US2130290A - Circuit closer - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 13, 1938. 5. J. POLTA ET AL CIRCUIT CLOSE R,

Filed Aug. 17, 1936 Lsg zpaJfozm,

Eng V1102;

ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 13, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT ol-"rlca CIRCUIT CLOSER, v

Sylvan J. Polta and Henry V. Hols, Sandusky,

. Ohio Application August 17, 1936, Serial No. 96,504

1 Claim. (Cl: 20056) This invention relates to circuit closers and it, this slot being equal in length to a plurality has for an object a circuit closer for a signal of the numbers on the reel, for instance, equal in '.device operable by certain of the reels of speedlength to five numbers. The purpose of the difometer to remind-a motor vehicle driver at the ference in length of these slots is to permit the 5 end of a predetermined period, for example, each circuit closer, in circuit closing position, to mainr 1,000 or 2,000 miles that the oil should be changed tain the signal circuit closed for a predetermined and the chassis lubricated. time period, such as for example, in the present A further object is to provide a device of this instance, fifty miles since the long slot correcharacter which will embody a novel circuit sponds in length of five numbers on the tens l0 closer including fingers engageable in grooves in reel. i k 1n the periphery of two reels of the speedometer to ,The circuit closer comprises a base l8 of nonclose a circuit to a signal lamp at the end of a conducting material which is provided with an predetermined mileage period. angle bracket l9 that may be bolted as shown A further object is to provide a device of this at 20 to the ledge 2i of the instrument board 22 character which will be formed of a few'strong underneath the speedometer reels. The base 15 simple and durable parts, which will be inexpenprojects through the speedometer casing and a sive to manufacture, and which will not easily switch contact 23 is secured to the upper end of get out of order. the base by a binding. post 24 to which a con- With the above and other objects in view the ductor wire 25 is secured. The conductor wire invention consists of certain novel details of consupplies current from the battery 26 to a signal .30 struction and combinations of parts hereinafter lamp 21 mounted on the instrument board. Flow fully described and claimed, it being understood or current from the battery to the wire is conthat various modifications may be resorted to trolled by the ignition switch 28 as best shown within the scope of the appended claim within Figure 5. 25 out departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of A lever 29, formed of sheet metal, is provided 25 the advantages of the invention. I on one side with hinge ears 30 through which and In the accompanying drawing forming part similar hinge ears 3|, riveted to the base as of this specification, shown at 32, a pivot pin 33 is passed, to pivotally Figure 1 is a front elevation of a circuit closer mount the lever between its ends on the base. 30 for a signal constructed in accordance with the The hinge ears are elongated to provide parallel 30 invention. fingers 34 and 35 which are of equal length as Figure 2 is an edge elevation of the circuit best shown in Figure 1, and terminate in rounded closer in open circuit position. extremities 36 as best shown in Figures 2 and 4. Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view Between the fingers the lever is deformed to 35 through the circuit closer in circuit closing posiprovide a switch contact 21 best shown in Fig- 35 tion. ures 2 and 3, which extends substantially at a Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail view showing right angle to the lever and is adapted to engage one finger oi the circuit closer in a short slot in the stationary, switch contact 23 on the base l8 one of the counting reels when the circuit closer to close the signal circuit when the fingers drop 40 is in circuit closing position. into the slots in the speedometer reels. 40

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the A helical spring 38 is interposed between the electrical connections of the device. angle bracket l9 and that end of the lever oppo- Referring nowto the drawing in which like site the fingers. The spring exerts a pressure characters of reference designate similar parts upon the lever to maintain the fingers in wiping in the various views, l0 designates a speedometer contact with the peripheries of the reels l3 and 45 having the usual counting reel ll denoting ten l4 and urge the rounded extremities of the of thouands, l2 denoting thousands, i3 denoting fingers to the bottom of the slots l6 and II when one hundreds, ll denoting tens, and i5 denoting both slots advance simultaneously underneath mile units, each reel being actuated a step at the extremities of the fingers. the end of each complete revolution of the next A lamp housing 39 is disposed on the instru- 50 adjacent reel to the right. ment board 22 and is provided with a glass clo- In carrying out the invention a short slot it sure 40 which displays. the legend Oil change is formed in the periphery of the reel IS, the grease" which when illuminated by the signal slot being equal in length to one of the numbers lamp will remind the driver to change the oil on the reel. A long slot i1 is formed in the reel and lubricate the chassis. 55

that is, the unit reel I5 is in position to start In this posi-- count on the next -1,000 miles. tion of the parts it will be seen that the lever 29 has been rocked by its controlling spring 33 to engage both fingers 34 and 35 in the short slot l6 and long slot l1 and close the signal circuit at the switch contacts 31 and 23 as shown in Figure 3. Since the long slot I1 is equal in length to the length of the numerals lto 5 on the tens reel- H the finger 35 will ride in the long slot through a time interval equal to a distance of 50 miles indicated by the tens reel. It is, of course, obvious that the one hundreds reel l3 will not move until the tens reel completes a revolution so that the one hundreds reel remains stationary and the finger 35 remains seated in the short slot l6 thereof while the tens reel H is making one half a complete revolution and advancing the long slot ll past the finger 35 seatedtherein. When the tens reel 14 has turned to indicate 50 miles the end of the long slot will have arrived at the finger 35 and swung the lever against the tension of its controlling spring 38 thus moving the switch contact 31 out of contact with the stationary switch cont-act 23 and breaking the signal circuit. Thus the signal lamp will be energized for a time period equal to 50 miles travel of the vehicle so that the driver will have plenty of time to arrive at a greasing station.

The slots l6 and H may be in practice disposed at different places on the reels than as above described, depending upon whether the owner desires to have the signal displayed at the end of even thousands or at other points on the reel. Moreover, the length of the long slot may be varied at will to suit the desire of the 'owner, forexample, if the slot is the length of five numbers the signal will be energized for 50 miles, but if the length of the slot were equal to two numbers the signal would remain energized for 20 miles.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and operation of the invention will be fully understood without further explanation.

What is claimed is:

A circuit closer comprising a speedometer including a tens counting reel and a hundreds counting reel, the hundreds counting reel having a short slot equal in length to the length of one of the numerals on the reel, the tens counting reel having a long slot equal in length to the space occupied by a plurality of numbers thereon, a support, a circuit closing switch contact lever hinged intermediate its ends on said support and having integral parallel fingers of equal length terminating in rounded extremities,

a spring confined under tension between said support and the end of' the lever opposite the fingers and tending constantly to hold said rounded ends riding on the reels and urging the rounded ends on the bottom of respective ones of the slots when both slots advance simultaneously underneath the extremities of the fingers, said lever having a portion extending between the fingers and angularly disposed with respect to the lever to form a movable switch contact, and a fixed switch contact on said sup port engageable by said movable switch contact when said rounded extremities drop intov said slots to close said signalcircuit for a time period corresponding to the length of said long slot in the hundreds counting reel.

SYLVAN J. POL-TA. HENRY v. HOLZ.

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