Pressure responsive switch with differential and range adjusting means including a differential nut

Claim 2

A pressure-sensitive switch comprising a diaphragm, means defining a pressure chamber to one side of said diaphragm, a spring biased movable member seating to the other side of said diaphragm, the diaphragm assuming a position which is a function of the opposing forces represented by pressure in said chamber and the opposing bias of said movable member, switch elements including stationary and relatively movable contact means, snapacting switch-actuating means having opposite extremes of movement in a first of which it closes said movable contact means upon said stationary contact means and forcibly holds the contact means so engaged and in a second of which it separates said movable contact means from said stationary contact means and forcibly holds said contact means so separated, means on said movable member utiliZing deflection of said diaphragm under rising pressure in said chamber to shift said switch-actuating means toward one of its said extremes, and other means spring biased to a following relation to said movable member and adjustable relative thereto to shift said switch-actuating means toward the other of its said extremes in response to a lowering pressure in said chamber.

Claim 3

A pressure-sensitive switch according to claim 1, wherein said switch-actuating means is moved by said movable member toward its said second extreme and is moved by said other means toward its said first extreme.

Claim 4

A pressure-sensitive switch according to claim 1, wherein said switch-actuating means includes a spring device completing shift thereof to said extremes and resiliently applying to said movable contact means a resilient holding force in either of its set positions.

Claim 5

A pressure-sensitive switch according to claim 3, wherein said switch-actuating means further includes an oscillatory lever a portion of which freely disposed between the said means on said movable member and said other means to be engaged and moved in one sense by said movable member and to be engaged and moved in the opposite sense by said other means.

Claim 6

A pressure-sensitive switch according to claim 4, wherein said other means includes a differentiator nut adjustable relatively to said movable member while maintaining a following relation thereto whereby to impose a variable time delay in the shifting of said switch-actuating means to its said first extreme.

Claim 7

A pressure-sensitive switch including means defining a chamber having an inlet thereto one wall portion of which chamber is resilient and moves in correspondence with applied pressure, seating means moving with said one wall portion in correspondence with the pressure applied thereon, lever means operatively related to said seating means having an anchored pivot means to one end, an intermediate hinge and a free operating end, means mounting contact means movable under the influence of said free operating end of said lever means to and from relatively fixed contact means, means operatively related to said seating means the setting of which predetermines the instant at which the free operating end of said lever means will cause said movable contact means to either make or break contact with said fixed contact means, and spring means applying a continuous bias of said movable contact means toward said fixed contact means whereby to maintain said contact means firmly in a made position until there is a positive forceful displacement to a break position by a force sufficient to avoid floating or flutter of the movable contact means, said seating means having in connection therewith means to engage and pivot the anchored end of said lever means on movement thereof in one sense and further means moving with said seating means and adjustable relative thereto to oppositely engage and pivot the anchored end of said lever means in an opposite sense.

Claim 8

A pressure-sensitive switch including means defining a chamber having an inlet thereto one wall portion of which chamber is resilient and moves in correspondence with applied pressure, seating means moving with said one wall portion in correspondence with the pressure applied thereon, lever means operatively related to said seating means having an anchored pivot means to one end, an intermediate hinge and a free operating end, means mounting contact means movable under the influence of said free operating end of said lever means to and from relatively fixed contact means, means operatively related to said seating means the setting of which predetermines the instant at which the free operating end of said lever means will cause said movable contact means to either make or break contact with said fixed contact means, and spring means applying a continuous bias of said movable contact means toward said fixed contact means whereby to maintain said contact means firmly in a made position until there is a positive forceful displacement to a break position by a force sufficient to avoid floating or flutter of the movable contact means, said seating means having in connection therewith means to engage and pivot the anchored end of said lever means on movement thereof in one sense and further means moving with said seating means and adjustable relative thereto to oppositely engage and pivot the anchored end of said lever means in an opposite sense.

Claim 9

A switch as in claim 6 characterized by said means to oppositely engage said lever means including a spring-biased element which adjustably mounts thereon a control medium the setting of which determines the point of time at which said lever means will be oppositely engaged.

Claim 10

A pressure-sensitive switch comprising a diaphragm, means defining a pressure chamber to one side of said diaphragm, a spring-biased movable member seating to the other side of said diaphragm, the diaphragm assuming a position which is a function of the opposing forces represented by pressure in said chamber and the opposing bias of said movable member, switch elements including stationary and relatively movable contact means, snap-acting switch-actuating means having opposite extremes of movement in a first of which it closes said movable contact means upon said stationary contact means and forcibly holds the contact means so engaged and in a second of which it separates said movable contact means from said stationary contacT means and forcibly holds said contact means so separated, means on said movable member utilizing deflection of said diaphragm under rising pressure in said chamber to shift said switch-actuating means toward one of its said extremes, and other means spring biased to a following relation to said movable member to shift said switch-actuating means toward the other of its said extremes in response to a lowering pressure in said chamber, said switch-actuating means including a spring device completing shift thereof to said extremes and resiliently applying to said movable contact means a resilient holding force in either of its set positions, said switch-actuating means further including an oscillatory lever a portion of which freely disposes between the said means on said movable member and the said other means to be engaged and moved in one sense by said movable member and to be engaged and moved in the opposite sense by said other means, said other means including a differentiator nut adjustable relatively to said movable member while maintaining a following relation thereto whereby to impose a variable time delay in the shifting of said switch-actuating means to its said first extreme, the switch further comprising a relatively stationary frame, said differentiator nut being mounted in said frame for nonrotating but relative longitudinal sliding motion, said other means further including a screw member in threaded engagement with said nut intermediate its ends, one end of said screw member abutting said movable member and the other end being presented for manual rotary turning, said other means still further including a spring based on said frame urging the assembly comprising said nut and said screw member in a direction to maintain said one end of the screw in end abutting relation to said movable member.

Claim 11

A pressure-sensitive switch comprising a diaphragm, means defining a pressure chamber to one side of said diaphragm, a spring-biased movable member seating to the other side of said diaphragm, the diaphragm assuming a position which is a function of the opposing forces represented by pressure in said chamber and the opposing bias of said movable member, switch elements including stationary and relatively movable contact means, snap-acting switch-actuating means having opposite extremes of movement in a first of which it closes said movable contact means upon said stationary contact means and forcibly holds the contact means so engaged and in a second of which it separates said movable contact means from said stationary contacT means and forcibly holds said contact means so separated, means on said movable member utilizing deflection of said diaphragm under rising pressure in said chamber to shift said switch-actuating means toward one of its said extremes, and other means spring biased to a following relation to said movable member to shift said switch-actuating means toward the other of its said extremes in response to a lowering pressure in said chamber, said switch-actuating means including a spring device completing shift thereof to said extremes and resiliently applying to said movable contact means a resilient holding force in either of its set positions, said switch-actuating means further including an oscillatory lever a portion of which freely disposes between the said means on said movable member and the said other means to be engaged and moved in one sense by said movable member and to be engaged and moved in the opposite sense by said other means, said other means including a differentiator nut adjustable relatively to said movable member while maintaining a following relation thereto whereby to impose a variable time delay in the shifting of said switch-actuating means to its said first extreme, the switch further comprising a relatively stationary frame, said differentiator nut being mounted in said frame for nonrotating but relative longitudinal sliding motion, said other means further including a screw member in threaded engagement with said nut intermediate its ends, one end of said screw member abutting said movable member and the other end being presented for manual rotary turning, said other means still further including a spring based on said frame urging the assembly comprising said nut and said screw member in a direction to maintain said one end of the screw in end abutting relation to said movable member.

Claim 12

A pressure-sensitive switch according to claim 8, wherein said movable member and the said assembly comprising said nut and said screw member orient in a common direction with the spring bias applied by said frame based spring supplementing the spring bias applied to said movable member.

Claim 13

A pressure-sensitive switch according to claim 9, wherein said movable member is a pressure-applying device orienting perpendicularly of the diaphragm, said movable member having a lateral projecting portion defining the said means thereon, said nut having a portion in opposed spaced relation to said laterally projecting portion, said lever disposing in generally transverse relation to said movable member with said portion of said lever intermediately disposed between the said portions on said movable member and said nut.

Claim 14

A pressure-sensitive switch comprising a diaphragm, a housing defining a pressure chamber in the bottom thereof to one side of said diaphragm, frame means peripherally seating said diaphragm in the bottom of said housing in closing relation to said chamber, said frame means having an outwardly projected central portion, a spring-biased movable member seating to the other side of said diaphragm, said outwardly projected central portion of said frame means providing a bearing for said movable member and a retainer for a compression spring providing the spring bias on said movable member urging it to a seat on said diaphragm, the diaphragm assuming a position which is a function of the opposing forces represented by pressure in said chamber and the opposing bias of said movable member, switch elements including stationary and relatively movable contact means, snap-acting switch-actuating means having opposite extremes of movement in a first of which it closes said movable contact means upon said stationary contact means and forcibly holds the contact means so engaged and in a second of which it separates said movable contact means from said stationary contact means and forcibly holds said contact means so separated, means on said movable member utilizing deflection of said diaphragm under rising pressure in said chamber to shift said switch-actuating mEans toward one of its said extremes, and other means spring biased to a following relation to said movable member to shift said switch-actuating means toward the other of its said extremes in response to a lowering pressure in said chamber, the said other means including a differential member mounted in said frame for nonrotary and relative sliding motion and biased toward said movable member by a spring based on said frame, the said switch-actuating means including a lever pivotally mounted on said frame and extending within said housing generally transversely of said movable member and interposing a portion thereof between said differential member and said movable member, said switch-actuating means further including a hinged extension of said lever operable upon said movable contacts and a spring device anchored to said frame and connected to said hinged extension, the said movable contacts including a common contact bar, and the said switch-actuating means further including slide means for operating said bar slidably mounted in an interior wall of said housing and having a lost motion connection with said hinged extension.

Claim 15

A pressure-sensitive switch comprising a diaphragm, a housing defining a pressure chamber in the bottom thereof to one side of said diaphragm, frame means peripherally seating said diaphragm in the bottom of said housing in closing relation to said chamber, said frame means having an outwardly projected central portion, a spring-biased movable member seating to the other side of said diaphragm, said outwardly projected central portion of said frame means providing a bearing for said movable member and a retainer for a compression spring providing the spring bias on said movable member urging it to a seat on said diaphragm, the diaphragm assuming a position which is a function of the opposing forces represented by pressure in said chamber and the opposing bias of said movable member, switch elements including stationary and relatively movable contact means, snap-acting switch-actuating means having opposite extremes of movement in a first of which it closes said movable contact means upon said stationary contact means and forcibly holds the contact means so engaged and in a second of which it separates said movable contact means from said stationary contact means and forcibly holds said contact means so separated, means on said movable member utilizing deflection of said diaphragm under rising pressure in said chamber to shift said switch-actuating mEans toward one of its said extremes, and other means spring biased to a following relation to said movable member to shift said switch-actuating means toward the other of its said extremes in response to a lowering pressure in said chamber, the said other means including a differential member mounted in said frame for nonrotary and relative sliding motion and biased toward said movable member by a spring based on said frame, the said switch-actuating means including a lever pivotally mounted on said frame and extending within said housing generally transversely of said movable member and interposing a portion thereof between said differential member and said movable member, said switch-actuating means further including a hinged extension of said lever operable upon said movable contacts and a spring device anchored to said frame and connected to said hinged extension, the said movable contacts including a common contact bar, and the said switch-actuating means further including slide means for operating said bar slidably mounted in an interior wall of said housing and having a lost motion connection with said hinged extension.

Claim 16

A pressure-sensitive switch according to claim 11, characterized by screw means extending through a base end of said frame for individual adjustment of the tension of the spring biasing said movable member and for longitudinally adjusting said differential member relative to said movable member, and a top closure plate for said housing seating thereto in an opposing spaced relation to the bottom of the housing and removable to expose said screw means for adjustment, said frame providing a means detachably to mount said plate.