Untitled record

Jan. 2, 1923. 1,441,007

E, E. LITTLEFIELD. Method of and Apparatus for Automatic Actuation of Mechanisms. Original Filed Feb. 5, 1913.

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Patented Jan. 2, 1923.

1,441,007

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR E. LITTLEFIELD, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON. METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATIC ACTUATION OF MECHANISMS.

1913, Serial No. 743,417.

Original application filed February 5, tember 11, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Edgar E. Littlefield, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of Seattle, county of King, State 5 of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of and Apparatus for Automatic Actuation of Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

This application is a division of an application filed by me on the 5th day of February, 1913, Serial Number 746,417, for methods of and apparatus for automatic actuation of mechanisms, which application 15 has eventuated into Patent Number 1335380, dated March 30, 1920.

My invention relates to methods of and apparatus for automatic actuation of mechanisms through the medium of temperature20 responsive devices which are placed to be influenced by the varying temperature of a bath.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a method and means for automat25 ically regulating the flow of fluids and particularly for regulating the flow of fluid for flushing such apparatus as urinals, water closets, and the like. As is well known such fixtures as urinals which depend on proper 30 flushing by the use of timed devices or manual operation either waste considerable water or, as constantly happens, go unflushed. To overcome these objections I have developed and applied a method of operation 35 which is entirely automatic and practically instantaneous.

Other and further object's of my invention will become obvious, to persons skilled in the art, from a consideration of the fol40 lowing description when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein;

Figure 1 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of a urinal employing a temperature - responsive device 45 in the form of a thermo-electric battery;

Figure 2 is the same as Figure 1 except as to difference in location of parts.

Figure 3 shows a thermopile in conventional form together with the circuit ar50 rangement and other parts more particularly described elsewhere in the specification.

I have found that the thermal conditions of the waste deposited in such recepDivided and this application filed SepSerial No. 323,142.

taeles as urinals, water closets and the like, 55 is such as will operate a thermo-electric battery placed to be -influenced thereby and the current developed applied to operate a relay, or analogous instrument, to thereby control or operate other forces or mech- 60 anisms.

Referring to Figure 1, 6 is a thermo-pile so placed as to be immersed in or otherwise directly affected by the fluid contents of the urinal or equivalent bath-contain- 65 ing vessel. These thermal couples are, of course, insulated from direct contact with the fluid, as indicated. Closely associated with and insulated from the thermal couples, are plates 60 which project into 70 the water and are also shown as extending across the discharge passage so that if a number were used, as would be the case, they will form a screen for solid matter deposited in the basin. These be- 75 ing in direct contact with the water are kept cooled thereby. It is not deemed necessary to. suggest a particular type of thermopile to be employed since one skilled in the art will be able to obtain in the open 80 market a type which will satisfactorily meet the requirements. The plates 60 are so arranged with respect to the pile as to assist in radiating heat from the junctions intended to be cooled. In Figure 1 they 85 are shown disposed near the bottom of the fluid-containing vessel where the temperature of the fluid is lower than at the surface, or near the same, where the junctions intended to be heated are placed. In 90 'Figure 2 the plates are arranged outside the vessel where they are subject to the cooling effect of air currents. The function of the plates 60 being merely to assist in radiating heat from the cooled junc- 95 tions they may be omitted if desired.

Freshly discharged urine has a temperature much higher than that of such water as would be used for flushing urinals. When discharged into the urinal it 100 will raise the temperature somewhat, which, acting upon the thermo-couples will produce a current of sufficient strength to actuate a relay, as 30.

Thermo-couples are very sensitive to 105 changes of temperature and will develop a sufficient current upon a very slight change of temperature.

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Tn ligure 2 the construction is alike, except that the cooling plates 60 are without the bowl of the urinal and the plates which constitute the thermo-pile extend 5 through a hole in the bowl.

In this figure the heavier insulation has been omitted from that part of the thermopile outside the bowl for the reason that its use is unnecessary since the liquid is not 10 in contact with that part of the thermopile.

Upon use of the device, as of Figure 1, by deposit of waste a thermo-electric current will be generated in the thermo-pile 6 which current, flowing in circuit 61, will 15 actuate the relay 30, thereby controlling another and independent source of energy which may be applied through any suitable mechanism to perform any work desired. 1 have shown this relay as'controlling a cir20 cuit 50, which contains an electrically operated valve 7, placed in the pipe 70, which supplies the flushing water for the urinal. The independent source of energy is represented by the battery 5, for which may be 25 substituted any other suitable source, as a dynamo. 51 and 1 are the armature of the relay 30, and the urinal bowl, respectively. This figure also shows a fan 72 operated by the water supplied to pipe 70 through the 30 water motor 71.

When the flushing action occurs the temperature of the bath is lowered and the generation of current reduced to such a point that the relay contact 51 will be opened. 35 throwing out of action the operating current in circuit 50.

It is evident that practically any other apparatus might be operated in an analogous manner.

There are many uses to which the principles of this invention may be put. It may be used to operate pumping or flushing apparatus; to care for sewerage, factory wastes and like purposes.