US3155783A

US3155783A - Switch and commutator type programming device

Info

Publication number: US3155783A
Application number: US215850A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wendell E Wilson; George H Doberstein; Edmund B O'neill; Chris A Healey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-08-09
Filing date: 1962-08-09
Publication date: 1964-11-03
Anticipated expiration: 1981-11-03

Description

Nov. 3, 1964 W. E. WILSON ETAL SWITCH AND COMMUTATOR TYPE PROGRAMMING DEVICE Filed Aug 9, 1962 INVENTORS WE N DELL E. SON GEORGE H.008 STE/N -36 EDMUND B. o'us:

cums AJ-IEA y FILE. 5 kw 13M United States Patent "ce 3,155,783 SWITCH AND QOMMUTATGR TYPE PRGGRAMMENG DEVICE Wendell E. Wiison, Minneapolis, Minn, George H. Doherstein, 9906 Chicago Ave., Minneapolis 20, Minn, Edmund B. QNeill, Hopkins, Minn, and Chris A. Healey, Minneapolis, Minn, assiguors, hy mesne assignments, to George H. Doherstein, Minneapoiis, Minn.

Filed Aug. 9, 1962, er. No. 215,850 Qlairns. (Ci. zoo-2s The present invention has relation to programming devices and more particularly to a rotating drum type programmer utilizing two peripheral rows of commutator bars arranged in axially aligned pairs of bars and having a separate switch between each pair of bars so that the individual pairs can be selectively electrically con nected or insulated from each other.

In a device made according to the present invention, a drum having a plurality of axially alined, spaced pairs of commutator bars on the outer surface thereof is rotatably mounted and adapted to be driven at a given rate of rotation. The pairs of commutator bars are arranged in two separate peripheral rows and spaced evenly around the outer periphery of the drum. A separate switch is positioned between the two axially aligned bars of each pair of commutator bars and is movable from position wherein the commutator bars of its respective pair are electrically connected to position wherein the commutator bars of the pair are insulated from each other.

A separate brush or wiper is positioned to independently contact each of the peripheral rows of commutator bars on the outer surface of the drum as the drum rotates. The wipers or brushes are also axially alined with respect to the drum so that each wiper contacts a separate commutator bar of each pair simultaneously. Thus with the switch between the pairs of commutator bars in position to electrically connect the bars of a pair there will be an electrical contact through the wipers, commutator bars and switch. A circuit wired through the wipers is closed when the wipers contact the connected pair of bars to cause a certain or given event to happen. As the drum rotates, the electrically connected commutator bars will move away from the wipers and the circuit connected through the wipers will no longer be completed through the original pair of bars.

By having a plurality of pairs of commutator bars evenly spaced around the outer periphery of the drum and arranged in peripheral rows as well as a plurality of switches for selectively, electrically connecting the two bars of each pair, a given sequence of operation can be programmed. A controlled circuit can be closed or opened for any predetermined length of time and with any desired frequency.

It is an object of the present invention to present a rotary programmer wherein the frequency and period of the programmed signal is easily changed.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a programming device made according to the present invention enclosed in an outer cabinet;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken as on line 2-2 in FIG. 1 and includes a partial schematic diagram of a programmed circuit utilized with the device of the invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken as on line 33 in FIG. 2 illustrating a contactor switch in an on position;

FIG. 4 is a view taken substantially on the same line as FIG. 3 with a switch in an ofi position; and

FIG. 5 is a view taken as on line 5-5 in FIG. 2

3,155,783 Patented Nov. 3, 1964 showing pair of brushes or wipers utilized with the device of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings and numerals of reference thereon, an industrial programmer device illustrated generally at 10 includes an outer cabinet 11 that has a shaft 12 rotatably mounted therein. An electric motor 13 drives shaft I12 and is connected through electric lines 14 to a suitable source of electric power (not shown). A plurality of programming drum assemblies 15, as shown in FIG. 2, are mounted on shaft 12. Each of the drums is fastened to the shaft with a separate key 1.6. Thus as the motor 13 turns shaft 12, the drums will rotate in direction as indicated by arrow 17.

The drum assemblies each have a center web 29 and a pair of integral annular outer ring members 21. The ring members 21 are positioned on opposite sides of the web 29. A plurality of commutator bars 23 are evenly spaced around the outer periphery of each of the ring members 21. The bars thus make two rows around the periphery of the drum. The commutator bars are electrical conductors and the outer surfaces of the bars are raised from the surface of the ring members. The bars are arranged in axially aligned, spaced pairs and are also annularly spaced apart and insulated from each other. in a conventional or usual application there will be sixty commutator bars spaced in a row around the periphery of each of the ring members 21 and together the rows form (iii pairs of commutator bars.

A separate connector insert 24 is joined electrically to each of the commutator bars. A separate radially extending opening 25 is defined in the drum between the commutator bars of each pair. Each of the connector inserts is open to the radial opening aligned with it. Thus the connector inserts are also axially alined in pairs and are facing each other on opposite sides of the radial opening 25 with which they are associated.

A separate switch plug assembly 26 is radially slidably mounted in each of the radial openings 25. The switch plugs include recessed portions 27 in which a metal spring contactor 23 is positioned. The spring contactor 28 is fixed with respect to the switch plug in the lower area of the plug, as at 31. The legs of each of the spring contactors 28 are electrically connected together and are normally biased to move outwardly in direction as indicated :by arrows 32.

A pair of annular ring

type stop members

33, 33 are integral with the web 20 and project into each of the radial openings 25. The stop members serve to prevent he switch plugs 26 from going radially inwardly too As seen in FIG. 3 when a switch plug 26 is pushed down against stop members 33, the outer ends of its spring contactor 2S slip into provided detents 34 in the connector inserts. Thus there is an electrical connection from one of the commutator bars 23 to the other of the commutator bars 23 of the corresponding pair.

When a switch plug 26 is pulled outwardly as shown in FIG. 4, the outer ends of the spring contactor are positioned in detents 35 provided along the interior surfaces of each of the radial openings 25. The spring contactor no longer contacts the connector inserts and thus the commutator bars of the pair are insulated from each other and there is no longer an electrical connection therebetweeu.

Electrical signals are carried from the commutator bars through provided wipers or brushes 36. A separate wiper or brush 36 rides on each of the annular rows of commutator bars. The wipers or brushes are exactly axially aligned also, so that when a first of said brushes is contacting one of the commutator bars of a pair, the second of said brushes is contacting the other commutator bar of the pair. Thus when the connector plug is pushed s eaves inwardly to its closed position, there is an electrical connection through the plug and bars to the brushes.

The brushes 36 are further insulated from each other, and are connected through a junction block 37 independently to separate wires, such as those at 40.

As can be seen, the wires dill can be connected through a battery or source of electromotive force 41 to a solenoid 42 that can operate a switch 43 to close an independent circuit and perform a given operation, emit a signal or accomplish some other action to be monitored. A separate end entirely distinct operation can be monitored by each of the drum assemblies and any number of circuits can be operated simultaneously by adding extra drum assemblies to the programming device. The drums can be rotated at substantially any desired speed up to 60 r.p.m. Up to 30 on-off cycles per drum revolution per circuit can be obtained in the form as shown, with sixty connecter plugs around the periphery of the drum.

The frequency of o-n-off cycles can be easily controlled by moving a suitable number of connector plugs to either the on or the ofi position, as desired. In the on position the spring contactors create a connection between opposite ones of the pairs of commutator bars and an electrical circuit is completed when the wiper brushes contact the commutator bars of the pair. The brushes are made so that there is a continuous contact from one commutator bar to the next commutator bar in each annular row as the drum rotates in order to prevent arcing. If two adjacent switch plugs 26 are in the on position, there would be an uninterrupted circuit as the drum rotated across these two bars. This is accomplished by staggering the individual elements 44 of the brushes 36, as shown in FIG. 5.

In the form of the invention as shown, the contact plugs are manually operated, although they can be adapted to be automatically operated through the use of solenoids or similar mechanism. Thus a program on the drum could be changed automatically to suit varying conditions of the programmed system.

Operation As an example of operation of the device, it can be assumed that the drums are being driven by motor 13 at the rate of one revolution per hour. With sixty pairs of commutator bars around the periphery of the drum, this would mean that the brushes 36 would be in contact with each of the pairs of the commutator bars for an average time of one minute. Thus if there is a pro-gram wherein a circuit is to be closed for five minutes and then opened for five minutes, five of the switch plugs are placed in the closed position, then the next five on the periphery of the drum are placed in the off or open position; the next five in the on or closed position, and so on around the periphery of the drum. As the drum rotates, the circuit is completed through the closed switch plugs and then broken when the brushes contact commutator bars which have the switch plugs in the off position.

To change the programming it is necessary only to switch the proper switch plug to its desired position in order to achieve the proper length of time of circuit completion and the frequency with which it is to be com-' pleted.

When the overall length of the cycle is to be changed, it is merely necessary to change the drive gearing or the drive motor to obtain the proper speed of rotation. The device can be useful in. programming chemical processes and other industrial programs, as well as circuitry for use with television and radio receivers.

What is claimed is:

1. A programming device including:

a base,

a drum assembly rotatably mounted on said base,

means for rotating said drum assembly at a predetermined rate,

a plurality of commutator bars fixedly attached to said drum, said commutator bars being arranged to form two separate peripheral rows and a plurality of pairs of commutator bars, said bars each having a brush contacting surface and the surfaces of the bars of each row lying on a continuous peripheral surface around said drum, each of said commutator bars being insulated from the other bars,

a pair of brushes, each of said brushes fixedly mounted with respect to said base in position tobe in sliding contact with the brush contacting surfaces of the bars of one said rows of commutator bars as said drum rotates, said brushes being positioned to simultaneously contact one commutator bar of each pair as said drum rotates, and,

a separate switch positioned between each pair of commutator bars and movable from an on position wherein its corresponding commutator bars are electrically connected to an 05 position wherein its corresponding commutator bars are insulated from each other.

2. The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein said switches are radially slidable from said on position to said oil position.

3. The combination a specified in claim 2 wherein said brushes are of configuration to provide an electrical connection from one commutator bar in each of the rows to the next adjacent bar in the same row as said drum-...

rotates past said brushes.

4. A programming device including:

a base,

a shaft rotatably mounted on said base,

a drive motor positioned to drive said shaft at a predetermined rate of rotation,

at least one programming drum drivably mounted on said shaft, said drum having a central web member and a. pair of ring members integral therewith, each of said ring members being positioned on one side of said web member,

a plurality of commutator bars attached to each of said ring members, said bars having outer brush contacting surfaces lying in a continuous annular surface, and forming two annular rows around the periphery of said rings, one bar of each row being axially alined with one of the bars of the other row to form a plurality of pairs of commutator bars,

said web member of said drum being provided with a plurality of radially projecting openings, each of said openings being positioned between and alined with the two bars of one pair of said commutator bars,

a separate contactor switch slidably mounted in each of said radially projecting openings of said web, said switch being movable from a first position wherein a coutactor element of said switch electrically connects the two commutator bars its associated pair to a second position wherein said commutator bars of its associated pair of .bars are insulated from each other, and

a pair of brushes fixedly mounted with respect to said base, each positioned to contact one annular row of commutator bars, said brushes being axially alined so that they simultaneously contact the two axially alined commutator bars forming each pair.

5. The combination as specified in claim 4 wherein said contactor switches are manually manipulable.

References (Jilted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,980,772 Doberstein Apr. 18, 1961 3,061,692 Fowler, et a1. Oct. 30, 1962

Claims

1. A PROGRAMMING DEVICE INCLUDING: A BASE, A DRUM ASSEMBLY ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID BASE, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID DRUM ASSEMBLY AT A PREDETERMINED RATE, A PLURALITY OF COMMUTATOR BARS FIXEDLY ATTACHED TO SAID DRUM, SAID COMMUTATOR BARS BEING ARRANGED TO FORM TWO SEPARATE PERIPHERAL ROWS AND A PLURALITY OF PAIRS OF COMMUTATOR BARS, SAID BARS EACH HAVING A BRUSH CONTACTING SURFACE AND THE SURFACES OF THE BARS OF EACH ROW LYING ON A CONTINUOUS PERIPHERAL SURFACE AROUND SAID DRUM, EACH OF SAID CUMMUTATOR BARS BEING INSULATED FROM THE OTHER BARS, A PAIR OF BRUSHES, EACH OF SAID BRUSHES FIXEDLY MOUNTED WITH RESPECT TO SAID BASE IN POSITION TO BE IN SLIDING CONTACT WITH THE BRUSH CONTACTING SURFACES OF THE BARS OF ONE SAID ROWS OF COMMUTATOR BARS AS SAID DRUM ROTATES, SAID BRUSHES BEING POSITIONED TO SIMULTANEOUSLY CONTACT ONE COMMUTATOR BAR OF EACH PAIR AS SAID DRUM ROTATES, AND, A SEPARATE SWITCH POSITIONED BETWEEN EACH PAIR OF COMMUTATOR BARS AND MOVABLE FROM AN "ON" POSITION WHEREIN ITS CORRESPONDING COMMUTATOR BARS ARE ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO AN "OFF" POSITION WHEREIN ITS CORRESPONDING COMMUTATOR BARS ARE INSULATED FROM EACH OTHER.