US2478691A - Electrically operated contact device - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 9, 1949. J. E. GARRIGAN .ET AL v2,478,691

ELECTRICALLY OPERATED CONTACT DEVICE Filed Sept. 10, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet l F|G.l FIG-72 INVENTORS JOHN E. G-ARRIGAN 3 sTANLEiF D/A ATTORNEY 1949- J. E. GARRlGAN ET AL 2,478,691

ELECTRICALLY OPERATED CONTACT DEVICE Filed Sept. 10, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. JOHN E. GARRIGAN BY STANLEY J. URDA FIG.4

1949. J. E. GARRIGAN ET AL. 2,478,691

ELECTRICALLY OPERATED CONTACT DEVICE Filed Sept. 10, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 7

FIG. 8

INVENTORS JOHN EGARRIGAN BY STANLEY d DURDA ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 9, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICALLY OPERATED CONTACT DEVICE John E. Garrigan, Robbinsdale, and Stanley J.

Durda, Minneapolis, Minn., assignors of onethird to Leo M. De Mars, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application September 10, 1945, Serial No. 615,266

3 Claims. (01. 200-106) This invention relates to an electrically operated contact device for operating electric switches and controls to open and close electric circuits when desired. A feature resides in providing a solenoid for operating the switch by passing current momentarily through the solenoid.

In one form of the invention a single solenoid is employed to operate the switch to open or close the same. It is a primary feature to provide an electrically operated contact device wherein it is not necessary to energize the solenoid to maintain the switch in a closed or open position, excepting for momentary periods at which time the solenoids operate to release the switch arm to either close the same or to draw the switches into open position thus one impulse of current through the single solenoid will open the switch and the second impulse through the same solenoid will close the switch by releasing the mechanism which holds the switch in open position.

In another form of our electrically operated contact device a pair of solenoids may be used to operate the control for the contact device and in this form one solenoid will open the switch or contact device and the other solenoid will release the switch causing it to automatically close.

The electrically operating contact device may be made in various forms and where two solenoids are used the same may be placed in a manner as illustrated in the two different forms as will be herein more fully set forth so as to show the manner in which our simple switch operating device may be controlled.

A primary feature of the invention resides in holding the switch or contact device open by means of a mechanically operated catch which automatically engages the control arm to hold the contact device open. When a flash of current is sent through the single solenoid as in the preferred form or in either of the solenoids in the alternative form, the switch control arm is released whereupon spring means operate to close the switch and hold the same in closed position.

With this simple form of device, the switch for operating the motors which operates machines may be readily controlled and should an emergency arise such as the overheating of the motor or the electric device our control operates automatically to open the circuit and direct the source of current to the machine.

In devices used heretofore where the operating solenoid is in series in the circuit with the switch or is controlled by the circuit to maintain the solenoid under the influence of electric our- 2 rent to hold the switch closed or open such de-' vices are inclined to fail due to breakdown of the solenoids or imperfections thereof whereupon the control mechanism is inoperative and electric motors operating large or other electric machines may be destroyed before the current operating the same is shut off. We overcome these objections in our device owing to the fact that current is only pass-ed through the operating sole noid or solenoids at the moment the switch is to be operated either to close the same or to open the switch, therefore the strain of operation on the solenoid is naturally reduced and our operating solenoids are not apt to burn out or be-v come inefiective when they may be needed dur ing a critical moment.

These features together with other details and objects will be more fully and clearly hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings forming part of the specification Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of our preferred form of our electrically operated contact device showing the electric switch controlled by the same in open position.

Figure 2 is the same view to Figure 1 showing the electric switch in closed position and the ratchet pawl released from the control arm of th switch.

Figure 3 illustrates an alternative form of the electrically operated contact device showing the same with a switch in open position.

Figure 4 is a similar view of Figure 3 showing the electric switch in closed position.

Figure 5 is a planned view of another alternative form of our electrically controlled device for.

In the simple preferred form of our electricallyoperated contact device A we have illustrated a single electric coil or solenoid 10 which is connected by the switch H to the source of current through the wires l2. When the switch H is operated, current is passed through the coil In to operate the armature or switch control arm 13,

this operation is for the purpose of opening the electric switch B, the armature I3 which is also the switch control arm operates against the action of the coil spring 14 and causes the spring operated pawl l5 to engage in the notch IS in the arm l3, thus causing the switch B to be held in open position even after the current has been turned oil from the coil It by the switch H.

In this operation the switch B may be held in open position as long as desired.

The switch B diagrammatically illustrates the contact portions of an electric switch and it is obvious that any other device may be substituted for the switch B where it is desired to make and break an electric contact or to hold one object in contact with the other or to space the objects apart from each other.

The pawl I5 is slidably supported on the pin H. The coil spring l8 holds the operating end of the pawl momentarily in the notch 13 when the arm I3 is in the position illustrated in Figure l. The coil spring l9 draws on the free end of the arm of the pawl 15 tending to move the pawl on the pin [1 into the position illustrated in Figure 2. However, when the pawl 55 is engaging in the notch 26 of the arm I3 the pawl is moved into position illustrated in Figure 1. The two coil springs l3 and I8 fioatingly support the pawl 55 in operative position.

When it is desired to close the switch or contacts B as illustrated in Figure 2 the hand operated switch H directs electric current to the coil or solenoid Ill momentarily which draws the armature arm I3 sharply down against the resilient bumper whereupon the free end of the pawl l5 will ride up on to the cam 2i on the side of the arm [3 adjacent the pawl as illustrated in dotted outline in Figure l and asthe current is shut ofi from the coil ill the bumper 20 and the coil spring M will rapidly draw the armature arm l3 into the position illustrated in Figure 2 causing the free end of the pawl IE to ride over the notch l6 andclosing the contact of the switch B as illustrated in the drawings. The pawl arm [5 will also be drawn into the position illustrated in Figure 2 with the pin I! at the opposite end of the slot 22 from that of the position illustrated in Figure 1.

It will be apparent that it is only necessary to send current through the coil in momentarily to operate the armature switch arm E3 to either open or close the switch B.

When the switch B is closed and it is desired to open the same the switch I I may be operated to momentarily send current through the coil H) which draws the switch arm IS in the direction of the arrow illustrated in Figure 1 causing the pawl to engage in the notch i6 and hold the switch in open position as illustrated in Figure 1; With this simple inexpensive form of electrically operated contact device, we can control the opening and closing of switches without requiring current to pass through the coil ll) continually. This reduces the strain on the coil l0 and prolongs the life of the same.

A thermostatic switch control 23 may be inserted in the line of the wires l2 and this switch control may be located in any position desired so that should the electrically operated device which is controlled by the switch B become overheated or be operating in a dangerous condition which might burn out the electric device, the switch 23 will automatically operate the coil it to open the circuit of the switch B. Thus we provide a safety means in combination with the operation of our electrically operating contact device to control the 4 opening of the circuit through the switch B automatically.

In Figures 3 and 4 we have illustrated the alternative form C of our electrically operated contact device which operates the switch B. In this form we provide one electric coil 24 which is connected through the hand operated switch 25 to the source of supply of electric current through the wires 26. The coil 24 operates the switch control arm 21 to open the switch B against the operation of the coil spring 28. When the switch control arm 21 is operated by the coil 24 the ratchet arm 29 will engage in the notch 30 in the arm 27 owing to the action of the coil spring 3|, thus holding the switch B open.

A second solenoid or coil 32 is adapted to operate the arm 29 against the action of the coil spring 3! releasing the arm 2'! whereupon the coil spring 28 will cause the switch B to close as illustrated in Figure 4. In this manner the switch B is closed in this alternative form of our invention. A pair of electric coils 24 and 32 are employed. One coil namely 24 will open the switch B and the other coil namely 32 will release the catch formed by the arm which is also part of the armature of the coil 32 this engaging the same from the notch 30 and permitting the spring 28 to automatically close the switch B. p

This alternative form of our invention operates in the same manner as that described by the control mechanism in Figures 1 and 2 excepting two solenoids are employed. The electric current isdirected through the coils or solenoids 24 and 32 only momentarily and therefore we do not put any undue strain on the coils and then we have found that the life of the coils is greatly increased by our use of the same where we direct current through them only momentarily until the switch B is either opened or closed.

We have illustrated in the drawings a further alternative form of our invention in Figures 5 and 6. In this form the switch B is adapted to be opened or closed by the operation of a pair of electric solenoids 33 and 35 respectively. The operation of this form. D is very similar to the operation of the alternative form C illustrated in Figures 3 and 4.

In the alternative form of "our control D the coil or solenoid 33 operates to close the switch 3 by drawing the armature switch arm 35 against the action of the coil spring 36 closing the switch B The switch B is held in closed position by means of the trigger rod 31, the enlarged portion of which engages in the enlarged opening 33 in the arm 35 as illustrated .in Figure 7. The trigger rod 3? which also forms an armature for the coil 34 is held normally by the coil spring 39 in position to hold the switch B closed. The trigger rod 3? is formed with a notched ortion 49 which is adapted to engage in the slot 4! formed on either side of the enlarged opening 38, when the current is directed through the coil 34 to draw the armature trigger arm 31 up into position to bring the notched portion 40 and the slot 4! in alignment. When this operation takes place, the switch 33 is automatically opened by the coil spring 35 and thus is held in open position by said spring 36.

When it is desired to close the switch B, elec-= tric current is directed to the solenoid 33 and the armature switch arm 35 is operated to close the switch B at which time the spring 39 causes the trigger rod 31 to be operated by the spring 39 to draw the enlarged portion of the trigger rod 3'! into the enlarged notch 38, thus locking the switch B closed.

We have described in our preferred form of electrically operating contact device a single coil for opening and closing the switch B by releasing or setting the locking trigger or pawl I5 in the notch l6 or releasing the same therefrom. In a similar manner we operate the alternative forms of our device as shown in the form C and D. However, the form C and D shown in Figures 3 to 8 inclusive require more mechanism and also require a pair of solenoids to operate the opening and closing of the switch 13. While the form illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 is preferred it is obvious that the other forms of our switch operating device may be employed for certain purposes and requirements in the operation of devices which are controlled by a contact switch such as B or where it is desired to maintain contact devices opened or closed. Primarily each of our devices require only the momentary impulse :of current through any of the coils to operate the respective devices. In this manner we provide an economically operated electrical contact device which has the advantage of long life and low maintenance and is more reliable under all conditions than old forms of similar device for operating switches and other devices where contact is desired to be maintained or broken.

Referring to the control switch in Figures 3 and 4 and a similar control switch not shown for Figures 5 and 6, this switch 25 operates in the following manner:

One button of switch 25 operates the coil 24 and the other button operates the coil 32.

We claim:

1. An electrically operated contact device including contact means, an armature arm having a notch formed therein, a pawl arm pivotally and slideably mounted adjacent said armature arm, a pawl formed on the lower end of said am adapted to engage said notch for locking said contact means in open position, spring means secured to each end of said pawl arm, electric solenoid means, switch means for operating said solenoid means, spring means for closing said contact means, said solenoid means operating to draw the contact means into open position and also to release said spring actuated pawl to permit said spring means to close said contact means.

2. An electrically operated contact making and breaking device comprising electric solenoid means, switch means for operating said solenoid means, contact means, spring means for maintaining said contact means in a closed position, an armature arm secured to one side of said contact means and the free end of said arm projecting through said solenoid means, a resilient bumper secured adjacent the free end of said arm, a notch formed in said arm, a pawl arm operatively secured adjacent said armature arm, a slot formed in the upper end of said pawl arm, a fixed pin positioned in said slot, spring means secured to the upper end of said pawl arm, a pawl formed on the lower end of said pawl anm, spring means secured adjacent said pawl, and a cam formed adjacent said notch formed in said armature arm.

3. An electrically operated contact device including an armature arm, contact means formed on one end of said arm, solenoid means for actuating said armature arm, spring means for maintaining said contact means in closed position, a notch formed in said armature arm, an L-shaped pawl arm pivotally and slideably positioned adjacent said notch, a pawl formed on the lower end of said pawl arm, a cam formed adjacent said notch, spring means attached to the upper end of said pawl arm to maintain said pawl against said arm, and spring means secured to the lower portion of said pawl arm to maintain said pawl in a. direction away from said contact means.

JOHN E. GARRIGAN. STANLEY J. DURDA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 552,553 Sibley Jan. 7, 1896 1,140,491 Anderson May 25, 1915 1,186,561 Evans June 13, 1916 1,980,458 Westerfelhaus Nov. 13, 1934

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