US1343218A - Control apparatus - Google Patents

Description

P. L. MARDIS.

CONTROL'APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6. 1917.

1,343,218. PatentedJune 15,1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Grou neZ 55 Y Q 4x :3. 46 m ,A WITNESSES: I INVENTQR Pau/ L Nari/5 MW BY v ATTORNEY- P. L. MARDIS.

, CONTROL APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULYG. 1917 1,343,218. Patent me 920.

ETS 2.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR cf}? 1 Pau/ L Nari/'5 BY MW ATTORNEY UNITED STATES e TENT OFFICE.

PAUL L. MARDIS, or WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIeNon 'ro WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA.

CONTROL APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, PAUL L. MARDis, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of WVilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Control Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to control apparatus and especially to auxiliary devices that may be mounted beneath the floor of a railway vehicle for making and breaking a circuit.

One object of my invention is to provide a relatively compact and convenient auxiliary device of the above-indicated character.

which may be coupled to the platform-controller shaft to initially close, and maintain closed, a circuit, upon movement of the controller in the one direction, but serving to immediately open the circuit upon a controllen movement in the other direction, whereby burning and pitting of the controller contact members are obviated.

More specifically stated, it is one object of my invention to providea contactor device that is operated by a cam upon a controller shaft, the contactor being provided with areextinguishing means in the form of a magnetizable circuit, partially inclosing the contact'me'mbers, and a blow-out coil for the circuit. j

Another object of my invention is to provide, in conjunction with the magnetic blowout apparatus just mentioned, an overload tripping device employing the blow-out coil for the purpose of moving the contactor to open-circuit position, under predetermined current conditions. I

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type set forth in my co-pending application, Serial No. 114,163, filed August 10, 1916, but having a greater degree of utility.

My invention may best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings,

wherein Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a system of control embodying such invention; Fig. 2 is a view, in front elevation, of

a complete contactor device and a controller mounted respectively below and above a vehicle floor, certain parts bein broken away;

Fig. 8 is a detail view, in front elevation, of the complete contactor device; Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 and Fig. 8 are plan Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 6,

Patented June 15, 1920.

1917. Serial No. 178,918.

views of certain portions of the apparatus shown in Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 are side elevational views corresponding to Fig. 5 and to Fig. 8, respectively.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the system shown comprises supply-circuit conductors Trolley andGround; a dynamoelectric machine having a commutator-type armature A1 and a field-magnet winding F1 of the series type; a variable maincircuit resistor R, the active value of which may be'varied by a controller 4; that is provided with a contact se ment 5 for succes sively engaging a plura ity of control fingers 6 having connections to various points of the resistor R, as the controller is successively actuated through its operative positions at to 03, inclusive; and a contactor device or line switch comprising a stationary contact member 1; a movable contact member 2 and a combined magnetic blow-out and overload coil 3, as structurally illustrated in other figures.

Assuming that the controller 4 occupies, for example, its initial operative position a and that the contactor device has been closed by the controller movement, as subsequently explained, the circuit is established from the trolley through the combined blow-out and overload coil 3, movable and stationary contact members 2 and 1, respectively, contact segment 5 and control fingers 6 of the controller 41 in its position a, the entire resistor R, the armature A1 and the field-magnet winding F1 to the negative supply-circuit conductor Ground. I i

It will be noted that the coil 3 is connected in series relation with the contact mem-.

bers 1 and 2 of the contactor device, where device, which embodies a suitable box or incasing member 15 that is secured, by means of brackets 16 and bolts 17, to the underside of the vehicle floor or platform 18 an arc-chute 19 for the familiar purpose of permitting free expulsion of arcs and gases when the contactor device is opened; and a plurality of terminal bushings 20 through which extend the necessary leads or con ductors that are connected to the remainder of the system, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Referring to the detail views, Fig. to Fig. 8, inclusive, wherein the cover member and arc-chute are removed, the contactordevice shaft 14 is shown as mounted in suitable fixed journals or bearings 24 and 25. and a double ratchet member 26, having peripheral teeth 27 and lateral or side teeth 28 on its upper surface, is loosely mounted near the lower end of the shaft 14. A pawl or hook member 31 that is resiliently mounted within a stationary bracket member 32, is arranged to engage the peripheral teeth 27 of the ratchet member 26 and thereby restrict movement thereof to the forward direction of the controller 4.

A cam member is provided, on its lower face, with a plurality of teeth 34 that are adapted to lock with the lateral teeth 28 of the ratchet member when the controller is moved forwardly. The cam member is adapted to slide along the shaft 14 and is provided with an up\vardly-extending annular member or flanged collar 37, for a purpose to be set forth. The cam member is secured to the lower end of a coil spring 38 which incloses the shaft 14 within the collar 37 and the degree of compression of which may be regulated. by means of a nut 39 that runs upon a threaded portion of the shaft. Thus, a movement of the shaft is transmitted through the spring 38 to the cam member 33 and thence, through the interlocking teeth 34 and 28, to the ratchet member 26 during forward movement of the main controller shaft 11. I

The stationary contact member 1 of the contactor device may be of the familiar copper-terminal type and is mounted upon a suitable portion of the frame or base of the device. A cooperating movable contact tip 2, preferably of a resiliently-monnted type to insure good contact pressure, is attached to one end of a bell-crank lever 45 which is intermediately pivoted upon a. standard or bracket 46 and the other end of which is provided with a roller 47 that normally engages the periphery of the cam member 33.

In Fig. 4, the controller is illustrated as occupying an operative position, wherein the diameter of the cam member is sufficient to actuate the roller 47 into such position that the contact members 1 and 2 shall be closed. The movable contact member 2 is biased to the open position by means of a helical spring 48 that is positioned between the bell-crank lever 45 and the base of the contactor device. To provide the contact members 1 and 2 with arc-extinguishing means, a magnetizable structure of a familiar type, embodying a pair of interconnected pole -pieces 50, incloses the contact members on three sides, the arc chute 19 being located opposite the other side or front edge of the contact members, in accordance with the customary practice. The magnetic blow-out coil is mounted in the rear of, and above, the contact members 1 and 2 between the pole pieces 5t), partially for the purpose of magnetizing them, and is connected in series relation with the contact members, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

The blow-out coil 3 is also utilized as a part of an overload tripping device 51 that comprises a lever which is intermediately pivoted at 52 upon a suitable post or standard 53, one end of the lever constituting a hook or ring 54 that incloses the flanged ccllar 37 of the cam member 33, and the other end thereof constituting an armature that A is located opposite the coil 3.

Assuming that the controller 4 occupies its off position and that the contact members 1 and 2 are separated, as illustrated in Fig. 1, a forward movement of the controller handle 12 actuates the cam member 33 toward the final operative position I]. Just after the controller reaches its position a. the enlarged-diameter portion of the cam member engages the roller 47 and thereby effects closure of the contactor device, as previously explained. In this way, the closure of the circuit is effected by the contactor device, whereby no pitting or burning of the controller contact members is possible.

Further forward movement of the controller 4 gradually excludes the resistor ll from circuit, or any other control operation may be performed, as will be understood, and the contactor device is maintained closed. However, immediately upon a backward or return movement of the controller handle 12, the lateral teeth 34 of the cam member slide over the ratchet-member teeth 28 or, in other words, the cam member is elevated to a position above the roller mem ber 47, whereupon, the spring 48 immediately effects movement of the contactor device to open position. Such elevation of the cam member 33 is permitted by reason of the maintenance of the ratchet member 26 in the former position, since the pawl member 31 prevents any backward move ment thereof.

The circuit is thus opened by the contactor device and, consequently, in this case also, no burning or other deterioration of the controller contact members is possible.

To again effect operation of the system by closing the contactor device, it is necessary to return the controller to its off position, whereupon the cam member 33 is permitted to drop to its lower illustrated position of interlocking with the ratchet member 26 and therefore, in operative alinement with the roller 47.

A further protectivefunction of the illustrated apparatus is accomplished as follows: Upon the attainment of a predetermined relatively heavy current in the machine, the correspondingly increased energization of the blow-out coil 3 attracts the armature 55'of the overload tripping device 51, whereby the hook or ring member 54 immediately raises the cam member 33 to its upper or inoperative position, thus permitting the roller 47 to pass beneath the cam member 33 and thereby effect a quick opening movement of the contactor device by its spring member 48.

I do not wish to be restricted to the specific structural details or arrangement of parts herein set forth, as various modifications thereof may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In control apparatus, the combination with a main controlling device, of an auxiliary set of stationary and movable contact members, means for respectively and initially closing and opening said contact members in accordance with the direction of movement of said device, and means for extinguishing arcs between said contact mem-' bers.

2. In control apparatus, the combination with a main controlling device, of an auxiliary set of stationary and movable contact members, means for respectively and initially closing and opening said contact members in accordance with the direction of movement of said device, a magnetizable circuit partially inclosing said contact members, and an energizing coil for said circuit.

3. In control apparatus, the combination with a main controlling device, of an auxiliary set of stationary and movable contact members, means for respectively and initially closing and opening said contact members in accordance with the direction of movement of said device, a magnetizable structure partially inclosing said contact members, and a magnetic blowout coil for said structure connected in series relation with the contact members.

4:. In control apparatus, the combination with a main controlling device, of a set of stationary and movable contact members, means for respectively closing and opening said contact members in accordance with the direction of movement of said device, a magnetizable circuit partially inclosing said contact members, an energizing coil for said circuit, and means governed by said coil for rendering said contact members mechanically independent of said controlling device.

5. In control apparatus, the combination with a main controlling device, of a separate set of stationary and movable contact members, means for respectively closing and opening said contact members in accordance with the directionof movement of said device, electromagnetic arc-extinguishing means embodying a coil associated with said contact members, and means governed by said coil for independently effecting a separation of said contact members.

6. In control apparatus, the combination with a main controlling device, of a separate set of stationary and movable contact members, means'for respectively closing and opening said contact members in accordance with. the direction of movement of said device, a magnetizable structure partially inclosing said contact members, a magnetic blowout coil for said structure connected in series relation with the contact members, and means actuated by said coil for independently effecting a separation of said contact members.

7. In control apparatus, the combination with a rotatable member, of a ratchet member secured thereto, a set of stationary and movable contact members, a cam member positively engaged by said ratchet member in one direction of rotation thereof to effect the closure of said contact members, and means for extinguishing arcs between said contact members.

8. In control apparatus, the combination with a rotatable member, of a ratchet member secured thereto, a set of stationary and movable contact members, a cam member engaged by saidratchet member in one direction of rotation thereof to effect the closure of said contact members, a magnetizable circuit partially inclosing said contact members, an energizing coil for said circuit, and means governed by said coil for effecting separation of said cam member from said ratchet member.

9. In control apparatus, the combination with a rotatable drum member, of a ratchet member secured thereto, an adjacent stationary contact member, a cooperating movable contact member having an operating lever, a toothed cam member locked by said ratchet member in one direction of rotation thereof to engage said operating lever and close said contact members, a magnetizable structure partially inclosing said contact members, a magnetic blowout coil for said structure connected in series relation with thecontactmembers, and an intermediately pivoted lover member having one end at ,tached to said cam member and having the tions, to effect separation of said cam mem-' her from said ratchet member primarily and of said contact members secondarily.

10. In control apparatus, the combination with a main controlling device, of a separate set of stationary and movable contact members, means for respectively and initially closing and opening said contact members in accordance with the direction of movement of said device, and means de pendent upon the traversal of a predetermined current through said contact members for effecting a separation thereof.

11. In control apparatus, the combination with a rotatable member, of a ratchet member secured thereto, a set of stationary and movable contact members, a cam member engaged by said ratchet member in one direction of rotation thereof to effect the closure of said contact members, and means dependent upon the traversal of a predetermined current through said contact members for effecting a separation of said cam member from said ratchet member primarily and of said contact members secondarily.

12. The combination with a pair of contact members and a rotatable plane cam for closing the same, of a blow-out coil for said members and means controlled by said coil for moving said cam out of its plane.

13. The combination with a controller for an electric motor and a switch for closing the circuit of said motor, of a coil in series with said motor and serving as a blow-out coil for said switch, a cam for operating said switch, and means controlled by said coil for rendering said cam inoperative when the current traversing said motor exceeds a predetermined value.

Tn testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 27th day of June,

PAUL L. MARDIS.

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