Improvements in Electric Time Switches.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 14th Apr., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Time Switches.
We, THE BRITISH THOMSON-HOUSTON COMPANY, LIMITED, of 83, Cannon
Street, in the City of London, Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature
of our said invention (which has been communicated to us from abroad by Charles
H. Van Slyck, residing at Philadelphia, in the County of Philadelphia, State of
Pennsylvania, United States of America, Electrical Engineer) and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to time switches for electric circuits, and a switch con-
structed in accordance therewith is adapted to have its opening and closing move-
ments controlled by a chronometer in order to regulate automatically the supply
of current to various translating devices at predetermined intervals.
As an illustrative example, one of many structures in which the invention may
be embodied is shown in the drawings, Fig. 1 of which is a full face view of the
interior of the casing showing the operating mechanism; Figs. 2 and 3 are lateral
and plan views respectively of the same, and Fig. 4 is the circuit diagram.
Certain features of the invention are not limited in their application as embodi-
ments of a time switch, as above described, but may be embodied in any electrically
operated switch, and are useful in still other relations.
A is a chronometer or clock movement, actuated in any suitable manner, as
by a spring of electricity, and insulated from the working circuits. The working
spindle of A makes only one complete rotation in 24 hours.
A thumb-screw 1 holds spring B to the rotating chronometer member .at
selected angles, one of the springs being thereby adapted to close, and the other
to open, the working circuit at predetermined intervals. Each spring is suc-
cessively put under tension by engagement with a rigid pin C, and when it is
carried past the pin, it impinges against the lever D, pivoted at 2 to the frame F,
whereupon the roller 3, supported in a dependent of the lever below the pivot,
moves up the incline of the inverted V of the spring 4. This spring is secured to
the frame F, and the contact E, carried by and insulated from the lever D), is
snapped into engagement with the contact E, which is carried by and insulated
from the frame F, and connected through the magnet coil H to another pole Q¹
(Fig. 4) of the switch, to which is connected the other side of the generator. Any
number of switch actuating electro-magnets could be connected in series in the
circuit thus established. The contact E is electrically connected to one pole Q
(Fig. 4) of the switch, to which pole is connected a lead from the circuit of the
generator G.
If this contact closes a circuit, derived either from the generator circuit or an
auxiliary source cut out later, the coil will be energized, and the core I
drawn down against the tension of the adjustable spring 4 on the lever J, which
is pivoted at 5. Pivoted to J at 6 is a link K which is pivoted
at its other end 7 to a supporting rod 8 loosely mounted Oll a rotatable
spindle 9. A pawl L is pivoted at 10 to the rod P when the link K is depressed,
the pawl moves the ratchet-wheel M, secured to the spindle 9, one notch downward
to the left, whereupon a spring-dog 11 engages with a next or on notch in a
23

page_text: stop-wheel N, also secured to the spindle 9. A disc of insulating material is
secured to the spindle 9 and carries a series of pins of good conducting material
· arranged in a circle.
Referring to Fig. 4, it will be seen that, with the spindle 9 at this point in
its rotation, two pins make contact simultaneously, the one beneath the plane
of the spring contacts with the spring contact Q connected to one side of the line,
and the spring contact R connected to one side of the circuit of the translating
devices X, and the other pin above the plane of the spring contacts with the
spring contact Q connected to the other side of the line and the spring contact R¹
connected to the other side of the translating device circuit. The latter circuit is
now closed.
Adjustably mounted on the magnet core I is a sleeve S carrying a pin or dog T,
which is adapted to engage the lever D in the downward movement of the core
after the spring-dog II has started down the next notch in the stop-wheel N,
and before the magnet has been injured by the current, to raise the contact E from
the contact E, depressing the spring 4', which snaps it back and holds it against
the pin C. The core I will now rise under the tension of the spring 41, as the
coil H is no longer energized, and the apparatus is ready for the operation of
opening the switch, which is accomplished in a similar manner to that described
for its closing by the engagement of the other spring B with the pin C. At the
end of this operation the spring dog 11 engages in the next or "off" notch of the
stop-wheel N, and (Eig. 4) all the pins P are separated from the spring switch
contacts.
In Fig. 1 is shown the mode of connecting the outside circuits to the apparatus,
which are not, as shown for clearness in Fig. 4, direct from the generator to
the switch contacts. An insulating strip 12 is secured to the casing, and upon
this are mounted the pieces 13, each provided with binding posts, one for the.
outside circuit, and one for the corresponding switch contact binding-post 14.
The contacts E and E' are engaged at the predetermined time whether there is
current in, the line or not, and they remain in contact until current is turned
on, when the switch, is opened or closed, as has been predetermined. If the current
is cut off at the station, the switch will remain closed, and at the predetermined
time, the contacts E and E will engage, and then the switch will be opened as
soon as current is turned on.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention (as communicated to us from abroad) and in what manner the same is
to be performed, we declare that what we claim is:-
1 The combination with a rotatable switch, of an electro-magnet for actuating
said switcli and having its coil in a shunt circuit and means for opening the
circuit after the switch has been actuated.
2-The combination with a switch for electric circuits, of an electro-magnet for
actuating said switch, a movable contact for the electro-magnet circuit indepen-
dent of the switch, and adapted to be actuated by the magnet-core.
3-The combination with an electric switch, of a single-coil electro-magnet
adapted to close and open said switch on being energized, and a chronometer for
controlling the operation of said electro-magnet.
4-The combination with an electric switch, of a single coil electro-magnet
adapted to close and open said switch on being energized, a chronometer for con-
trolling the operation of said electro-magnet, and means for holding the magnet-
core normally withdrawn from the coil when the coil is not energized.
5 The combination with an electric switch of an electro-magnetic device
adapted to open and close said switch by its movement in the same direction,
and a chronometer for controlling the operation of said electro-magnet.
G-The combination of an electric-switch, of an electro-maguet adapted to close
said switch by its core movement when its coil is energized, and to open the switch
by a like movement, and means for normally holding the core in an operative
position when the coil is not energized.

page_text: 7 The combination with a single-coil electro-magnet, of a chronometer for
controlling the operation of said electro-magnet, an independently constructed
electrical switch, and means whereby said switch is opened and closed by like
directional movements of the electro-magnet core.
8 The combination with an electric circuit, of a switch therefor, and an
electro-magnet having its coil in shunt to said circuit, and its core insulated
from and mechanically connected to the switch.
9 The combination with an electric circuit, of a switch therefor, an electro-
magnet for actuating said switch and having its coil in shunt, and means whereby
the movement of the magnet-core opens the shunt-circuit after the switch has
been actuated.
10 The combination with an electric switch, of an electro-magnet for actuating
said switch, a chronometer adapted to close a shunt-circuit through the magnet-
coil, and means whereby the magnet-core opens the shunt-circuit when the switch
has been actuated.
11 The combination with an electric switch, of an electro-magnetic actuator
therefor, and a chronometer for closing the connection through the magnet-coil,
which connection remains closed until the coil is energized to actuate the switch.
12 The combination with an electro-magnet, of a chronometer for mechani-
cally completing a circuit through the magnet-coil, and means whereby the
magnet-core at a predetermined point of its movement opens the circuit.
13 The combination with an insulated chronometer, of a circuit terminal
mounted on and insulated from a pivoted support, a second terminal, and means
whereby said chronometer moves the pivoted support to cause the circuit-terminals
to be connected
14 The combination with a rotatable switch, of an electro-magnetic actuator
therefor, a chronometer for controlling said actuator, and means whereby said
switch is automatically locked in its open or closed position.
15 The combination with yielding switch-contacts, of an insulated disc,
and conducting pins mounted in said device, each pin being adapted to engage
with two of said yielding contacts.
16 The combination with a switch adapted to connect two terminals of one
circuit to two terminals of another circuit, of an electro-magnetic actuator
therefor.
17 The combination with the four yielding circuit terminals of a feed-circuit
and a working circuit, of an insulating disc, and conducting pins mounted therein,
each pin adapted to engage with two of said terminals, to connect the working
circuit with the feed-circuit.
18 The combination with a four-pole switch, of an electro-magnetic actuator
therefor having its coil in shunt and adapted to open the shunt-circuit when the
switch is actuated.
19 The combination with a four-pole switch, of an electro-magnetic actuator
therefor, having its coils in shunt and adapted to open the shunt when the switch
is actuated, and a chronometer for closing the shunt-circuit.
20 The combination with an electric switch, of a single-coil electro-magnet for
actuating said switch, and an adjustable spring adapted to act on the magnet-core
against the attraction of the solenoid.
Dated this 8th day of Uneamhan 1000