US1052674A - Thermostat. - Google Patents

Description

L. A.L1NDSEY.

THERMOSTAT.

APPLICATION FILED 13120.14, 1911.

Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

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l LUeIUs A. LINDSEY, or ABMUCHEE, esonera.

THERMOSTAT.

Application led December 14, 1911. Serial No.l 665,720.

Be it known that I Looms A. LINDSEY, a citizen of the Uni Y States, residing at A rmuchee, in the county of Floyd and State of Georgia, have invented Vcertain new and useful Improvements in Thermostats; and I do declare the following 'to be a full, clear,

. and exact description of the-invention, such as willenable others skilled inthe art to which 1t appertains to make vand use the same.

This invention relates to electric signalfing, and more especially to thermal circuit closers; and the object of the same is to produce "an improved type of thermostat whichv will actuate the circuit closer when. the tem# perature changes rapidly but which will not do so when the change of the temperature is more deliberate. Y

To this end the .invention consists in so constructing the thermostat and connecting its parts with the signal that a sudden change in' the temperature will actua-te the former which in turn will actuate the latter, ,whereas a moredeliberate change in temperature will not do either.

The invention yalso contemplates the provision of a safety appliance whereby anl eX- cessive rise in temperature, even though the rise be gradual, will actuate the alarm.

One embodiment o. my inventionis'- de scribed in the follo ing. specification and shown in ,the accompanying drawings wherein-'- Figure 1 is a'general side elevation of 'this device, showingthe circuits and alarms infdiagram. F ig. 2is an enlarged Vertical section through the thermostat alone, and Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In'the drawings I have'pul'posely shown.

myinvention as applied to and used in Vcon- -nection with an electric circuit closer so that the action of the thermostat may be communicated to a distant point where 1t will sound an alarm or actuate a signal, because probably the most practical embodiment of the idea; but I desire it to be understood that I do not wish to be limited to a restricted use of the invention because 'I consider the latter as broad as the language of the broadest claim.

The numeral 1 designates tirely surroundingand inclosing a drum 2` so as to leavean air space or jacket bedtweenthem. The envelop and drum are copper, and their size a d shape is .immateria] although by prefere ce they are globular and the inner member 2 stands concentric within the outer member 1 so that the air jacket 3 is of one width throughout, eX-

-cepting opposite the diaphragmdescribed below.` These two members are connected at lone point in any suitable manner as by a admit air to the 4jacket 3, and within this tube in the present embodiment of my inpreferably'made of light sheet metal such as Specicatvon of Letters Patent. Patented Feb'. 11, 191.3.' i

vention is insulation 5 through which passes a rod 6 having a point 7 at its inner end, a wire 8 connected with'its outer endand vled to some suitable point, and adjusting means 9 for varying its position within the insulation, the specilic` character of said' means being 'immateriaL In the illustration I have shown the insulation 5 as being a nut through whiclrthe rod 6 screws, .and

`the member 9 as a head on the outer end of the rodso that the latter may be turned to adjust its position,y and this I have done merely for purposes of illustration. At a pointdirectly opposite the tube 4 the outer member or envelop 1 carries an outwardly projecting nipple 14 also containing insulation 15, and through'the latter passes an' other rod 1 6 having a point 17 at its inner end, a wire 18 leading from its outer end to a suitable-point, .and adjusting means 19 of any suitable type. Here again the means for adjusting the position of the rod 16 and its point 17 are illustratedas the same as the means employed forv adjusting the rod and its point 7, although simply for sake of illustrating onel adjusting means. If the concentric members 1 and 2 be globular or ing concentric corrugations 21 in its body Y and afbutton 22 at its center, this diaphragm being also of thin met-a1,v or of fabric rendered -air tight in some suitableniannen'and closing the interior 'of the drum 2 s'o as to maintainthe' jacket 3 within the envelop lV -t-wo alarm bells, although vthis system of wiring -is the arrangement which I xprefer' and may be replaced by others.

The wire 18 from the pin 16 leads through a switch or circuit breaker 30 and thence through the coil of a relay 31 and to one pole of a battery 32, and the other pole of the latter is connected'by wire 28 with the button 22 on the diaphragm. It follows that when said button is in contact with the point 17 of the rod 16, the circuit flows through the coilof the relay and the armature 33 is attractedso that contact is broken between it and a point- 34 which is connected with one pole of a bell 35. The other pole of the latter is connected by a branch wire 36 with the wire 28 at the opposite side of the battery 32, and it follows that when contact between the button 22 and oint 17 is broken and the relay magnetv is l energized its armature 33 restablishes contact with the point 34 and a local circuit is setup `through the battery and bell and the latter is sounded. In some cases this signal alarm might be considered' suiiicient, but I propose to make use generally of a seco-11d alarm for'the sake of greater security. One pole of the bell 37 thereof is connected by a wire v 38 which joins the wire 18 at one side of the battery 32, the other side thereofubeing connected with the button 22 by the-wire`28 as above described; and the other pole of said bell is connected with the wire 8 leading to the rod 6 and point 7, a switch'or circuit breaker 39 being by preference interposed in this wire 8. When this switch is open this alarm `circuit is cut out; andlon the other hand when the switch 30 is open the alarm circuit above described is cut out, or both switches may be opened at times if desired. The parts being assembled about as shown in the drawings, the action of my device will now be apparent. Air is of course trapped within the drum,2,and another stratum of air within the air space or-jacket 3 around the drum 2'and within the envelop 1, and

l' outside the la'tter isthe air in the apartment contalning this thermostat which is preferably l supported therein remote from the walls and" windows in any suitable way,

:as Iby.` thegeye Assuming now that a lire occii-rsjwilthinJ the apartment. The tem- 'peratureof the air therein rises rapidly; and heats the'shell of .the envelop 1l so that the air within the.` air space 3 is slightly warmed and therefore expands, but the air within the drum 2 has not yet been heated and therefore does not expand. The expanding air withinv the envelop 1 outside the diaphragm cannot escape, and its pressure on the diaphragm will therefore move the same to the leftor inward so that its button 22, which normally st-andbv in contact with the' point 17 as shown in Fig. 2, is moved away `from the'same, and the circuit through the coil of the relay is interrupted and the alarm 35 is sounded in the manner abo-ve described. Assuming, however, that this alarmshould fail to work and yet-the temperature continues to rise rapidly. The further movement of the button 22 at the center of the diaphragm to the left will soon throw itinto contact with the po-int 7, and then a circuitis completed through the bell 37 and the other alarm is sounded. If, however, the temperature of the air within the apartment changes slowly, the change is communicated through the shell of the envelop 1, to the air within the air space3 and byit to the shell of the drum 2, and thence through the latter to the airl contained within this drum;

and the result is that the temperature of the air on opposite sides of the diaphragm will not vary to any material extent and there-- fore the pressure on opposite sides of the diaphragm will not differ materially.. By adjusting vthe two rods 6 and 16 their points 7 and 17 may be set with respect to the vbutton 22 in such a way that thel diaphragm, will be permitted to Hex slightly without causing the button to move out of contact with the point 17 or into contact with th'e point 7, and yet a sudden rise in temperature will soundfi'rst one alarm and.f l

then the other, or both alarms if they are both in working order.

On extremely rare occasions it occurs that a irestarts and burns so slowly that the heat rises very deliberately, and as it is possible in s uch event neither alarm above describedy would begsounded I make. use of the following means for sounding an alarm when excessive heat is reached whether it be reachedquickly or slowly: The outer enyelo-p 1 is by preference made in two cupshaped halves or-parts which are connected in anI air-tight manner by a fusible joint 41, and the line of division across the sphere shown lin the drawings is indicated as oblique so that when excessive heat melts this joint and the right hand portion of theenvelop falls away from the left hand portion the point 17 connected withthe wire 18 will positively` be removed 'from the button 22 connected with the wire 28 and the circuit through the relay will be broken whether the diaphragm be deflected or not. I prefer to divide the globular envelop on an oblique line so that the weight\of the right'and lower part tends to vdrawdt away from the iso phragm so as Vto form an air jacket between neo ' with left and upper part which is here supported at the point 40, and thereby use gravity to' assist in breaking the circuit intimes of necessity. I have not considered it necesary toillustrate in the drawings the fact this device might alsobe employed forisounding an alarm on the occasion of a sudden fall in the temperature, although it is possible to use the thermostat in that way as when it is located within an apartment containing incubators.v A mere reversal of the circuits. illustrated in Fig. 1 and asetting of the point 7 in contact with the button 22 would be one means for carrying out thisv idea. Thereafter .any sudden fall in temperature would cause a decrease 'of the volume of air within the space 3 and a deflection of the diaphragm away from the point 7, and the result-would be the same as above indicated for a sudden rise in temperature. It is also possible by a modification of the wiring and the circuits to adapt this device to sound an alarm on either the sudden rise orthe sudden fall of temperature, and this also will be Well understood without further description or illustration. Y

What is claimed as new is: v

1. The herein described thermostat com-` prising a drum whose shell has an opening, a flexible diaphragm across said opening` and trapping air within the drum, an air tight envelop of heat-conducting material inclosing said drum and diaphragm so as to form an air jacket between them and the envelop, and circuit devices within the drum actuated by the movements of said diaphragm and leading to the exterior of said envelop.

2. The herein described thermostat com'- prising a drum whose shell has an opening,

a 'flexible diaphragm across said opening and trapping air .within the drum, an air tight envelop inclosing said drum and diathem and the envelop, a tube rigidly connecting the latter with the drum,insulation within said tube,a metal rod passing through said insulation with its point adjacent said diaphragm, and wires connected with the diaphragm and rod for the purpose set forth. i

3. The herein described thermostat comprising a drum whose shell has an opening, a iexible diaphragm across said opening and trapping air within the drum, a button at the center of the diaphragm, an air tight `envelop mclosing said d rm and diaphragm so as tov form an Vair jacket vbetween them and the envelop, means for rigidly connectingtlie latter with the drum at a point in line said button, a rod extending through the connecting point with its inner end adjacent the button, a nipple in the envelop diametrically opposite said rod, a second rod ex' tending through the nipple` with its point opposite the other side of the button, means for ad'usting the position of both rods, and

wires eading from the rods and the button."

' 4. The herein described thermostat comprising a drum whose shell has an opening, a `iexible metallic diaphragm across said vopening and trappingV air within the\ drum,

an air tight envelop 4inclosing said drum and diaphragm so as to form an air jacket between them and the envelop, means for rigidly connecting the latter with the drum, a rod extendin through the connecting point, a nipple in t e envelop diametrically opposite said rod, a second rod extending through the nip le with its point opposite the other side o the diaphragm, means for adjusting the position of both rods, wires leading from said rods, and a third wire .leading from the diaphragm through and insulated from the shell of the envelop.

5. A thermostat consisting of a globular envelop of heatfconducting metal divided on an oblique lineinto two parts, a fusible joint connecting said parts vso asY to render the envelop air-tight, means for supporting one part above the line of division so asto permit the other part to fall away from it when the joint is melted. by heat, a diaphragm contained "within said envelop, means for flexing it by sudden changes in temperature, and means for sounding an alarm when the diaphragm is moved; combined with an electric alarm whosev terminal wires are -connected with said partsand through the fuse joint with each other so as to produce a lclosed circuit' which is broken by the movement ofuthe last-named part away from the other after the joint has`been melted, the breaking of said circuit sounding an alarm.

\ 6. A thermostat comprising 4two concen- A trically disposed aircontaining members whose shells are otheat conducting mate'- rial, that of the outer member being `divided on an oblique cline into two parts a fusible joint connecting them, means for suspending the uppermost from an overhead support, the shell of the inner memberl having an opening, and a flexible diaphragm across said opening and closing communication between the chambers within said members;

combined with a button at the vcenter of said diaphragm, a wire connected with lthe button and leading tothe exterior of the router member, a rod mounted through fthe lower part of the outer member with its 'l point directed toward said button, -a second rod mounted through the upper part of this member and through the wall of the inner memben with its point directed toward the opposite side of said button, wires leading from both said rods, an alarm in circuit with the low-rod-wire vand said wire from the button;^ and a second electric with each other so as to produce \a closed circuit which is broken by the movement of the last-named part away from the other aterthe (joint has been melted, the break-y ing of said circuit sounding an alarm.

7. A thermostat comprislng two concentrically disposed air-containing members whose shells are of heatconducting material,that of 'the outer member being divided onan oblique line into two parts, a fusible joint connecting them, means for suspending the uppermost from an overhead support, the shellv of lthe inner member having an opening, and a ieXible diaphragm -across said opening and closing communication 'be- I tween .the chambers within said members; combined with a button at the centerl of said diaphragm, a wire connected with the y button and leading to the exterior of the ,outer member, a rod adjustably mounted through the lower part of the outer member the upper part of this member and through the wall of' the inner` member with itspoint directed towardI the opposite side of lsaid button, wires leading from both said rods, an alarm, in circuit with the low-rod-wire and said wire from the button and including a battery, a relay, and a bell on a branch circuit through lthe relay armature; and a second alarm in circuit with. the upper-rodwire and the button-wire and including said battery and a bell.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribingvwitnesses.

i LUcIUs AQ LINnsEY.

Witnesses:

Gno. T. ARCHER, p GEO. B. STOFFREGEN.

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