US1561599A - Coin-operated reciprocating time switch - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 17, 1925- L. c. EPPLER COIN OPERATED 'RECIPROCATING TIIE SWITCH v 7 Filed March 19, 1 23 3 sheetsum 1 v titjiiijua 40 50 24 =3? 7 w 7 INVE ATTORNEYS Nov. 17,1925 ,561,599

' L. c. EPPLER CO1 OPERATED RECIPROCATING TIME SWITCH Filed March 19, v 1923 3 Sheets-sheet 2 n 11111111111111", ll!

' a INVENTOR 1 I Llgelaflfppla' 7 Nov. 17, 1925- 1,561,599 L. c. EPPLER COIN OPERATED RECIPROCATING TIME SWITCH Filed Hawaii 19, 1 s Sheets-Sheets .mu iaumr- INVENTOR g wz l ATTORNEYS Patented" Nov. 17, i 1925.

. I ED STATESPA-TENT OFFICE... e

LLOYD C. EPPLER, 0F GROTON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR '10 AIRDBY CORPORATION; 01 GBOTON, NEW YORK, A OORPORATIQN 9F NEW YORK.

, 4 COIN-OPERATED nncrrnocarmo TIME swn'on.

Application filed March 19, 1923. Serial No. 626111.

To all whom z'tmay concern: a

Be it known that I, LLoYn C. EPPLER, a

citizen of the United States, and resident of Groton, in the county of Tompkins and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Operated Re ciprocating Time Switches, of which the followmg 1s a specification.

- Themam ob ect ot' thls invention 1s -to provide a simple apparatus in which a coin.

operated mechanismis adapted to close an electric circuit and maintain the same in closed position throughout the lapse of a predetermined period of time. The apparatus is specially designed for closing an electrio motor c1rcu1t but the apparatus is capable of use in a variety of relations and the nvention therefore 1s not limited with res eetto use,

r nother important object of the invention is to provide means whereby the motor drives means for operating the switch to open the motor circult after a predeter mined timeand reset the apparatus for actu casing showing the heating coil 1n the (115- charge nozzle.

ation by the insertion of another coin.

The invention is designed especially for use in connection with a hand drying machine in which an electric motor is arranged to drive a fan or blower, the air fromthe' said .fan passing over a heating coil and being then discharged through a nozzle, it being desirable with this classof machines to operate them for a predetermined time and then automatically open the motor circuit, the switch operating parts being left in position-to be again actuated by the insermeans forgactuation by the insertion of another coin.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the switch operating mechanism connected to the shaft of a motor blower, the blower casing :and the motor casing being shown partly in sectional 'view to more clearly show the construction;

Fig. 2 a detail end elevation of the coin operated means for releasing the holding dog;

Fig. 4 a detail vertical sectional View showing the coin' operated means releasing the-holding dog;

Fig. 5 a vertical sectional view showing the holding dog released and the switch in its circuit closing position; v

Fig. 6 a detail vertical sectional. view showing the operation of resetting the coin operated releasing means; I

F ig. 7 a detail sectional vie? illustrating the beginning of. the switch 'opening move- I. ment;

Fig. 8- a detail vertical sectional View showing the parts near the end of theirswitch opening movement;

Fig. 9 a detail cross sectional view on the line 9-9 of Fig, 8;

Fig. 10 a detail sectional view on the line 10-10 of Fig. 1,; and

Fig. 11 a detail sectional view of the fan the fan. Usually an electric heating coil 3 is arran ed in the discharge nozzle, said coil being 0? any suitable form and usually in circuit with the motor so that when themotor circuit is completed the heating coil will be energized. The fan- 2 is rigidly connected to the end of a shaft 4 of the electric motor 5. This motor is enclosed in a casing 6 rigidly connected to the side of the fan casing. The fan casing, opposite the motor casing, is open as illustrated at 7 in Fig. 1. It is obvious that when the motor isenergized the fan will be rotated and a. blast of air will be driven through the nozzle 3 and over and throu h the heating coil 3, the fan o crating to raw air in through the opening Rigidly secured to the side of the an casing, opposite the motor casing 6, is a bracket 8 havin a substantially horizontal arm 9 from which depends shaft support- Fig.-

a detail sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

speed shaft 11 and a low speed shaft 12.

-The reduction worm gearing is interposed bracket 8 serves as a means between these two'shafts. It is obvious that the worm gearing may be so arranged as to secure the desired reduction in speed between the high speed shaft 11 and the low axial alignment with the motor shaft and is provided at its inner end with a cross pin 13 which is adapted to loosely engage the arms 14 of a yoke secured to the fan or motor shaft 4.. The end of the high speed shaft carrying the cross pin extends into the fan casing and is loosely engaged with the yoke within the casing. The purpose of this loose connection is to avoid the necessity of accurately aligning the high speed shaft with the motor shaft and also to'permit the parts to be readily assembled. It is obvious that the cross pin 13 must engage the arms 14 of the yoke on opposite sides in order that the high speed shaft will be driven'by themotor shaft. The box containing the reduction worm gearing is preferably filled with some suitable form of lubricant to insure the easy running of the gears. On one end of the low speed shaft 12 is secured a crank 15, said crank being'connected to the switch opening and closing devices as will be hereinafter described.

The switch shown in the drawings, for opening andclosing the motor circuit, is of a well known construction. The contact arms are carried by a rocking bar 17 mounted in a suitable ri 'd frame 18. The bar 17 is rocked through a rocking frame 19 which is mounted in the frame 18 and is connected by push links 20 to a rocking operating lever 21. The lever 21 is pivoted in the frame 18. As illustrated in the drawings the contact arms are thrown into position to close the motor circuit when the rocking lever 21 is moved upwardly, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. When the rocking lever 21 is forced downwardly to the limit of its movement the contact 7 arms are snapped to their off position to open the motor circuit,-as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. This is a well known type of switch and it is thoughtunnecessary to illustrate the details of the construction thereof. The frame 18 carries a. plate 22 on which are mounted knifelade stationary contacts 23 which are designed to be engaged by the contact arms 16. The contacts 23 are insulated from the plate 22 and the motor circlosed position. The crank vertically slotted for cuit wires 24 are connected to them. The switch, of course, is spring operated so that it has a quick snap movement both in clos ing and opening the motor circuit. The switch as a whole is supported in the frame of the drying machine by means of a bracket 25, said bracket being provided with a horizontal portion 26. It is obvious, however, that the switch may be supported in the machine in any suitable manner.

A switch operating pitman 27 is con nected at its upper end to a crank pin 28 d mounted in the end of the crank 15. The

lower end of the pitman is pivoted to the free end of the rocking lever 21 so that a reciprocating movement of the pitman will operate to move the switch to its open or pin 28-is provided with a square operating block 29. The pitman is tubular and substantially rectangular in cross section. Nearits upper free end it is slotted vertically at 30, said slot being formed in opposite side walls thereof. The operating block 29 extends through the pitman and fits snugly in the slot 30, engaging the walls of said slot, as clearly illustrated in the drawings. The pitman is held on the operating block by means of a washer 31 secured to the projecting end of the crank pin 28, said washer also serving to hold the operating block in the pitman. The operating block slides freely in slot 30 so that the pitman may move vertically under the'infiuence of the switch closing spring and independently of the crank 15. The horizontal portion 26 of the switch supporting bracket extends through the slots in the pitman and serves as a rigid stop and support for the lower end of the switch closing spring 32, said spring being mounted within the pitman and the upper end thereof engaging a rigid inwardly turned lip- 33, said lip serving, when the pitman is forced downwardly, to compress the spring 32 and thereby set it for the switch closing operation. The pitman is the passage of the arm 26 of the switch supporting bracket to permit the pitman to reciprocate, as shown clearlyin Fig. 5 of the drawings.

Pivoted near the upper free end of the pitman is a locking dog 34-. whose upper end extends within the pitman and is adapted to be engaged by the operating block 29. A spring 35 normally forces theupper end of the locking dog into the path of the op- .erating block; and .the upper end of said dog is notched at 36 to receive block. is adapted to engage the side of the operating block and thereby form a stop to limit the inward swinging movement of the locking dog. The locking dog 34 is extended below its pivot to form a releasing arm 37 which lies along Side of the pitthe operating The upright wall of the notch 36 ieo which reciprocates man, said releasing arm being normally thrown outwardly away from the pitman by the spring '35. 26, andin position to engage the releasmg arm 37 is a trip device'38. This trip device consists of a channel frame 39 in a trip 40, said trip carrying a roller 41 which is adapted to be pressed into engagement with the releasing arm 37 The trip 40, carries a transverse pin 42 which operates in elbow slots 43 formed in-the side walls of the frame 39. Connected to the pin 42 is a spring 44, said spring extending toward the pitman and beingconnected to a rigid pin 45 carried by "theframe 39.

slotted at 46 through which the pin 45 extends. and which permits the trip to have a movement toward the pitman under the influence of the spring 44. The trip device is locked in its retracted position by the pin 42 dropping down in the vertical portion of the elbow slot 43. When the trip device is lifted, as will be hereinafter described, the pin 42 is raised into the longer horizontal portionof the slot 43 and the spring 44 will then cause it to move toward the pitman and into engagement with the arm 37. The spring 44' tends to pull the pin downwardly into the vertical portion of the elbow slot and thereby latch the trip device in its retracted position. In the channel frame 39, below the trip device 40, is mounted a short rock shaft 47, said shaft being, mounted on sensitive anti-friction bearings so that it will rock readily. Where said shaft passes under the end of the trip device it is flattened or squared to form a cam surface 48 whichnormally engages the under side of the trip device sothat when said shaft is' rocked the cam face 48 will lift the trip device and free the pin 42 from the shoulder in the elbow slot 43. 'Mounted in the rockshaft is a long arm 49 which carries at its free end a coincup 50, said cup being disposed in a suitable position in the machine frame to receive a coin. It 1s manifest that the machine will be provided with a coin chute or slot adjacent the coin cup 50. The arm 49 is carried through the rock shaft and its end opposite the coin cup is provided with a counter balance weight 51, said weightacting to normally hold the coin cup in position to receive a coin. A stop 52vis adapted to-beengaged by the counterweight when the coin cup is ',-In'- Fig. 1; tae switch is shown in 0 en' position with all theparts at rest.- To 0 ose in-itsf normal}- sition.

the switch a coin is dropped into the coin cup.5 O.- The 'weight'.;.o:f the coin will depress the cup sea-and rotate the rock shaft 47. The cam face 48 will lift the trip device 40 and free the pin 42 from the shoulder of the elbow slot. The spring 44 will Mounted on the arm- The trip device 40 is upwardly and the upward movement of the pitman will rock the lever 21 and throw the switch to its closed position. This operation is clearly illustrated in Fig. 5. The motor circuit is now closed and the crank 15 starts to move in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figs. 5 and 6. The movement of the crank will swing the upper end of the pitman toward the trip device and will engage the roller 41, thereby forcing the trip device against the tension of'the spring 44 until the pin 42 is snap ed down into the vertical elbow portion 0 the slot 43 thereby latching the trip device in its retracted position. The crank will continue its movement .until it has reached the top or outer end of the slot 30. When it has limit-of its downward movement the lever 21 will have been moved on its pivot sufficiently to snap the switch into its open position and the motor will be stopped. The timing mechanism is so arranged that the motor will be in operation during one complete revolution of the crank 15 so that when the parts have been restored to the position shown in Fig. 1, the motor will be stopped and all the parts will be in position for another operation by the insertion of another coin in the coin cup 50.

What I claim is:

1. A time switch for an electric motor comprising a motor, a reduction gearing including a high speed shaft. and a low speed shaft, means for driving the high speed shaft from the motor shaft, a rocking switch, a spring tending to move said switch to its closed position, means for locking said switch in its open'position, means for releasing the said switch locking means, and a bar operated by, the rotation of the low speed shaft to force the switch into its open position, said switch opening bar resetting the switch closingspring and the means releasing the switch locking means.

2. A time switch for an electric motor comprisin a motor, a reduction gaming including a iigh speed shaft "an'da low speed shaft, means for driving the high; s eed shaft from the motor shaft, wires in switch, a spring tending to move" for switchto its closed position, a dog for lockspring adapted to be placed under tension mg said switch in its open position, means when the pitman is moved by the crank, a for releasing the said switch locking dog, means to release the locking dog from the and a bar operated by the rotation of the crank to ermit the switch closing s ring low speed shaft to force the switch into its to move t e pitman and thereby roc the 70 position, said switch opening means reswitah lever to its closed position, and

setting the locking dog, the switch closing means whereby the locking dog will relever, a pitman connected to said lever, a to open and closed positions, a pitman, an

and the means for releasing the lock the crank to the 'pitman when the'crank switc -locking dog. 1 v reaches the outer end of the slot in the pit- 3. A- time switch for an electric motor man. I I com rising a motor, a reduction gearing in- 6. A time switch mechanism comprisin eluding a h'gh speed shaft and-a low s eed a reduction gearing including a high spee shaft, means for driving the high speed s liaft shaft adapted to be driven by a motor from the motor shaft, a rocking switch and a low speed shaft, 9. switch shiftable crank mounted on the low speed shaft and operative connection between said switch operating in a slot in the pitman, a pivand the pi-tman, a crank mounted on the oted locking dog to lock the crank to the low speed shaft, a pivotal and slidable con- Etman, a switch closing spring adapted to nection between said crank and 'pitman,

pl ced under tension by the rotation of means to automatically lock said pitman the crank, a means to release the locking and crank against relativeslidin at their dog from the said crank and thereby per said pivotal connection, a switc closing mit the switch closing spring to move'the spring adapted to be placed under tension pitman and rock the switch ever to closed by the'rotation of the crank, means to reposition, and means whereby therotation of lease said crank and pitman locking means the crank will cause the locking dog to re-- and thereby permit said. switch closing lock the crank to, the pitinan. spring to move the pitman longitudinally 4. A time switch for an electric motor relatively to the crank andshift the switch com risin a motor, a reduction gearing into closed position, and means whereby the eluding a igh speed shaft and a low speed rotation of the crank will cause the said shaft, means for driving-the high speed locking means to relock the crank and pitshaft from the motor shaft, a rocking switch man together and cause the switch to be lever, a pitman pivoted at its lower ends opened and the spring. to be-re-tensioned by to said lever the other end being free to the continued rotation- 0f the crank. swing, said pitman being slotted longitudi- 7 A time switch mechanism for an elecnally at its free upper end, a crank;mounted tric motor comprising a reduction gearing on the low speedshaft and operating in the including a high speed shaft adapted tobe slot in the pitman, a pivoted locking dog driven by a motor and a low speed shaft, carried by thepitman and adapted to look a switch shiftable to open and closed osithe crank to the pitman when the crank is tions, a pitman operatively connec to in the upper end of the said slot, a switch said switch, a. crank carried by said low closing spring adapted to be placed under speed shaft, a pivotal and slidable connectension when the pitman is moved downtion' between said crank and pitman, means wardly by the crank, a means to release the for locking the pitman against sliding relalocking dog from the crank and thereby tively to the crank, means tending to shift rmit the switch closing spring to rock the switch to closed position, settable pitthe switch lever to its closed position, and man releasing means adapted to be tripped means whereby the locking dog will relock for releasing said locking means and permit the crank to the pitman when the crank said swltch closing means to slide the pitreachesthc upper part of the slot in the man longitudinally to close the switch,

pitman. means whereby the rotation of the crank 5. A time switch for an electric motor will cause the said locking means to re-lock comprising a motor, a reduction gearing inthe crank and pitman together and cause eluding a high speed shaft and a low speed the switch to be opened by the continued shaft, means for driving the high 3 speed rotation of the crank the. said pitman reshaft from the motor shaft, a rocking switch l si g means ei g d pt to be e-s lever, a pitinan pivoted at one of its'cnds by the movement of the pitman to switch to said levcr'the other end being free to opening pos1t1on.- 7

swing, said pitman being slotted longitudi- S. A time switcln mechanism compris' at' 1ts free end, a crank mounted on a reductioncgearing including a high spec w speed shaf 1 Opflatmg in theslot shaft adapted to be driven by a motor and in the pitman, a pivoted locking dog cara low speed shaft, a crank carried b the riedhy the pitman and adapted to lock the said low s ecd shaft, a switch shi table p 7 to the p tman when the crank is in to open an closed positions, a pitman,4an the outer end'lof said slot, .a switch closing operative connection between. M switch and pitman, a

tion between said pitman and crank, means carried. 'by the pitman to automatically lock the pitman against sliding movement relatively to the crank at said pivotalconnec-' tion, means tending to shift the switch to means for releasingv said said switch closing means to move the pitman longitudinally and close the switch,

"and means whereby the rotation of the crank will cause the said locking means to relock the crank and pitman together and cause the switch to be opened by the continued rotation of the crank.

9. A time switch mechanism for an electric motor comprising a reduction gearing including a high speed shaft'adapted to be driven by the motor and alow speed shaft, a switch shiftable to open and closed posi tions, switch shifting means connecting the pivotal and slidable conneclow speed shaft and the'switch, a sprin tending to close the switch, means adapte to operatively connect said shifting means to the low speedshaft and prevent the spring from closing I the switch, settable means adapted to be tripped to release said shaft connecting ;means and permit the spring to close the switch and start the motor, means to automatically re-connec-t the low-speed shaft to said switch shifting means upon a predetermined rotation of the lows eed shaft, whereby the switch will be opene and the spring retensioned by a further rotation of the low speed shaft, the

- said settable releasing means being adapted to be automatically reset by t switch shifting means upon the {switch opening movement thereof.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

- LLOYD C. EPPLER.

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