US1722295A - Drum controller - Google Patents

Description

July 30. 1929. R. B. HUNTER DRUM CONTROLLER Filed Jan. '7, 1926 K 6 kw... with. w V m m v 1am ux u K\\ a 37 g Y nuU hu M a n H s 3 LII! IL 3 E E y 3 a 3 L 0T a d m \U U s ATTORNEY Patented July 30, 1929.

UNITED STATES.

1,722,295 PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD B. HUNTER, OF SHOREWOOD, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO CUTLER-HAMMER INC., OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

DRUM CONTROLLER.

Application filed January This invention relates to drum controllers and more particularly to controllers adapted to effect joint control of a plurality of electric motors.

An object of the invention is to provide a controller of the above character for effecting the well known series parallel commutation of a plurality of motors jointly or for alternately effecting parallel commutation of the motors directly, according to the direction of operation of the controller drum from off position.

Another object is to provide a drum controller of the above character having associated therewith an independently operable auxiliary drum whereby the circuit connections for the motors may be reversed with respect to the line, any well known or suitable means being provided, however, for

preventing reversal of such connections pending movement of the main drum to off position.

Another object .is to provide an extremely simple and compact controller of this character for accomplishment of the aforementioned desirable results.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear.

The accompanying drawing illustrates diagrammatically and schematically an embodiment which the invention may assume in practice, it being understood that the invention is capable embodiment in other forms falling within the scope of the ap pended claims.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a controller constructed in accordance with my invention, and

Fig. 2 is a top View of the controller casing showing the operating handles and having indicating legends applied thereto.

Referring to Fig. 1, the same illustrates a controller having a main drum A adapted to effect acceleration control including series parallel commutation, or alternatively to effect acceleration control and straight parallel commutation of a pair of electric motors M M the latter to be supplied with current from lines L L and being provided with steps of starting resistance r to 1"; said controller also having an auxiliary drum B for effecting reversal of the circuit connections for the motors.

More particularly the controller comprises a set of eight stationary contacts designated 7, 1926. Serial N0. 79,743.

as 10 to 17, adapted to cooperate with segments 12 to 15 and 10 to 17 carried by the rotatable drum A. Said segments are divided into three electrically independent groups whereas the segments of each group are electrically connected. As shown the controller also comprises a set of ten stationary contacts 18 to 27, adapted to cooperate selectively with groups of segments 19 to 22 and 24 to 27 or 18 to 21 and 23 to 26 carried by auxiliary drum B.

As aforeindicated, any suitable or well known interlocking means (not shown) is preferably provided whereby the auxiliary drum B is rendered immovable from any given position thereof except when the main drum is in off position; whereas upon movement of the auxiliary drum B into one or the other of its operative positions to provide forward or reverse connections for the motors jointly, the well known series-parallel commutation of the motor circuits may be effected by movement of the main drum A to the right or in a counterclockwise direction, or the motors may be subjected directly to parallel commutation by movement of the main drum A to the left or in a clockwise direction.

More specifically, assuming movement of auxiliary drum B is a clockwise direction to effect engagement of segments 19 to 22 and 2 f; to 27" with the respective stationary contacts 19 to 22 and 24 to 27, and further assuming movement of main drum A in a counterclockwise direction to position 1, in which segments 12 and 15 are in engagement with the respective stationary contacts 12 and 15. the motors will be connected to the line in series with one another and in series with the four sections of resistance 7' to r, inclusive. Said circuit may be traced from line L to contact 20, segments 20 and 19, contact 19 through the armature of motor M to contact 21. segments 21 and 22 contacts 22 and 18 through field 7', thence through resistance r contact 17, resistance r to contact 15, and from segment 15 to segment 12 by contact 12 through resistance 1' contact 10 and resistance r, thence through field 7. by contact 27 through segments 27 and 26 to contact 26, through the armature of motor M to contact 24:, by segments 24" and 25 to contact 25, and thence to line L Upon further movement of main drum A in a counterclockwise direction to position 2 the aforedescribed series connections are maintained, but segment 13 is brought into engagement with contact 13, thereby shortcircuiting resistances r and r whereas upon movement of drum A to position 3 segment 14 is brought into engagement with contact 14, thereby short-circuiting resistances r and r which provides for series connection of motors M and M directly across the line.

Upon movement of drum A to position 00 the connections last described are maintained whereas engagement of the respective segments 11 12 15" and 16 with their cooperating fixed contacts 11, 12,15 and 16 serves additionally to connect the motors across the line in parallel with one another, resistances r and 1* being included in the circuit of motor M and resistances r and 1 being included in the circuit of motor 1 Movement of drum A to position 4 serves to interrupt the series connection between the motors, the parallel connections being unaffected.

Movementof drum A to position 5 serves toexclude resistance r from the circuit of motor M and similarly to exclude resistance r from the circuit of motor M whereas movement of drum A to position 6 serves to connect said motors directly across the supply lines in parallel relation. A suitable stop or projection (not shown) may be provided for preventing further movement of drum A in a counterclockwise direction.

Obviously by the foregoing arrangement the motor circuits when connected in parallel are maintained of substantially equal resistance, similar resistance variations being simultaneously effected in both. Where such equality of the resistance value in the two circuits is not essential and where it is expedient to increase the number of operative positions of the drum A for series parallel commutation by increasing the number of segments thereof, it is possible to effect a material increase in the number of accelera tion points without any increase in the number of fixed contacts or resistance steps. The features last described are disclosed inmy Patent No. 1,460,546, dated July 3, 1923, and hence form no part of the present invention.

The present invention, on the other hand comprises an arrangement of contact segmentson drum A whereby the same may be moved in a counterclockwise direction to effect series parallel commutation of the motors jointly, as atoredescribed, or, alternatively, said drum may be moved in a clockwise direction to provide for parallel commutation of the motors jointly in the first instance. 7

Thus, with auxiliary drum B in the operative position heretofore mentioned, and with main drum A in the off position, the

latter may be moved in a clockwise direction to position 1 thereby directly eflt'ecting parallel connection of motors l 1 and M with respect to the line. In position 1-, the motors are connected across lines L L in parallel relation throughengagement of segments 11 12 15 and 16 with their respective contacts 11, 12, 15 and 16, resistances r and r being included in the circuit of motor M and resistances r and 1 being included in the circuit of motor M as described in connection with position 4, without, however, requiring prior series commutation of the motors. Upon movement of drum A to position 2 segment 10 engages contact 10 thereby. excluding resistance 1' from the circuit of motor 1W whereas upon movement of said drum to position 3 segment 17 engages contact 17 thereby excluding resistance 1= from the circuit of motor M Upon movement of drum A to position 4 segments 13 and 14 are in engagement with contacts 13 and 14 thereby connecting the motors directly across the supply lines in parallel relation. heretofore mentioned may also be adapted to prevent further movement ofdrum A in a clockwise direction. As aforeindicated the drum segments may be designed or arranged in a manner to effect the parallel circuit commutation by excluding equal values of resistance simultaneously from the respective motor circuits, or if desired one of the segment-s l3 or 14 may be arranged to engage its cooperating fixed contact prior to the other, thereby increasing the number of steps of resistance gradation.

As aforeindicated, the auxiliary drum B may be moved to its other operative position wherein the segments 18 to 21 and 23'? to 26 are in engagement with the respective fixed contacts 18 to 21 and 23 to 26, subject, however, to prior positioning of drum A in its off position. The aforedescribed se ries parallel or straight parallel commutation of the motor circuits may then be effected by corresponding movement of drum A,each of the motors, however, being connected to the line in a manner to rotate in a reverse direction from that heretofore described, as will be obvious.

I am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to provide a drum controller whereby a plurality of motors may be selectively thrown into series or into parallel relation according to the direction of rotation of the drum, but I believe that I am the first to provide a drum controller whereby a pluralityof motors may be commutated in a series parallel relation or alternatively commutated in a parallel relation only, according to the direction of rotation of a single drum.

That I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

The stop l lill) 1. The combination with a plurality of electric motors having power circuits supplied with energy from a common source of common control means for said circuits com prising fixed contacts and a single rotatable drum, segments carried by said drum and arranged to cooperate with said fixed contacts, said drum being freely rotatable in one direction from off position to sequentially effect connection with said source and series parallel commutation of said power circuits without interruption of the continuity of the latter, and said drum being also freely rotatable in the opposite direction from off position to directly effect parallel connection of said circuits with said source.

2. The combination with a plurality of power circuits, of a common source of en ergy supply therefor, a controller adapted to sequentially effect series parallel connections of said circuits with said source or alternatively to effect direct parallel connection thereof only, said controller comprising a single rotatable drum having a plurality of electrically independent groups of segments and fixed contacts arranged to cooperate therewith, said drum having a single off position and being freely rotatable at will in opposite directions from said off position thereof to respectively effect said series parallel connections or said direct parallel connection of said circuits with said source.

3. The combination with a plurality of electric motors, power circuits therefor, and a common source of energy supply for said power circuits, of a plurality of resistance sections to be initially included in said circuits, and control means providing for series parallel or direct parallel connection of said power circuits with said source and for gradually excluding said resistance sections, said control means comprising a plurality of fixed contacts and a single rotatable drum having three electrically independent groups of segments arranged to cooperate with said fixed contacts, said drum having a single off position and being freely rotatable in one direction from off position to effect connection to said source and series parallel commutation and resistance variation of said circuits, and said drum being also freely rotatable in the opposite direction from said off position to directly effect only parallel connection to said source and resistance variation of said circuits.

4. The combination with a plurality of electric motors, of power circuits therefor supplied with energy from a common source, control means for said circuits comprising fixed contacts and a single drum having a plurality of groups of segments arranged to cooperate with said fixed contacts to effect parallel connection of said circuits with said source, and said drum having another group of segments at one side of said first mentioned groups of segments and arranged to cooperate with certain of said fixed con tacts for effecting series connection of said circuits prior to parallel connection thereof upon movement of said drum in one direction from a single off position thereof, said first mentioned segments being also cooperable with said contacts upon movement of the drum in the opposite direction from said off position to directly effect parallel connection of said circuits with said source.

5. The combination with a pair of electric motors having power circuits and a common source of energy supply therefor, of control means for said circuits comprising a single control drum having a plurality of fixed contacts and a plurality of groups of segments to cooperate with said fixed contacts to effect parallel connection of said circuits with said source, another group of segments at one side of said first mentioned segments for effecting series connection of said circuits with said source prior to parallel connection thereof upon movement of said drum in one direction from off position thereof, said first mentioned segments being also cooperable with said contacts upon movement of the drum in the opposite direction from said off position to directly effect parallel connection of said circuits with said source, and an independently operable auxiliary control drum having contacts and segments cooperating with the aforementioned contacts and segments to selectively effect forward or reverse power connections for the motors jointly.

6. The combination with a plurality of electric motors, of power circuits therefor supplied with energy from a common source, control means for said circuits comprising a plurality of resistance sections to be initially included in said circuits and means for gradually excluding said resistance sections under conditions of sequential series parallel or initial parallel connection of said circuits with said source, said means comprising a plurality of fixed contacts and a single rotatable drum having three electrically independent groups of segments arranged to cooperate therewith, said drum being freely rotatable in one direction from a single off position to effect sequential series parallel connection to said source and resistancevariation of said circuits, and said drum being also freely rotatable in the 0pposite direction from said off position to directly effect only parallel connection to said source and resistance variation of said circuits.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

RICHARD B. HUNTER.

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