US768549A - Electromagnetic switch. - Google Patents

Description

No. 768,549. PATENTED AUG. 23, 1904. s. B. STEWART, JR.

ELECTROMAGNETIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 14, 1903.

NO MODEL.

WITNESSES. INVENTOR. M Samuel BSCevartJr. 4% (Qq/fm L by v AEEy UNITED STATES Patented August 23, 1 9 04.

PA TENT OFFI E.

SAMUEL n. sirmvART, JR, or sc'nENEorADy. NEW YORK, ASSTGNOR TO GENERAL ELEe'rmc COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTROMAGNETIC SWITCH.

smacrnea'non forming part of Letters Patent No. 768,549, dated August 23, 1904.

Original application lilod Kay 2O, 19% Serial No. 108,288. Divided uni thil application filed February 14, 1903. Burial In.

- 143,319. (No modQL) T n all urlumr it 11mg, concern.-

lie it known that 1.,SAMUEL Esme. n'rgJ r.. a citizen of the United States. residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady. State of New 5 York havc invented certain new and nsefui Improvements in lllectrommetic Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electromagncticallyactuated switches,- and especially tosuch switches as are adapted for use in sectionalconductor clectric-railway '5iC! S such, for instancmas that illustrated and described in my application Serial No. 105.283, filed May 20, 1902, of which the present case is a division.

The object of my invention is to provide a switchof such construction thatit will handle heavy currents in a quick and eflicie'nt manner and with much less injury-to the working parts of the switch than is possible with the switches at present in use.

In the accompanying drawings, which represent the prefe rred embodiment of my invention,

Figure 1 is a vertical section of the =5 switch on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the switch, and Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the relative position of the switch-actuating coil and the blow-out magnetcoilsv Referring now to the figures of the drawings, 7; represents an insulating-base which carries the switch and switch-actuating mechanism. .The base '11 may be made of slate, pressed fiber, or other insulating material. A

casing D, of magnetic material, is provided with a cover E, which has a portion F extendingas a stationary core into a non-magnetic spool g, on which an energizing coil or solenoid H is wound. The leads to said coil are indicated at 4 12 and 13. The stationary core F (shown in Fig. 1) is separable from the-cover E; but it may be formed integral therewith. The solenoid-core K carries at its lower end, which 4 projects through an openingin the caseb, a switch or contact-brush S, which engages with the contacts (I, of conducting material, secured to the under side of the base'b. The switch S is preferably made of laminated copper strips,

which are mounted in the block h,which is fw tened to the core K by the bolt 6'. integral with the block ii are the lugs l which act as bearings for theshafts p. on which the hell-crank levers n. n' are mounted. The auxiliary contacts a, which also engage with the fixed contacts d,are removably mounted on the 5 ends 11 of the bell-crank n n. The arms n are normally spread apart by the spring 6 and are electrically connected together by the conducting-band w. This construction permits the auxiliary contacts 0' to engage the fixed conmts (Z with a sliding acti'omwhich is transverse to the-direction of the movement of approach of said auxiliary contacts, thereby obtaining a betterelectrical contact than would I otherwise be obtained, and also permitting the' contacts c to leave the contacts (Z later than the switch S, and thereby form a secondary break. Therefore the only parts liable to injury by arcing when heavy currents are 1 in this type-of switch. are the auxiliary con- 7:; tacts c', which are made replaceable for this reason. To reduce the injury due to arcing at the contacts the blow-out magnets M are provided, one for each contact-block The magnetic circuit of one of these magnets may be traced on Fig. 2, in which 2 represents the core of the magnet, 3 3' pieces for supporting the core above the base I), and 5,.5' the poles below the base 6, between which poles one of the contacts (1 is mounted. The magnet-poles and core-supporting pieces are held in place by means of bolts 4 4', which pass through the base 6 and form part of the magnetic circuit. On either side of each of I the contact-blocks d are strips of insulating material 0, which depend from said base 6 at right angles thereto and form chutes along which the arcs formed when the switch is opened are blown. The electrical circuit for each of the blow-out magnets may be traced 9:

as follows, (see Fig.3:) The terminal 0 is connected tothe angle-piece u by means of the bolt r, which passes through the base 6, the current flowing from said terminal through the. bolt 7-, angle-piece u, coil m, angle-piece u, bolt '1", whith connects angle-piece u to Formed 5o one of the fixed contacts (I on the under side of the base I, through the contact-switch S and the'auxiliary switch to the other contact (I through bolt 1'. which connects the anglemounted on the shaft gfand connected there- .withthrough the springs s'are the semaphorearms a, carrying the disks s. The semaphorea'rms s are in a horizontal position when the switch is open, but are raised to a vertical position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, when the switch is closed. A spring 72,, against which the head w'strikes in its downward movement, is provided in a recess in the fixed core F for the purpose ofireducing the shock tothe apparatus when the'switch opens.- The semaphore-disks act rm signals to indicate the condition of the switch, and when said switch is used in sectional-conductor electric railways the semaphores serve to indicate whether the sectional third rail is energized or not. 'The specific form of sem'aphore-signalherein shown is notclaimed in this application, since it forms the subject-matter of my application above referred to.

When the switch-actuatingcoilbecomes de- V energized, the switch S opensby gravity and the arcs which occasionally form between the auxiliary contactsc' and the fixed contacts (I are projected by the blow-out magnets M along the chute formed by the insulatingg-uides o.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a switch, a solenoid mounted on mainsulating-base, the core of said solenoid passing through an opening in said base, fixed switch-contacts attached to the under side of said base, a movable switch element comprising a main contact-maker of laminated conducting-strips, and an auxiliaryspring-pressed contact-makercarried bysaid core at its lower end and adapted to make a sliding engagement with said fixed contacts, the said auxiliary contact-maker being arranged to 'engage the fixed contacts prior to and leave said contacts later than the main coritact-maker.

2. In a switch, a solenoid'mounted on an insulating-base, the core of said solenoid passing through an opening in said base, fixed switch-contacts attached to the under side of said base, a movableswitch element comprisduct ing-stri psi and a n auxiliary springmressed contact-maker carried by said core at its lower end and adapted to engage said fixed contacts,

the said auxiliary contact-maltcr being arranged to engage said fixed contacts prior to and to leave said fixed'ccntacts later than the main contact-maker, and a blow-out magnet for each fixed contact having its poles arrange o embrace said contact and its-coil mounted oz:- the upper side of said 1 ise.

, 3. In an electromagnetic switch, a solenoid,

fixed contacts with which said contact-makers are adapted to engage, said auxiliary contactmaker comprising electrically connected spring-pressed arms pivoted to said core in such a manner as to allow said auxiliar con.- tact maker to engage the relatively fixed contacts with a sliding action.

4. In an electromagnetic switch, a solenoid, a core for said -solenoid carrying main and auxiliary contact-makers adapted to engage fixed contacts, a blow-out magnet for each fixed contact having its poles embracing said fixed contacts, and ijsulatingchutes along which the arcs which tcndto form between the movable contact-makers and the fixed contacts are projected by the blow-out magnets.

5. In an electromagnetic switch, a solenoid mounted on an insulating-base, a core for said solenoid passing through an opening in said base, fixed switch-contacts attached to the under side of said base, a movable switch-element carrying contactmakers adapted to engage said fixed contacts,- and a blow out magnet for each fixed contact the poles of which are adapted to embrace said fixed contact.

6. In an electromagnetically actuated switch, a solenoid mounted on an insulating- :00

base, the core of said solenoid passing through an opening in said base, fixed switch-contacts attached to the under side of said base, a movable switch element comprising contactmakers carried by said core at its lower end 5 magnetic poles adapted to embrace the said no fixed contacts on the under side of said base. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 12th day of February, 1903.

SAMUEL B. STEWART, JR.

\V-itnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL, HELEN Oman.

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