Apparatus for Operating Atomizers and other Devices.
Year: 1890

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Apparatus for Operating Atomizers and other Devices.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of the firm of A. M. & Wm. Clark of 53 Chancery
Lane in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention (a communication to me from abroad by Casper L.
Cohn of New York, United States of America) and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The object of this invention is to provide improved means for operating an air forcing
apparatus by the movement of an object such as a door, situated at any desired distance
from the point to which the air is to be carried, and to this end it consists in the novel
mechanism and devices for imparting the requisite movement to the different parts
of the air forcing device or cylinder as hereafter described and pointed out in the
claims.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a view in elevation showing the invention in position-adapted of the
device to supply air to an atomizer by the movement of a door.
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional elevation thereof on line 2-2 (Figure 1) showing the
door almost closed,
Figure 3 is a plan view thereof on a larger scale partly in section, showing the
position of the different parts of the apparatus as the door is being opened;
Figure 4 is a detail view showing a modification in the construction of the bolt I.
Similar letters of reference are used to indicate corresponding parts in all the views.
The air forcing cylinder A is provided with a piston or plunger B mounted on a
piston rod b. The eylinder and piston are rod b is pivotally attached to a door jamb
frame X by means of the pivot c which passes through the piston rol band the lugs (
of the plate (, which is screwed or otherwise attached to the door jamb frame. A
coi spring D encircles the piston-rod and is held compressed between the piston B
and the cylinder head so that when the cylinder is moved away from the piston the
spring will be compressed. A vent communicates with an air-passage 62 which
extends through the piston rod b to the other side of the piston. To the vent /'
is attached a tube E which communicates with an atomizer F or other device-adapted
to be operated by compressed air of ordinary construction. To the door jamb
frume X is also secured a plate G to which the swinging arm or link H is attached
by the pivot h. In the construction shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3 the arm H is
provided with a bevelled portion h¹ and with an upwardly projecting pin 2 which fits
into the socket a¹ attached to the end of cylinder A. A spring supported bolt 1
enclosed within a suitable case or housing i is, secured to the door Y in such position
that when the door is closed and the cylinder A is forced by the spring to assume the
dotted position Figure 3, said bolt I will be opposite or under the bevelled portion h¹
of the arm H. A spiral spring tends to normally support the bolt I so that its
per end will project above the top of the door as shown in Figure 2 so as to come
gainst the link H and swing it away from the door frame as the door is opened. A pin
r other stop 2 limits the upward movement of the bolt.
The operation of the invention will now be readily understood.

page_text: When the door is shut the apparatus will be in the position shown in Figure 1 and
hy dotted lines in Figures 2 and 3, the projecting end of bolt I will lie behind the
arm H between it and the jamb frame of the door. As the door is opened the bolt I
moves with it, engages with the lower portion of arm H and swings the latter on its
pivot h. As the arm H swings on its pivot the bolt I is carried by the movement of
the door toward the outer end of the arm, and the cylinder A, swinging on the
pivot c, is carried away from the door frame which movement of the link II and
cylinder A draws the piston B towards the top or forward end of the cylinder as
shown in Figure 3. This movement is continued until the door is opened sufficiently
wide to carry the bolt I along to the outer end of the arm H and as the bolt passes
beyond the end of the arm, the latter is released and the tension of the spring
forces the piston suddenly to the bottom of the cylinder, which returns to the position
from which it was carried by the opening of the door. While the piston B is being
moved forward in the cylinder: A, air is drawn through the tube E and air-passages b¹³
into the space beneath behind the piston, and as the piston, by the releasing of arm H
and action of spring D, is forced suddenly to the bottom of the cylinder, this confined
air is forcibly expelled back through the air-passages 62 b' and tube E and puts
the atomizer F or equivalent device into operation.
!
D
As the door is being closed, when it reaches the position shown in Figure 2, the
upper end of the bolt I comes in contact with the bevelled surface of the arm H."
As this movement of the door is continued, the bolt, following this bevelled surface, is
forced down into its housing until the movement of the door carries it under and past
the arm H, when the spring forces it up again behind the arm Has shown by dotted
lines in Figure 2.
I prefer to have the bolt I rotate in its supporting case or housing so as to produce
as little friction as possible as it is carried along the arm H.
If desired, however, the bolt I may, as shown in Figure 4, be made of rectangular
or other shape in cross section so that it will not rotate, and the upper end thereof
which engages with the arm H may be bevelled sharply away so as to act in a manner
analogous to the ordinary spring door-latch. If such construction is adopted the
incline or bevel h¹ on the arm H may be dispensed with.
I have shown and described the invention as adapted to operate an atomizer by the
movement of a door, but it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to-that
particular-use-of the-invention since it may be used to operate many other forms of
apparatus, as for instance, the winding of clocks, ringing of hells etc., and it may also
be attached to and operated by any object the parts of which have movement
relatively to each other as in the case of a door and its jamb, or whereby the desired
movement will be imparted to the apparatus.
Although I do not limit myself to any particular menus of operation or use for the
invention, it is particularly-adapted for disinfecting systems where it is desired to
spray a small quantity of disinfecting powder or liquid into a room or compartment
whenever the door thereof is opened, and One great advantage over other apparatus
heretofore used for the purpose lies in the fact that the operating mechanism may be
situated as near the outer edge of the door or other object as desired: so that a very
slight movement thereof will suffice to put the apparatus into operation.
Another novel and highly desirable and useful feature of the invention is that th
force of the discharge is always uniform and does not depend on the force with which
the door or other actuating mechanism is moved, and the force of the discharge may
be regulated as desired by simply increasing or diminishing the tension of the
spring D.
I use the term "air-forcing device" in the claims to designate the cylinder, piston,
piston rod and spiral spring D which are illustrated in the drawings. ; but I wish it
elearly understood that by such term I do not intend to limit-myself to-the precise
form, construction, combination or arrangement of said parts, as said term is intended
to cover any suitable air forcing cylinder or pump which can be operated by the
* remaining elements of the claims.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is.
1. The combination of an air-forcing device and a pivoted arm connected therewith,
both adapted to be attached to a stationary support, such as a door jamb frame, with
a spring latch bolt or projection adapted to be attached to a movable support such as a
door, and adapted to engage with said arm during a portion of the movement of
said movable support door in one direction and to pass under and behind said arm on
the reverse movement of said movable support door so as by such engagement to cause
the air forcing device to be operated by the movement of the door, substantially as and for
the purposes set forth.
2. The combination of an air foreing device and a pivoted arm II, both adapted to
be attached to a stationary support, such as a door jamb, with a depressible projection I
adapted to be attached to a movable support, such as a door, and to engage with said
arm H, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. The combination of the supports XY, of an air forcing device, of a pivoted
arm H provided with a bevelled portion h', and of a depressible belt I adapted to
engage with said bevelled portion of the arm II, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
4. 2. The combination with an atomizer or equivalent device, of the supports XY,
of an air-forcing device, of a pivoted arm H provided with a bevelled portion ²,
and of a depressible bolt I and of the supports X. Y on which the air forcing device
and the said bolt are respectively mounted, as described, adapted to engage with said
bevelled portion of the arm H, substantially as and for the purposes described.
Dated this 26th day of August 1890
A. MELVILLE CLARK.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.