Mercury Globule Electrical Contact Maker, for Releasing Mine Winding Signal Indicators, Actuating Indicators of the Stopping, Starting, and Reductions of Speed of Machinery, and the like.

摘要

1453. Saint, G. Jan. 29. Mercury switches.-A mercury contact maker comprises a tube T conically expanded at the ends and provided with a globule of mercury, which, on tilting or rotating the tube, passes from one end of the tube to the other, thereby momentarily completing a circuit between two contacts C, C1 which project into the centre of the tube. The tapering of the ends delays the movement of the globule until the gradient of the tube is sufficient to ensure the mercury flowing to the other end, whereby only a momentary contact can be obtained. A series of such tubes may be mounted on a vertical revolving holder driven by the machinery in connexion with which the switch is employed. The contacts are arranged parallel to the axis of rotation of the holder, the contacts C being connected by a wire W and spring U to an insftlated terminal V, while the other contacts C1 are connected to the metal support, which is provided with a terminal V1. The switch may be used with mine-winding signal indicators, or for indicating the starting, stopping, or reductions of speed of machinery, the mercury globules being held at the outer ends of the tubes by centrifugal force, so that no circuits are completed when the speed reaches a certain value.