Allen-bradley Company, LLC

Frank J Graninger

Homer S Sambar

Gilbert A Reichert

Roger E Karweik

Dennis L Schmidt

Robert J Frey

A device and method establishing an electrically conductive path between a pair of contacts in low voltage, low current applications, such as in electronic circuits. The device and method feature a flexible spanner that contacts a pair of fixed contacts with a sweeping movement. The spanner includes a bent portion that flexes when a force is exerted on the spanner such that a contact portion of the spanner sweeps across the surface of the pair of fixed contacts.

Slide or reciprocating switch with s-shaped bridging-or spanner contact

An adapter for connecting industrial panel controls to a prewired harness attached to the I/O board of an industrial controller has columnar connectors which fasten to threaded terminals on the panel control and support a printed circuit card holding a standard electrical connector. Machine screws received by the panel control hold the printed circuit board against the columnar connectors. The columnar connector are attached to the printed circuit board by means of sleeve connectors to aid in assembly. Inputs and outputs from the panel controls are segregated by column of the connector to prevent erroneous connection on an input to an output.

Adapter card for multiterminal panel controls

An improved momentary-maintained operating assembly for an electrical switch, including normally-closed maintained contacts and normally-open momentary contacts; lever operated overcenter, toggle mechanism including a stationary support pivotally supporting an operating cambeam member; a maintained and a momentary pushplate pivotally attached to rock the cambeam member on its pivot; spring members attached to cam follower rollers operating on convex cam surfaces of the cambeam member, with the spring members biasing the rollers towards the respective cam surfaces; the opposite ends of the pushplates being pivotally fastened to a yoke plate fastened to and rocked in alternative directions by the lever to operate the respective pushplates in maintained or momentary contact relationship; and separate spring means biasing the momentary pushplate away from contact operation.

Momentary-maintained lever operated pushbutton

A pneumatic timer for a timing relay is regulated by the axial movement of a valve needle through a chamber formed in the body of the timer. The valve needle forms a tapered valve stem along its longitudinal axis and the valve stem is eccentrically disposed in a passageway leading from the valve chamber to provide a crescent-shaped bleed area between the valve chamber and the interior of an expandable bellows. Springs are disposed in the valve chamber to bias the needle to its eccentric position, where the valve stem contacts a portion of a valve seat formed around the passageway. The size of the bleed area between the valve stem and the noncontacting portion of the valve seat changes as the valve needle is moved along its axis, but the shape of the bleed area remains substantially the same, so that the valve can more easily be set to provide the desired time delay.

Pneumatic timer with eccentrically disposed valve needle

A mechanical latch attachment (20) for a control relay (21) includes a mechanical latch movement (77), a solenoid (49), and a pair of contact cartridges (33) that are disposed in a housing (25). The wear-resistant latch movement (77) has a latch (95) with teeth (103) on one end that are engaged by a pair of pivotable, hooked pawls (105). The latch (95) is coupled to an operating plunger (79) through a contact actuator (82). The operating plunger (79) can be coupled to a conventional control relay (21), which moves the plunger (79) upon the closing of its relay armature (30) to actuate the contacts (35, 36) in both the relay (21) and the attachment (20) and to move the latch (95) to a position where it is restricted by the pawls (105). The restriction of the latch (95) holds the relay armature (30) closed and the contacts (35, 36) actuated even though the relay (21) is deenergized. The solenoid (49) has an armature (62) that can be moved mchanically or electrically to release the latch (95) from the pawls (105). A high-compression spring (89) coupling the plunger to the contact actuator (82), protects the latch movement (77) from shock forces that might be encountered during shipment or abnormal handling. Relays with a mechanical latch attachment provide quiet operation and retain their operated state even in the event of a power failure.

Mechanical latch apparatus

An electrical limit switch has a rotary camshaft provided in an operating head which is mounted upon a main switch body which houses electrical switch contacts. Rotational input motion of the camshaft is translated into a linear output motion of an actuator for operating the switch contacts. A minor return spring acts in series with a major return spring upon a flat formed in the camshaft to center the camshaft in a neutral position. The minor return spring is compressed as the camshaft is initially rotated to enable a low torque operation of the shaft until after actuation of the switch contacts, while the major return spring is compressed after switch actuation to provide a principal return force for the camshaft upon its rotary deviation from the neutral position. A spring stop element is inserted between the major and minor springs to limit compression of the minor return spring following an operation of the switch contacts.

Growing community of inventors

Milwaukee, WI, United States of America

Frank J Graninger