and a protective device is associated with. the main switch in such a manner as to open the same when a short-circuit occurs in t e line. v a v The above and other objects of m invention are obtained in the structure'o my improved restorin device, and in the system of wiring descrihed in the following specification, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevational view of my- 2 is an elevational view taken plane at right angles'of, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a to plan view of the relay; Fig. 4 isan e evationa'l; view showing 1n detail the mechanism which permits a predetermined number of actuations of the device; and r I Fig. 5 is a diagrammaticalview of a system of wiring in which 'my restoring means is used.

Referring to the drawings in detail, whereimproved restoring device or relay; 1g on a V in like reference characters denote like parts in the several views, 10 designates the solenoid casing of my -restoring device, and within this casing is housed a solenoidor coil 11 having a core onarmature 12 adapted tODIOVG upwardly upon energization of the coil, and downwardly under the influence of gravity when the coil is de-energized. Spaced above and secured to the top of the casing 10 by screws 13 passing through bushings 14, is a block 15 of ring-like shape.

constructed of suitable insulating material, such as hard rubber, or thelike. .Arisingfrom one'side of the ring 15 is a stationary arm 16 having its up r end bent laterally to form a contact with which a movable contact block 22'is adapted to engage; At-

tached to the ring 15' on the side opposite that of the arm 16, is a plate 17, avmg an inwardly extending stud 18 on; which 1s pivoted a movable contact arm 19 of substan-- tially L-shape. The upper. end of the core 12 of the solenoid carries a rod 20 having a member 21 of insulating material against inafter described.

which'the horizontal le of the contact arm' 19 engages so that when, upon energizetion of the coil 11, the core 12 is drawn upwardly, the contact arm 19 will be swung about the stud 18 to bring the contact block 22 against the arm 16 tothereby close the switch and cause energization of the solenoid of the automatic main switch, as here- For the purpose of delaying the -operation of the restoring device until thepotential in the line has been reduced, so as to insure that the are, which may result from the short circuit, is extinguished before restoration of the line, the contact arm 19 isassociated with a dashpot '23 which, forces the arm 19 to slowly,move into contact with arm 16 upon energization of the coil 11. This dashpot 23 maybe of any suitableconstruction, that shownin the drawings, since it is by way of'illustration only, being of an old and well known type. The dashpot is shown as having a cylinder 24 secured to an arm 25 carried by the ring 15, and a plunger or piston 26 fitting snugly within the cylinder 24 and connected to the free end of the contact arm 19.. The closed end of the cylinder has a port 27 provided atits inner end with a valve seat with which a ball valve 28 is adapted to co-operate in such manner that as the piston is drawn from \the cylinder the valve will be sucked against its seat to prevent the entrance of air through the port 27 and when the piston is forced inwardly of the cylinder 24, the air behind the piston may readily exhaust through the port 27.

Upon the stud 18 is a coiled spring 29, one end of whichis secured to the contact arm 19, the spring being so disposed that upon de-energlzation of solenoid 11, itwill cause the contact arm to'swing way from the arm 16, forcing the plunger 26 into the dashpot and aiding the force of gravity in lowering the core 12 of the solenoid.

To permit" a predetermined number of restorations of the main switch in the shortcircuited line, my restoration deviceis provided with means now to be described. Se- "cured to the ring 15 rcarwardly of the contact arm 16, are a pair of metallic brackets .30 in which is journaled a shaft 33 carrying a wheel 31, hereinafter referred to as the counter. This counter is of fiber or other insulating material, and is divided lon itudina-lly into two sections A pen the periphery of section A is contact strip 32 electrically connected to shaft 33 by a screw 34. Section A. of the counter has a men plurality of teeth 35, and while in the present instance these teeth are two in number, so that there may be two and no more restorations of the short-circu-ited line, the num ber of these teeth may be varied to obtain any desired number of automatic restoras tions. The other section B of the wheel or counter 31 has a like number of ratchet teeth 36,- but these teeth are disposed somewhat forwardly of theendspf the teeth 35, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

The numeral 37 designates a lever pivoted intermediate its ends on a threaded rod 38 carriedby the arm 16; The lower end of this lever isconnected by means of a link 39 to the contact arm 19. Also pivotally connected to the lower end of the lever 37 is a pawl 40 which rides upon theperiphery of section B of the wheel 31, and coacts with the teeth 36. Pivoted to the upper end of the lever 37 is a second pawl 41, which pawl 41 has an insulating block 42 'to prevent electrical connection with the strip '32, and rides'over the strip 32 and coacts with the ratchet teeth 35. A spring 43 resiliently maintainsthe free end of the pawl 41 against the periphery of the wheel 31." Coacting with the contact strip 32 is a brush 44 comprisinga spring finger secured, by screws 45,

to the periphery of the ring 15.

"Current is led into my 1mproved restoring device by means of wire 46 leading to the terminal contact or screw 47 carriedv by the metallic member 17. A wire 48 leads from the screw 47 to one of the screws 45, which secures thebrush 44 to the ring 15. One end 11 of the wire forming the c011 11 is electrically connected to one of the brackets 30, and the other end 11" of the coil 11 may be provided with a hook 49 to which may beconnected a variable resistance. Leading from the contact arm 16 1s a mm 50 which, aswill be described, leads to the wire in which'the closing coil of the automatic switch is incorporated.

The operation of my improved relay is as follows: The counter 31 is normally in the position shown in Fig.1, in which position the brush 44 is in contact with-the forward end of the contact strip 32, and the pawl .40

is in engagement with the forward or first tooth 36 of section B of the wheel or counter When the circuit in which the coil 11 l 22, arm 16, and out through the wire. 50, so as to energize the closing coil 55 of the solenoid of the automatic switch 51, shown in Fig.5 to close such switch. When the arm energization of the coil 11, the arm 19, under the influence of the spring 29, moves to its normal position, shown in Fig. 1, and this movement will cause the pawl 41 to move forwardly to rotate the wheel sufliciently to bring the second tooth 36 into position where 36, will partially rotate the wheel'-31, andthe pawl 40 will coact therewith. When the coil 11 is again energized the arm 19 is raised the pawl 40, 'coacting with the second tooth the pawl 41 will be brought into engagement with the second tooth 35. Upon asec- 0nd de-energization of the coil, the arm 19. will swing downwardly, causing the pawl 41 to rotate the wheel 31 through an angle permitting the contact strip 32 to be moved out of contact with the brush 44, and thereafter, the coil 11 cannot again be energized for the reason that the circuit is broken since the brush 44 is in engagement with the nonconducting body portion of the wheel 31. It will be seen that with the system of pawls above described, in the last operation of p which the device is capable, the awl 41 will give a partial rotation to the w eel 31, and the construction is such that this final moveinent is efiected when the contact block 22 is thrown out of engagement with the arm 16, and after this movement is efiected the' contact strip 32 is out of engagement with the brush 44 so that the device cannot again operate until it is manually reset by rotating the counter 31 to bring the strip 32 into engagement with the brush 44.

The number of restorations of the line, may be controlled -b adjusting the counter 31. For instance, w ere the counter has two;

teeth, as disclosed in the. present drawings, and it is desired that my reclosin make but a single restoration of t e line short-circuited, the counter may be set manually so that the pawl 40 is in engagement with the second tooth 36 instead of with the first tooth, and then after the restoring defvice is operated once and the cutout or overload relay has again killed the line, there are no further restorations. As heretofore stated, the number of times that the restoring device will operate, depends upon the number of teeth, and this number may be increased as desired.

I will now describe the system of wiring of which my improved restoring relay is a part, but it is to be distinctly understood relay that while the incorporation ofmy restoring device in the present system of wiring.

forms a new and novel combination of elements towhich I'layclaim, my improved restoring device or relay maybe used in other systems than that herein disclosed, and the restoring devicebeing novel per se, some of the appended claims are drawn thereto.

The numeral 53 designates a. manually operable control switch by means of which the automatic switch or circuit breaker, placed at a somewhat remote point, is opened and closed. In the present drawings, a tri coil 54, a closing coil 55,. and a pilot switc 56 of a remote controlled automatic oil switch which maybe of any desired type or construction are shown. The control switch 53 may be of any suitable ty e, and-as I make no claim thereto per se,. t e same is il- I lustrated more or less diagrammatically. A circuit may be traced from the control switch 53 through the closing coil 55 to the negacontrol switch 53. A red light 59 is connected in. shunt relation to said contact member and is lighted when the automatic oil switch is closed to indicate that the line isin service. The pilot switch 56 is connected I to the negative bus and when in its normal osition,that is, in the position shown in ull lines, Fig. 5--connects the trip coil 54 to the negative bus. When the pilot switch is in the dotted line position'sliown in Fig. 5, which position it assumes when the main switch is open currentis closed through wire 60 in whic is placed a green light 61, the green light indicating that the line is out of service. The numeral 62 indicates the protective device, the same beingshown conventionally as it may be any standard cutout relay which will operate upon an overload in the line to be protected. The contacts of the cutout relay are respectively connected to the positive bus and the red light or trip coil circuit.

The solenoid 11 of my improved restoring relay is connected between the positive control bus and the pilot switch 56 in series with notching device 31. The main contact members of the relay are connected between the positive bus and the closingcoil 55. The solenoid 11 is connected in series relation with a variable resistance 65 with which a contact lever 66, connected to the green light 61, is adaptedto co-operate. I

The operation of my improved restoring device in the ated, is as fol ows: Asiuming that the line is to be thrown into circuit, the control switch 53 is operated to, send a current through the closing coil 55 ofthe automatic oil switch, whereu' n this switch will close and the line will e thrown into operation.

system in which it is incorpor cuit pass through t e wire 60. Thereupon Any suitable mechanism controlled by the' trip'coil 54, 'is'usedtomainta'in the mam switch in closed position. Upon a shortpircuit of the line, the resultant overload'f'will operate the cutofi' relay 62 to close the con tacts thereof, and thereupon current will flow through trip coil 54, energizing the same, to actuate the'trip which permits the automatic Oil switch to open, thus killin the line.

When the main switch is opened the pilot switch 561will be actuated, breaking the circuit through. the tri coil and making a'cirthe green light 61 will light to indicate that the line is out of circuit, and a circuit will be closed through the coil 11 to energize the same and raise the core 12 to eflect'engiagement of its contact members, resulting in a flow bf current through the closing coil 55.

which, upon energization will automatically close the oil switch and restore the line.

The variable resistance 65 which may be supplied with either direct or alternating current wntrol voltage, is used to lower the voltage that is supplied to the coil of the restoring relay, in order that the relay will not close \the circuit to the closing coil of the main remote controlled oil switch until the contacts of the oil switch have opened far enough to extinguish the existing short circuit arc, this setting of the restoring relay being determined at the time of installation tomeet the demands of the particular service in which it is installed. Where the dashpot 23 is employed, which dashpot serves the same purpose as the variable resistance, the

latter may be dispensed with, but preferably, to insure roper operation, both the reslstance and t e dash ot are employed. If the source of trouble the main switch will'remain closed with the line in service, but should the source 01E trouble not be removed, the cutout relay 62 will again'be automatically actuated to energize. the trip coil- 54, and thus open the main switch. The pilot switch56 is thereupon actuated to close the circuit through the coil 11 and the restoring device will then operate to cause energiz'ation of the closing coil and the resultant closing of the main switch. The cutout relay and the restoring line until the trouble has been cleared, or, the 55 device will alternately kill and restore the trouble being of relatively long duration, until the restoring device, depending on the number of teeth on the counter-31 and the setting of this counter, has been actuated the predetermined number of times, whereupon the cutofi relay will again and finally kill the line.

It is, of course, obvious thatmy invention is susceptible of various modifications and.

changes which would be withinthe spirit of my conce tion without departing from the' scope of following claims, and that while a solenoid, switch contactsclosed as been removed,-

f of oneseries being 5 aced slig 1' have shown a'preferred embodiment, this disclosure is by way of illustration only and is not restrictive thereof.

. I claim as my invention: 3 I

' 1. A circuit, restori device having switch contacts, a coil iapted when energ'ized to close cthecontacts, and means in T number of actuations ofthe device.

2. A circuit res'torin device having series with the coil and-actuated by one of the contacts for permitting a predetermined 7- switch contacts,"a solenoid for closing the contacts, and meansfor determining the number ofactuations of the device, said means comprising arotatable counter havin a contact element for completing thecircult through the coilof the solenoid, and mechanism actuated by one of the contacts and coacting with the counter "to move the latter after apredeterm'ined number ef 'actuations of the contacts to a position where" the contact element is out of I v 3. A circuit restoring devieebaving a solenoid, switch contacts adapted J to be closed thereby, and means determining the number of actuations of the device, said means comprising a wheel having a contact stripv adapted-to complete the circuit through the coil of the solenoid and pawls actuated by the movement of one of the contacts and coacting with the wheel to rotate the latter, said pawls being so disposed that the wheel is given partial rotations upon both the closing and the opening movements ofthe contacts, the final movementv of the wheel Qbreaking-the solenoid circuit when no current is flowing therein.

4. A' circuit restoring device having a by the solenoid when the latter is energized, and means controlling the number of actuations ofthe device, said means comprising a counter having two series of teeth and a contact strip for completing the. circuit through 1 the coil ofthe soleno1d,.and'a pawl foreach series of teeth, and actuated upon the movement of one of the contacts, one of said pawls rotating'the counter upon a closing movement of the contacts, and the other .upon any opening movement ofthe contacts, the contact strip breaking the'circuit withv the final opening movement of the contacts. "5. A circuit restoring device having switch contacts, a solenoid for closing such contacts, and means controlling the number of actuations of the device, said means comprising a wheel having two series of teeth and a stri ada ted to'complete the circuit through't e coll of the solenoid, the teeth tly forward? ly of the*- correspon ing teet series, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends, a link connecting one end of the lever-to 'one'of the contacts, a pawl connected to the lower end of'the'lever and coacting witli 'the of the other e p teeth of the first-mentioned series, and a awl connected with the other end of the ever and coacting with the teeth of the.

second series, said pawls being'so dis osed that upon the last actuation of the evice the last-mentioned pawl Wlll move the. contact strip out of circuit. 0

r 6. A circuit restoring dev ce hav ng a pair of contact members one of which is fixed and one movable, a solenoid, a plunger therefor engaging the movable contact member to move it into contact with the fixed contact member when the solenoid, is energized, means for retarding such movement,

k means for restoring the said moving parts when the solenoid isde-energized, and means for breaking the circuit through the solenoid after a predetermined number of actuations of the device. J

7. A circuit restoring device comprisin a switch normally. open, a solenoid arrange to close said switch when energized, and manually adjustable means for llmltlng the number of actuations of the switch, comprising a rotatable disk having a series of teeth and an arcuate contact strip, a pair of pawls actuated by one of the switchcontacts for rotating said disk on opening and closing movements of the switch, 'a nd a brush coacting with said contact strip, said brush and stm being in series with the sole-- noid and brea ing the solenoid circuit upon the final opening movement of the switch.

8. In combination, a trip coil, closing coil, and pilot switch of a main switch; a protective device associated with the trip coil and adapted to actuate the same to open the main switch when an overload occurs in the line of the main switch; and a restoring device having a solenoid adapted to be actuated upon energization of the trip coil, and contacts closed upon energization of the solenoid and in series with the closing coilof the main switch.

9. In combination, a trip coil, closing coil, and pilot switch of a main switch; a protective devide associated with the trip coil and adapted'to actuate the same to openthe main switch when an overload occurs in the line of'the main switch; and a restoring devvice having a solenoid ada ted to be. ac-

tuated upon energization 0 the trip coil, contacts closed upon energization of the solenoid and in series with the closing coil of the main switch, and a variable resistance in series with the coil of the solenoid for delaying the closure of the contacts until the current of the line has substantially reached zero.

10. In combination, a trip coil, closing coil, and pilot switch of a main switch; a protective device associated with the trip coil and adapted to actuate the same to open the main switch when an overload occurs in the line of the main switch; and a restoring a relalyi' ing to the closing device having a solenoid, adapted to be actuated upon energization of the trip coil,

contacts closed upon energization of the solenoid and in series with the closing coil of themain switch, and means controlling the number of times the solenoid is energized;

11. In combination, a trip coil, closing coil, and pilot switch of amain switch; a protective device associated with the trip coil and adapted to actuate the same to open the main switch when an overload occurs in the line of the main switch; and a restoring device having a solenoid adapted to be actuated upon energization of the trip coil,

contacts closed upon energization of the solenoid and in series with the closing coil of the main switch, and means in series with said solenoid and actuated by the movementsof the contacts for. controlling the I number of restorations of the line.

12. In combination, a remote controlled switch having a closing coil, trip coil, and ilot switch; a remote control switch; a red 'ght line leading from the control switch to the trip coil; a green light line leading from the control switch tothe pilot switch; a line leading from the control switch to the closing coil; a positive and a negative control bus; a protective device having contacts connected to the positive bus and red light line; and a circuit restorin device having a coil connected between the green light line and positive bus, and a switch between the positive bus and the line le'adin to the closing coil and actuated by sai last mentioned coil.

13. In combination, a remote controlled switch having a closing coil, trip coil, and pilot switch; a remote control switch: a

red light line leading from the control switch to the trip coil; a reen li ht line leading from the control switch to't 1e pilot switch, a. positive and a negative control bus; a protective device having contacts connected to the positive bus and red light line; and a circuit restoring device having coil connected between the green light ne andpositive bus, contact members actuated by said relay coil and connected to the positive bus and the line leadcoil, and means in series with the relay coil and actuated by the con tact members for controlling the number of restorations of the. line.

. 14. In combination, a main switch having a pilot switch, an overload trip coil and a closing coil therefor, and .an automatic restoring'device comprising a' control switch for the closing coil, electroma netic means for operating the control switc means including said pilot switch forjcontrolling'the energization of the electromagnetic means upon the opening of the main switch, and means for predetermining the number of tunes the control switch is operated.

15; The combination with a circuit interrupter provided with a closing coil andan electromagnetic relay' switch comprising contact members for controlling the circuit thereof, of means for operating the contact members of the relay switch when the interrupter opens and anotchingcircuit-control device operated by the electromagnet of said relay switch to limit the number of times the circuit of the closing coil is re-.

closed. i

16. The combinatlon with a main SWltCll having a pilot switch and means for automatically tripping the main switch under predetermined conditions, of .means for reclosing the main switch, and controlling de-'

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