US2008276A - Telephone plug cleaning machine - Google Patents

Description

Jufiy 16, 1935. o. N. GIERTSEN w AL gywggmfi TELEPHONE PLUG CLEANING MACHINE Filed April 17, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 5a I 3 f 54 QNGIERTSEN 'NVENTORS LN HAMPTON U 77fac MM A T'TOR/VEY July 116, 1,935. o. N-GEERTSEN ET AL 2,003,276

TELEPHONE PLUG CLEANING MACHINE Filed April 17, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG-7.2

.0.N.G/ERT$EN INVENTORS'LNHAMPTON 12 %Zac A TTORNEY Patented July 16, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TELEPHONE Pane CLEANING MACHINE Oyvind N. Giertsen, Bloomfield, N. 1., and Leon N.

Hampton, New York, Telephone Laboratories,

N. Y.,.assignors to Bell Incorporated, New

York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 17,1934, Serial No. 720,934.

6 Claims.

This invention relates to cleaning machines, and more particularly to a type of cleaning machine for use in cleaning the contacting surfaces of switching plugs and the like.

In telephone exchanges, for example, in order to. assure positive electrical contacts between the plugs and their associated switching elements on the switchboard, it is necessary to clean these plugs frequently to remove the oily coating which becomes deposited on theircontacting surfaces while handling these plugs in the course of switching operations. Such cleaning operation as affected by any ordinary method has proved to be difiicult, too costly and to take too much time.

The object of this invention is to provide a cleaning machine of this type which will be siniple, efiicient in operation and wherein the contacting surfaces of telephone plugs are cleaned in a positive manner and in a minimum of time.

According to this invention, the contacting surfaces of a telephone switching plug are cleaned by engaging the plug with the peripheral or effective surfaces of two sets of closely spaced abrasives bearing rubber discs, which are moved in a planetary movement through the operation of a supporting rotatable frame connected to a motor and a gearing mechanism which connects the spindles to an internal gear held stationary on the support of the rotatable frame. Means is provided for changing the spaced relation of the spindles on their supporting frame for adjusting the cleaning. eifect of the discs with respect to the contacting surfaces of the plug, and a. bushing is provided for guiding the plug in position with respect to the effective surfaces of these discs.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective assembly view of the machine;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view showing a number of operating. parts in section;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged front view;

Fig. 1 is a partial side View showing one of the cleaning elements and its supporting shaft removed from the machine; and

- Fig. 5- is a cross-sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 4. V

In Fig. 1, I is a supporting base having integrally formed therewith the upright supports llv and I2 and on upright support H is mounted a sleeve l4 held securely therein, by a number of screws such as l 5 shown in Fig. 2.

Upright supports II and I2 serveforrotatably mounting a frame structure having two oppositely and obliquely disposed arms I 6 and "5A terminating at. oneof their ends in the form of a disc portion and a spindle SP and the other end of bars I5 and [6A terminate in the form of a. disc l8 having a hub portion 2| rotatably engaging the sleeve I4. The spindle SP engages the rotor element ll of a ball bearing, the stator element of which is mounted in acountersunk hole [9 in upright support l2 and on hub 2! is rotatably mounted a rotary adjustable ring 22, Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, which is held in position thereon by a nut screw 23.

The disc portion 23 is provided with two oppositely disposed holes such as 25 shown in Fig. 2 for receiving the ends of spindles 26 and 21. The

disc portion I8 of the rotating frame thus formed is provided with two oppositely disposed radial slots 29 and 30 for receiving the enlarged end portions of spindles 2t and 27 and the ring 22 mounted thereon is provided with grooves 3| and 32 for receivingthe reduced end portion. of shafts 26. and 21. These grooves are eccentrically dis.- posed with respect to the turning center of ring 22 as to form camming surfaces which upon the rotation of this ring move the shafts 25 and 2.1- in the radial slots 29 and for changing the angle relationof these spindles for a purpose that will be hereinafter describedin detail.

The disc portion 18 of the rotating frame as shown in Fig. 3 is provided adjacent its periphery with a countersunk hole 8| for receiving a spring 132 and steel ball 33, thelatter engaging depressions 34 arranged in a circular row in ring 22 as shown in Fig. 5 for yieldably holding this camming ring in adjusted relation with respect to the disc portion l3 of the frame. In upright support 12 is mounted a ring gear 35 held against rotary movement therein by a set screw 36. shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4. On spindles 26 and 2! arev rotatably mounted the sleeves and 41 having. flange portions 48 and 49 serving as abutment for a plurality of abrasive bearing sulphur free rubber discs RD and RD2. secured on the sleeves 46 and 41 by nut screws 50 and 5! threadedly engaging the ends of the sleeves as shown. 7

Nut screws 50 and 5! are each provided with. a pair of lugs 53 and 54 for operatively engaging with slots 55 and 55 in the hub portions of gears 51 and 58 and each of these gears is provided with a bearing portion for free movement on spindles 25 and 21.

The ends of grooves 3| and 32 asshown in Fig. 5 terminate in holes 12 and 13 each of a diameter corresponding to that of the enlarged portion of, spindles 26 and 21 to permit. the removal of these. spindles and. thereby the. cleaning disc assemblies RD and RDZ from their supporting frame for repair and replacement of the discs. Shafts 26 and 21, however, are normally prevented from being moved in registry with holes 12 and 13 by a pair of spring arms 10 and H pivoted on the ring 22 and movable in registry with these holes for engaging them with a springing action.

The spindle portion SP of the frame is connected to a motor MT through a gear reduction mechanism, not shown, comprising an ordinary worm screw and a worm gear mounted in the housing 60, the worm gear being mounted on a shaft 6| connected to the spindle portion SP above mentioned by a coupling FC in the form of discs 62 and 53 and a rubber ring 64 which is mounted on the end of spindle SP is compressed between these discs for frictionally imparting movement to the rotating frame upon the operation of the motor MT.

I Ihe sets of discs RD and R132 are disposed on the spindles 26 and 21 in staggered relation to each other and are made of such peripheral shape and diameter as to register with the configuration of the metallic portions of the plug P as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and a bushing 68 mounted in bushing It is provided for guiding the plug P between the sets of discs RD and RDQ, this bushing having a flange abutting portion 69 engaging an enlarged portion of the plug for locating it with respect to the rubber discs.

'In a typical operation of the machine, a plug P, themetallic parts of which are to be cleaned,

is placed in the bushing 58 in position as shown in Fig. 2 and the ring 22 rotated as to secure the proper contact pressure between the discs RD and RD2 on the surface of the plug, this adjustment being effected through the camming action of slots'3l and 32 on the ends of shafts26 and 2'! and their consequent radial movements in slots 29 and 3!] of disc portion 18 of the frame, the ring 22 being prevented from relative movement with disc portion iii of the rotatable frame through the spring-pressed ball 33 in engagement with one of the depressions 34 in ring 22.

The operation ofmotor MT upon the closure of a suitable switching device, not shown, is effective to rotate the rotatable frame through the movement of shaft iii connected to the spindle portion S1? of this frame by the friction clutch PC, the

rotary movement of the frame being thus effective to actuate the sets of'oleaning elements or discs RD and RD2 through the engagement of gears 51 and 53 with ring gear 35 in a planetary movement on the periphery of plug P for cleaning it.

In practice, it has been found that only a relatively small number of turns of the rotating frame was sufiicient for the thorough cleaning of a telephone plug, thus reducing this operation to a minimum of time.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine for cleaning telephone plugs having irregular contacting surfaces, a mounting having upright supports, a frame structurerotatably mounted on said supports, a pair of spindles journaled at both ends on said frame, a sleeve rotatably mounted on each of said spindles, cleaning elements carried by each of said sleeves and having effective surfaces corresponding to the contacting surfaces of the plug, means for positioning the plug with respect to said elements, and a gearing mechanism for rotating said sleeves, upon the movement of said frame.

:-2. In amachine for cleaning telephone plugs having irregular contacting surfaces, a mounting base having upright supports, a frame structure rotatably mounted on said supports, a plurality of spindles journaled at both ends on said frame, a sleeve rotatably mounted on each of said spindles, cleaning elements of different geometrical cross-sections carried by each of said sleeves, a stationary gear mounted in one of said supports, a pinion carried by'each of said sleeves and engaging said gear, means for rotating said frame to cause the movement of said sleeves, and means in one of said supports for guiding the plug in position for engaging its irregular surfaces with their corresponding elements on said sleeves.

' 3. In a machine for cleaning telephone plugs having non-uniform surfaces, a mounting base having upright supports, a frame structure rotatably mounted on said supports, a pair of spindles journaled at both ends on said frame, a sleeve rotatably mounted on each of said spindles, cleaning elements carried by each of said sleeves and collectively engaging the non-uniform surfaces of the plug, a gearing mechanism for rotating said sleeves upon the movement of said frame, means in one of said supports for guiding the plug in registering relation with said elements, and adjustable'means or simultaneously changing the spaced relation of said spindles for controlling the cleaning effect of each of said elements on the plug.

4. In a machine for cleaning the contacting surface of telephone plugs, a base having upright supports, a frame structure rotatably mounted on said supports, a stationary annular gear mounted in one of said supports, a plurality of spindles carried by said frame and disposed in oblique relak tion to each other, a sleeve rotatably mounted on each of said shafts, cleaning elements carried by each of said sleeves, a pinion mounted on each of said sleeves and engaging said annular gear for rotating said elements upon the movement of said frame, and means adjustable for changing the oblique relation of said spindles for controlling the pressure contact of said elements on the plug.

.5. In a machine for cleaning the contacting surfaces of telephone plugs, a rotatable frame structure, a pair of obliquely disposed spindles supported at each end on said frame, cleaning elements carried by each of said spindles between their supporting points and actuated by the movement of said frame,,means relatively rotatable with respect to said frame and cooperating therewith for adjusting the oblique relation of said ele ments for controlling their contact pressure on the plug, and yieldable means automatically 10perating for holding said elements in said adjusted relation.

6. In a machine for cleaning the contacting surfaces of telephone plugs, a rotatable frame structure, a pair of spindles supported at each end on said frame, cleaning elements disposed in rows on said spindles and each of said spindles being disposed obliquely with respect to the turn ing axis of said frame, an adjustablecamming disc carried by said frame for simultaneously I OYVIND N. GIERTSEN. LEON N. HAMPTON,

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