US1363806A - Regulator for dynamo-electric machines - Google Patents

Description

W. B MOSES.

REGULATOR FOR DYNAMO ELECTRIC MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 18, 1915.

Patented Dee. 28,1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM B. MOSES, OF IBROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSI GN 'OR TQ GRAY 8a DAVIS INC., OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

REGULATOR FOR DYNAMIC-ELECTRIC MACHINES.

ing devices. t

is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a device of the above-said character which shall be compact and slmple in construction yet efficient and reliable in its operation.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of simple and durable means suitable for use upon automobiles or the like,

by movement of the other- Other objects will be in part obvious and in part specifically pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in various features of construction; combinations of elements and arrangements of parts which will, be exemplified by the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown one of the various possible embodiments of the invention:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a cutout and regulator device embodying certain features of the invention. The cover is removed to more clearly disclose the interior construcso tion.

Fig.2 is a diagrammatic view of the de- Speeification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 18, 1915. Serial No. 56,475.

V vice shown in Fig. 1 showing further the generator, battery, lamps and electrical circuits comprised by the system.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the different views, there is indicated at 1 a base or support provided with side walls 2 and 3 and adapted to receii e a cover (not shown). Mounted 'upon the base 1 and insulated therefrom is a T-shaped auxiliary support 4: of iron or other suitable magnetic material. The stem 5 of the T member is perforated to receive and support a core 6 which latter has mounted upon it the wire wound spools 7 and 8 respectively on opposite sides of the stem 5. The cross-bar of the T member has its opposite ends turned inwardly, and riveted to these ends respectively are flexible strips of conducting material 9 and 10. These strips in turn carry armatures of rigid material designated as 11 and 12. The armature 11 extends transversely opposite one end of the core 6 and the armature 12 has a similar location relatively to the other end of the core. A flexible arm 13 is rigidly and electrically connected to the strip or hinge 9 and carries the movable contact 14 which has a cooperative association with a fixed contact 15, the latter being supported and insulated from the cross-bar of the auxiliary support. A yoke 16 is also secured to the hinge 9-and is formed with fingers 17 and 18 which alternately bear on opposite sides of the contact carrier 13 in a manner and for purposes which will be hereinafter set forth. The yoke 16' has a third finger 19 which coacts with the fixed angle piece 20 to provide a stop for limiting the outward movement of the armature 11.

The armature hinge 10 has likewise rigidly supported thereon a flexible arm 2l carrying the movable contact 22 which has a cooperative association with the fixed contact 23. The latter is supported by and insulated from the cross-bar of the auxiliary support 4. A rigid arm 24 is mountedon the hinge 10 and is formed with a finger 25 normally arrangeda short distance out of contact with the flexible spring arm 21. The latter is flexed normally to. cause the unduly adhere thereby insuring separation of the contacts as intended.

The contacts 14 and 15 are normally apart,

the flexible arm 13 being held away by the finger 17 of the yoke 16 thereby preventing f accidental closing of the contacts due to I unintentional movement of the arm 13 as by shock or j ar of the instrument. Upon movement of the armature 11 throughout the early part of, its range the contact 14 is moved against the contact 15. Further movement of the armature flexes the spring arm 13 and causes substantial pressure upon the contacts. Still further movement of the armature brings the. finger 18 to bear firmly on the arm 13 thereby limiting further movement of the armature. The movement of the armature through the final angle of its-range carries the finger 17 slightly away from the arm 13 and therefore the armature may move back and forth through a small angle without disturbing the contact relationship of the points14 and 15.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that both sets of contacts have a wiping action and that the cutout switch is safeguarded against the'making or breaking of the points due to vibrations caused by the conditions of the service,

A regulator magnet is provided by winding the spool 8 with many turns of fine wire 26 and a cutout switchmag net is provided by winding the spool 7 with a large number of turns of fine winding 27 and a smaller number of turns of coarsewinding 28 the functions of which will be hereinafter explained.

For the purpose of varying the gap be tween each armature and its magnet a headed screw 29 of magnetic material is threaded into the core 6 at each end. A

check nut 30 serves to bind a turn of spring wire 31 firmly .in position and this wire has an extended loop 32 adapted to engage with the knurls 33 of the head 34 of the screw. As

the screw is rotated the longitudinal position l .of the head -.is varied and thesame is held in adjusted position by the engagement of th spring wire loop 32 with the head.

Upon the side walls of the casing there i are provided three insulated terminals 35.

36, 37, and a grounded terminal 38. =The wiring .to and from these terminals will be apparent upon a consideration of Fig. Referring to the diagram shown in Fig. 2

a generator is indicated at 39 having a shunt field 40, a storage battery at 41 and a lamp circuit at 42. At 43 is shown a resistance connected betweenthe terminals 36 and 37 adapted to be cut in and out of the field cir cuit as the regulator contact points open and close.

It is to be understood that this invention finds a special application to the lighting system of an automobile and while obviously it may be adapted to various other devices its operation will be described with respect to .Upon starting the engine to which is connected the generator armature, current is supplied to the field winding 40 through a field circuit as follows: from the positive brush, as indicated, through the field winding 40, wire 45, terminal 36, wire 46, contacts 23 and 22, spring strip 21, hinge 10, the cross-bar of the auxiliary support as far as which is electrically connected with the core,

through wire 47 to the terminal 37 and thence through the wire 48 to the negative brush. The positive brush of the generator is grounded as indicated at49 and a circuit is also established through the grounded terminal 38, conductor 50, potential coil 27, return wires 47 and 48, to the negative brush.

As thegenerator output increases due to building up with increase in speed of the engine the potential coil 27 is strengthened until the armature 11 is attracted and the spring arm 13 moved to close the contact points of the automatic switch. Further attraction of the armature flexes the arm, exerting substantial pressure on the points and acts upon the armature to cause it. to move the yok e finger 18 against the arm thereby insuring good contact at the points. It is to be noted that there may be'a drop in potential from this point without opening the contacts, as hereinbefore explained. A small current in the series coil 28 which flows normally in the field circuit assists the potential coil 27 in its action. With the automatic switch closed, the battery and lamps are included in the generator circuit, the lamp circuit being as follows: from positive generator brush to ground to lamps 42, conductor 51, terminal 35, wire 52, contact points 15 and 14, arm 13, hinge 9, the cross-bar of the auxiliary support as far as the stem 5,

the stem 5, through the stem 5 to the core From the grounded terminal 38 a conductor 53 extends to one end of the potential coil 26. The other end of this coil connects with the terminal 37 through a conductor 54, and the common negative armature wire 48 completes this circuit through the armature to ground. As the generator output in- Y creases to a predetermined point considered safe or desirable for the battery circuit the potential winding 26 is energized to attract the armature 12 sufliciently to open the contact points 22 and 28 and direct the field current through the resistance 43. The field strength is thereby decreased reducing the output of the generator for a given speed. which reduction reflecting on the regulator potential coil reduces the strength of the magnet and permits the contacts 22 and 23 to close restoring the original circuit. The contact 22 is therefore vibratory in its action the periodicity of the vibrations being longer or shorter accordingly as the generator is driven at very high or only moderately high speeds.

It is undesirable to permit the generator voltage to continue below that of the battery while the latter is included in the circuit and this invention provides improved means centering about the automatic switch for cutting the battery out when its tendency is to discharge and motorize the generator. A slight excess of battery voltage over the generator voltage causes a small reverse current to flow through the series coil 28 which bucks the action of the potential coil 27 tending to deenergize the switch magnet and permitting the spring hinge 9 to open the contact points. The battery and lamps are by this means cut out of the generator circuit. It is to be noted that if for example, a 6 volt battery is employed and the apparatus designed to close the automatic switch at a generator voltage of 8 volts, the switch will not open until the generator voltage drops below the battery voltage, that is, below 6 volts.

As the battery voltage opposes that of the generator it will be obvious that a taper charge of the battery is automatically effected. The resistance of the battery being 'less when partially exhausted than when small amount of winding are employed matacts, movable regulator and cut-out con- The stem 5 operates to magnetically bifurcate the instrument and eliminates the possibility of current regulation while at the same time a single core and comparatively terially reducing the cost of manufacture.

vAs many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. I 2

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described, in combination, a support having tWo armatures flexibly mounted thereon, an electromagnet cooperatively associated with said armatures, fixed regulator and cut-out contacts carried by flexible arms extending from said armatures respectively, and a controller arm for the flexible arm of the cutout contacts comprising means for holding the cut-out contacts in firm engagement and means for providing a substantially positive release, said last means being adapted to permit a range of movement of the corresponding armature before acting to release.

2. In a device of the character described in combination, a casing having terminals, a T-shaped support arranged within said casing, a core fastened through the stem of the T-support, armatures spring supported respectively from each end of the cross-bar of the T-support, a compound winding about the core on one side of said stem, a potential winding about the core on the opposite side of said stem, circuit controlling contacts operated by said armatures, and electric conductors for connecting the contacts and windings with said terminals.

8. In a device of the character described in combination, a casing having terminals, a T-shaped support arranged. within said casing, a core fastened through the stem of the T support, armatures spring supported respectively from each end of the cross-bar of the T support, a compound winding about the core on one side ofsaid stem, a potential winding about the core on the opposite side of said stem, circuit controlling contacts operated by said armatures, adjustable means for varying the magnetic value of the gaps between said core and said armatures, and electric conductors for connecting the contacts and windings with said terminals.

i. In a device of the" character described in combination, a casing having terminals, a T-shaped support arranged within said casing, a core fastened through the stem of the between said core and said armatures, means for retaining said last means in adjusted po- 10 sition, and electric conductors for connecting the contacts and windings with said terminals.

Signed at Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, this 15 ninth day of October, A. D. 1915..

WILLIAM B. MOSESL

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