US2542174A - Relay - Google Patents

Description

Patented Feb. 20, 1951 RELAY Edward Bando, Dayton, Ohio, assignor toStandard Dayton Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application September 17, 1947, Serial No. 774,509

Claims.

This invention relates to a relay and more particularly to a relay of the type adapted for low cost mass production. I

It is an object of this invention to provide a relay which may be made at a low cost and which includes improved means for adjusting the spring tension and the air gap of the relay. 7

Another object of this invention is to provide an adjustable relay using simple stampings for the main parts.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a compact relay in which the terminals are effectively insulated from one another.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention reside in the construction and combination of parts and in the mode of operation as will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred form of the pres ent invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view showing my improved relay;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the relay; and

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the relay.

This invention relates to an art in which a large number of patents have been granted and in which a large number of relay devices operating on the same general principles, as the one disclosed herein, are on the market and have been on the market for some time. It is an object of this invention to provide an improved relay which makes it possible to save on the cost of manufacture and at the same tim provide the necessary adjustable means for enabling the re lay to compete with more expensive types of relays now on the market.

Referring now to the drawings wherein I have shown a preferred form of my invention, reference numeral Iii designates an insulating base or relay mounting member on which terminals !2 and 54 are riveted or otherwise secured. The terminals l2 and [4 are connected to the wires I6 which are connected to the main relay coil [8 which surrounds the usual magnetic core 29. The wires it are held in proper spaced relationship by means of the insulating member H which is provided with notches 23 for receiving the wires IS. A stamped sheet metal frame member 24 serves to pivotally support the armature 2t relative to the core 26 in the manner indicated. The armature 26 is made in the form of a stamped sheet metal member which is provided with a pair of depending arms 28 and 30which are arranged as shown. Circuit making and breaking mechiii the switch contacts move into engagement.

anism is provided whiclrincludes a stationary contact 36 carried by the stamping 35 and a movable contact 34 carried by the leaf spring 32I which in turn is carried by the armature 26.

It will be noted that the arm 3%? serves as. a 5170p, f r l miti g the separation of the contacts and forlimiting the movement of the armature.

26. The arm 28 serves to engage the midportion of the leaf spring 32 which carries the movable contact 34 so as to back up the leaf spring after y bending the arm 28 so as to move it closer to the leaf spring 32 it will engage the leaf spring 32 soon after the movable contact strikes the stationary contact 36 and will serve to increase Elsie relative pressure between the contacts 34 and The stamping 35 which supports the stationary contact 36 includes a terminal portion 38 for use in connecting the relay into the circuit (not shown) which is to be controlled by the relay. The stamping or contact supporting bracket, 35 is held in place between the lower insulating plate in and a relatively thick plate of insulation 49 which spaces the stamping 35 and the lower horizontalarm of the frame 24.

The movable leaf spring 28 may be attached. to the armature 24 by means of a rivet d2 or any other suitable means. It will be noted that the leaf spring 28 is L-shaped whereby the movable contact 3'4 is given a wiping action after it contactsthe stationary contact.

The armature 26 is provided with a notched projection 50 which cooperates with the main relay spring 52. The upper end of the spring 52 being adapted to engage in eith r one of the two sets of notches provided on the extension 53, and the lower end of the spring is adapted to (3L- gage the notched lug 54 which is formed as an integral part of the main frame 24. By shifting the upper end of the spring 52 from the one set of notches to the other set of notches, it is obvious that, the spring tension is changed. This feature provides a simple arrangement for adjusting the spring tension which eliminates the need for the conventional adjusting screw.

Reference numeral 66 designates a flexible connection or pig tail fo connecting the armature to the frame 24. As best shown in Figures 2 and 3, the main frame 24 is provided with an integral extension 62 which serves as the terminal for the movable contact 34. Thus when the relay is energized, the contacts 34 and 36 are moved into engagement with one another so as to com lete the circuit from the terminal. 62

through the frame 24, pig tail 60, spring arm 32, and contacts 35 and 36 to the terminal 38.

By virtue of the above described arrangement, it is obvious that the main parts of the relay are made from inexpensive stampings and notwithstanding the fact that the main parts are made from stampings, various adjustments may be made without the necessity for providing the usual adjusting screws commonly used in relays. It is also apparent that the terminals are adequately insulated from one another so as to eliminate any danger of short circuiting due to faulty insulation or due to terminals being mounted too close to one another. It will be noted (see Figure 1) that one of the lead wires l6 which is connected to the bottom layer Of the wires forming coil l8 fits within a groove 25 formed in the insulating member 2|. The member 21 constitutes one end of the bobbin on which the coil 18 is wound and consequently the groove 25 in combination with the adjacent notch 23 serves as a convenient means fo holding the one lead wire in an out of the way place during the coil winding operation.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. Automatic relay means comprising a core member, a coil surrounding said core member, an insulating base for supporting said core, terminals connected to said coil and carried by said base member, an L-shaped bracket, an armature pivotally supported by the upper portion of said bracket, an L-shaped spring contact support secured to said armature and having a first portion arranged in the plane of said armature and having a second portion arranged substantially at right angles to the said first portion, said armature having a pair of divergent arms overhanging one side of said bracket and disposed between said second portion of said contact support and said bracket with one of said arms arranged to ried by said base member, an L-shaped bracket, r

an armature pivotally supported by the upper portion of said bracket, an L-shaped spring contact support secured to said armature and having a first portion arranged in the plane of said armature and having a second portion arranged at right angles to the said first portion, said armature having a pair of divergent arms overhanging one side of said bracket and disposed between said second portion of said contact sup port and said bracket with one of said arms ar ranged to engage said bracket for limiting the movement of said armature away from said core and another of said arms having a portion for engagement with said spring contact support, a stationary contact supported by said insulating base, a movable contact carried by said second portion of said spring contact support for engagement with said stationary contact.

3. Automatic relay means comprising a core, a

coil surrounding said core, an insulating base for supporting said core, terminals connected to said coil and carried by said base, an L-shaped bracket, an armature pivotally supported by the upper portion of said bracket, an L-shaped spring contact support secured to said armature and having a first portion arranged in the plane of said armature and having a second portion arranged at right angles to the said first portion, a movable contact carried by said second portion of said spring contact support, a stationary contact carried by said base and arranged to be engaged by said movable contact so as to limit the movement of said movable contact, said armature having a pair of divergent arms overhanging one side of said bracket and dis posed between said second portion of said contact support and said bracket with one of said arms arranged to engage said bracket for 1imiting the movement of said armature away from said core and another of said arms having a portion for engagement with said second por tion of said spring contact support, and an irsulating block spacing said insulating base and said L-shaped bracket.

1-. Automatic relay means comprising a core member, a coil surrounding said core member including a pair of lead wires, an insulating base for supporting said core, terminals connected to said lead wires and carried :by said base member, an Lshaped bracket, an armature pivotally supported by the upper portion of said bracket, an L-shaped spring contact support secured to said armature and having a first portion arranged in the plane of said armature and having a second portion arranged at right angles to the said first portion, a movable contact carr :v said second portion of said sprin contact support, a stationary contact carried by said base and arranged to be engaged by said movcontact so as to limit the movement of said movable contact, said armature having a pair of divergent arms overhanging one side of said bracket and disposed between said second portion of said contact support and said bracket with one of said arms arranged to engage said bracket for limiting the movement of said armature away from said core and another said arms having a portion for engagement with said spring contact support, an insulating mem ber insulating said coil from said L-shaped bracket, said insulating member having a projecting portion provided with notches for rece ving said lead wires so as to hold said lead WllSS in a predetermined spaced relationship.

5. Circuit making and breaking mechanism comprising a core, a coil surrounding said core, an insulating base for supporting said core, terminals connected to said coil and carried by said base member, an L-shaped bracket, an armature pivotally supported by the upper portion of said bracket, an L-shaped spring contact support secured to said armature and having a first por tion arranged in the plane of said armature and havin a second portion arranged at right angles to the said first portion, said armature having a pair of divergent arms overhanging one side said bracket and disposed between said second portion of said contact support and said bracket with one of said arms arranged to said bracket for limiting the movement of said armature away from said core, and another of said arms having a portion for engagement with said spring contact support, a stationary pontact supported by said insulating base, a movable 5 7, contact carried by said second portion of said contact support and arranged for engagement with said stationary contact, and a stamped sheet metal member comprising a first portion for supporting said stationary contact and a second portion comprising a terminal for said stationery contact, said bracket having an integrally formed terminal portion projecting from the lower end thereof for use in conveying electricity to and from said movable contact.

EDWARD B-ANDO.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Gernsback Dec. 20, 1910 Number Number Number

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