US1115647A - Resistance unit. - Google Patents

Description

A. A. ZIEGLER.

RESISTANCE UNIT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.16,1914.

1, 1 1 5 647, Patefited Nov. 3, 1914.

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ALFRED A. ZIEGLEB, or BOSTON, MAssAcHusnr'rs.

RESISTANCE UNIT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

Application filed March is, 1914. Serial no. 824,923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that .I, ALFRED A. ZIEGLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts. have invented an. Improvement in Resistance Units, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a resistanice unit, and has for its object the construction of a device including a resistance-coil and supporting-means therefor, to. which said coil is detachably connected. Such a, device is of great value in many forms ofsignaling, particularly railway-signaling, where resistances of different predetermined values are required, as by providing for the ready removal of the coils from the supporting-means resistances of different predetermined values may be supplied, thereby obviating the necessity of employing variable resistances which, require delicate adjustment, and are liable to get out of order. I

My invention also has for its object the provision of improved meansincluding attaching-screws for detachably connecting the resistance-coil with its supportingmeans, which enables electric connection to be maintained in case the attaching-screw or screws work loose. a

Figure 1 is a plan view of a resistanceunit embodying this invention. Fig. 2 1s a side-elevation of the same. Fig. 3 1s an enlarged vertical longitudinal section of an end-portion of the unit. in plan view, of, one oi. the supportlngplates and an end-portion of the baseblock. Fig. 5' is a detail of one of the terminal plates "in connection with an endportion of the resistance-coil. -F1g. 6 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the means vfor detachably connecting a terminal-plate to the supporting-plate. Fig. 7 is an end view of the spool on which the wire of the resistance-coil is wound.

10 represents the base of the unit which is composed of insulating'material. such as porcelain. This base consists of an elongated block'having holes 12 through it for the screws by which it will be secured to a wall or other sup ort, and having upwardl extended projections 13, at each end, wit holes through them to receive screws 14, upon the threaded portions of WhlCh are arranged suitable binding- nuts 15, 16, and interposed washers 17, said screws 14 and Fig. 4 is a detail,

nuts and washers arranged thereon constituting the binding-posts. The terminals of the electric-wires 18 are arranged between the washers 17, or they may be otherwise connected with the binding-posts.

20, represent flat sheet-metal plates with holes through them for the screws 14, and sald plates are arranged on said screws, as here shown, between the outer faces oi the pro ecting-portions 13, of the base-block, and the nuts 15, being held in fixed position by said nuts. Said plates have ears 21 which extend inward toward each other, beyond the inner sides of the projections 13, and said ears have threaded holes through them for screws 22, for the. connection therewith of the terminals of the resistancecoil, and said ears also have recesses or notches 23 in their outer ends to receive projections on said terminals.

The resistance-coil comprises a spool 25, composed of insulating materiahas porcelain, on which one or more layers 26 of fine wire are wound, and said spool has a recess orrsocket 27 at each end, preferably cylindrical in form, which extends inward a short distance, and at opposite sides of said recesses or sockets grooves 28 are formed, which extend, preferably, the entire length thereof, and the heads or ends of the spool are formed each with a radial groove 29, in extensions of one of the side grooves 28 in the adjacent socket. Terminal-plates areal"- ranged at each end of the spool to which the ends of the coil or coils of wire are soldered or otherwise secured, which plates, as here shown, consists of flat plates 30 of sheetmetal, the inner end-portions of which are made narrower than the outer end-portions, thereby forming a shoulder 31, at the junction of the two end-portions, and said inner end-portions are made of a width corresponding to the diameter ofthe socket at the grooved portions thereof, so that said inner end-portion may be thrust into the socket with its edges entering the grooves in said socket, thus being held against rotation with respect to the spool, and said inner end-portion is thrust inward until the shoulder 31 enters the radial groove 29 in the end of the spool. When thus thrust into the sockets the outer end-portions project from the ends of the spool. Said terminalplates are additionally secured in place by screws 33 extended through holes in the sides of the spool and through holes in the inner endportions of the plates, and the heads of said screws 33 may be sunken in holes in the spool and sealed. The outer end-portions of said terminal plates have transversely arranged recesses 35 in their sides to admit of their engagement with the shanks of the screws 22, beneath the heads thereof, which recesses are oppositely arranged with respect to each other. Notwithstanding the screws 22 pass through threaded holes in the supporting-plates 20, there is a tendency for said screws to work loose, and to maintain electric connection in such event, said terminal-plates 30, have projections 36 struck out from them, or otherwise formed on them, which enter the recesses or notches 23 in the outer ends of the ears 21 of the supportingplates 20. These projections 36 prevent lateral displacement of the terminal-plates with relation to the supporting-plates when the attaching screws become loosened and thus prevent their detachment from the supporting-plates in such event. As the terminal plates are provided with transverse slots in their outer end-portions for quick conn'ection with the attaching-screws, instead of holes through them for said screws, the provision of such projections 36 is of importance, as it enables the employment of terminal-plates with such form of slots, and provides for maintaining electric connection of the plates when the attaching-screws work loose.

In case it is desired to remove a resistancecoil for the substitution of another or for any other purpose, the attaching screws are loosened sufliciently to admit of disengage ment of the terminal-plates therefrom by a movement in a direction lengthwise the screws until the projections 36 have disengaged the supporting-plates and then by a transverse movement, although it will be observed that said movements may be easily and quickly performed by an unskilled person. This is of advantage in railway signal work, as in case a coil burns out another may be easily and quickly substituted for it by an unskilled person. Furthermore, resistancecoils such as herein described of predetermined values have advantages over a variable resistance, some of these adavantages being due tosthe structure and others to the arrangement of the component parts, hence my invention is not limited to the precise structure here shown and described.

I claim 1. In a resistance-unit, a base-block of insulating material, a pair of binding-posts arranged thereon, a pair of supporting-plates connected with the binding-posts and having ears extended toward each other bearing screws, a spool of insulating material, one or more coils of wire arranged on said spool of a predetermined resistance, terminalplates secured to the ends of said spool to which the ends of said wire are attached,

said terminal-plates extending over the ears of the supporting-plates, and arranged for detachable connection with the screws on said ears, upon a transverse relative movement, said supporting-plates and terminals plates having cooperating means to hold them against lateral displacement in case the screws work loose, substantially as described.

2. In a resistance-unit, a base-block of insulating material, a pair of binding-posts arranged thereon, a pair of supportingplates arranged in connection with said binding-posts having ears extended toward each other with notches at their extremities, a spool of insulating material, one or more coils of wire arranged on said spool, of a predetermined resistance, terminal-plates secured to the ends of said spool to which the ends of said wire are attached, said terminal-plates extending over the ears of the supporting-plates, and detachably secured thereto, and said terminal-plates having downwardly extended projections arranged to enter the notches in said ears, substantially as described.

3. In a resistance-unit, abase-block, bind ing-posts arranged thereon, and a pair of supporting-plates associated with said bindmg-posts having ears extended toward each other the extremity of each ear having a notch, and a spool composed of insulatingmaterial having one or more coils of wire wound thereon, of a predetermined resistance, and having a socket in each end, terminal-plates at each end of the spool, the inner end-portions of which enter the sockets of the spool and the outer endeportions of which project therefrom, means to secure the inner end-portions in place, the

outer end-portions extending over the supporting-plates and having transverse recesses in their sides and screws arranged in connection with the supporting-plates beneath the heads of which said terminalplates are extended, said terminal-plates also having downwardly extended projections arranged to enter the notches in the supporting-plates, substantially as described.

4. In a resistance-unit, a spool composed of insulating-material having one or more coils of wire wound thereon of a predetermined resistance, and having a socket in each end with one or more grooves in its side wall, a terminal-plate at each end of the spool, the inner end-portions of which plates enter the grooves in the sockets in the spool and the outer end-portions of which plates project therefrom, means to additionally secure said inner end-portions in place, the outer end-portions having transverse recesses in their sides to receive screws by which said terminal-plates are detachably connected to their supporting-means, substantially as described.

' end with one or more grooves in its side inner end-portions of which plates enter the umen 5. In aresistance-unit, a spool composed of insulating-material having one or more coils of Wire Wound thereon of a predetermined resistance, and having a socket in each Wall, and a radial groove in its end in continuation of one of the side grooves, a terminal-plate at each end of the spool, the

grooves in the sockets in the spool and the outer end-portions of Which plates enter the radial groove and project from the ends of the spool, means to additionally secure the l inner end-portions of said terminal-plates in place, the outer end-portions thereof having recesses to receive screws by which said terminal-plates are detachably connected to their supporting-means, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ALFRED A.. ZIEGLER. i/Vitnesses:

B. J. Norse, H. B. DAvis.

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