General Electric Company

Donald E Nice

James P Frank

Ronald Lee Hogue

Richard T Kidwell

A snap-disk formation assembly and method provides feedback control of a snap-disk form station in communication with an exercise station and coupled to a feedback station. A disk blank is inserted into a pocket and loaded into a dial fixture which travels along a communication axis between the form station, the exercise station, and the feedback station. The pocket holds the metal disk while a snap-disk reset side and a trip side are formed and exercised. A feedback station determines actual snap forces for one or both sides of the disk and provides feedback control to the form station to bring successively formed disks within desired manufacturing tolerances.

Snap-disk formation process and machine

A pressure sensitive control device having a housing made up of a plurality of housing members, a diaphragm, a bistable snap-disc, a switch and an actuator. The snap-disc moves from one configuration to another upon application of pressure over a predetermined amount to drive the actuator which moves the switch from its normal operating position, which can be either closed or open, to a tripped position, which is opposite its normal operating position. Two adjacent housing members, which support the snap-disc and switch, respectively, are formed with cooperating spacers which allow the spacing of these housing members to be continuously varied over a small range of adjustment to allow the switch point of the control device to be adjusted after partial assembly of the control device. The diaphragm and some of the housing members may be subassembled for testing the components of the control device prior to complete assembly. The switch is initially formed as one piece and electrically halved after subassembly with one of the housing members. A housing member which is formed for connection to an electrical control circuit to which the control device is to be attached is modular and can be replaced with similar housing members which are configured for connection to different types of mating electrical connectors associated with different control circuits. Methods of assembly are also enclosed.

Method of assembling a pressure responsive control device

A pressure sensitive control device having a housing made up of a plurality of housing members, a diaphragm, a bistable snap-disc, a switch and an actuator. The snap-disc moves from one configuration to another upon application of pressure over a predetermined amount to drive the actuator which moves the switch from its normal operating position, which can be either closed or open, to a tripped position, which is opposite its normal operating position. Two adjacent housing members, which support the snap-disc and switch, respectively, are formed with cooperating spacers which allow the spacing of these housing members to be continuously varied over a small range of adjustment to allow the switch point of the control device to be adjusted after partial assembly of the control device. The diaphragm and some of the housing members may be subassembled for testing the components of the control device prior to complete assembly. The switch is initially formed as one piece and electrically halved after subassembly with one of the housing members. A housing member which is formed for connection to an electrical control circuit to which the control device is to be attached is modular and can be replaced with similar housing members which are configured for connection to different types of mating electrical connectors associated with different control circuits. Methods of assembly are also disclosed.

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Morrison, IL, United States of America

Donald E Nice