US2615086A - Mechanical counting relay - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 21, 1952 K. w. GRAYBILL EIAL MECHANICAL COUNTING RELAY Filed Dec. 1, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IO I //VJO/97/0/V INVENTORS. KENNETH W. GRAYBILL HANS SENGEBUSCH ATTORNEY Oct. 21, 1952 K. w. GRAYBILL ETAL 2,615,086

MECHANICAL COUNTING RELAY Filed Dec. 1, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 INVENTORs.

KENNETH w. GRAYBILL BY HANS SENGEBUSCH 28 ATTORNEY 1952 K. w. GRAYBILL ETAL 2,615,086

MECHANICAL COUNTING RELAY iled Dec. 1, 1949 3 Sheets-Sneet 3 4 FIG. 6

INVENTORs. KENNETH W. GRAYBILL HANS SENGEBUSCH ATTORN E Y Patented Oct. 21 1 952 busch, Villa Park, Ill., assi'g nors to Automatic Electric Laboratories, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application December 1, 1949, Serial No. 130,454

10 Claims. 1

This invention relates in general to selector switches of the type employed in the automatic telephony art and more particularly, to the counting relay type thereof.

Accordingly, an object, of the invention is to provide an improved counting relay type stepping switch.

A feature of the invention lies in the individual latching mechanisms corresponding to digit impulses to be counted.

Another feature of the invention is its adaptation to a continuous chain like operating sequence.

A further feature in keeping with the last mentioned feature is a 'bail and pin arrangement insuring said continuous chain like operating sequence.

These and other objects and features Will be more particularly pointed out in the ensuing specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view from the left and front of the device.

Fig. 2 is an isometric viewof one of the driving members and shows its interconnection with a group of four contactors.

Fig. 3 is an isometric view of one of the cocking elements of the device.

Fig. 4 is a side section of the first and second driving members, their associated cocking elements and springs as well as the bail and pin.

Fig. 5 is a side section showing the same elements as Fig. 4 except that the first driving member and associated cocking mechanism is in its forward or operated position.

Fig. 6 is a side section showing the same elements as Fig. 4 with the first driving member returned to normal and the second one lowered into its operate position.

Fig. 7 is an Oblique view of the first three driving members, associated cocking elements, bail and pin and common driving armature.

Referring now to the drawings, a detailed 'description of the mechanism and its operation follows.

Here also, as stated in our co-pending application, Serial No. 115,468, filed September 13, 1949, to which reference may be had, the instant in vention presents a rather complicated mechanism, and to facilitate the description and render it more readily understandable, locative or directional adjectives such as rear, forward and so forth will be used. For this purpose, the reference positions used will be the left and front sides of the device as shown in the perspective view in Fig. 1.

The device is mountedion a frame I which may be a cold rolled steel stamping. Frame 1 has a base portion 2 at the rear of which and rising perpendicularly therefrom is heelpiece 3. Two driving magnets 6 and l are mounted side by side on the lower portion of heelpiece -3 just above the base portion 2. Above the magnets 6 and l rigidly connected to and extending perpendicularly forward from the lateral edges of heelpiece -3 are ears 4 and 5. Secured to the outer surfaces of cars :4 and 5 and extending in parallel relationship rearward are ears '8 and 9. These ears 8 and 9 are made of an electrically non-conducting material. Along the upper edges of ears 8 and 9 and rearward of heelpiece 3 are bored four spaced apart holes into which are set four bar contacts l0, These b'ar contacts *IO all lie in a plane parallel to base 2 and each bar 10 parallels heelpiece 3 as well. The left ends of bar contacts 4 0 project beyond the outer surface of ear 8 and terminate in flattened end contacts H; Below and to one side of three of the bar contacts 10 are bored into ears 8 and 9 three more spaced apart holes and passed therethru are three insulated bar rests 12. Bar rests l2 also lie in a plane paralleling base 2 and each parallels the heelpiece 3 and the bar contacts In while being positioned below and slightly rearward of the first three of contacts l0 counting front to rear. Beneath base portion 2 and attached to the lateral sides thereof is a sub-base element l3 which extends rearward beneath heelpiece 3, then rising in a vertical wall l4 flush against the rear of heelpiece 3 and extending laterally 'therebeyond. Attached to vertical wall M by means of a clamping plate 15 and bolts, not shown, are twelve ranks of contactors [6, each rank comprising four contactors it one behind the next, separated one from another, and held in place by insulating strips I? hear the lower ends thereof between clamping plate I 5 and vertical wall It. The upper ends of these contactors 16 extend upward a proper distance to permit engagement with bar contacts In. Eleven of these ranks of four contactors each are positioned between ears '8 and 9 while one rank is positioned outwardly adjacent ear '8 and extends to contact the fiat ends ll of the bar con-- tacts l0 which were stated to extend beyond ear 8. The twelve ranks of contactors l6 form four files, each file positioned forwardly of its associated bar contact [0. Each of the three rearwardmost contactors [6 in each rank of the eleven ranks between ears 8 and 9 is tension'ed so as to bear against the insulating bar l2 in front thereof; while the front contactors 16 in each of the 3 eleven ranks are tensioned to bear against the frontmost studs on the associated driving members 29 subsequently described. All eleven ranks of cont actors (5 within the confines of ears 8 and S are movable into engagement with the bar contacts 59, one rank at a time, the mechanism idilvhi'cl'fwilldoe described tr er-"smarter, while the twelfth rank bf contactors lfi"oiitside of ear 3 is tensioned so as to be in contact with bar contact ends H at all times. contactors i5 terminates at its other endinea terminal Ito. Each of the contactoisd'fi m'ay'at its upper contacting end belaspl it' to io'rmtwi contacts as shown in Figs. d2 hereby'dolibl assuring good contact with bars HT.-

Ears and 5 have axially holes bored therethru serving as bearing surfaces wfor-shaft On shaft i8, between ears 4 and 5, equally spaced Situated above these ten cocking elements 13 l'o'i ituc lina l-ly -thru '1" the f switch,

A Al eleven 1 driving members- 2 0': are n v bly 'n'o' 1"" to haveTa range ofrom ertica l movement up; and down.

1 the 'driving -.-'members 2 0: in1 proper relation and irom-rlateral -fia cross: -l oiecer-= 2 [i -is. i placed 1 1 i displacement; 'aeross tne bar endbeen Ernss: piece: 2 1 has eleven spac'e'd -ap'art vertical slots-itoreceiver-the rear- 'm'o'st ends orthe'drivin'g' members/:2 0:, :the elower edges oiv: the :members 1'2 it resting: im the lower edges loathe;associatedslots;:aEtrchidrivingmemberliflr 'atait's re'armost 'send h'as ac small-l recessn along itsiuppenfed'geEtetminating iinia raise'd ho'ol: 'ts every end; =Re'ce'sses 22:2 andehooks 1.213 -limitiatl'ie length: :of :zthe longitudinal? movements ofuthe'idrivinglznembers empthe forward edgecfi recess 22 rrengaging. the; up'pen edge iDfiZj-tS; :assQ- fcia-tedasloti in cross 1 piece i I; to stop zits ifronteto- 'Iali stroke. hilether'hookziendffla; engagesitthe :uppe'rr edge: ts iasscciated-islotz-to limit. the; lie- --turn stroke thereby. i Also, the recessed reargends For"; the; g members :23; If Within: theirqzasso- 121733 2 19W, a t re saris ri d pe ned? 3a nt parallel comb-likef Each of the "10 piece 3 therebehind.

apart are ten cocking elements IQ CFigP 3-):

the switch suppofte'dz'ateither hereinafter.

ioi itudine l y i P greate 4 fingers 28 are positioned to engage at normal a stud 29 projecting from each driving member 20 immediately to its left. To maintain each vertical finger 26 in engagement with a stud 29 projecting rearwardly to the right from the associated driving member 26 immediately to its left, is 'all springs) e1? (Fig.f) 'are attaclien gto lower "hooks 28 0f cocking elements *1 B at one end and at their other ends to hooks 32 secured to heel- The force of these springs 31 .willwatnnormal tend to rotate the cocking element'si'eclo'ckwise (Fig. i) and so hold fingers T23 in engagementnwith studs 29 of driving memers '21? to@the left thereadjacent as well as hold- """th""'a ssoei te'd driving member 28 thereabove *indts"uppernori'nal position by means of finger w xi Along its lower edge, each driving member 28 is providea with a cooking step 33. At normal, each driving member 2! rests in this step 33 upon the tip: 016 hockedfingeiwiil. of its. associatedgcoek- :ing celementi .l 3,. therebelow "Io ;.1orwardiy hQltl and-:Fflu'lnitim idriv nemembers, 251 c h s PQ tion which is the normal position N g g 1 =3 .=ie ::!1.-,-. 5; @Mare c nne ted s mmered to a mssfi r si yxconi cted;mend.ertensi necen ber which ha above-e d near their forward ends and i at normal forward against their stopsga described liereinbefore of cooking element mouni nswshafi .218 and: pos ti ned 11 i, $5 K 1. a i the i e w in le t hQSX tch (Fig. l nto;

be eiiplai ned in deta all operation of: the

s ron e le. s rin defiesa 1- t de e e enema l $20kifi3=fiitwh$ia 0 3 (Fig. i) and at theotherz end-10in hole 44 provided therefor in armature 4|. Even though the instant embodiment is indirectly magnet driven, by slight re-arrangement as by lowering shaft 40 and spring 42 to a position below the magnets, the device could as easily be directly driven instead of indirectly driven by force of retractile Spring 42. Spring 42 pulls armature 4| against any lowered driving member in its operating path and pushes it rearward, the complete operation to be explained more fully hereinafter.

Finally, armature 4| is provided with a left side arm 45 and buffer '46 at the end thereof to engage and open a set of interrupter springs 47 attached to base 2 each time the magnets are energized pulling the upper edge and attached arm 45 of the armature 4| away from the driving members 20. The magnets 6 and '1 operating circuit may be connected to these interrupter springs 41 to effect a stepping operation in well known manner and will not be further detailed, or also, in well known manner, the magnets 6 and I may be energized by pulsing into them as by dial interruptions efiecting a stepping independent of the interrupter springs '41.

Having described the mechanism of the device, the operation is as follows:

Assuming all the driving members 26 to be at normal, and also assuming that the first impulse is received by the magnets 6 and causing the magnets 6 and to'attract the armature 4| into its forwardmost position, the first driving member 20 adjacent ear 8 will be loweredat its frontmost end to its operate position by the force of its associated spring 34 as there is nothing to hold it up out of the operating path of armature 4|." Also bail 33 is in its uppermost position under the remaining ten driving members 2! which are in their upper normal positions, and L pin 39 is therefore in its lower osition under the weight of the. first driving member 2!]. This isb'est visualized by looking at Fig. '7 where it becomes rather obvious that L pin 39 and ball 38 act in a see-saw fashion; when one is up, the other must be down. If the pulse into the magnets 6 and l is thru interrupter springs .41, bufier 46 will open the interrupter contacts and the magnets 6 and 'i will de-energize thereby or, if directly pulsed, the magnets 6 and I will deenergize after the duration of the pulse. Then, retractile spring 42 pulls the armature 4| in toward the switch where it drives the first driving member 20 rearward until halted at its full rearward stroke by the forward edge of recess 22 thereon, coming in contact with the upper edge of the slot in cross piece 2|. In moving rearward, stud 29 of the first driving member 28 adjacent to ear 8 engages vertical finger 26 of the cooking element |3 associated with the next or second driving member 20 and rotates it on shaft l8 counter-clockwise (Fig. 5). In so doing, curved finger'2l of the cocking element |9 is likewise rotated downward releasing its support from under the second driving member 28, whereby the second driving member 20 moves slightly forwardly under the bias of the associated spring 34 moving the cooking step 33 forwardly with :respect to its normal position directly above the 6 pushed from against rests l2 into contact with the four bar contacts |-D simultaneously. The first group of contactors 5 are thus held closed until the magnets 6 and I are again energized.

Upon the next energization of the magnets 6 and l, as the armature 4| is attracted thereto and away from the driving members 20, the second driving member 20 is free to drop at its forward end under the force of its associated spring 34 and does so. In dropping, the second driving member 20 depresses bail 38 causing L pin 33 to rise, the latter lifting the first driving member 20 up out of the operating path of the armature 4|, the spring 34 associated with the second driving member 2|) being somewhat stronger than the spring 34 associated with the first driving member 26. Coil spring 34 causes the first driving member 20 to return forward as the armature 4| is being attracted to the magnets 6 and 'l, releasing the engaged rank of contactors Hi from bar contacts l0 and returning them against insulated bar rests l2.

The magnets 6 and 1 upon de-energizing again permit retractile spring 42 to pull the armature 4| in toward the driving members 20 where it now engages only the second, lowered driving member 20 and drives it rearward to its run stroke in the same manner as described for the first driving member 2%. This movement in turn causes the stud 29 on the second driving member 30 to engage the vertical finger 26 of the cooking element i9 associated with the third driving 7 member 20 and rotates it counter-clockwise dieengaging its connected curved finger Zlfrom cocking step 33 on the third driving member 2a preparing it to drop when the armature 4| is again attracted away from its forward underpor-tion. Also the second rank of contactors i8 is pressed into contact with. bar contacts It. Upon the next energization of the magnets 6 and l, as with the second driving member 20, the third driving member 20 falls keeping the bail 38 down which of course keeps the first driving member 20 up due to L pin 39. The second driving member 23 is then likewise urged forward by its spring 34, but unlike the first driving member 20, is now also urged upward to its normal position by spring 3| rotating the associated cocking element |9 clockwise causing curved finger 2'! to push the driving member 20. upward until with its forward return stroke, it looks instep 33.

This sequence is now continued as long as the magnets 8 and l are pulsed. Should a train of less than ten pulses be sent into the magnets, then a subsequent set of pulses will begin with the next adjacent dropped driving member 20. When the eleventh and last driving member 20 which has no stud '29 since there is no adjacent cocking element |9 to engage, has been dropped and driven, whether by a single train of pulses or by a series of lesser trains of pulses, upon restoring, its individual cocking element spring 3| urges it upward into normal position. Bail 38 then rises as L pin 39 is lowered due to the first driving member 20 being lowered to its operate position by the force of its associated spring 34. The switch will thus function in continuous chain fashion as long and as often as its magnets '5 and I are pulsed.

Having described our invention in detail, what we claim and desire to be protected by issuance of Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a counting device including a magnet for receiving a series of magnetizing impulses, a plurality of movably mounted driving members respectively. corresponding to the impulses of. said series, an. armature .operatively; associated with said. magnet and movablebetweenreleased position and. an attractediposition along a fixed path; common to saidgdriving members,.;movement of said armature-fromitslattractedposition into its released position moving-any oneof said driving :members; disposethin said path ,to. count 'thexcorresponding. impulse ofcsaid .-.1l8S,': first means normally maintaining each of saidv driving membersexcept the first. out oi said. path, second means: carried by; each of; saiddriving members Xcept the. last and: cooperating with :said. first means. and. responsive to the counting: movement ofcanyrone oflsaid drivingvmembers;except the l last .forpreparing, the positioningpi: thegnext succeeding one offsai'd driving members into said path,- and third means responsive 'to'mjovement of said .armature-i-roniitsi releasedposition into its attracted positionior positioning any prepared 1 one ofl'said driving members into said .path,.;said third means .alsosbe nglrespensive to. .t-hesccond movement of said armature ,;from its. released p'ositionwinto its: =.attracted position: for; removing the'first ofsaid driving members. from said path. ..;2.. The counting devicev set'iorth in; claim 1, wherein said third means is also 1 responsive v to the -.third.'=iand .rsuccessive movements of; said armaturenfrom -its released position into its at tracted; position. forremoving.;the;second:. and

succeeding; ones of said driving members from saidpathr: .i' .11.-

3. The..counting;.-device setforth in; claim 2, wherein said third meansisalso responsive to movement. of said armature from its released positionin-to its attracted position following the counting movement of the .lastpof said driving members; for: returning the firstcf .said driving members into saidpath- 4.1Thecounting device set'-.forth..in;claim 1 .whereinv'first means includeaa plurality of multifmgered rotatably mounted cocking. elements, re spectively operatively associatedwith-the second andsucceedingone of saiddrivingmembers. .5.,Thea.counting.device..set :forth inclaim-, i, wherein said second means. carried .byneach of said driving-members except the last includesa stud-carried thereonandlengageable with one of the fingersflon the. next succeedingcne, "of said cocking elements, the counting movement of' any oneof said driving.:memb.ers exceptthelast cans;- ing the .oneof said studslcarried. [thereonato engage. the cnefinger on, the next jsucceedm 9 1. of. said. cocking. elements rotating it to prepare the: associated succeeding...one.-..of. said driving .members to bepositioned insaid path.

T6..The: counting device set fortnin claimand :further comprising a plurality of ranks of movably-.mounted contactors respectively opera .tively associatedwith said: driving members, said contactorstbeing als arranged in aplurality of .files, and a1plurality .of bar contacts'respectively .operatively, associated with said files of; said con tactors l 7, In a;countingideviceincludinga magnetlfor said; magnet and ,movable, between la released position and an attracted position along a fixed path common tosaid driving members-,movement of said armature from its. attracted position into. its released positionmoving any. one of said :driving members disposed :in-v saidpathto 8 count thecorresponding impulse of. said series, first-means,;normally maintaining each of said drivingmembers. except the, first out, of said path, second ,means; carried; "by each; of zsaid driving members exceptthe last and cooperatinglwith said. first; means and responsive to. the; counting movementcftanvone of said; driving members except the last;for .preparing the positioning of thenextsucceeding one .of said driving members into; saidv path,- and. third means including a o..- tatably mounted shaft carrying at-pin andra bail and responsive-to movement of said armature from. its released position into its attractedposl: tion for positioning the nextsucceeding prepared one of saiddrivingmembers into saidpath; said pin'being disposed. onone side ofsaid shaitand potioned underthefirst .of said. driving members andsaid:v bail being. disposed-on therotherwside oft-said. shaft-,- and positioned under the second and succeeding ..;ones.- of. said driving a members, said; shafthaving; one position wherein. said pin disengages the first'of: said/driving members ac: commodating-:.movement thereof; into said path and. iwherein said bail engages the .second.; and succeeding ones .of. said driving members moving them out of said path, said shafthavinganother position wherein said pin=engages thefirstofi said drivingmembers moving .it out of said. path and wherein said baildisengages the second'and succeeding onesofwsaid driving membersaccommodating movement of any. onethereofi into-said pathv .r .l

18;. .In. a counting device including anoperating magnet for receiving magnetizing impulses thereto, a first seriesv of impulses receivedbysaidmagr net, :other series of. impulses: subsequently receivcd'by saidmagnet, a first=driving member andxladpluralitv'ofadditional driving members corresponding respectively to successive impulses in. said series ;of ..impulses,. an armature common toJall .01 said driving-members movable by' said magnet and having-an definite operatingv path for. moving said driving ,members, 'meansnormally maintaining, all of said. driving members .exceptthe .firstout of said operating path other meanscfor; positioning said .first' driving member within said-.- operating path whereby only said first; drivingmcmber. is moved to count the first impulse in said first series, engaging means on each-10f said driving members exceptzthe last co.- operating with said vfirst mentioned .meansL and said armature ion successively positioning. ;fur, their driving members, within said operating path, in which position they are successivelyvmovedito count their corresponding impulsesin said first series, and afterthe drivingmember correspond.- ing tothe; last impulsei-n. said, first serieshas beenmoved tucount said-impulse, the next sucsceeding ,driving ,member and ufurther driving members will; be positioned and moved. to count their corresponding impulses in; the next, Series bysaid .first mentioned meansgsaid e aging means andsaid'armatureyand in case the sum of saidqseries of; impulses exceed the totalnum- 'ber of idrivingvmembers after-the. last .ofsaid driving members has been movedto. count-the next successive impulse of said series of; impulses,

thensaid other means again positioningsaidfirst driving member within said operatingnlpath-wto count: the next successive impulse of saidlseries,

the cycle now continuing in endless chain fashion lcountingvthe remaining impulses innsaidnext series as wellasany subsequent'seriesof impulses 9. L In a counting: device,. a frameincludings a base, a heelpiece and two parallel ears all rigidly connected together, a sub-base attached to and extending behind said base, there rising in a vertical wall flush against the rear of said heelpiece a plurality of ranks and files of contactors movably mounted to said vertical wall, a second pair of ears of an electrically insulating material aflixed to said other ears extending there behind and above, a plurality of bar contacts mounted between said second pair of ears and ones of said bar contacts positioned rearwardly adjacent each file of said contactors, a plurality of driving members slidably mounted between said ears, each of said driving members insulatingly connected near one end to a rank of said contactors, rotatably mounted cocking elements individual to and below each of said driving members except the first, a bail and a pin rotatably mounted on opposite sides of a shaft, said shaft mounted between said ears, said bail beneath all of said driving members except the first and said pin beneath only said first driving member; a magnet mounted on said heelpiece beneath said driving members, cocking elements and bail and pin, for receiving a series of impulses thereinto; an armature operable by said magnet responsive to an impulse received therein, a retractile spring for moving said armature in a definite retractile path upon termination of any of said impulses, all of said driving members except the first normally out of said armatures retractile path and so held by said individual cocking elements, said armature moving said first driving member responsive to the termination of the first of said series of impulses causing said attached rank of contactors to engage said rearwardly adjacent bar contacts, an engaging stud rigidly connected forwardly and to the right of each of said driving members, said stud on said first driving member engaging the cocking element beneath the next adjacent driving member to the right causing it to be rotated thereby removing its support and preparing said next adjacent driving member to be positioned within said armature path, restoring springs on each of said driving members, said restoring spring on said first driving member causing said first driving member to restore responsive to said second impulse of said series operating said magnet and armature, and said next adjacent driving member then dropping into said armatures retractile path causing said bail to lower thereunder raising said oppositely disposed-pin which raises said first driving member out of said path, each succeeding driving member being similarly positioned into said path to count its corresponding impulse, and spring means on each of said cocking elements for moving its individually associated driving member up out of said armature retractile path after it has been moved to count its corresponding impulse and has been restored, this sequence continuing until the last driving member has been moved and has counted its corresponding impulse, restored and has been returned to normal out of said armatures retractile path by its individual cocking element and spring means thereon, whereupon said bail is raised by the weight of said first driving member on said pin which is lowered again positioning said first driving member within said armatures path, this cycle being repeated in continuous chain fashion responsive to reception by said magnet of subsequent series of impulses.

10. In a counting device as claimed in claim 9, interrupter springs mounted onto said base and an arm on said armature for engaging and opening said springs each time an impulse has been received by said magnet, said springs tensioned to close when said armature is retracted by said retractile spring responsive to the termination of any of said impulses.

KENNETH W. GRAYBILL. HANS SENGEBUSCH.

REFERENCES CITED lhe following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,441,001 Bellamy May 4, 1948 2,452,568 Harrison Nov. 2, 1948 2,538,817 Bellamy Jan. 23, 1951 2,538,818 Bellamy et a1 Jan. 23, 1951

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