US2318355A - Switch operating means - Google Patents

Description

May 4, 1943.

R. M'. BAILEY SWITCH OPERATING MEANS Filed June 17, 1941 fi 3 INVENTOR. @5597 M 54/4 5') ATTORNEYJ Patented May 4, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SWITCH OPERATING MEANS Application June 17, 1941, Serial No. 398,427

4 Claims.

This invention relates to switch operating means, and as one of its objects, aims to provide an improved arrangement by which fluid pressure may be employed for causing the desired actuation of an electric switch.

Another object of my invention is to provide improved switch operating means embodying an expansible chamber device and in which the closing of a normally open relief passage causes fluid pressure to build up in the device for actuating the switch.

A further object of my invention is to provide improved switch operating means of this char acter in which the normally open relief passage is located on a portable tool or the like and the electric switch to be operated is located at a point relatively remote from the station at which the operator handles the portable tool.

Still another object of my invention is to provide improved switch operating means of the character referred to in which there is a restriction in the pressure fluid supply means leading to the expansible chamber device and to the normally open relief passage.

The invention may be further briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and particularly set out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing improved switch operating means embodying my invention; portions of the apparatus being removed or broken away for a better illustration of the various details and features of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the apparatus showing particularly the unit containing the electric switch and the expansible chamber device; and

Fig. 3 is a partial vertical sectional view taken through the switch-containing unit or casing as. indicated by line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Further reference will now be made to the drawing for the purpose of describing the construction and operation of my switch operating means in greater detail, but I wish it understood that my invention is not to be regarded as limited. thereby, because it is susceptible of being embodied in various other arrangements coming within the scope of the appended claims.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing, I show an electric switch l and a fluid pressure responsive device ll of the expansible-chamber type for operating such switch. This switch may be used for any desired purpose such as ior controlling the circuit ofa relay embodied in liquid dispensing or battery filling apparatus of the kind disclosed in copending application, Serial No. 390,944, filed April 29, 194.1. The switch may be of any suitable construction and may be of the kind having contacts adapted to be opened or closed with a snap action in response to a very small travel of its operating plunger or button l2. Such a switch is disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 1,960,020, granted May 22, 1934.

As shown in the drawing, the switch l0 and the fluid pressure responsive device I! may be mounted in a suitable box or housing 13 and the switch may have a pair of conductors it extending therefrom and leading away from the housing through a conduit [5.

The expansible chamber device ll may comprise a body [5 having a pressure chamber ll therein, one wall of which is formed by a flexible or elastic diaphragm Ill having edge portions thereof held against the body It by a clamping ring I9. The body It may have a projecting threaded stem 29 thereon with a passage eXtending therethrough and communicating with the pressure chamber IT. The body it may be mounted in the housing I3, at a point substantially opposite the plunger l2 of the switch H], by means of the threaded stem 23 which extends through a wall 13a of the housing and has nuts 22 thereon in clamping engagement with opposite faces of such housing wall. Pressure fluid entering the chamber I! expands or distends the diaphragm I8 to actuate the switch iii, as will be later explained. The outward or expansive movement of the diaphragm l3 may be transmitted or applied to the switch actuating plunger i2 by means of a thrust member or screw 23 moveably supported between the diaphragm and plunger. The screw 23 may have a head or disk portion 23a adjacent the diaphragm l8 and has the or. er end of its threaded stem 23b closely adjacent to, or in engagement with, the plunger 12. Although the disk portion 23a of the screw 23 may be connected to the diaphragm I8, I prefer to have it unconnected but located against or close to the outer face of the diaphragm.

The movement-transmitting member or screw 23 may be carried by the diaphragm l8 or preferably, as shown in this instance, may be carried by a. plate spring or resilient arm 25 which may be mounted on a stud 26 projecting from the wall l3a of the housing 53. The threaded stem 232) may extend through an opening of the spring 25 and may have nuts 23c thereon in clamping engagement with opposite faces of. the spring.

The upper end of the spring 25 may be connected with the stud 26 by clamping nuts 26a thereon and the stud may be connected with the housing wall [3a by clamping nuts 2% disposed on opposite sides of such wall. The spring 25 serves to retract the diaphragm l8 and the screw 23 when the pressure in the chamber I! has been relieved. The position of the body l6 relative to the switch It], as well as the action of the spring 25, can be adjusted or varied by making the desired adjustment at one or more of the several pairs of clamping nuts 22, 230, 26a, and 2%.

Pressure fluid, such as compressed air, may be supplied to my switch operating means through a conduit 2'! leading from a tank or other suitable source of supply for fluid at super-atmospheric pressure. The delivery end of the conduit 21 is connected with a T-fitting 28 having two branch passages 28a and 281), the former of which is connected with the pressure chamber I! of the expansible chamber device H through a conduit 29 and the passage of the stem 20. The branch passage 28b" of the T-fitting Z8 is connected with a normally open passage or orifice 30 provided on a portable device or tool 3 l. passage 231) may be connected with such normally open orifice by a flexible conduit 32 of appropriate length to permit the tool to be used by an operator at a station relatively remote from the housing l3 in which the electric switch is contained.

The portable device or tool 3| may be any one of various kinds of portable tools or devices, but in this instance, is a filling head for use in filling the cells of storage batteries with acid or other electrolyte. The portable tool or filling head here shown has a frame 33 carrying discharge nozzles 34 adapted to be inserted into the cell openings of the battery to be filled and also having a handle 35 by which the tool can be manipulated by the workman. The normally open orifice or passage 30 may be located on the handle 35 at a point conveniently accessible to the thumb or finger of the workman, so that by applying his thumb or finger to such passage or orifice, he can close the same and prevent. the escape of air or other pressure fluid therefrom to atmosphere which will actuate the switch It) as hereinafter described.

The switch l0 may have contacts which are either normally closed or normally open, depending upon the requirements of the circuit controlled by the switch. When super-atmospheric pressure builds up in the chamber H, the diaphragm l8 will be distended or flexed outwardly, thereby shifting the screw 23 and causing the same to actuate the switch plunger or button 12 to produce the desired opening or closing of the switch contacts. So long. as the orifice orpassage 30 remains open to atmosphere, no appreciable pressure will build up in the chamber I1, but when the operator closes this orifice or passage, the fluid being supplied through the conduit 21 will cause super-atmospheric pressure to build up in the chamber H and will distend the diaphragm andactuate the switch It in the manner just explained. When the operator uncovers the orifice or passage 30, the pressure in the chamber I1 is vented or relieved to atmosphere and the spring 25 acts to retract the diaphragm l8 and the screw 23.

To prevent the building up of pressure in the chamber I! while the passage or orifice 30 is open or uncovered, I may provide the T-fitting 2 8 with a restricted passage 36 by which the supp1y con The :1

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duit 2"! is connected with the passages 28a and 28b. Thus the passages connecting the chamber IT with the atmosphere will be of larger crosssectional area than the restricted passage 36 and pressure will not build up in the chamber l1 unless the orifice or opening 30 has first been closed by the operator. The restricted passage 35 also serves to increase the speed with which the pressure builds up when the orifice 3i! has been closed. This is due to the fact that when the restricted passage 33 is used there is a more limited space in which pressure is to be built up than would be the case if the restricted passage were not employed. I find that actuation of the electric switch will occur within a fraction of a second after the operator places his finger over the orifice 30.

From the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings, it will now be readily seen that I have provided improved switch operating means by which compressed air or other pressure fluid may be used to actuate an electric switch. The arrangement which I have provided permits the switch to be located at a relatively remote point from the operators station which is an advantage in situations where its is unsafe or undesirable to have the operator come in contact with any kind of electrical apparatus whatever. My improved switch operating mechanism is of relatively simple construction but, nevertheless, it provides a positive and eifioient means by which an electric switch located at any desired point relative to the work station can be actuated whenever designed.

While I have illustrated and described my improved switch operating means in more or less detail, it will be understood, of course, that I do not wish to be limited to the particular arrangement and details herein disclosed, but regard my invention as including such changes and modifications as do not constitute a departure from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In switch operating mechanism, an expansible chamber device having a member adapted to be moved in response to the building up of super-atmospheric pressure in the device, a manually portable device having thereon an air escape opening normally communicating with atmosphere but adapted to be manually closed, an air line for supplying air at super-atmospheric pressure, said line having a restriction therein and having connections leading from the restriction to said expansible chamber device and to said air escape opening, and an electric switch arranged to be actuated by movement of said member.

2. In apparatus for operating an electric switch, a device adjacent the switch having a pressure chamber and a movable diaphragm forming a wall of said chamber, means between said diaphragm and switch for transmitting expansive movement of the diaphragm to the switch, a

spring acting to retract the diaphragm, and air pressure supply means connected with said chamber and having a normally open escape passage to atmosphere adapted to be manually closed to cause super-atmospheric pressure to build up in said chamber and expand said diaphragm.

3. In apparatus for operating an electric switch, a device adjacent the switch having a pressure chamber and a movable diaphragm forming a wall of said chamber, mean between said diaphragm and switch for transmitting expansive movement of the diaphragm to the switch, a spring acting to retract the diaphragm, a manually portable device having thereon on air discharge passage normally open to atmosphere but adapted to be manually closed, a flexible conduit connecting said portable device with the pressure chamber device, an air supply line for supplying air at super-atmospheric pressure and having connection with said pressure chamber and with said normally open passage of the portable device through said flexible conduit, and a restriction in said supply line ahead of said connection to the pressure chamber.

4. In switch operating mechanism of the character described, a housing, an electric switch therein having an actuating plunger, a fluid pressure responsive device in the housing and having a flexible diaphragm spaced from said switch,

a resilient arm connected with said housing and extending into the space between said diaphragm and said switch, a thrust member carried by said arm and having a head adjacent said diaphragm and a stem adjacent said plunger, the stem of said member being threaded and having adjustable connection with said arm, a manually portable device having thereon a fluid discharge passage which is normally open to atmosphere but adapted to be manually closed, and a fluid pressure supply line connected with said pressure responsive device and with the normally open discharge passage for causing super-atmospheric pressure to build up in said pressure responsive device for flexing the diaphragm and actuating the switch upon the closing of the normally open passage of said portable device.

ROBERT M. BAILEY.

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