Improvements in and connected with the Distribution of Current in Incandescence Electric Light Circuits.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 2nd Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Nov., 1892-Accepted, 15th Apr., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with the Distribution of Current in
Incandescence Electric Light Circuits.
1, OSCAR AXEL ENHOLM, of 362 West 117th Street, in the City and State of
New York, United States of America, Electrician, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to systems of electrical distribution involving the use of
continuous currents. The object of the invention is to produce a system of
generation and distribution, in which a generator of electricity generates current
in a series of separate closed circuits successively and at regular intervals, thereby
delivering to translating devices located in said circuits a straight current at
intervals or in impulses. It is understood that the filaments of incandescent lamps
like other bodies which are slow to radiate heat, will retain their state of
incandescence for an appreciable period after the current has been cut off from
them. This property of incandescent lamps is made use of in the present invention.
The incandescent lamps are located in the several separate circuits of the system,
and as the generator is caused to rotate at a high speed, the successive breaks in
each circuit have no effect upon the lamps which is perceptible to the eye, the
filaments retaining their incandescence between the impulses of the current.
this way a dynamo of a certain capacity may be made to maintain at incandescence
a much larger number of lamps than the same machine as heretofore operated has
been capable of doing. I am aware that I am not the first to operate incandescent
lamps by rapidly making and breaking the current which flows through them, but
so far as known to me the apparatus employed has been an ordinary dynamo, the
current from which is first directed to a commutator or circuit-changing device,
which directs the current into the separate circuits containing the lamps. My
invention is an improvement on such systems in that it dispenses with the
commutator or circuit-changing device, and delivers the current directly from the
generator to the consumption circuits.
In
The invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which
Figure 1 represents diagrammatically my improved system of distribution, and
Figure 2 a similar view of a modification of the system, but involving the same
principle.
Referring to the drawings by letter, A represents an iron ring having four inward
projecting pole-pieces a arranged 90 degrees apart, each of which is surrounded by
a coil of wire a', the terminals of which connect respectively with the two sides of
four consumption circuits 6 61, 62, 63. These consumption circuits are entirely
separate from each other and include electric lamps 6, which are to be supplied
with current generated in their respective coils a¹. The ring carrying the pole-
pieces and coils is therefore the armature of the machine. The field magnet is a
rotary body C carrying two coils c c, located respectively at its extremities, which

page_text: As this
are capped by pole-pieces c¹ c¹. The shaft C¹ upon which it is mounted passes
through its middle between the coils and carries a circuit changer or commutator ³.
The two coils are in series with each other, and the terminals of the conductors
connect with the segments of the commutator in the manner shewn. Two
brushes, e, f, bear upon the commutator and conduct current thereto and to
the coils c, from the exciting dynamo E or a battery as the case may be.
The continuous current supplied by the exciting dynamo is directed by the
commutator in such a way that the polarity of the rotating body C remains
constant, that is to say, the north pole is at the same end all the time.
body rotates past the pole-pieces a of the armature, the magnetic field is
strengthened as two poles approach each other, and weakened as they separate.
The lines of force therefore in opening and closing around the coils a¹ induce
currents therein which flow in the closed circuits 666 63 and feed the lamps located
therein. As the polarity of the revolving part C remains constant, the polarity of
the induced current will be always in the same direction, but it will be pulsatory
and the speed at which the body C rotates is to be such that the lamps cannot lose
an appreciable amount of their incandescence between the impulses.
↑
Referring now to Figure 2 the position of the field magnet and armature is
reversed with respect to each other, the outer ring G is the field magnet and is
provided with two pole pieces 9 g, arranged at opposite points in which the polarity
is maintained constant by current generated by the exciter E and flowing in the
coils e.
The armature is a ring H containing four pairs of coils, the members of
each pair being arranged upon the ring at opposite points. The shaft carries five
rings all insulated from each other, four of which form the terminals respectively
of one end of each pair of the armature coils, and the fifth one forms the common
terminal of all of the other ends of said pairs of coils. A brush i bears upon the
fifth ring and it is connected with a return wire of four separate circuits I, the
other side of said circuits extending respectively to four brushes 1, 2, 3, 4, bearing
respectively upon the four rings. It will be observed that as the armature rotates
impulses of current will be generated in the pairs of coils successively, which
impulses will be delivered to the lamps in the respective circuits I. This machine
will operate in connection with the lamps in the same manner as the machine shewn
in Figure 1, that is to say, the speed of the armature is to be such that the impulses
of current will be sufficiently rapid to prevent the filaments from losing their
incandescence between the impulses.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is-
1. In a system of electrical distribution for electric lighting, the combination of
a plurality of separate closed circuits containing incandescent lamps, of a dynamo
electric machine, supplying impulses of current successively and directly to said
circuits for the purpose set forth.
2. In a system of electrical distribution for electric lighting, a generator of
electricity provided with an armature having its coils divided into groups and with
a field magnet having a constant polarity, of separate circuits including incandescent
lamps said circuits being supplied with current respectively by the groups of coils
on the armature, substantially as described.
Dated this 1st day of November A D 1892.
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicant.