US2520131A - Selector switch carriage control means - Google Patents

Description

G. DEAKIN SELECTOR SWITCH CARRIAGE CONTROL MEANS Aug. 29, 195o 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 11, 194'? JNVEN TOR.

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Aug 29g 195@ G. DEAKIN 2,520,31

SELECTORKSWITCH CARRIAGE CONTROL MEANS y' A T TURA/EY Patented Aug. 29, V1950 SELECTOR SWITCH CARRAGE CONTRL MEANS GeraldD'eakimN ew York, N. Y., assigner to International Standard; Electric Corporation, N ew. Yorln. N., Y., a corporation ci' Delaware Application February 11, 1947, Serial No. 727,874

(Gl. 74H3?) 12 Claims.y

The present invention relates to improvements in meansfor driving reciprocatory carriages such as brush carriages of selector'switches, for example switches of this character used in automatic telephone systems asn'der switches, group selecto-rs7 'nal connectors, marking switches or the like. More particularly; the invention relates to improvements in carriage-reeiprocating means comprising an endless beit and a rotatable memberk on the carriage turned? step by step to engage in belt reaches alternately.

In certain' features` this application is an improveinent' on the inventions of my co-pending. applications Ser. No. 648,759, ledi February i9 1946, and Ser. No. 64837601, l'ed February 1'9VJ 1946 and which issued as Patent-No.A 2,510,084 on June 6, 1956'.

As described in said applications a brush carriage was reciprocated across a flat terminal bank by means ofY a clutch element-or clover leaf rotatably mounted on. the carriage andv having three beltengaging partsv to cooperate with beltsupports or stops on the` carriage and connect the carriage to one or the other of tvvo parallel oppositely-moving runs or reaches of an endless belt driven in one direction. only. Said belt-engaging parts were positioned with. their central radial' lines spaced at 120 intervals.

Upon striking an abutment at either end of the carriage path, the rotatable clutch element would be turned by the moving belt through a 60 angle whereby the connection would be shifted from one run or reach of the belt to the other, thus reversing the direction of movement of the carriage. It was also proposed to provide spring detent means to hold the rotary element in final shifted position until another shift took place.

However, in said prior deveiopments there was no means to determine positively the movement of the rotary member to a definite position for the following direction of drive. For example, although the actual change of drive might be eifected, the rotary clutch element might still have sufficient contact with the released reach of the belt to result in unnecessary wear of the belt. a

Other disadvantages might arise from lack of positive control oi the movement and positioning of the rotary clutch element.

An important object of the invention is to provide a novel and advantageous belt clutch of the general character specified.

.Another object oi the invention is to provide means for positively locking said rotary clutch member in each of its belt clutching positions for each reach or" the belt.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for positively unlocking the rotary clutch member as the carriage approaches an end of its path'.

Still another object'oi the invention is to provide means for unlocking said'rotary clutch mem.- ber from one reach of the belt as the carriage approaches the corresponding end of its path and maintaining the clutch member in unlocked condition until: it is turned to a denite clutching positionior the other reach of the belt.

Yet another object of the invention is toprovide means for locking the brush carriage against movement when the carriage reaches an end of its path and to maintain the carriage in locked condition until the rotary clutch member after releasing one belt reach has been turned to a definite fixed position for clutching the other belt reach.

A further object ofthe invention is to` provide means, eiective at each end of the carriage path, to release the rotatable clutch and lock the carriage in fixed position and, upon, turning the rotary clutch by the belt to the next eiiective position, to lock the rotary clutch against movement and unlock the carriage.

A still further object ofthe invention is to provide novelY and advantageous means for centering in belt-clutching position the rotary clutching member or clover leaf.

A yet further object of the invention is to provide novel and advantageous means for indexing the clover leaf.

Other objects, features and advantages will appear upon consideration of the following detailed escription and of the drawings in which:

Fig, l isl a fragmentary section as seen from above, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view on a larger scale of the brush carriage with the brush unit and other parts omitted;

Fig. 3 is a front view, partly in section and with the brush unit omitted, of the structure shown in Fig. 2 and certain other parts cooperating with the clutch mechanism to shift the clutch;

Fig. 4 is a partial bottom plan View of the structure illustrated in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a partial section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

Referring more particularly to Fig. l, a brush carriage Iii is mounted to slide on two fixed horiaontal guides or rods H. Said guides or rods il are saturi/d at their ends to frame members i2 and I3 which may form part of a casing I4 in which the brush carriage is reciprocated.

Mounted on said brush carriage II! is a brush unit I5 including brushes IG to cooperate with terminal pins il of a flat terminal bank I3. In said carriage I@ is a support I9 for belt-gripping means for alternately connecting the brush carriage to two parallel oppositely-moving reaches of an endless belt 2i) which is driven in one dire"- tion only.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the endless belt 25 passes around a pulley 2! at the right end of the casing I4. From said pulley 2i extend parallel runs or reaches which at the other end of the casing pass between two guide rollers or pulleys` 22 and then diverge through openings 23 in said frame or casing member I2 to the outside of the casing I4. There the belt passes around a large driving pulley or wheel 2li fixed on a short or stub shaft 25 journalled in a bracket 2S constituting part of the frame of the assembled apparatus. The belt may be kept taut by pivotally mounting the pulley 2l on a frame 2l pivoted at 23 and urged in the proper direction by means of a compression spring 29 and a screw 3B for adjusting the spring action. The screw 38 may be held in adjusted position by means of a lock nut 3l.

The pulley 24 around which the belt 253 passes is driven by suitable clutch mechanism from a vertical shaft 32 which is motor driven in a manner that is well known in so-called rotary telephone exchange systems. For example, this clutch mechanism is similar to clutch mechanisms already in use and comprises a thin flexible gear 33 fixed to the lower end of stub shaft 25.

A gear S5 is secured on shaft 32 to rotate therewith and to mesh with flexible gear 33 which may however be iiexed to disconnect it from gear 35. Gear 35 may be in the form of a thin disk and may be mounted between two st'ff disks only one of which, the disk 35 beneath the gear, is indicated. The iiexible gear 33 is biassed to engage disk 35. Said flexible gear clutch is controlled by a clutch magnet 3'! mounted on a flange of bracket 26 with its pivoted armature 38 at the bottom thereof. An arm 39 extends from the armature to a point beneath the flexible gear 33 near the point of engagement of the two gears, and when moved upwardly by a suitable spring el! will flex gear 33 out of mesh with gear 35. Upon energization of the magnet, for example as a result of starting a call or dialing, the armature arm 39 will be swung downwardly against the action of the spring 40 and the flexible gear 33 will mesh with driving gear 35, thus causing movement of belt 2li and reciprocaticn of the brush carriage, the brushes acting under control of usual brush spreaders.

The flat terminal bank I8 is mounted between vertical frame elements All and @2 to which casing ends or frame members I2 and I3, respectively, are secured. Other banks I3 may be mounted above and below the bank shown in Figure l, and by merely turning the banks, the brush carriages and the driving means of a unit upside-down all of these parts could be used on the opposite side of the bay. If the gear 35 were used to drive a unit on the side of the bay opposite to that shown to be in use in Figure l, the pulley 24 would be above they associated exible gear 33 and Athe corre sponding banks I3 at opposite sides of the ba?,7 would be at different levels.

The belt 2e may be made of textile strandsv woven or braided in the desired shape and impregnated with suitable material such as neoprene.

According to the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the brush carriage IU includes a plate l5 at the rear in Figs. 1 and 2 and at opposite ends thereof forwardly turned upper brackets 66 with bearings 4l slidable on the upper guide I I, and lower brackets 48 with bearings 41 slidable on the lower guide II. Supported on the upper edges of lower brackets 48 is a plate e9 having at its edges anges extending downwardly along the outer faces of said lower brackets and secured to these brackets by suitable means such as bolts.

Passing downwardly through a suitable opening in plate 49 is the lower end of a bushing 5l) which has a collar 5I resting on the upper face of the plate. At the lower side of the plate i9 the bushing 50 is provided with means to prevent withdrawal from the opening in plate 49 and to hold it against turning.

Rotatably mounted on said bushing 5i! above said collar 5I is a rotatable clutch member or clover leaf 52 in the form of a solid disk of suitable material with a central bore to receive the upper part of said bushing 5B and three beltengaging lobes 53. These lobes have cylindrical surfaces described about the axis of the clover leaf, that is their end surfaces are circular arcs in cross section. The surface parts between the lobes are nearer the axis and may take any shape. Preferably, however, each of these intermediate parts has a plane surface.

Preferably the clover leaf is unyielding. To this end it may be made of hard plastic material, preferably a phenol-formaldehyde condensation product such as is known by the name of Bakelite. It should be understood that the clover leaf may be made up in several parts and of different materials, the essential requirements being that the outer surface portions of the lobes be of suitable material and rigidly supported.

The clutch makes use of a dat belt 2D or one having a fiat surface for engagement by the clover leaf 52. The clover leaf alternately presses the belt 2E! against front and rear stops 5i to drive the brush carriage in one direction or the other. In view of the fact that the clover leaf 2U is unyielding, the stops 54 must be yieldingly mounted. This result may be attained by having the stops rigidly supported on intermediate parts of two flat levers 55 resting on the upper surface ofA plate i353 and pivoted at 55a at one end of the carriage. At the other end of the carriage the levers 55 are urged toward each other by a helical spring 56 of which the tension may be varied by engaging the spring in different notches 5l arranged in inclined lines. Inward movement of levers 55 may be limited by Xed back stops 58 in the form of spring hooks cut out of plate f5.9 and which may exert pressure against opposite faces of the levers. With this arrangement the gripped portions of the belts are always at the same distance from the axis of the clover leaf and the pressure on the belt is uniform.

Mounted in said bushing 5d is the smooth cylindrical body of a bolt 60. At its upper end (Fig. 5), the bolt Si) has a reduced screw threaded portion providing a shoulder. Fitted over said reduced end and clamped against said shoulder is a disk portion of a connector Si in the form of a spider which has three legs 62 extending downwardly from the edge of the disk portion into recesses 63 in the lobes or leaves of the clover leaf 52. This effects a driving connection between the bolt 60 and the clover leaf.

Fixed on the reduced lower end of bolt Si! is a locking disk 54 having six notches or slots E5 (Fig. 4) equally spaced around its circumference corresponding to the six positions assumed by the clover leaf in a complete rotation. The disk Ell land the clover leaf 52 are locked in the difierent positions required by means of a lever or arm @t adapted to enter said notches.

The next matter to be considered is the control or indexing of the clover leal by means including the nat lever or arm 55. Near its upper end, the arm 66 is pivoted at El between the closely adjoining sides of a bracket 555i of which the sides are connected at the top and at the bottom are secured to plate l at opposite sides of a slot' accommodating the arm FS. Below the plate i9 the arm is provided with a projection te adapted to enter properly positioned notches or slots $5 in disk (Sli. Below the projection ESQ` the arin 65 turns rearwardly over the lower guide l l. The arm 5S extends above its pivot 5l and has a forward extension engaged by a spring 'it to move the proiection @Si into one oi" said notches or to urge the arm in that direction.

As shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the arm 5% is provided with pin 'il projecting therethrough. Each of the parts of pin 'ii at opposite sides of the arm G5 projects through an opening in the upturned end of one arm 'i2 of a lever 'it or dat material, said arm extending in a direction generally parallel to the carriage path and being pivoted by means of a screw le passing through perforated ears 75 turned back from. opposite edges of the lever Aarm and secured to plate 1Q by means including' a nut 'le at the top of said plate. Just beyond the ears the lever 'it has a right angle bend, thus providing an l? extending part way across the carriage.

With the carriage moving to the left as indicated in Fig. l, lever arm 'il engages xed part "it attached to the 'frame member i2 and by means of pin 'il moves arm @il out of the notch or slot 65 of disk Gti to free the clover leaf. At the same time an indexing edge 'i5 or" arm 5S enters a slot 8i? in lower guide rod l l attached to the selector frame and on which lower bearings il supporting the brush carriage slide. After lever arm il has shifted arm @t out of slot it encounters bumper Si on the brush carriage, thus stopping the movement of the brush carriage il] and causes the clover leaf 52 to rotate in the direction or" movement of that side of the belt.

In due course the next preceding lobe or leaic 53 of the clover leaf 52 will engage the other reach of belt 2@ and force it against the opposite stop 54. The brush carriage starts to move in the opposite direction when the friction becomes greater than between the belt and the other stop. The brush carriage ill is free to move a. short distance before the indexing edge 'lil hits the outgoing edge of slot t@ in lower guide ll. Projection 5l? of arm rubs on the smooth edge of disk til between slots or notches 65 and holds the indexing edge 'it in slot 8S.

The brush carriage it is, therefore, stopped until disk 6@ rotates a sufficient distance to place the next slot i5 directly opposite the projection 59 of arm E5, in which position the clover leaf 52 is properly indexed and does not rub the belt on the free side. ne surfaces of the indexing edge i9 and of slot St are suitably inclined and, together with spring le, force said projection into the corresponding slot 5E, thus disengaging arm E6 from said lower guide I l.- The brush carriage then travels to the opposite side of the selector where the corresponding lever arm strikes an abutment 'I8 and the brush carriage is reversed in the same manner, thus repeating a cycle.

As already set forth, the upper end of lever or arm 6i? is held in position by the bracket 68. To hold said arm 65 is position at its lower end, use may be made of rollers 33 engaging the arm at opposite sides.

it should be understood that various changes may be made and that various features may be used without others, without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

N hat isy claimed is:

l. In a selector, the combination of a reciprocatory brush carriage, and means for reciprocating said ca riage including an endless belt with two opposi Jyroving parallel reaches, a clutch on said carriage including a device between said c reaches shifted each end of the carriage pa h for clutching said reaches alternately, and a member on carriage said reaches having three eoually spaced bel, engagire portions, and being shifted at each inward movement oi said stops.

3. The combination according claim` 2 wherein .said stops are mounted on levers pivote-d at one end of the carriage and connected at the other end of the carriage by a spring.

4. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said rotatable device is disk of hard plastic freely mounted on a pivot and having three equally spaced belt engaging nortions with part cylindrical surfaces described about the axis depression therebetween, the peripheral dimension of said surfaces being such that before one portion separates from a reach the next portion in advance will engage the other reach.

5. In a selector, the combination of a reciprocatory brush carriage, carriage-supporting means including a guide extending along said path and having transverse slots at its ends. an endless belt with two oppositely moving reaches, a rotatable three-lobe clutc l `amber on said carriage between said reaches and shiitable by said belt from one reach to Jhe other, stops te support said belt when engaged by one of said lobes, a disk with six radial slots aound its edge connected to said rotatable clutch member, a lever pivoted or. said carriage to enter a disk slot and vacate a guide slot and vice versa, spring means urging said lever to enter a disk slot, and means eiective at either end of the carriage path to withdraw the lever Afrom a disk slot, the edge of the disk holding the lever ut until the next disk slot is reached.

The combination according to claim 5 wheresaid rotatable clutch member is rigid and said stops are yieldably drawn toward each other.

'7. The combination according to claim 5 wherein said rotatable clutch member is of hard plastic, said stops are mounted on levers pivoted at one end of the carriage and connected at the other end by a tension spring hooked into notches arranged in inclined lines on the corresponding lever ends.

8. The combination according to claim wherein there is a hollow bushing on said carriage and having a collar whereby said rotatable clutch member may be placed on the upper part of said bushing, a bolt rotatable in said bushing and having at the top a reduced threaded portion, a spider with a disk ixed on the reduced portion of said bolt and legs extending into openings in the lobes of said rotatable member, and means connecting the lower end of said bolt to said slotted-edge disk.

9. rEhe combination according to claim 5 wherein the edge of said arm Where it enters said slots in the guide is beveled at both sides and the inner faces of the slots in said guides are inclined to assist in shifting said arm out of said slots in the guide and into a slot in said disk.

10. In a selector the combination of a reciprocatory brush carriage and means for reciprocating said carriage including an endless belt with two oppositely'movable parallel reaches, a clutch on said carriage including a device between said reaches shifted at each end of the carriage path cating said carriage including an endless belt 4 with two oppositely movable parallel reaches, a clutch on said carriage including a device between said reaches shifted at each end of the carriage path for clutching said reaches alternately, said device being rotatable and having three belt-engaging portions advanced step-bystep by the belt for alternate engagement with said reaches, and mechanism for positively locking said device in belt-clutching condition during travel of the carriage in either direction, said mechanism including a disk with siX equally spaced slots at its edge, a pivoted arm adapted to enter one of said slots when opposite the same and lock said rotatable device, and means urging said arm toward the axis of said disk.

12. In a selector the combination of a reciprocatory brush carriage, means for reciprocating said carriage including an endless belt with two oppositely movable parallel reaches, a clutch on said carriage including a device between said reaches shifted at each end of the carriage path for clutching said reaches alternately, a locking member positively engageable with said device in beltclutching condition during travel of the carriage in either direction, means for inactivating said locking member as the carriage approaches an end of its path and for again activating said member upon completion oi the shifting of said device, and means including said locking member for locking the carriage against movement until the shifting of said device is completed.

GERALD DEAKIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,774,356 Cloud Aug. 26, 1930 2,224,431 Heginbotham et al. Dec. 10, 194() 2,412,079 Brustowsky Dec, 3, 1946 2,415,233 Brustowsky Feb. 14, 1947

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