Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-08
THE THOMsON-HOUsTON ELECTRIC
COMPANY,
RnRIOn. MaHE.

WESTERN PEENA., III LEWIS BLOCK.
Mechanical Hall is ablaze with electric
light, gorgeous in the lavish brilliancy of its
adornment. Much of this is due to the COM
pany whose name heads this article, and the
enterprise which brought them from their
Eastern home to do honor to Pittsburg' s
guests is TO be commended.
The space occupied by this exhibit is made
conspicuous by the signboard of black vel
vet, upon which are traced in letters, made by
groups OF incandescent lights, the name and
location OF the company, viz:
THoMsoN-HoUsToN CO., BOSTON.
In the above space are two 3OO-light
incandescent dynamos and one 12light
arc machine, operated by a ninety-horse
power Russell engine, used in general dis
tribution of light in Mechanical Hall and
upon the signboard.
The two incandescent dynamos are of the
automatically regulated type, which admits
of lighting or eXtinguishing any number
of lamps from one to the maximum load
without any care whatever on the part of
the attendant. The regulation is procured
by means of a coil of wine so disposed about
the armature of the machine as to have a
direct and powerfully effective magnetic
action upon the armature. This coil is
the external or lamp circuit, and is gov
erned in its action on the armature by the
quantity of electrical current supplied or
demanded by the lamp circuit, thus secur-
ing magnetic action proportioned to the
demands made by the lamp circuit.
The arc light dynamo is also entirely au-
tomato in its regulation by the well-known
method devised some years ago by Prof.
Elihu Thomson for the automatic shifting
of the brushes on the commutator to a point
of greater or lesser potential, according to
the number of lamps in the circuit.
'The Thomson-Houston Company" also
operate by means of an interesting device
known as the film cutoff, incandescent
lamps of 80 candle power and 65 candle
power from the same circuit with the arc
lamp. In contrast with the ordinary 2, 900
candle power arc lights these that are rated at
but ]. 200 candle power compare more than
favorably,
THE THoMSoN-HOUSToE INTERNATIONAL
ELECTRIC COMPANY
was organized in 1884 and conducts the for
eign business in electric lighting, power
an electric railways for the Thomson
Houston Co. and is the only corporation
in the United States doing an exclusively
foreign business in electric lighting and
power, and an interesting fact showing the
extent Of business done by this company,
may be noted in this connection, namely:
that there is not a country represented by
the Pan-American Congress in which lights
or power supplied by this company is not in
operation.
Messrs. Hughes & Gawthrop, agents for
the Thomson-Houston Electric Light
Company in Western Pennsylvania, are
active in pushing the company's interests,
as is attested by their earnest cooperation
during the term of the late Exposition, and
in their influencing this noble representa-
ton of the achievement in the electrical
world as exemplifed in this exhibit.
THE THOMSON ELECTRIC WELDING co.
This exhibit has been hastily prepared,
the company having decided within week
of the opening to show their electric weld
ing process in Pitts0urg at this time. It is
well to mention that by pushing matters the
apparatus was packed in Lynn, Mass. last
Friday, November /, and reached here Sun
day morning, November 8. The car contain
ing the packages was placed in care of the
American Express Company, who contracted
TO have 1t brought here on the limited mail.
In the display in Mechanical Hall are found
three machines in lUll operation.
No. For welding three-inch extra
heavy pipe and smaller sizes; the same ma
chine is also used for welding one and a
Quarter inch solid iron or steel.
No. 2-Is for welding half-inch copper or
brass rods.
No. 3-An automatic welder for copper
wire OF one-uuarter inch and smaller gauges.
By this machine sufficient current is sup
piled to accomplish the welding, and the
moment this is done the current is auto
maticalIy shut of, thus making it impossi-
BILE to get poor weld or burn the metal.
WELDING, TEMPERING, BRAzING, FoRG-
ING, RIvETING, SHAPING, ETC, OF
METALS BY ELECTRICITY.
From an interesting pamphlet issued by
this company few excerpts have been
taken for the benefit of men who take a
practical interest in this method of employ
ing the electric current.
THE ELECTRIC WELDING PROCESS.
tsTbe principle involved in this new art
is that o causing currents of electricity to
mass through the abutting ends of the pieces
IF metal which are to be welded, thereby
generating heat at the point of contact,
which also becomes the point of greatest re-
sistance. while at the same time mechanical
pressure is applied to force the parts
{ocetber As the current heats the metal
al the iupcture to the welding temperature,
the pressure olIows up the softening surface
until a complete union, or weld, is effected,
and as the heat is first developed in the in
terror Of the parts to be welded, the interior
of the Joint is as efficiently united as the
visible exterior. With such method and
apparatus it is found possible to accomplish
not only the common kinds of welding Of
iron and steel, but also Of metals which have