IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR DIVIDING AND SUBDIVIDING THE ELECTRIC CURRENT FOR LIGHTING PURPOSES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Banting Rogers, of St. Clement's House, Lombard
Stroet, in the City of London, Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVED
MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR DIVIDING AND SUBDIVIDING THE ELECTRIC
CURRENT FOR LIGHTING PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Banting Rogers at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th September 1880.
JOHN BANTING ROGERS, of St. Clement's House, Lombard Street, in the City
of London, Engineer. "IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR DIVIDING AND
SUB-DIVIDING THE ELECTRIC CURRENT FOR LIGHTING PURPOSES."
The object of this Invention is improved means and apparatus for dividing and
sub-dividing the electric current for lighting purposes, by means of conical, semi-
spherical, or bell shaped apparatus of copper, to the apex of which is a clip or other
appliance for the attachment of the primary wire from a dynamo or other electric
force producer, and with a series of other clips or appliances at the band of the
apparatus, to which other wires can be connected for conducting the fluid to any
desired number of lamps or carbons. The apex of my apparatus is flat or nearly
so, and of greater thickness than the body, that the fluid may be accumulated and
governed in and by the apparatus. The band is also of greater thickness than the
body for a similar purpose.
For intensity of light purposes, the series of clips on the band of the apparatus
may have the primary wires of several electric force producers attached, that their
united fluids may be transmitted through the apex wire to one lamp or carbon.
Any number of my conical, semi-spherical, or bell shaped apparatus may be used
between the force producer and the light or lights if desired.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Banting Rogers in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th
March 1881.
JOHN BANTING ROGERS, of St. Clement's House, Lombard Street, in the City
of London, Engineer. "IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR DIVIDING AND
SUBDIVIDING THE ELECTRIC CURRENT FOR LIGHTING PURPOSES."
The object of this Invention is improved means and apparatus for dividing and
subdividing the electric current for lighting or other purposes, by means of pairs of
spherical, conical, hemi-spherical, bell, or flat, square, or other suitable shaped metallic
bodies, to one portion of which are clips or other appliances for the attachment of
the primary wires from a dynamo machine or other electric force producer, and with
a series of other clips or appliances on the bands, bases, or edges of the metallic
bodies, to which other wires can be connected for conducting the fluid to any desired
number of lamps or carbons, or to other shaped vessels or metallic bodies arranged
in pairs, from which again wires can be conducted to other lamps or carbons. 1
The apex-of the bell or other shaped vessels or cups, if of bell shape, is preferably
of greater thickness than the body-for-accumulating and governing the fluid. The
-bands are also of greater thickness than the body for a similar purpose.
Should the vessel-have_a_spherical or globular form, the clips above referred..to
may be fixed-upon a central band or belt--and instead of the single clips being on
the apex it may be fixed to the-collar-or stem on which the globe stands.
For intensifying light, the series of clips on the bands-of the vessels may have
the primary wires of electric force producers, or of several of them, attached-to.
thom so that the united fluids may be transmitted through the apex wire of the
bell shaped vessel, or through the collar wire of the spherical vessel to one or more S
lamps or carbons.
Any number of my metallic bodies may be used between the force producer and
the light or lights if desired, for intensifying on the one hand, or dividing on the other.
My Invention will be clearly understood by reference to the annexed Drawings,
in which, on Sheet 1, I show several forms of apparatus which I propose to employ 3
for carrying the same into practice.
Figure 1 is a section of a bell shaped apparatus A, with lining vessels in the
interior for current intensifying and distributing purposes, and Figure 2 is a plan
thereof; B is the apex, with a conducting wire C attached by the screw clip D,
and E is the band or base around which a series of other conducting wires F are 3
looped, or they may be attached in any other convenient manner; said wires F, F,
leading to and connected with electric lamps for producing light from one main
dynamic or other force producer, as before mentioned, or for distribution of current
for other purposes.
Figures 3 and 4 are section and plan of a channelled disc, with a wire arranged 4
at the centre and others at the sides, as with the bell shown at Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 5 is a dished apparatus having wires similarly arranged, and Figure G
represents another form of bell shaped apparatus.
Figure 7 is a view of a ring or tubular, and Figure 8 of a spherical apparatus,
the main wire being attached at the upper part or at the lower as desired.
The above described Figures only indicate a few of the devices which I intend
to adopt for the purposes of my Invention, viz., an apparatus for gathering or
accumulating the electric force or fluid given off, or from a dynamo electric or other
current producer, and by, in, or through said apparatus, so dividing or subdividing
the current that several lamps or lighting appliances or apparatus in or by which 5
the electric light can be established is effected, or its distribution for other purposes.
The several branch conducting wires attached to the base or the rim of any of
my intermediate accumulators of electric force or fluid may be led and attached to
other gathering or accumulating apparatus, such as before referred to, the sub-
dividing being effected by pairs of intermediate apparatus of smaller sizes than 5

page_text: those of the first pair. A further subdivision of the current may be effected by
the attachment of the subsidiary wires of the second pair of apparatus which may
be like each other or of different forms, and this distribution and redistribution
may be carried out until the current is, so to speak, absorbed, or almost absorbed
by the several apparatus into which it passes.
In Sheet 2 of the Drawings I show examples of the extension of my system of
gathering or accumulating the electric current, and of dividing and subdividing
it by subsidiary apparatus, and by branch wires therefrom to other and smaller
apparatus for a further subdivision or distribution through still smaller apparatus.
Figure 9 represents one of a pair of current accumulating apparatus A within a
box H. To the centre of this apparatus A, one of the main conducting wires of the
dynamo or battery is attached. The branch or subsidiary wires leading from
the rim of the apparatus, 9 in number, pass through a partition J of the box to the
centres of nine other, but smaller, apparatus into which the current flows. These
nine smaller apparatus have each 8 branch or subsidiary wires attached to their
rims, said wires therefrom are passed through 72 holes formed in the front of the
box, and lead to 72 lamps or to 72 other mediums for which the action of the current
is required.
The second primary apparatus has the other pole wire of the force or current
producer attached, and the box in which it is arranged is provided with 9 smaller
apparatus with branch or subsidiary wires from the rim of the primary one to their
contres, in a similar manner and for the same purpose as that before described for
the completion of the circuit.
Figure 10 shows one of the pair of primary apparatus in a box, the 9 smaller
apparatus with the partition J having been removed.
Figure 11 is a diagram of my system of subdividing and distributing the current;
A, A, are a pair of primary apparatus with 12 subsidiary wires K, K', each, positive
from one and negative from the other. Each pair of branch wires K, K', from the
primary apparatus A, are led and attached by any of the usual connection appliances
to smaller apparatus L, L, in which the current is gathered or accumulated, and
passes by the subsidiary wires M, M', of these ainaller apparatus to other but still
smaller apparatus N, N, as indicated, from which are other subsidiary wires P, P',
to lead the current for its intended use, or to other and smaller apparatus Q, Q, for a
further distribution of the same, this system being carried on to any desired extent.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
The system or means for gathering or collecting electric current into intermediato
vehicles arranged in pairs, and in distributing said current therefrom by subsidiary
conducting wires, as described, especially for lighting purposes, as set forth.
Secondly. I claim the several apparatus shown on Sheet 1 of the annexed
Drawings, and their employment in pairs as vehicles for the division and subdivision
of the electric current, substantially as on Sheet 2 of the annexed Drawings, for
the purpose or purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Banting Rogers, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
Can hangend night hundred and sights one
Witness,
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent,
40, Fleet Street,
London.
JOHN BANTING ROGERS. (L.S.)