US2263051A - Signal device - Google Patents

Description

1941. I L. RITTENHOUSE ETAL 2,263,051

SIGNAL DEVICE Filed Feb. 5, 1940 Q I INVENTORS zg azazzeme BY 3-. ez io ZZori W.

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Patented Nov. 18, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SIGNAL navrcr.

Lloyd Rittenhouse, Honeoye Falls, and Kenneth M. Lord, Canandaigua, N. Y., assignors to The A. E. Rittenhouse 00., Inc., Honeoye Falls, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 5, 1940, Serial No. 317,308

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a signal device, with more particular reference to the general type of construction including one or more chime elements with electromagnetically operated striker mechanism, and it has for its purpose to provide a simple arrangement that is economical to manufacture, and which will effectively control the time of opening of the circuit to the electromagnetic mechanism after it has been manually closed.

Heretofore in the operation of such chime signals where operated by a manual switch located in the same circuit with a striker operating electromagnetic coil, a chime is struck as frequently as the push button or switch is operated, and where two chime elements are successively struck by an electromagnetically actuated striker moving in opposite directions upon closing and opening the circuit, the first chime element is struck the moment the switch is closed but the second chime element is not struck until the switch is released. Upon such release, the second chime element is struck andthe first chime element can be immediately struck again by again operating the switch, resulting in a quick succession of tones from both chime elements as fast as the switch is closed and opened.

A purpose of the present invention is to prevent this kind of operation, so that there is always a fixed predetermined period of time between the successive striking of two electromagnetically operated chime elements, or between similar successive operations of a single or double chime signal device, such interval being not dependent on the length of time the switch or push button is held closed.

A more particular object of the invention is to afford a construction whereby when the manual switch of such an electromagnetically operated signal device is operated, a main controlling circuit is closed and remains closed for a predetermined time even though the manual switch is immediately released, at the end of which interval a second circuit is closed and remains closed for a predetermined time, so that successive signals cannot be given except with a deflnite period of time between them, this interval being determined automatically by control means within the mechanism, and beyond the control of the operator.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts that will appear clearly from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, the novel features being pointed out in the claims following the specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a signal device including two chime tubes with a solenoid controlling each and showing the invention applied thereto, and

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the circuits which control the operation of the several parts.

Referring more particularly to the drawings in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the several views, I designates a base plate or support carrying suitable brackets from which are suspended the chime elements in the form of tubes 2 and 3.

The chime tube 2 is engaged by a suitable electromagnetically operated striker, which in the present instance is in the form of a striker tip 4 carried by a plunger 5, forming part of a solenoid including the coil 6, while chime tube 3 is engaged by a striker tip 1 on the plunger 8 forming part of a solenoid including the coil 9, though it will be understood that coils may be used to operate strikers other than as parts of a solenoid plunger, as herein shown.

The plunger 5 is withdrawn from the chime tube 2 after the latter is struck, and then returned to its initial position, by a spring I, while the plunger 8 is likewise moved away from the chime tube 3 immediately after impact of the striker l therewith, and then returned to its initial position, by the spring II, as usual in devices of this character.

Referring to Fig. 2, the coil 6 is controlled by a main circuit, and to this end is connected at one end to a conductor l2 leading to a binding post I 3 and thence through a push button switch I4 to one side of the line, while the other end of coil 6 is connected by conductor I5 through a heater coil It to a contact I1,-thence through a bimetallic spring-action switch l8 to a conductor l9, and to the other side of the line, The bimetallic switch IB is normally in the position shown in Fig. 2, closing the circuit through contact l1, so that when the push button switch I is operated, the coil 6 is immediately energized and the plunger 5 moves to bring its striker tip against the chime tube 2.

It is desirable to maintain the main circuit to the coil 6 closed for a predetermined time whether or not the manual switch [4 is held closed or immediately released, and this is accomplished by providing a secondary shunt circuit around the manual switch 14 and governing such secondary circuit by means of the striker, or plunger 5.

This secondary circuit includes a conductor 2| extending from the binding post I3 to a spring contact 22, arranged to be engaged by a spring contact 23, from which a conductor 24 leads to a binding post 25 and thence to the same side of the line as conductor l2. The spring contact 23 carries a projection 26 that engages a recess 21 in the plunger 5. Consequently as the plunger is drawn inward y upon closing the circuit to metallic switch l3 and the conductor l9.

the coil 6 through the manual switch II, the projection 23 is moved outwardly by the beveled surface 23 on the plunger, causing spring contact 23 to engage the contact 22 and closing the secondary circuit at that point, and thus holding the main circuit closed after the manual switch II is released.

The main circuit governing the coil 6 thus remains closed for a predetermined fixed period, and until the heater coil It has developed enough heat to aifect the bimetallic switch I! and move it away from engagement with contact II to break the main circuit at that point. At the instant that the circuit to coil 6 is broken, it is desirable in the present embodiment to close a circuit to cofl 3, and this is accomplished when the bimetallic switch ll, upon breaking engagement with contact l1; moves into engagement with the contact 3|, the switch l3 being always in engagement with contact I! or contact 3|, depending upon the temperature produced by the heater coil.

A circuit to :oil 3 is then completed from binding post 25 through conductor 32 to one end of the coil 3 and from the other end of the coil 3 through conductor 33 to contact 3| and through the bimetallic switch it to conductor (3 to the other side of the line. Thus the circuit to the coil 8 remains closed until the bimetallic switch l3 has cooled off suiliciently to cause it to move away from engagement with contact 3| and to be restored to engagement with contact I'I. At this time, the plunger 5 will already have been returned to initial position by its controlling spring, and the contacts 22 and 23 will have been separated.

The operation of the construction briefly is as follows: Upon closing the manual switch ll, coil 6 is immediately energized by closing the main circuit through binding post l3, conductor l2, conductor l5, heater coil l6, contact l|,'bi-

Immediately upon movement of the striker, or plunger 5 from its initial position toward the chime tube 2, the circuit is closed to the coil 6 around the manual switch It, through the shunt circuit including binding post 25, conductor 24, contacts 23 and 22, conductor 2|, binding post l3 and conductor l2, and the main circuit to coil 3 remains closed until the bimetallic switch It! is operated by the heater coil I6, disengaging contact I1 and moving into engagement with contact 3|, whereupon a circuit is closed to the second coil 9 through conductors 32 and 33, contact 3|, bimetallic switch I8 and conductor l9. This latter circuit remains closed until the bimetallic switch has cooled sufilciently to restore' it to its normal position.

With this arrangement, the second chime tube cannot be struck until a predetermined interval has elapsed after the striking of the first chime tube, and the operation cannot be repeated until a predetermined interval has elapsed after the second chime tube has been struck, dependent upon the operation of the heater coil l6 and bimetallic switch l8.

It is thus impossible to obtain aseries oi signals in quick succession, or to operate the signal by manipulating the manual switch I4 twice in quick succession, since the second operation of themanualswitchwillnoteffectastrikingofa chime tube until the bimeta'ilic switch It has beenrestoredtoitsnormalpositionbycooling.

The invention is abo applicable to an electromagneflcally operated. single chime signal, or to thetypeofchimesignalinwhichonestrikeractuator is employed to strike successively two opposed chime elements, thus fixing the interval between two succesive movements of a single striker actuator in opposite directions, the striker being held in proximity to the first chime ele ment untilthemaincoilcircuitisopenedbythe automatic controlling mechanism whereupon the striker would be released and returned to strike the second chime element.

While the invention has been herein disclosed in conjunction with a particular arrangement and as applied to two electromagnetically operated units and controlling circuits therefor, it will be understood that it is not restricted to the precise details herein set forth, and the application is intended to cover such changes or other adaptations as may come within the purposes of the improvement and the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a signal device, the combination with a pair of sound elements and electmmagnetically operated striker mechanism therefor embodyim apairofcoilsandastrikertoreachcoiLamain circuit in which one of said coils is located, a manual switch in said main circuit, a circuit controlling the other coil. means controlled by the striker of said main circuit acting to hold said circuit closed after the manual switch is released, and means acting automatically to open said circuit and to close the circuit to the other coil after a predetermined period of time.

2. In a signal device, the combination with a 1 circuit connecting the main circuit and the other of said coils, an electro-responsive switch acting alternately to connect and disconnect said circuits, means in said main circuit governing said electro-responsive switch, and a shunt circuit controlled by the striker of said main circuit acting to hold said main circuit closed. after the manual switch is released.

3. In a signal device, the combination with pair of sound elements and electromagnetically operated striker mechanism therefor embodying a pair of coils and a striker for each coil, a main circuit in which one of said coils is located, a manual switch in said main circuit, a second circuit connecting the main circuit and the other of said coils, an electro-responsive switch acting alternately to connect and disconnect said circuits, means in said main circuit governing said electro-responsive switch, a shunt circuit around the manual switch of said main circuit, a switch in said shunt circuit in the path of the striker of said circuit and adapted to be engaged and moved thereby to close'the shunt circuit when said striker is operated.

- LLOYD RITTENHOUSE. KENNETH M. LORD.

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