Patent GB-190620326-A (GB)
Title: An Improved System for Lighting and Extinguishing Street or other Gas Lamps from a Central Station.
Inventor: LENTSCHAT GEORG
Filed: 1906-09-12
Granted: 1907-03-28
Abstract: 20,326. Lentschat, G., and Drahonowsky, W. J. Sept. 12. Actuating valves and cocks for lighting and extinguishing gas. A system for electrically controlling a large number of valves from a central station comprises a number of circuits I, II, III, Fig. 1, in which electric valve-operating devices, as described in Specification No. 8792, A.D. 1906, are connected in series. The several circuits are connected in series by means of relays or switches 3, Fig. 1, the first and last circuit extending into the central station. The system is so arranged that on closing, for a moment, the first circuit by means of a clockwork switch 6, Fig. 1, or by hand, the several circuits will be consecutively closed for a moment. To give notice of any defect, two indicators 7, 8, Fig. 1, are provided at the central station, connected in series with the first and last circuit, respectively. A detecting-apparatus 9, Fig. 1, is also provided by which the position of the defect can be ascertained. Each relay consists of two pairs of electro-magnets 33, Fig. 9, which operate armatures 39 carrying a spring pawl 38 engaging a ratchet-wheel 37. When the ratchet-wheel is rotated one step, on the circuit containing the relay being broken, two other pawls 35, 46, carrying contact-strips 11, are rocked sufficiently to cause the strips 11 to make contact with two insulated screws 34, 45. This closes the next circuit which contains the wires 119, 120. The indicators consist of a pointer 41, Fig. 11, operated by electro-magnets 124 through pawl and ratchet and intermediate gearing, so as to be moved one division of the scale each time the circuit is closed. As when the first circuit is closed all the other circuits are successively closed, the two indicators always agree if the system is in proper working order, consequently any disagreement indicates a defect. The position of the defect is found by means of a detector, an instrument which is similar to an indicator and is connected as shown in Fig. 14. The detector is inserted in a shunt 128 between the first circuit 1 and the gas-pipe system 48. In this shunt is included a battery and a switch. The line 47 of every relay is also connected to the gas-pipe system. On the first circuit being closed and then opened again, connexion is made between the contacts 45, 46, thus closing the circuit including the detector 9, and therefore if the first circuit and relay are in working order the needle is rotated one step. Similarly for each successive circuit and relay, the needle is moved one division,'the current passing through each preceding relay by means of the wire 121. Consequently if the detector stops when it points to the sixth division, this indicates that the defect is either in the seventh circuit or the seventh relay. The valve-operating mechanism is the same as that described in Specification No. 8792, A.D. 1906, but with a modified arrangement of armatures 20, Fig 4, which rock independently, one operating the ratchel-wheel 23 during its forward movement and the other during its return movement. The ratio between the ratchet-wheel 23, intermediate gear, and pinion 30,.Fig. 6, is such that thirty electric impulses are necessary to turn the pinion through 120 degrees, which is the movement necessary, in the position shown in Fig. 6, to turn the gas on. The gas begins to be partly on only after the first ten of these impulses, which are therefore used at the central station for testing purposes. The clock-work switch for closing the first circuit is shown in Fig. 15, and comprises a clock-work train 77, 76, &c. and a spring train 52, 59, 62, &c. controlled thereby. Fixed to and insulated from the first wheel 52 in the spring train is a ratchet-wheel 55, which has a contact-spring 57 bearing on its nave. Another spring 56 has near the end an insulation 50 which normally rests on one of the ratchet teeth, but when, as described below, the ratchet-wheel is fed forward one tooth pitch, the point of the spring comes momentarily into contact with the tooth and thereby closes the first circuit. The feeding forward of the ratchet-wheel is controlled by a locking-lever 72, notched disk 71, and two levers 81, 83 actuated by the 24-hour wheel 77. The notched disk 71 is fixed to one of the wheels in the spring train and has eleven notches, which are so spaced that when the disk moves the distance between two notches, the toothed wheel 55 moves the distance between two teeth. The disk 71 is kept from rotating by a pawl 73 attached to the lever 72. Around the edge of the 24-honr wheel 77 are a number of holes, in which are fixed three main pins 78<1>, 782, 78<3> ; the position of these determines the times of lighting and extinguishing the lamps, which are divided into " evening lamps " and " all-night " lamps." Between each two main pins are ten other pins 78<4>. As the wheel 77 rotates, one of the pins lifts the end of a lever 81, which operates through the second lever 83 to lift the lever 72 with its locking-pawl. This allows the train to start, but it is again held up by a pin 69 on one of the wheels, which abuts against the end of the lever 83 until the pin on the 24-hour wheel 77 has passed the end of the lever 81 and allowed it to drop, whereon the train continues to move until the pawl 73 catches in the next notch. This operation is performed ten times corresponding to the ten closings of the circuits utilized for testing purposes. After the tenth closure, the apparatus works continuously for twenty more closures until the pawl 73 again catches in the first notch. The locking-lever 72 can at any time be lifted by hand by depressing the projecting part 75; in this case it is necessary to remove one of the pins 78<4>,