US973818A - Circuit-closing device. - Google Patents

Description

-L. R. SAUNDERS. CIRCUIT CLOSING DEVICE. union-m1 nun 3341,1010.

mm can 25, 1910.

LESLIE R. SAUNDERS, 015 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

CIRCUIT-CLOSING D'EVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented- Oct. 25, 1910.

Application filed February 21, 1910. Serial N0 545,187.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lnsmn R. SAUNDERS, a citizen. of the United States, and a resident of Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and Improved Circuit-Closing Device, of which the following is a specification.

This improvement relates to means for intermittently closing and opening electric circuits, especially the primary circuits of explosion-engine sparking devices, and the object of this invention is to provide a motor-driven mechanism which shall regularly close an electric circuit and again open the same, the rate of these operations depending upon the speed of the motor, but the periods durin which the circuit is closed belng extreme y short and entirely independent of the speed of the motor. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of this improved clrcuit-closing device with the cover and the holding-down spring removed. Fig. 2 is a similar View with the parts in a slightly difierentposition. Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line '33 ofFig. 1. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are details.

Similar-reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

finement is not necessary to the operation of this device, although desirable.

Projecting upward from the driver 3 is a central in or ournal 6 on which is mounted a col ar 7 having any desired number of teeth 8, four bein shown. This collar has a notch 9 onits ower side into which the tooth lO'on the driver projects. This tooth is beveled on its rear side, so that when the driver runs backward, that is, to the left, the only effect will be that the collar .7 will be lifted up. A post 12, projectingfrom the bottom 13 of the case, supports aflat spring 14:, which has an opening-at its free end so it may be held from swinging by the pin 6, which extends through th1s opening.

This sprin will always v press down-on the collar 7. ythese means, the taoth lo will follows.

always be caused to engage in the notch 9 when the driver turns to the right. The collar 7 and its teeth 8 together are the immediate means for causing the closing of the circuit and are called the actuator. circuit may connect directly to the case on one side as by the wire 41, while the other side may connect to the insulated abutment 17 through the screw 18, the wire 19 passing out through any desired opening, such as 20 in the bottom 13. This abutment 17 carries a contact element, preferably'in the form of a screw 22. Any other, desired electrical connection can be made with this con tact element.

Movably mounted in the case, referably The on a pivot screw 25, is a lever 26 aving its free end curved to form a hookto engage the free end of the spring27 secured to th1s abutment and force the contact 28 against .the screw 22. A pin 31 prevents the spring 29 from swinging the lever in too far.

Movably mounted in the case, preferably pivoted on a screw-pin 33, is the accelerator 34 which .has'a heel 35 normally bearing against the pin 36, and normally held in the position shown in Fig. 1 by any desired resilient device such as the spring 37 carried by the post 12. On this accelerator is a cam-shoulder 39 adapted to be engaged-by one'tooth of the actuator, while its outer end is curved inwardly to form a finger 40 to ator at the speed of the driver 3 and a tooth The tooth 10 will turn the'actu- I 8* will engage the cam-shoulder 39, pushin back the accelerator against the tension 0 its spring 37 until the parts are in the position shown, in Fig. 1. As soon as this tooth-8 has passed the cam-shoulder 39 the spring 37 will snap the accelerator inward. to the position shown in Fi .2, and the finger -10 will strike the secon tooth 8 and carry the actuator around from the position shown in Fig. 1, to that in Fig. 2 the tooth 8 passing the cam-shoulder 28 on the lever. Durin the instant this tooth passes this shoul er, the circuit will be closed. Because of the length of the notch 9, the accelerator can revolve the actuator in advance of its driving tooth 10. It will therefore be clearly seen that the length of time the circuit remains closed will always be the same or greater speed than may be done by the accelerator and its spring. Any desired cover 42 may be employed, that shown being held in position y screws 43. In case the driver is turned in the reverse direction, a tooth 8 will immediately'engage the shoulder 28 on the lever 26. The tooth 10 will move until it reaches the'rear end of the notch 9 when its inclined rear side will engage the incline 44 (Fig. 5) liftin .the actuator against the sprin 14. Theriver can thus revolve without 0 osing the circuit, no tooth 8 passing the shoulder 28 to swing out the lever 26 and the contact 30. As has been explained, the teeth 8 engage and pass the shoulder 28 while the actuator is being drive h by the accelerator, and the accelerator drivesthe proper tooth entirely past the shoulder 28. It is therefore impossible for this device to stop in closed circuit position. The extreme simplicity of the construction and the accessibility of the various parts makes this circuit closing device es ecially ada ted for use by the general public.

any changes in the details of construction may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having now explained my improvements, what I claim as m invention and desire to secure by Letters Iatent is v 1. In a circuit closing device, the combination of a lurality of contact elements movable-relatively to each other, a revoluble driver, a collar adapted to cause the contact points to enga e, said collar revoluble with said driver, an an accelerator,a spring to drive the 'same, to revolve said collar during the time it forces the contact points to engage. I

2. Ina circuit closing device, the combination of a contact-element in an electric circuit adapted to be movedto close said circuit, an actuator to periodically move said contact-element to circuit closing position, means to normally move said actuator at constant speed, an accelerator adapted to be positioned by the actuator, and a spring to .ator at a constant speed, an accelerator and return the accelerator and thereby move the actuator at increased speed while closing the circuit.

. 3. In a circuit closing device, 'the combination of a contact-element in an electric circuit adapted to be moved to close said circuit, an actuator revoluble to periodically move said contact-element to circuit closing position, means to normally drive the actuspring to tension the same, said accelerator positioned to normally engage the actuator and be forced back by the same against the tension of the spring and then released to engage the actuator at increased s (1 while it causes the closing of the circuit.

4.- In a circuit closingdevice, the combi- 1 nation of a contact-element in an electric circuit adapted to be moved to close said circuit, a motor-driven revpluble actuator to periodically move said contact-element to circuit closing position, a driver to support and normally revolve said actuator at con-- stant speed, and a reciprocating springdriven accelerator for turnin said actuator at increased speed 'while it causes the closing of the circuit.

5. In a circuit closing device, the combination-of a contact-element in an electric circuit adapted to be moved to close said cir-' cuit, an accelerator, a spring to drive the same, and an actuator to perlodically move said contact-element to circuit closing position under an impulse from the accelerator, and a driver for moving said actuator between the impulses from the accelerator.

6. In a circuit closing device, the combination of a contact-element in an electric circuit adapted to be moved to close said circuit, a reciprocating spring-driven accelerator, a revolving actuator to periodically move said contact-element to circuit cl o n m position under an impulse from theacceierator, and a revoluble driver supporting said actuator and revolving the samebetween the impulses from the accelerator.

7.'In a circuitclosing device, the combination of a stationary and a movable contact element, a revoluble driver, a toothed actuator mounted thereon and intermittently revolved thereby, an accelerator ivoted adjacent said actuator and adaptedito be swung outward thereby, and a spring engaging said accelcrator to return the same to engage the actuator to revolve the same between the movements imparted by the driver, said actuator engaging the movable contact element under the impulse of the accelerator to cause the closing of the circuit.

8. In a circuit closing device, the combi- I nation of a plurality of contacts for closing the circuit, a revoluble driver, a toothed actuator for'causing the contacts to engage, an accelerator adapted to be moved to operative 130 position by said actuator, a spring to operate said accelerator to engage. the toothed actuator to turn the same and thereby causethe closing 01 the circuit, and independent means to immediately open said circuit.

9. In a circuit closing device, the combination of a contact-element movable to close an electric circuit, an actuator to periodically move the contact-element to circuit closing position, means to normally revolve said actuator at constant speed in one direction, means to prevent said actuator from turning in the opposite direction, and an accelerator adapted to be positioned by the actuator and spring driven for moving said actuator at increased speed while it causes the closing of the circuit.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

- LESLIE R. SAUNDERS Witnesses:

EDWARD N. PAGELsEN, ELIZABETI-I M. Brown.

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