US2655892A - Deceleration signaling device - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 20, 1953 s MANECKE 7 2,655,892

DECELERATIQN SIGNALING DEVICE Filed March 14, 1951 FIGI. Q

WITNESSES: Z?v W Siegfried E. Munecke ATTOR N EY INVENTOR Patented Oct. 20, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DECELERATION SIGNALING DEVICE Siegfried E. Maneck'e, Mansfield, Ghio, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March' 14, 1951,Serial No. 215,558

1 Claim. 1

My invention relates :to 'signallingdevices, more particularly to a device for audibly signalling the deceleration and subsequent stopping of a motor shaft, and ithas for an object to provide an improved devlce'of this kind.

The invention is particularly adaptable to motors for driving automatically cycled machines wherein it is desirable to signal the termination of 'a cycle'of operation. In automatically cycled domestic clothes washers and dryers, the main driving motor usually operates continuously during the program of steps in the cycle of operation and is stopped at the end of the program, so that a motor provided with my improved signalling device will audibly signal the end of the cycle of operation.

In accordance with my invention, a bell is operated by a centrifugal device, driven by the motor and effective during deceleration of the motor for audibly signalling the termination of a cycle of operation of the motor. Preferably, the bell is carried by the end of the motor frame and is engaged b a striker rotatable with the motor shaft and pivotally supported thereon. A centrifugally operated weight also rotatable with the motor shaft maintains the striker out of engagement with the bell during full speed operation of the motor and moves the striker, during deceleration of the shaft, into a path intersecting the bell for the sounding of the latter. A further object of the invention is, therefore, to audibly signal the deceleration and subsequent stopping of a motor shaft in response to the speed thereof.

The foregoing and other objects are effected by my invention as will be apparent from the following description and claim taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which:

Figs. 1 and 2 are, respectively, side and end elevations of a motor having my novel signalling device applied thereto; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective of the centrifugally operated striker mechanism shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Reference will now be had to the drawing wherein I have shown the invention applied to a conventional motor Iii of the type employed for the driving of automatically cycled clothes washing and drying machines. The motor It includes a shaft I I, having a pulley or driving wheel l2 fixed thereto, and a U-shaped supporting frame [3. As the construction and operation of a motor of this kind are Well understood, further description is deemed unnecessary.

In accordance with the invention, an audible signal :device, for example, :a bell i4, is employed for signalling the deceleration and subsequent stopping of the sh-aft 5|.I 'whenthe motor M) :is deenergized. The bell M is preferably carried try the frame |3 andis'soundedby a "centrifngally operated striker mechanism generally indicated at 1-5 andirotatablewith the shaft ill. The construction and arrangementsis -such that thastriker mechanism :is imitated clear of the :bell l4 during full speed operation of the motor It and is positioned to strike the bell when the shaft decelerates through lower speeds. The shaft rotates counterclockwise, as shown by the arrow in Fig. 2.

The centriiugally operated striker mechanism l5 includes an arm or bracket l6 which is fixed to the shaft H for rotation therewith in any suitable manner such as, for example, by a screw ii. A pin i8 is fixed to the arm i6 and supports a striker l9 and a weight 2|, both of the latter being free to move about the pin l8 at all times. The Weight 2| is biased to its inner position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 2, by a tension spring 22, one end of which is clipped to an upstanding tab 23 formed on the arm l6 and the other end of which is hooked to an upstanding abutment 24 formed on the weight 2|. The abutment 24 is shaped to engage the hub 25. of the striker IQ for moving the striker about the pivot I8 to the position shown in dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 2 when the weight 2| is centrifugally moved outwardly to its dot-and-dash position, as shown in Fig. 2. A projecting stop 20 formed on the arm l6 limits movement of the striker i9 inwardly and movement of the weight 2| outwardly.

The dot-and-dash positions of the striker l9 and weight 2|, as shown in Fig. 2, are those assumed during full speed operation of the motor, for example, 1750 R. P. M. The solid line positions of the striker I9 and the weight 2| are the positions assumed during deceleration of the motor. When disposed in the solid line position, as shown in Fig. 2, the striker I9 rotates in a path which intersects the bell Ill and, therefore, will ring the bell on each revolution as the shaft decelerates to a stop. In this connection, it will be noted that centrifugal force tends to hold the striker l9 in its outer position at all times that the motor rotates. At a speed closely app-roaching full speed, the weight 2| moves outwardly and the striker I9 is moved inwardly by the abutment 24 which engages the hub 25 of the striker l9.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that I have provided an improved device for signalling the deceleration and subsequent stopping of a motor. When the motor is applied for the driving of an automatically cycled machine, the operator is notified of the termination of the cycle so that the machine may be immediately serviced with no loss of time. It will be noted that the bell will be sounded for a short period of time during the rapid acceleration of the motor. This operation will advise the operator that satisfactory starting has been effected and is advantageous, particularly in a machine where the motor or driven parts are not visible. The signalling mechanism which I have disclosed may be very economically produced and is reliable and positive in operation. While I have shown my invention applied to a conventional single shaft motor, it will be understood that it may be applied equally well to other forms of motors such as multiple shaft or so-called geared motors.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.

What I claim is:

In a centrifugally operated signalling device, the combination of a motor having a frame and a rotatable shaft, a bell carried by the frame and radially spaced from the shaft, an arm fixed to the shaft for rotation therewith, a pin fixed to the arm, a centrifugally operated weight pivoted on the pin, a spring connecting the weight to said arm and biasing the weight to an inner position, said weight being moved to an outer position in response to a predetermined speed of the shaft, a striker pivoted on said pin, and a shoulder carried by the Weight and engageable with said Striker for moving the latter about the pin, said striker being actuated to a position wherein it clears the bell when the weight is centrifugally moved to said outer position thereof, said striker moving to another position wherein it engages the bell when the weight is moved to said inner position thereof by the spring.

SIEGFRIED E. MANECKE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,136,410 Crossland Apr. 20, 1915 1,150,130 Leitch Aug. 17, 1915 1,260,862 Binder Mar. 26, 1918 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 3,641 Netherlands Oct. 15, 1919

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