Year: 1886

page_text: This Specification was, upon the 25th day of July 1888, amended under
Sections 18 to 21 of the Patents, Designs, and Trade Marks Act, 1883.
I, EDWARD WILLIAM SERRELL junior, civil engineer of New York, United States,
temporarily residing in Chabeuil, Department of the Drôme, France do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention consists in reinforcing the actual contact between two contact pieces
of an electric circuit, by means of a solenoid, in the manner hereinafter described.
In the drawing, C is a movable contact piece secured to a lever or rod F which, for
instance, forms part of any kind of machinery wherein a certain device requires to be
set in motion periodically by means of electricity. A is a core of soft iron attached
to the rod F. A lever H C is hinged at H and when the contact pieces CC' do not
touch each other, a spring T holds the lever H C against the end of a stop screw S.
The contact piece C is placed in electrical connection with one pole of a battery b
by a wire f and when the contact pieces. C C are touching, the circuit is closed and
the circuit is continued through the lever H C', the spring T and wires fff" to a
solenoid X and from the solenoid X to the other pole of the battery 6 by a wire f*.
If the lever F be moved in the direction of the arrow, so that the contact piece C
touches even very lightly the contact piece C, the electrical current, in passing,
excites the solenoid X which begins to attract the core A, thus causing C C¹ to press
more firmly together and to establish a better electrical connection.
In the same
proportion as the contact between C and C is more positive, the solenoid X becomes
more fully excited and continues to attract the core A; the pressure of C and C₁
increases sufficiently to overcome the stress of the spring T and the lever H C' is
driven back into the position shown in dotted lines.
The displacement of the contact pieces C C¹ against each other produces a scraping
motion which tends to keep the contacts clean.
This system of contacting device is practieularly particularly advantageous in cases
where dust, waste or other foreign matter contained in suspension in the air, deposits
on the contact pieces and is liable to create disturbances in the working. It is also
particularly serviceable in the case of very delicate machinery, which can dispose of
but a very slight force to establish a contact of the pieces CC.

page_text: In conjunction with the above described system of contacting device, I employ a
clutch and a commutator having for their purpose to give rise to, and utilise, the
effect of the contact of CC, in the machinery to which the device has been applied.
The commutator has for its object to break the contact at C (and separate the
pieces C C¹. Both the clutch and the commutator form the subject matter of an
application of even date herewith, bearing number 149834.
As an example of the manner in which the herein described system of contact
device is applied to a machine, I have shown the contact device applied to the
silk reeling machine described in my British application of even date herewith
numbered 14956.
In fig. 2 & 3 of the drawings forming part of the said application, X illustrates the
solenoid and A the core of soft iron, while q is the part corresponding to the rod F of
the present application and 30, 31 are the contacts corresponding to the contacts C C².
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :
The employment of a solenoid X and core A, for the purpose of reinforcing the
contact between the contact pieces CC₁ of an electrical circuit in the manner herein-
before described,

page_text: I, EDWARD WILLIAM SERRELL junior, civil engineer of New York, United States,
temporarily residing in Chabeuil, Department of the Drôme, France do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
My invention consists in reinforcing the actual contact between two contact pieces
of an electric circuit, by means of a solenoid.
In the drawing, C is a movable contact piece secured to a lever or rod F which, for
instance, forms part of any kind of machinery wherein a certain device requires to be
set in motion periodically by means of electricity. A is a core of soft iron attached
to the rod F. A lever H C is hinged at H and when the contact pieces C C¹ do not
touch each other, a spring T holds the lever H C¹ against the end of a stop screw S.
The contact piece C is placed in electrical connection with one pole of a battery b
by a wire and when the contact pieces CC¹ are touching, the circuit is closed and
the circuit is continued through the lever H C¹, the spring T and wires fflf to a
solenoid X and from the solenoid X to the other pole of the battery b by a wire f*.
If the lever F be moved in the direction of the arrow, so that the contact piece C
touches even very lightly the contact piece C, the electrical current, in passing,
excites the solenoid X which begins to attract the core A, thus causing C C₁ to press
more firmly together and to establish a better electrical connection.
In the same
proportion as the contact between C and C¹ is more positive, the solenoid X becomes
more fully excited and continues to attract the core A; the pressure of C and C¹
increases sufficiently to overcome the stress of the spring T and the lever H C¹ is
driven back into the position shown in dotted lines.
The displacement of the contact pieces C C against each other produces a scraping
motion which tends to keep the contacts clean.
This system of contacting device is practicularly advantageous in cases where dust,
waste or other foreign matter contained in suspension in the air, deposits on the
contact pieces and is liable to create disturbances in the working. It is also particu-
larly serviceable in the case of very delicate machinery, which can dispose of but a
very slight force to establish a contact of the pieces C C¹.

page_text: In conjunction with the above described system of contacting device, I employ a
clutch and a commutator having for their purpose to give rise to, and utilise, the
effect of the contact of C C¹, in the machinery to which the device has been applied.
The commutator has for its object to break the contact at C C and separate the
pieces C C¹. Both the clutch and the commutator form the subject matter of an
application of even date herewith, bearing number.
As an example of the manner in which the herein described system of contact
device is applied to a machine, I have shown the contact device applied to the
silk reeling machine described in my British application of even date herewith
numbered 14956.
In fig. 2 & 3 of the drawings forming part of the said application, X illustrates the
solenoid and A the core of soft iron, while is the part corresponding to the rod F of
the present application and 30, 31 are the contacts corresponding to the contacts CC¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :
The employment of a solenoid X and core A, for the purpose of reinforcing the
contact between the contact pieces C C¹ of an electrical circuit."

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Nov., 1886.
Complete Left, 15th Apr., 1887.
Specification Accepted, 8th July, 1887
Periodically Started by Means of Electricity.
I, EDWARD WILLIAM SERRELL junior, civil engineer of New York, United States,
temporarily residing in Chabeuil Department of the Drôme, France do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention comprises a general arrangement of parts and contrivances which
may be used conjointly with the contact device described in my application of even
date herewith, numbered 14983 or may be used separately in combination with any
ordinary contact closing device.
In the drawing,
Fig. 1 is a diagram of the general arrangement of parts comprising my
improvements.
Fig. 2 is a detailed view, on a larger scale of the clutch shown in fig. 1.
In the general diagram fig. 1, I have shown the contact device described in my
application numbered 149838, the same being composed of a movable contact piece C
secured to an arm or rod F which for instance, forms part of any kind of machinery
wherein a certain device requires to be set in motion periodically by means of elec-
tricity, and of another contact piece C¹, lever H C³, spring T set screw S, wires f,f¹, f',
solenoid X and core A. Such are the main parts of the contact device hereinbefore
referred to.
Broadly speaking, the general arrangement comprises a clutch, set in movement
whenever a contact is closed, and which, by means of special dispositions, is particu-
larly adapted to working with the special contact described in my aforesaid application
No. 14983. The device consists principally of :-
-
a clutch which is started immediately upon the establishment of the contact
at Cor any suitable contact.
b) a commutator operated by the said clutch, for breaking the circuit so as to
allow the contact pieces C C¹ to separate, when this kind of contact is used, and
c) of means for bringing the clutch to a standstill after it has performed its work
and the parts have returned to theirfirst position.

page_text: The clutch shown in fig. 2 comprises a main shaft B carrying a gear D weighted
at E and provided on one of its faces, with a catch G which bears upon an arm I
pivoted at J. On the same axis J is secured a weighted arm K the one end of which
is under an armature L pivoted at M. V V₁ is an electro-magnet. The shaft R
carrying a pinion U is the first-motion shaft of the whole arrangement and is always
in motion.
The commutator comprises a lever N pivoted at O and held, by means of a spring P
in engagement with a part of the mechanism working at the same time as the
wheel D, as for example a cam Q secured to or forming part of the wheel D on the
shaft B of the clutch.
The operation is as follows: if, for a given reason, the circuit passing through
the magnet V V₁ is closed, as when by a motion of the machine, the rod F is moved
in the direction of the arrow, so that the contact piece C touches even very lightly
the contact piece C, then the electric current, in passing, excites the solenoid X, the
solenoid attracts the core A and causes C (³ to press more firmly together and to
establish a better electrical connection. The solenoid X becomes more fully excited
and continues to attract more and more the core A; the pressure of C on C₁ increases
sufficiently to overcome the stress of the spring T and the lever H. C¹ is driven back,
away from the set screw S.
The consequence of the above described operation is to insure the closing of the
circuit at CC even should the whole apparatus be in a damp atmosphere or the
electric current be too powerful whereby the contacts CC may be constantly oxidized,
as the movement caused by the solenoid tends to scrape & cleanze the contacts C C¹;
as soon as the circuit is closed, the motion or operation which has been called for by
the machine, is executed. In this case, it has been supposed a complete revolution of
the shaft B is needed. The continuation of the operation is as follows: as soon as the
circuit is closed at CC, the current passes through H, C, T, ƒ, ƒ³, ƒ³, X, ƒ, N, V, V¹,ƒ³,
to the battery band the circuit is completed by the wire f³ to the rod F; the electro-
magnets V V¹ become excited and attract the armature L fig. 1, the end of which
depresses the arm K, thus liberating the catch G from the upright arm I. In conse-
quence of the weight E of the wheel, the rotation of the said wheel is started until its
teeth come into gear with an intermediate pinion on a shaft Y gearing into the
pinion U; the wheel D thus executes a complete revolution by means of the pinions W
and U and as soon as the teeth of the pinion W meet the gap of the wheel D, the
latter is stopped and its catch G comes & bears again on the upright arm I. But as
soon as the said revolution is commenced, the cam Q moves the commutator N and
the circuit is broken. As soon as the circuit is broken, the solenoid X no longer
attracts the core A; the rod F then becomes free and the spring T pushes the contact
pieces C C¹ back, until the arm H, C abuts against the stop screw S. The rod F is
thereupon free to be moved further until it assumes the desired position in the
machine. This may be accomplished either by hand or by any suitable mechanism or
inclination of the parts. The parts are thus restored to their original position and
ready to perform the same operation again.
The commutator N is also brought back into the position shown in the drawing
before the shaft B completes its revolution by the depression in the cam Q.
I have added to the clutch a supplementary device which consists in placing an
intermediate pinion between the wheel D and the driving pinion U, the said inter-
mediate pinion being so fitted as to yield in case its teeth should not come into proper
gear with the wheel D, and thus prevent any damage to the parts.
W is the intermediate pinion mounted on a shaft Y turning in bearings of an
arm Z pivoted at Z¹, and bent so as to bear with its free end Z against the frame Z³
of the clutch. The intermediate pinion W is continually geared with the pinion U
and constantly turns with it. Z is a spiral spring tending to continually move the
arm Z and pinion W upwards toward the wheel D, into the position shown in the
drawing. Should the first teeth of D on coming into contact with the pinion W not
gear properly into the teeth of the latter, the whole arm Z and pinion W are pushed
back against the resiliency of the spring Z* until a proper gearing takes place.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :
First. The construction of the clutch shown in fig. 2, comprising a weighted
wheel D having a gap and a catch G, an upright arm I, and one or more electro-
magnets V V for liberating the catch G, upon the circuit being closed, as hereinbefore
described & for the purpose set forth.
Second. The above-mentioned construction of clutch, in combination with a
commutator N operated by a cam Q fast on the shaft B, as and for the purpose
set forth.
Third. The device comprising an intermediate. loose pinion W, arm Z, and spiral
spring Z, as and for the purpose set forth.
Fourth. The general arrangement of devices applicable to electrically controlled
machinery or parts of machinery, comprising a combination of the following main
instrumentalities:
a) A contact device constituted mainly by a rod F, contact pieces C C¹, arm H C³,
set screw S, spring T, wires f, f¹, f, solenoid X and core A, fig. 1.
b) A clutch driven by a pinion U fig. 2 and composed as herein stated in claim 1.
c) A device similar to the one stated in claim 3, and
d) A commutator N fig. 1 actuated by a cam Q on the shaft B, all as and for
the purposes specified.