Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-06-02
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY
INFORMATION ABOUT vARIOU:
INVENTIONS,
A 10000 Volt Transformer--Nev
Uses OF Small lncandescent
Lamps--A Pocket Fire Es-
cape--Sclentific Notes.
10000 Volt Transformer.

10000 Volt Transformer.
Messrs. Swineburne and Compan,
gave recently a very interesting serie
OF experiments at the Crystal Palac
Exhibition, in which current of 100,
600 volts was employed. Although
this pressure is considerably less thar
those obtained in the experiments O
Tesla and Elihu Thompson, it is sait
to be the highest pressure ever oh
tanned on the other side of the Allan
tic, from the secondary of a tran.
former OF an ordinary type.
The primary of this transformer
which was of the "hedgehog" pattern
carried $50 volts pressure, the current
being supplied by Mordey alterna
tor at 1000 volts. This latter cur
rent was transformed to $50 volts by
step-down *'hedgehog' transformer
and the switches placed in the low
circuit, and then transformed ur
again to 10000 volts.
The experiments with vacuum tube.
similar to those of Mr.. Tesla:s were
made, the tubes becoming lighted
when placed near the wires.
Pencils of slate were substituted for
the carbons in all arc lamp and an arc
was produced between them.
A piece OF roofing slate would also
permit the current to discharge across
1t and by its heating showed the cur.
rent passed through it. The most i'm
portant OF the experiments, however,
was that in which the current was
made to discharge through oil.
In discussion on the use of oil for
insulation, Mr.. Swinburne took the
ground that oil is useless for this pur-
pose when there is sufficient horse
power behind the spark, and his ex-
perlments seem to justify this conclu-
sion.
The terminals from the transformer
were lmmersedi q vessel of resin oil
and when. approached to about
quarter of an inch OF each other a dis.
charge took place accompanied by
loud noise. A sputtering flame arose
ABOVE the surface If the oil and con-
tinued as long as the current was
turned on. In this the self-healing pro-
pertles attributed to oil were not ap-
parent to any degree, as the amount
OF current was probably sufficient to
carbonize the oil in its path, making
a sufficiently good conductor for cur.
rents at that pressure. The current
was also passed through pieces of
wood which burst into flames, and no
insulation was found which did not
break down when sufficient power was
applied. The experiments show fur
ther that for such pressures the ques-
tlon OF insulation is entirely unsolved.
New York.
New Uses OF Small Incandescent
Lamps.
improvements in the methods of
electric lighting and changes in their
adaptation are now being made very
rapidly. The old and fast disappear.
ing illuminant which our fathers con.
sidered as the ultima thule of lighting
has been put to many and varied
uses, but they are as nothing when
compared with the multiiold duties
which electric incandescent illumin-
alton has been called upon to fulfil. |
The character of electric illumination
IS fast changing. Instead of the large
10 c. p. lamp, we can now have O.
number OF smaller lamps of varying
Intensity so distributed as to give the
same amount of light, but more diff
use and agreeable and less obtru-
sive.
This change the Edison Electric
company has not been slow to rec
ognlze. In it's lamp works at Harri-
son experiments have been under wav
or the past SIX or eight months, all |
pointing to the invention and perfec-
lion OF smaller lamps, which could an.
be used for almost all re-
lulrements. The uses to which these
mail lamps can be put are too nu-
nerous to mention. Socketed in a
vail bracket at the top of an imita-
Ion candle they simulate the flame OF
ne wax light highly intensified. Stud
led IN numbers in the ceiling of some
paclous ballroom they diffuse a soft
adiance unattainable by any other
means, or they can be concealed in
lowers and under caves in table
'iece with exquisite effect.
Those who have not carefully OBJ.
erved the effect of a liberal subdiyi-
ION of the lights used in the various