US1422027A - Automatic electric generating unit - Google Patents

Description

w. w. BUCHER.. AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC GENERAUNG UNH.

APPLICATION FILED MARY 20. I9I9. v

Patented July 4, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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UNITED .STATESy PATENT OFFICE.`

WILLIAM W. BCHER, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO KOHLER COMPANY, 0E KOHLER, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC GENERATING UNIT,

Specification of Letters Patent. Patentedl July 4, 1922.

Applicationmed March 2o, 191s. swarm. 283,910.

To all who/m, t may cof/wem:

Be it known that WILLIAM W. BCHER, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county ot' Cook and State of Illinois, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Electric Generating Units, of Which the following is;

a speciiication. y

My invention relates to improvements in self contained automatic electric generating units and it consists more especially of the features hereinafter pointed out in the annexed claims.

Some of the purposes ot my invention are (l) to provide an entirely automatic electric generating unit which supplies current at a normal commercial voltage adaptable to standard accessories Without the necessity of using many cells of storage battery; lthat is self starting without the use of a separate starter; (3) that eliminates the use of large capacity sto-rage cells; (4) that employs a low voltage `current momentarily onA highl voltage service mains to automatically start the system by utilizing` the shunt coil and armature only of a. compound Wound generator of standard voltage rating to cause such generator to` act as a motor and thus start the system; (5) that automatically controls the speed of the engine according to thel fluctuations of load by the manipulation of the eny gine throttle and choker simultaneously; and

(6) that automatically through the intermediary of a governor actuated by the. engine, or by any other means, prevents the generator remaining at low voltage after having been subjected to a low voltage current While being used as a motor to start the engine.

lVith. these and other ends in view I illustrate in the accompanying drawings such instances of adaptation as will disclose the broad underlying principles Without limiting myself to the specific details shown.

Fig. l is a side elevation, from a. photo graph, of a complete self-contained generating unit as employed in actualpractice.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic View of the stopare also shown in dotted lines.

second stages of a start-ing operation. In

this figure the circuits which are not in use Fig. 5 is also a diagrammatic view similar to Fig. 2, showing the third stage of starting, the dead circuits being also desige nated by dotted lines, as in the other gures.

F ig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the full running relation ot the several parts of a complete system, inactive lines being shown by means of dotted lines.

As several fea-tures of this invention are made the subject of separate applications, notably, (1) the .control switch 8; (2) the duplex magnet 28; and (3) the governor 20 in relation to the throttle and choker control, these will not be described in great detail, except in so far as cooperating features are necessary to a. clear understanding of the purpose andthe basically essential parts of my present system. In other applications I have disclosed earlier stages of development Which however do not speciallyl relate to the present disclosure, except as to the broad general ground hereafter referred to. Several improvements which have been made under the exacting demands of actual practice have still further matured the basic ground of these inventions. This ground, among other features, broadly covers a generator of normal high voltage rating, an internal combustion engine for operating the generator, an ignition system for the engine, a. low voltage battery, high voltage service mains, and automatic switching means responsive to the minimum practical demand for current on such mains or to a discontinuance of such demand.

It also comprises a system which is adapted to temporarily use the low voltage battery current on the vhigh voltage service i mains, their accessories, the switch and the high voltage generator to start the system automatically,vand further to stop the" engine andthe system when the demand for current on the service mains ceases.

A further broad purpose, more concisely stated comprises the following features to temporarily use anormal high voltage generatorfconnected to an internal combustion engine-for starting purposes on current from a. low voltage battery, to innnediately thereafter have the generator deliver high voltage current as needed to supply standard voltage. accessories.

Prior efforts in this field have essayed the use of a double ended armature in the gen-` erator, one end for a low voltage starting current and the other end for a high voltage service current. Such a proposal is embodied in my Patent No. 1,332,707, dated March 2, 1920. Under that plan the generator must. be of a special type, making its cost nearly double that of one whose armature is standard throughout..

lllhether one or the other type of generator is used is immaterial, as the broad principle of temporarily using a low voltage current on normal high voltage service mains to set the plant in operation applies to either of the types, or to those in which a separate low voltage starter is used. This ground has been disclosed in practicahtests antecedent to this application.

A differentiating factor which clearly sets this invention apart from other efl'orts disclosed in the prior art` in which compressed air cooperating means have been used, or a battery of the saine voltage as the service voltage of the generator has been employed, is found in the existing current limitation of a single high voltage lamp when subjected to a fractional part of its normal voltage rating, and the inclusion of a control responsive to such limited current by which an electric generating system is set into operation to subsequently supply current to the high voltage accessories at their normal rating, regardless of the specific type of generator that may be used.

Such a system forms the nucleus around which my several related inventions have been developed, and whatever degree of specialization has been attained the fnndamental features play an important role in each of the developing stages.

The terms. high. normal, or standard voltage, for the purpose of this description, designate approximately lll) and il?) volts; and, the term. loiv voltage. for a similar purpose. may mean l volts. or t3 volts, or any practical voltage necessitating the use of va minimum number of cells to complete each starting operation.

lf'or the purpose of this exemplification, the system comprises a self corta-ined unit. without a switch board or other extraneous cooperating devices. ln installing the same,

all that is necessary is to connect the terminals of the generator to existing service mains. connect the cooling system if separately supplied, turn on one of the usual such mains and, in an @ii-- manner the system ivill at lamps found on tirely automatic once supply current to one or more lamps, ctc., up to its full capacity as long as desired and the fuel is fed to the engine. regardless how frequently or infrequently the plant is started and stopped.

'llie engine l supports the generator 2, the governor 2U, the vacuum fuel feeding system 22, the battery charging resistance 25, and it may also support the battery 2G on a suitable projecting shelf. If the battery 26 is not so suppoited it may be placed on the floor anywhere conveniently adjacent the dynamo ln anyevent its socket terminals, not shown. are simply attached to suitable. plug terminals on the switch tl without regard to their polarity, as in practice it has been found `immaterial in what relation the battery is connected.

Generator 2 is provided with the usual end-ring bearing bracket Il. At its other end, next the engine, a supporting spider 4 placed. This is attached to the generator and a casting 5 which encloses the fiy wheel G. This casting is secured to the base of the engine as shown in Fig. l. The engine shaft 7. is also the armature shaft, yet in practice it is usual to have tivo separate shafts joined by an insulating coupling. Above the generator 2 a switch unit 8 is placed.

This switch 8 includes all the operating controls of the electrical part of the system and dispenses with the usual separate sivitch hoard. lt carries a starting magnet 47 and a ruiming magnet lf3, only shown diagramiiiatically in Fig. Q. etc.. and it also supports a duplex magnet QS-G This duplex magnet comprises a fine wire battery starb ing control coil 63 and a coarse wire dynamo ruiming control coil 28. The hat-tery 2li. resist-ance magneto 2l, and thc governor control QT are the only external connections from the sivitch, hut as these are all made in advance in completed plants the pur chaser does not need to givc any attention to them whatever.

'lhe engine is s-:iqiplicd with a carburetor fl and a throttle l!) controls the fuel in the inlet passage 2l. fi choker ll controls the admission of air to the 'arhureteix 'lhc throttle lll and the choker 1l are rcspctively controlled by the governor by links l2 and lil concia-ind to arm let. This arm is pivoted at l5 and a short extension llY cooperates with a dash pot lo to prevent "hunting" Another extension la cai-ries a weight l?) to counter halanci,l the lever system. Such a speed control for widely varying loads might he inelliclenil); uhsti tuted by a voltager coil controlled h. thli dynamo. but it is believed to be much ic:-V dependable than a governor in the handsA of users who are not electricians. Such a substitute would be subject to variable movew ment which in the very nat-ure of things more diicult to control than a connected mechanical speed element. In all of the magnets used in this system variable movement is not used, but instead positive extremes of movement are employed.

The engine spark plugs 23 are served by the magneto 21 over line 79, in any Well known manner, and the cylinder walls are cooled in the usual way b a circulating water system, not shown. The generator 2 is of the compound type, having a series coil 53 and a shunt coil 55. If further compensation is required tor any reason it may be overcompounded by winding 54. Terminals 52 and 56 of the generator serve as outside connections to the switch 8 and battery 26. trom the `series coil 53 to the switch.

lVithout going into. further details the operation of the system will be readily followed from the subsequent description. f In Fig. 2. the stopping relation is shown, in which all the inactive circuits are designated by dotted lines and the one active circuit-the magneto ground connection 71 as a full line. Fig. 3 shows a definite short circuiting, or cutting out of coil 63 as soon as the high voltage of the dynamo comes on, to use the series coil 28 as a protection to 63. In Fig. 2 these coils are shown in parallel connection. Either expedient, or any alternative, will protect the coil 63 from injury.

The first step in starting is to turn on one or more lamps 50, etc., by means of any suitable switches 49. This connects the two service mains 59 and 60 through a very high resistance, if a single lamp is turned on, to the low voltage battery 26. In consequence ot the total resistance of the circuit being high a very small amperage `current will flow over it. This means that the coil 63 must be quite sensitive and its moving parts very responsive in order to control the other parts of the system without failures.

This first step causesv current to iow 'through coil 63 to energize it and shift the bar 38, either through a solenoid acting on a movable core within fixed limits, or otherwise.. In any event the movement is a positive one being limited in both directions without any intermediary positions whatever. The raising of bar 38 from off lower contacts 36 and 37 trees the primary'77 of magneto 21 of its short circuit over line 71 grounded at 81 and rThis leaves the secondary 78 *ice to supply current to the spark plugs 23 over line 79 which is grounded at 80.

The circuit of this initial starting control current may be traced by following the full lines shown in Fig. 4, from the battery 26, past junction 29. line 61, past junction 30 to lower contact 31 of the iunning magnet 43, over the bar 39.` onto pigtail 32, line 62 to coil 63, thence past junction 48, onto A separate connection 67 leadsl established.

service main 59, switch 49, lamp 50, service main 60 to junction 51, line 64 to junction 52 and thence by line 65 back to the battery.

The next starting step is to energize the starting magnet 47. This is done by magnet 63 moving the bar 38 to its extreme upward position Where it connects contacts 34 and 35. This places the starting magnet 47 in circuit with the battery 26 over the following line, Fig. 4. In tracing this line it is well to again start Jfrom the battery 26, passing junction 29, over line 61, past junction 30 to contact 31, bar 39 to contact 33, line 7 6, to governor control 27 and back over line to upper contact 34, bar 38, contact 35; to starting magnet 47 over line 70; line 74, past junction 57 to line 72, past junctions 51 and 52 on line 64; thence back to the battery over line 65.

The third stage, shown in Fig. 5 follows the first two so rapidly that, to all appear'- ances the results occur at the same moment. This stage is controlled by the starting magnet 47 which brings its bar 44 against contacts 45 and 46 to close ay circuit from the battery 26 to the generator 2, to set the engine in operation. The heavy current on this circuit leaves the positive side of the battery 26, passing junction 29 on line 61. branching olli' at junction 30 to reach contact 46, thence over bar 44, contact 45, line 68 to dynamo terminal 56, from Whe-re only the armature and shunt field 55 are traversed, joining at 52 to return to the battery over 65. v

The system is now in operation. The heavy battery current has used the dynamo as a motor to start the engine which is supplied with ignition current from theV magneto 21, shown in Fig. 5. It should be rep'ated that the series field 53 has not been used so far in the starting operation, but dependence has been placed entirely on the armature and the shunt field 55 of the dy namo.

As soon as the dynamo 2 operates at its rated voltage, after the governor 2O has opened circuit 75 and 76 at 27, Fig. 6, running magnet 43 comes into action through current supplied by the dynamo, independently of any Contact bars, etc., Whatever. It is connected at 57 to line 72, junction 51, line 64, and terminal 52 of the generator 2. The other side of the circuit leads trom the magnet to junction 58 of line 67, thence over the series field 53 of the dynamo to the other dynamo terminal 56. i

The energizing of running magnet 43 shifts bar 39 from off the lower contacts 31 and 33 tothe upper contacts 40, 41 and 42 and the running circuit shown in Fig. 6 is Vproceeding through series coil 53, line 67 to junction 58, contact 40, bar 39, contact 41,

In tracing this circuit a startline 69 to the running contro magnet Q8, where the presence of its current ctiect causes the magnet to continue to hold bar 8S raised, regardless of load fluctuations, so as to keep the system in operation by not permitting the magneto to become grounded. From the. magnet 28 it leads through service line 59, closed switches l), lamps 50, or other accessories, to the returning service main GO, past junction 5l to line (54 and the other terminal ot' the generator armature and shunt iield 55.

At the same time that the generator i2 is supplying service mains 59 and t3() with high voltage current it is also automatically recharging the battery 26 over the following circuit which is simply identiied by successive numerals, without naming the lines or junctions. From terminal 5G, touching 53. GT, 4 0. 39, 42, T3, resistance 25. 66, 29, battery 26. (S5, and 52 back to the generator.

.As shown inFig. (i, current from the dynamo at high voltage divides on bar 39, anextremely small part going over pigtail 32, line (52 to magnet (i3, rejoining the heavy current that branched oil' at contact il onto line (59 and magnet 2S, at 48 leading to the service main 59. Because of this connection and the relative resistances ot the coils t28 and 63 being ot the order .O75 to 445 respectively, practically all current is cut ott from coil .63, thus protecting it against the injurious effects ot' overheating without using any contacts that are subject to arcing as would be the case if a direct cut out was employed. These two mag-- nets, 28 and 63 are jointly called a duplex magnet 28--63.

As instanced in Fig. 3, the dynamo current coming to 40, over G7 follows 39, Lil, (39 past junction 83, and coil 28 to the service main 59. rl`his also practically cuts out coil 63 without the use of arcing contacts. This figure shows the junction S3 in advance of the coil .2863 instead ot' at 4S, beyond the coils as shown in Fig. 6. The initial energizing circuit for coil 63, tree from all the other circuits is shown in Fig. 3 by dotted arrows. The pig-tail 32 remains in permanent connection with the bar 39 regardless'of the position of the bar.

1What I claim is-- l. In combination with a gas engine operated generator, a storage battery and service mains, a control switch having a line winding in circuit with the battery and the mains in order to be energized by a service demand, an engine ignition means in a circuit controlled by the control switch, a starting switch having a winding in a circuit also controlled by the control switch, a governor operated switch included in the last mentioned circuit, a motor circuit including the battery and the generator as a motor and controlled by the motor starting switch,

a main switch having a winding connected in circuit with the generator and energized when the generator is driven by the engine, said control switch having a. coarse wire winding in circuit with the mains and the generator and controlled by the main switch, said main switch having anvinterlock included in the starting switch winding circuit, and a charging resistance in circuit with the battery and the generator and controlled the main switch.

2. ln combination with a gas englnc operated generator, a storage battery and service mains, a control switch having a line winding in circuit with the battery and the mains in order to be energized by a service demand, an engine ignition means in a circuit controlled by the control switch, a starting switch having a winding' in a circuil also controlled by the control switch, a governor operated switch included in the last mentioned circuit, a motor circuit including the battery and the generator as a motor and controlled by the motor starting switch, a main switch having a winding connected in circuit with the generator and energized when the generator is driven by the engine, said control switch having a coarse wire winding in circuit with the mains and the generator and controlled by the main switch, said main switch having an interlock included in the starting switch winding circuit, and a charging circuit controlled by the main switch and including the battery and the generator.

3. ln combination with a gas engine operated generator, a storage battery and service mains, a control switch having a line winding in. circuit with the battery and the mains in order to be energized by a servici` demand, an engine ignition means in a circuit controlled by the control switch, a starting switch having a winding in a circuit also controlled by the control switch, a governor operated switch included in the last mentioned circuit, a motor circuit including thebattery and the generator' as a motor and controlled by the motor starting switch, and a main switch having a winding connected in circuit with the generator and energized when the generator is driven by the engine, said control switch having a coarse wire winding in circuit with the mains and the generator and controlled by the main switch, said main switch haring an interlock included in the starting switch winding circuit.

4. In combination with a gas engine operated generator. a storage battery and service mains, a control switch having a fine winding in circuit with the battery and the mains in order to be energized by a service demand, an engine ignition means in a circuit controlled by the control switch, a starting switch having a winding in a circuit also ated generator, a storage battery and service mains, a control switch, having a tine winding in circuit with the battery and Athe nia-Ins in order to be energized by a service demand, an engine ignition meansin a circuit controlled by the control switch, a starting switch having a winding in a circuit also controlled bythe control switch, a motor circuit including the batteryand the genera; tor as a motor and controlled by the motor starting switch, and a main switch having a winding connected in circuit `with the generator and energized when the generator is driven bythe engine, said control switch having a coarse wire winding in circuit with the mains and the generator and controlled by the main switch said main switch having an interlock included in the starting switch winding circuit.

6. In combination'with a gas engine oper-l ated compound wound generator and-storage battery and service mains a control switchV havingavfme winding in circuit withthe bat` tery and the mains 1n order to be energized by a service demand, anengine ignition means in a circuit controlled by the control switch, a starting switch having a winding in a circuit also controlled by the control switch, aT

governor `operated switch. included in the last mentioned circuit, a starting circuit including the battery and the armature and shunt yfield winding of .the generator for operating the generator as a motor and conf trolled by the motor starting switch, a main switch having a winding connected in circuit with the armature and series field winding of the generator and energized when the generator is driven by the engine, saidy Icontrol switch having a coarse wire winding in fcircuit with themains and thearmature and series field winding o the generator and con- ,trolled by the main switch, said main switch also having an interlocli included in the p starting switch winding circuit, and a chargy.

ing reslstance in circuit with the battery-and the armature and series field winding of the generator and controlled by the main switch.

7. *In automatic control switches for gas engine operated generator plants. a conti-ol switch Serving both as a starting and running control, a battery supplying initial current to the control switch magnet, a starting switch set into operation by the control switch, a supplemental governor control for the starting switch magnet, an engine `ignition circuit made operative and inoperative by the control switch, a main switch, a generator connected to the magnet thereof, service mains supplied by' the generator,

.means controlled b y the main switch to maintain the control switch in operated position so long as current is delivered to the sei'vice mains by the generator and means operated by the main switch to cause the battery to be charged from the generator.

8. In combination with a gas engine operated generatory and its mains, a'control switch serving both as a starting and runningk control a battery supplying initial current to the control switch magnet through the mains, a starting switch set into operation by the control switch a Supplemental governor control for the starting switch,an

engine ignition circuit made operative and inoperative by the control switch a main switch, thev generator being connected to the magnet thereof and connected to the senvice mains throughthe main' switch,y means controlled by the main switch towmaintain the control switch in operated position so long as current is delivered to the service mains by the generator, and means operated by the main switch to cause the battery to be chargred from the generator.

j 9. .n combination with a gas operated generator and its mains, a control, switch lserving both as a starting and running control, a battery supplying initial current tc the control switch magnet through the mainsl a starting switch set'into operation Vby the control switch,` a supplemental governor control for the starting switch, an engine ignition circuit made operative and inoperative by the controlswitch, a main switch,

the generator being connected to themagnet thereof and connected to the service mains through the main switch, andv means controlled by the mainvswitch to maintain the control switch in operated positionso long as current isdelivered mains by the generator. A

n In testimony whereof I affix il 5 WILLIAM to the service.

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