US849024A - Prepayment time-switch apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

Not 849,024.

PATENTED APR. 2, 190?. E.SGHATTNER. PRE'PAYMENT TIME SWITCH APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23, 1905.

Inventor: Ernest S'chattner; by ma /Jig;

Witnesses:

ERNEST SOHATTNER, OF SOHEIFECTAD ELECTRIOCOMPANY, A 00 Y, NEw YORK, AssieNoR TO GENERAL RPORATION or NE YORK.

PREPAYMENT TIME -S-WIT CH APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 2, 1907.

Application filed J 11116 23, 1905. Serial No. 266,649.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST SOHATTNER, a subject of the King of England, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pre Switch Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to switch apparatus for electric circuits, and more particularly to apparatus designed to complete a circuit or permit it to be completed for a definite period of time upon the prepayment of a proper coin. In many places where electric energy is consumed in small quantities as, for example, where the consumer burns two or three incandescent lampsit is not desirable to provide an expensive wattmeter for recording the consumption. Under these conditions it has been proposed to employ time-switch mechanism arranged to close a circuit upon the prepayment of a particular coin and to maintain it closed for a definite period thereafter.

The object of the present invention is to so construct and arrange the parts of a switch apparatus adapted upon the insertion of a proper coin to supply current for a predetermined aggregate period of time which may consist of any number of increments, that the apparatus shall be cheap, reliable in operation, and require no especial attention.

The present invention" will be fully under,- stood and further objects thereof will appear in the following description thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of switch apparatus arranged in accordance with the present invention, the inclosing cover being removed. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal cross-section of the coin-controlled switch-operating device. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the main switch and the lever of the clock-stopping device, and Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the location of the switch apparatus in a lighting-circuit including three lamps.

Similar reference characters throughout the specification and drawings indicate corresponding parts.

Reference being had to the drawings, 1 indicates a slab of insulating material, on one side of which is mounted a clockwork 2 of payment Timeany suitable construction, while on the other side are arranged switches 3 and 4 and cooperating parts. Switch 3 is the main switch controlled by the clockwork, and 4 is an auxiliary switch which may be openedor closed at will by the consumer. The switch 3 consists of a jaw 5 and a knife-blade 6. An arm 7, projecting from the member 6, forms therewith a bell-crank lever, which is pivotally mounted upon a shaft 8. When otherwise free, the switch member 6 moves with the shaft 8 by reason of a spring connection between this member and the shaft, which comprises a spring 9, secured at its opposite ends, respectively, to the switch-blade 6 and to an arm 10, rigidly secured to the shaft and projecting therefrom, the switchblade normally resting said arm. The switch members 5 and 6 are so arranged that after the blade has been forced home the shaft 8 may be turned in a counter-clockwise direction without opening the switch, thereby placing the spring 9 under tension. The shaft is operated in the switch-closing direction by means of a button 11, which inclosingcasing. (Not shown.) The button is connected to the shaft through the two clutch members 12 and 13, which engage with each other, but are not connected together.

tively, with narrow slots 14 and 15, which when the two members are placed in opera tive relation to each other form a passage of the proper dimensions for receiving the coin with which prepayment is to be made. N ormally the button 11 may be turned without affecting the shaft 8; but when it is turned so as to bring the slot 15 into alinement with slot 14 a coin may be dropped through a chute 16 into the slots 14 and 15, locking the button to the shaft. A shield 17, arranged on the lower side of the parts 12 and 13, sustains the coin until the lower portion of the slots pass the edge 19 of the shields, whereupon the coin is released and drops into the bottom of the casing. The length of the shield is such that the movement of the shaft before the coin is released is suflicient to wind u the spring 18 of the clockwork and bring t e switch-blade 6 into engagement with the jaw 5, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The movement of the button 11 is limited by extends to the exterior of the- The members 12 and 13 areprovided,respec der cooperating with suitably-spaced fixed stops, which may be the edges of the shield 5 1?. Normally the clockwork is locked 20, which engages with the teeth of the balance-wheel 21 of the clockwork. The stop 20 is carried upon one end of a pivoted lever I 22, which when the switch 8 is open occumember 26 and lever 22. hen the switch 4 is closed, the rocker 27 is readily swung about its pivot by the lever 22 and does not interfere therewith; but upon the opening against operation by means of a w1re-stop pics the position shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 4, being held in this position by the arm 7. however, the lever 22 is rotated to the position shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 4 by means of the spring23namely, to the posi tion whereln the stop 20 is out of engagement with the balance-wheel. It will be seen,

\Yhen the switch 3 is closed,

of the switch -i one end of the rocker is cngaged by the movable member of the switch, causing the rocker to be swung upon its pivot and its opposite end to engage with and move the lever 22 to locking position.

Although I have illustrated the present invention as arranged to operate on single coins only, it is obvious that with slight modifications any number of coins may be inserted,

therefore, that as soon as the proper coin is inserted and the button 11 turned until the I coin drops into the bottom of the box the clockwork is set in operation, turning the shaft backward, and at the end of a predetermined time bringing it to its normal position. As previously stated, the switch 3 will remain closed, due to the frictional engagement between its parts, so that the retrograde movement of the shaft does not of itself open the switch. \Then the shaft 8 has through which it was previously moved by the button 11, a lug 24 strikes against the switch-blade 6 and positively disengagcs it from the jaw 5. considerable tension, withdraws the blade suddenly, producing an instantaneous break. At the same time the arm 7 flies into engagement with the lever 22 and depresses it into the position shown in dotted lines na-mel v, into the position wherein the clockwork is locked against operation.

providing for a corresponding increase in the amount of energy which will be supplied before the switch 3 is opened.

It will also be understood that various modifications may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts illustrated without departing from the scope of the pres- 1 ent invention, and I do not desire to be limit ed to the particular construction and arrangement of parts shown except to the extent indicated in the appended claims.

hat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a prepayment time-switch apparatus, two switches electrically connected in been returned through the entire angle:

clockwork, and means for automatically The spring 9, being under" If no additional means were provided, the i entire amount of energy credited to the consumer upon deposit of the proper coin would have to be consumed in one continuous interval. It may, however, be desired to use only a small portion of this energy at any one time, and for this purpose switch 4 has been provided. This switch comprises, preferably, a snap-switch of any usual or desired form arranged to be operated by means of a button 25, which also is adapted to project from the inclosing casing for the apparatus. The function of the switch4 is to interrupt the circuit when desired and at the same time to stop the clock in order that the main switch may remain closed until current has been supplied for the whole period of time. To this end the movable member 26 of the switch 4 is arranged to operate upon the lever 22 to move it to the locking position whenever the switch 4 is open. course be accomplished in various ways-as, for example, as illustrated, whereby a curved pivoted rocker 27 is arranged with its rcstopping said clockwork when either of said switches is opened.

2. In a prepayment time-switch apparatus, two switches electrically connected in series and operable entirely independently, a clockwork for opening one of said switches, manually-operable means for closing this switch and winding the clockwork, and means for automatically stopping said clockwork when either of said switches is opened.

3. In a prepayment time-switch apparatus, two switches electrically connected in series and operable entirely independently, a clockwork for opening one of said switches, a winding-shalt having a limited movement for closing this switch and winding the clockwork, and means for automatically stopping said clockwork when either of said switches is opened.

4. In a prepayment time-switch apparatus, a switch, a clockwork for opening said switch, a winding-shaft having a limited movement, means associated with said shaft t for causing said switch to close when said shaft is moved to one limit of its movement I and to cause the switch to open when the I shaft is brought to its other limit of move- This may of spective ends in the path of movement of the 1 means associated with said shaftfor closing and opening said switch at the opposite limits of movement of the shaft, and means for operating the shaft to close the switch.

'6. In a prepayment time-switch apparatus, a .switch, a clockwork for opening said switch, a winding-shaft having a limited movement, and means associated with said-- shaft whereby the movable member of the switch is placed under tension during the movement of the shaft from the switchclosed to the switch-open position.

7 In a prepayment time-switch apparatus, "a switch, a clockwork for opening said switch, a winding-shaft having a limited movement, means associated with said shaft for causing said switch to close when said shaft is moved to one limit of its movement and to cause the switch to open when the shaft is brought to its other limit of movement,fmeans for rotating the shaft to close the switch, and means for stopping the clockwork when the switch is in the open position.

8. In a prepayment time-switch apparatus, a switch, a clockwork for opening said switch; a winding-shaft having a limited movement, means associated with said shaft for causing said switch to close when said shaft is? moved to one limit of its movement and to cause the switch to open when the shaft is brought to the other limit of its movement, means for operating the shaft to close the switch, a second switch, and means associated with said second switch for stopping said clockwork when the second switch isopened.

9; In a prepayment time-switch apparatus, a switch, a clockwork for opening said switch, a winding-shaft having a limited movement, a switch member mounted upon said shaft, a complementary switch member mounted to rotate with said'shaft and arranged to engage with'the movable switch member when the shaft is rotated in one direction, and a spring connecting said movable switch member and said complementary switch member whereby when the shaft is rotated by the clockwork the spring is placed under tension and an instantaneous break at the switch is produced.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 22d day of June, 1905.

I ERNEST SOHATTNER.

Witnesses: I g

BENJAMIN B. HULL, HELEN ORFonD.

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