US1529220A - Electric controller - Google Patents

Description

March 10. 1925.

C. S. SCHROEDER ELEGTRI'C CONTROLLER 1921 2 SheetsLSheet l Filed 001,. 28

Mart-2h10. 1925. A 1,529,220

c. s. SCHROEDER l ELECTRIC CONTROLLER Filed Oct. 28, 3921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Tru-l... I

j 75l,6 1/0 '/5 3939 om 42 3 Y 4 I v l; A 6( i" I nlllll` lli f 405 f x 2 'l n 34 HOUNLIS Patented Mar. 10, 1925.

UNiTED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES S. SCHROEDER, 0F STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE YALE & TOWNE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC CONTROLLER.'

Application led October 28, 1921.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. SCHROEDER,

of Stamford, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Controllers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, suoli as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in electric controllers and more particularly to that of the drum type,-one object of the invention being to provide a controller construction which shall be durable and coinpact and which will lend itself conveniently for use in the space available to receive it on a motor vehicle, particularly on an indus-v trial truck or tractor.

A further object is to so construct the drum of the controller that either half therep of may be readily removed to facilitate inspection or repair.

A further object is to improve the construction and operating means of the cutinvention consists in certain novel featuresv of construction and combinations and arrangements ofparts as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure` 1 is a plan or face view of an electric controlf ler embodying my improvements; Figure 2 v is a transverse sectional viewV on the line Qf-Q of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a view in section on the line .3 3 of Figure 1; and F ig-l ure 4 is a view on the line 4 4 of Figure 1.

The mechanism of the controller is contained within a casing 1, which may comprise two members hinged together and normally held closed by means of a suitable latch.

A frame 2 is secured within the casing and is provided at its respective ends with f standards 3, 4 having suitable bearings for a shaft 5 to which a controller drum 6 is seseriai No. 511,162.

-cured. The controller drum comprises two heads 7 and 8, each rigidly secured to the a citizen of the United States, and a resident shaft 5, andtwo segments 9, 9 connecting said heads and carrying the movable contact blocks 10, 10a 10b of the controller, the contact blocks on the respective segments being arranged in a manner well understood in the art and adapted for cooperation with a series of contact fingers which are mounted and constructed as hereinafter explained. Each of the segments 9 which comprise the body portion of the drum is composed of suitable non-conducting material curved transversely to accommodate the curvature of the contact blocks and having flanges 11 at its edges between which the larger contact blocks are located. Transverse ribs 12 are formed on the intermediate portion of each segment and serve to strengthen the same and also to provide abutments for the smaller contact block 10a, an insulating strip 13 being disposed between this contact block and portions of the larger contact blocks 10. Thecontact blocks on each segment of the drum body are secured in place by means of screws 14 passing through said segments from the inside and entering threaded sockets in said blocks, so that noy .portions of the contact surfaces of said blocks will be interrupted by bolts or screw ends or perforations `for the accommodation of suoli fastening means. The insulating segments composing the body of the drum are removably secured tothe heads 7, 8 by screws 8a, so that either of such body segments may be readily removed to facilitate inspection or repair.

The end standards 3 and 4 of the support- Ying frame afford bearings for an operating shaft 15 andra toothed segment 16 secured to this shaft transmits motion to a gear 17 on the drum shaft for rotating the drum, and to the shaft 15 a suitable operating lever 18 is secured. In order that the drum shall be caused properly to move step by step relatively to the contact fingers, a toothed wheel or segment 19 may be made as an integral part of the drum head 7 and an arm 2O is mounted loosely on the operating shaft and provided with a roller to engage said toothed wheel, the roller on said arm being caused to forcibly engage the toothed wheel by the operation of a spring 21 connected at one end with said arm and at its other end with the frame standard 3.

` seat, a limiting shoulder 23b for the contact lformed with an elevated seat 23a to receive one end of a contact finger and at onel edge of each finger may be provided. Each contact finger 1 includes a comparatively broad and substancopper' strips 27 are located.

tial strip 25 of suitable resilient metal, provided near one end with holes for the accommodation of screws 26 which also pass through holes in the seat portions 23EL of the brackets 23 for securingV the contact fingers to said brackets. Upon each resilient finger strip 26, a plurality of t-hin superimposed These thin strips are bowed as indicated at 28 and near their rea-rv ends adjacent to their bowed Y'portion, elongated holes 27a are made for the passage of the screws 26, the heads of the latter bearing upon a plate 29 located upon the superimposed copper strips. To the under face o-f each finger strip 25, a rounded contact blank 30, equa-l in width with that of the finger, is secured by means of screws 3l which pass through holes in a plate 32 on the free end portions of the superimposed copper strips, through holes in said copper strips 27 and the finger strip 26 and enter4 threaded sockets in the Vcontact block 30. When the contact fingers shall have been secured in place, their resilience will be such that the Contact blocks at their free ends will be pressed against the contact plates of the drum with suliicient force to insure intimate and effectual electrical contact.

A bracket`33 is secured on the bar or rail V22 near one end-of the drum and may supbracket 33. The movable member 39 of this cut-out is carried by an arm 40 mounted loosely upon the operating shaft l5 and saidV movable member is electrically connected with the first of the series of contact fingers (as indicated at 40a) so that the cut-out will be included in series in the ,controlled circuit. The free end of the movable cut-out member 39 is made with a flange or lip 39'EL to engage the free end of the xed member 38 of said cut-out. To relieve the contacts of the cut-out from the wearing effect of eX- cessive sparking, sparking contact-s are provided for said cut-outand are constructed to better withstandthe effects of sparking than will the main contacts. YIn constructing the sparking-contacts for the cut-out, I employ a'contact block 4Gb of carbon which is secured to the bracket/33, and to the movable member 39 of the cut-out I secure spring lingers 41 projecting lover the flange or lip 39gl of the movable member 39 and provided with comparatively large copper contact'blocks 42 to cooperate with the carbon contact block 40b,-the construction and arrangement of parts being such that when the cut-out is opened, the sparking contacts will be separated just after the separation of the main contact members of the cut-out.

The cut-out vis maintained closed during the normal operation of the controller, by

the action of a spring 43 attached at one end to the frame standard 4 and at the other end to a lateral, projection 44 on the arm or support 40 for the movable member of the cut-out.k The arm or support 40 is provided on its under or rear side with atooth 45 and the drum shaft 5 is provided with a notched arm 45@L to enga-ge said tooth to open the cut-out when the drum is at or returned to neutral position, the construction being such Vthat the cut-out will be openedjust prior to the opening of the circuit at the drum and linger contacts of the controller and thus prevent sparking at said contacts.

A sleeve 46 is mounted loosely on the drum shaft and is provided witha cam arm 47 to cooperate with a roller 48 on the lateral projection 44 of the arm or'support-40. The sleeve 46 is also provided with an L- shaped arm 50 with which a rod 49 is con-l nected. 'Ihe rod 49 is intended tor connection with a brake pedal or lever (not shown) so that when said pedal orlever is'operated to apply the brake, the cam arm 47 will cooperate with the roller 48 and thus move the arm or support 40 so as to open the cut-out regardless of the position of the controller drum when the brake is applied.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and ters-Patent, is Y l. The combination with a controller drum and contact fingers, of a cut-out `comprising a, fixed contact member and Va movable contact member having a lip at its free end to cooperate with the free lend of said xed member, and arcing devices comprising a fiXedcarbon block having electricaly connection with the fixed contact member of the cut-out, a spring finger secured to the desire to secure by Letmovable member of the cut-outV and extenda-` drum shaft, contact fingers cooperable with the contacts of said drum, an operating shaft, gearing between said operating shaft Y and the drum shaft, anl arm mounted loosely on.` the operating shaft, a movable cut-out member secured to said arm, a fixed cut-out In testimony whereof, I have signed this member, and an arm carried by the drum specification in the presence of two subscribshaft and cooperable with the movable outing witnesses.

out member to open the cut-out when the CHARLES S. SCHROEDER. drum approaches neutral position and to Witnesses: maintain said out-out open when the drum WILLIAM HENRY DONALDSON,

Vis at neutral position. THOMAS FRANCIS RICHARDSON,

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