US2819364A - Mutually latching duplex relay - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 7, 1958 J. H. JAIDINGER 2,819,364

MUTUALLY LATCHING DUPLEX .RELAY Fiied Feb. 24, 1956 /10v v/IOL, [1D [1540 m n 0 0 IN VEN TOR Jo/zn J1. hidirz er United States Patent MUTUALLY LATCHING DUPLEX RELAY John Henry Jaidinger, Chicago, Ill.

Application February 24, 1956, Serial No. 567,595

1 Claim. (Cl. 200-98) This invention relates to latching relays. In particular it has reference to a pair of relays mounted on a common frame and including mechanical elements whereby the deenergized condition of one relay is effective to lock mechanically the other relay in a position corresponding to energization of its operating coil and vice versa.

Relays of the foregoing general class are well known. However, those known to me occupy larger space than I have found necessary and are not sufficiently immune to accelerative forces such as prevail in aircraft and airborne missiles and, moreover, are not sufficiently rapid in response.

The principal objects of my invention reside in providing a duplex latching relay as aforesaid which occupies less space than similarly functioning relays, is relatively more immune to effects of acceleration than prior relays and possesses substantially less response time than prior relays.

Other objects are to provide mutually latching relays which comprise parts lending themselves to savings in manufacturing cost and which are more easily adjusted than those heretofore available. Further objects will become apparent from the ensuing description which, taken with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferred mode of carrying the invention into practice.

In this drawing:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a duplex relay in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a partial section taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 depicts a cross section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a detail of the latching fingers in the opposite position to that of Fig. 1.

Regarded broadly the invention comprises the provision of a framework adapted to support the operating coils of a pair of relays confronting each other and preferably coaxial. The frame carries an armature for each relay so mounted pivotally that the armatures experience movement over an angle of only a few degrees and therefore, in all positions, lie in substantially parallel planes. A latching finger extends substantially normally from each armature and their distal ends are bent and shaped for mutual engagement in either of two positions depending upon which of the relays is latched and which unlatched. The latching fingers are so shaped on their abutting ends that latching and unlatching occur without hiatus and pursuant to the extremely small range of movement of the armatures. The armatures also carry the movable contacts, as is customary, although the invention is equally adaptable to relays wherein the contacts may be operated as a secondary result of armature movement as for example where the armature operates another member carrying the movable contacts.

Thus, referring to the drawing I have shown exemplificatively a pair of relays and 10a of similar construction including operating coils 11 and 11a carried on the usual bobbins 12 and 12a and cores 13 and 13a which are, in turn, supported on yokes 16 and 16a of any suitable ice form. It will be noted that, in the device shown, the axes of the cores 13 and 13a are coaxial but may be offset laterally without departing from the scope of the invention.

In the present case the yokes are carried by screws 17 and 17a on a common frame 18 of any suitable configuration including at least the base part 21 and upstanding ears 22 and 22a forming mounting surfaces for the respective yokes 16 and 16a.

Each of the armatures 25-25a are of conventional construction and are pivotally supported on the respective yokes preferably by abutment of a narrowed portion 26 thereof on a notch 27 of the yoke as is expediently done in such cases. A resilient clip 29 having a hooked terminus passes through an aperture of the arm for retaining the armature on its seat 27 and the customary restoring spring is seen at 31. Although not fully evident from Fig. 1 it will be understood that the foregoing details concerning the armature 25a and its appurtenances apply equally to armature 25.

Each armature carries the tongues 33 and the thereoncarried contacts 34, all in conventional form. The fixed contacts are shown at 35.

The novel latching means will now be described. Each armature has appended thereto a substantially L-shaped element 41-41a including an attaching leg 42-42a and a latching leg 43-4361. To permit vertical adjustment each leg 42-42a is provided with a slot, such as 42b, to receive a machine screw 44a threaded into the respective armature. Additional adjustment may be accomplished by bending the legs i-3a angularly or laterally.

The legs 43 and 43a are identical and include an upwardly bent distal end portion 4545a forming an angle of about 45 with the major portion of the leg 4343a and a squared-off end 46-4641. It will be noted from Figs. 1 and 4 that, in one latching position, portion 45 abuts face 46a and, in the other position, portion 45a abuts face 46, whereby to lock either armature 25 or armature 25a in back position, as the case may be.

It will be noted that the angular excursion of the arms 43-43a is the same as that of the respective armatures. Thus the extent of abutment of the portions 45-45a must be determined in accordance with such angular movement in order that pull-in of one armature produces sufiicient displacement of its pertinent arm 43 or 43a to release the portion 45 or 45a from the previous position and to cause it to take up its new position. The parts are so proportioned and arranged that only a trifling clearance need be permitted for entry of one'portion 45 or 45a beneath the cooperative portion of the other portion 45a or 45. While such clearance cannot be indicated in the drawing due to limitations of scale it is provided at a region X.

From the foregoing it will have become apparent that each relay latches the other in energized position as is the operation of mutually latching relays generally. That is to say the circuits maintained by the contacts of one relay may not be interrupted unless and until the circuits to be maintained by the other are established. lt will be clear however that one or the other relay may be absent contacts and therefore serve simply as a solenoid for mechanically latching the other relay and, in turn, be latched by its opposite.

It will be seen that the substantially aligned disposition of the fingers 43, 43a is such as to render the same virtually immune to accelerative forces in directions other than the common axis of the coils, whereas in prior constructions the latching fingers bore a substantially relation to each other which rendered them subject to undesirable displacing forces in two axes. in certain applications, e. g. aboard aircraft and in guided missiles it is important that devices thereon, such as relays, be

made insensitive to accelerative forces to the greatest possible extent. My relay represents a solution to this problem.

By forming the coactive ends of the latching fingers in the novel manner disclosed I have found that the purpose served by a prior relay 3 in length can now be served by a relay as herein described only 2 in length corresponding to a dimensional reduction of 27%.

Additionally, by reason of the shorter lever arm involved in the operation of the latching fingers response time has been reduced to approximately half that of prior constructions.

Prior relays of certain designs have been so arranged that the latching fingers occupied operating space adjacent the terminal boards whereby the useful area of the latter has been curtailed. In the present case all of the space desired for terminals may be fully utilized.

Since overlap of the abutting faces 46 and 46a may be made small with no danger of inisfunction release can be effected much more readily. As a further consequence the force of the restoring spring 31 may be increased and drop-out time thus shortened.

The invention arrangement permits the latching fingers to be made quite short and therefore rigid whereby the bending moment is reduced and the fingers rendered much less sensitive to shock. Furthermore, adjustment of the fingers is rendered simpler than is the case with longer, more pliable fingers.

By providing stubby and therefore rigid, latching fingers the natural period of vibration of these components is elevated well beyond any range of frequencies likely to be encountered during use. Thus misfunction due to vibrational behaviour is rendered virtually impossible.

While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention, it will be understood, of course, that I do not wish to be limited thereto since many modifications may be made and I therefore contemplate by the appended claim to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

1 claim:

in a latching relay including a pair of selectively energized relays having cooperating latch bars on the armatures thereof for latching the last energized relay in its make position, the improvement comprising, in com bination, a rigid downwardly open base channel, a pair of relays each comprising a U-shaped bracket secured to said channel with one leg thereof positioned closely adjacent the upper surface of said channel, a coil secured to the base of said bracket, an armature pivoted at the free end of said one leg of said bracket and extending generally parallel to the base of said bracket, a coil spring mounting said armature on said bracket and normally biasing the same away from said coil, said spring generally paralleling said one leg of said bracket to the lower side thereof and being disposed within said channel to be protected thereby, contact means carried by said armature adjacent the other leg of said bracket, a terminal board mounted on said other leg of said bracket parallel to said legs, and contact means carried by said terminal board for cooperation with the contact means carried by said armature, said relays being mounted on said channel in opposition to one another, said coils being aligned axially, said armatures and said terminal boards being disposed closely adjacent one another, said terminal boards being coplanar, extending parallel to said base and being upwardly exposed for convenient access, and a latch bar extending at an angle of the order of 45 degrees from the pivotally mounted end of each armature towards the other armature, said bars at their ends cooperating with one another with one bar at its end engaging the side of the bar on the armature of the last energized relay to latch the armature and the armature carried contact means of the last energized relay in their make positions.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,131,447 Wallace Mar. 9, 1915 1,151,720 Ruddick Aug. 31, 1915 1,702,490 Brach Feb. 19, 1929 2,061,920 Piffath Nov. 24, 1936 2,255,905 Somers et al. Sept. 16, 1941 2,329,036 Ebert Sept. 7, 1943 2,631,207 Kuntz Mar. 10, 1953 FORElGN PATENTS 341,221 Great Britain Jan. 15, 1931 421,548 Great Britain Dec. 20, 1934 525,591 France June 13, 1921

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