US1252312A - Electromagnetic actuator. - Google Patents

Description

H. E. WARREN. ELECTROMAGNETIC ACTUATOR.

APPLICATION FILED IAI. 1, I913. 1,252,312. Patented Jan. 1,1918. I

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IN VENTOR.

WITNESSES:

61 4i ay g:

ATTORNEY.

H. E. WARREN.

ELECTROMAGNETICACTUATOR. APPLICATION FILED Mn. 1. i913.

1,252,312. Patented Jan. 1, 191a 2 SHEETSSHEET 2- INVEN TOR.

WITNESSES:

1 I," y 1 By I ATTORNEY.

'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY E. WARREN, OF ASEHLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB TO THE LOMBARD GOVERNOR COMPANY, OF ASHLAN D, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ELECTROMAGNETIC ACTUATOR.

Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

Application filed March 7, 1913. Serial No. 752,654.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY E. WA RREN, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Ashland, in the county of Mlddlesex' and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented Improvements in Electromagnetic Actuators, of which the following is a specification. v

' This invention relates to electro-magnetic actuators and consists of an improved form of electro-magnetic actuating mechanism for valves, circuit breakers, etc., whereby movement is obtained and the operating part of the actuating mechanism is held in either of two positions with the minimum consumption of electric current.

These desirable results are accomplished by the utilization of the weight of the operating part of the actuating mechamsm, or some external force acting thereon, for holding it in one of its extreme positions, and of the residual magnetism which remains in the actuating mechanism after it has once been magnetized for the purpose of holdlng its operating part in its other extreme position.

Movement of the operating part, whlch should be of magnetic material, from the first position to the second, is secured by passing a a momentary electrlc through the coil of an elegtro-magnet, whlch attracts themagnetic material and holds 1t by the residual magnetism after the current ceases; while movement from the second position to the first position is secured by eliminating the residual magnetism through the use of a demagnetizing coil, which has a momentary current impulse sent through 1t. Thus it is only necessary to utilize the electric current for an instant, ,to throw the actuator from either of its positions to the other position, while it may be depended upon to remain indefinitely in the osition in which'it is left after the current lmpulse has passed.

In the accompanying draw1ngs,

Figure 1 is a central vertical section of the apparatus, with theoperatmg part arranged to open and close a valve Fig. 2- is a central vertlcal section, with the operating part arranged to make and break electrical contacts; and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a diaphragm interposed between the magnet chamber and the valve seat.

Fig. 4 is a central vertical section of the current apparatus in which a single coil is used for magnetizing and demagnetizing the magnet a, and the current through the coil is reversed by means of a switch 8, two batteries being employed for the purpose.

Fig. 1 shows an application of the a paratus to a valve for the controlof flui as for example, illuminating gas, wherein a is an annular electro-magnet for which there are provided two magnetizing coils b and c. Coil 5 being wound of heavier wire having a lower resistance, is for the purpose of magnetizing a, while coil 0 of fine wire having high resistance, provides sufiicient magnetomotive force in the reverse direction from b, to demagnetize a.

The armature or operating part of the magnet consists of a flat steel or iron plate (I, which is placed directly below a and held concentric with it by means of a centering cone e or some equivalent device. The valve f is attached to 01 so that when d is down the valve rests upon the valve seat g and the valve is thereby closed; when d is up against the face of a, the-valve is open. In Fig. 4

the portion of the valve which makes contact with the seat g, is shown attached to the diaphragm q instead of directly to the plate (Z. A suitable material for the core a is or- "for example, if a is about 2 in diameter and the air gap for d, which weighs about 4 ounces is .02". an instantaneous upward motion of a! will be effected by an energy consumption of one quarter of one watt for one half of a second. and for the purpose of releasing d the application of one eighth as much energy to coil cfor one half second is adequate. At all other times when d is down or up there is absolutely no electric current consumption.

In Fig. 2 is illustrated an application of the mechanism as a circuit breaker, thecontact plate It with contact fingers i and k being substituted for the valve parts; otheraserves the double purpose of current ma be sent through either one or the other 0 the coils b and a, by means of a switch 8, the return from these two coils being through a common wire o. It is of course, obvious that a single coil, as b, l i 4, could be used in the place of the two coi s c and b the reversal of the magnetizing efl'ect belng then obtained b a reversal of the current through the coi by the use of two opposed batteries 1, 1 and a suitable switch, as a, but I am inclined to prefer a double coil arrangement on account of simpler switches which may be employed.

A resistance 1' may be inserted in one of the battery circuits to weaken the demagnetizing current.

In Fig. 1 the fluid under control by the valve has free access to the chamber containing the magnet a, but'this access ma be readily prevented by the interposition of packing around the stem 12, or a similar result may be reached by the use ofa flexible diaphragm which moves freely up and down with p but prevents fluid from passing by. Fig. 3 shows such a diaphragm at and with the construction shown, the diap ragm reventing e entrance of fluid into the chain er around a and also being interposed between the valve and its seat 9, acts as the valve g.

force the diaphragm down against the valve and close it. With this simple construction, it is feasible to make the valve and diaphragm as a unit, which may be readily replaced.

I claim: An electro-magnet f0" ing with an armature when in its attracted position, a substantially closed magnetic circuit; a magnetizing coi1 having suflicient ampere turns to cause its core to attract said armature when current flows throu hthe coil, and a demagnetizing coil which as only suflicient ampere turns to cause it to substantially remove the remnant magnetism from the core of the magnet when said latter coil is supplied. with current at the same voltage as that of the magnetizing coil, and means for connecting either of said coils momentarily to the same source of potential.

\ HENRY E. WARREN. Witnesses:

FLORENCE A. Connms, J osnrnrna H. RYAN.

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