Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Feb., 1897-Accepted. 20th Mar., 1897
I IGNACE HIPPOLYTE HEGNER Electrician of 25 Rue du 4 Septembre
Paris, France 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 :-
My invention relates to arc lamps, and has for its object the improvement of the
automatic mechanism of the lamps. My invention is a development of that
described in the Specification of my former invention for which Letters Patent
bearing Number 24,37, under date of 19th December 1895, were granted me.
By my present invention, I am enabled to attain the better working of arc
lamps when operated in groups of three in series upon supply mains that are
maintained at 100 volts or at 110 volts of electric pressure. It is obviously capable
of being used for a greater number of lamps in a group, when the supply is at a
higher pressure.
In arc lamps as constructed prior to my said invention, the mechanism which
governs or determines the feed motion by which the carbons are propelled or
permitted to approach one another as they consume away, varies in different
patterns of lamp, but invariably consists of some combination of mechanical
parts governed by an electrical or electromagnetic device or combination of
devices.
The mechanical combinations in use are, for example such as (1) a train of
wheels terminating in an escapement or fly; (2) a brake-wheel; (3) a clutch
or silent feed; (4) combinations of cords and pulleys. The electrical or electro-
magnetic device for determining the operation of the mechanical combination
is usually an electromagnet or some variety of the same such as a solenoid with
an iron core serving as a plunger. In a few cases, an electromagnetic motor has
been used.
The electric or electromagnetic device which thus controls the mechanism has
hitherto consisted of one of the following kinds, so far as relates to its connexion
with the electric circuit (1) an electromagnet or solenoid of thick wire in
series with the arc and carrying the whole current; (2) an electromagnet or
solenoid of thin wire, connected as a shunt cr deviation to the arc, and receiving
only a small percentage of the current; (3) a combination of the above to act
differentially, either by differential winding of the thick wire and thin wire coils,
or by their differential combination to a see-saw lever, or of a differential pulley.
A few less simple arrangements have been used such, for example, as relay
electromagnets and combinations of thick wire coils with thin wire coils to act on
one another, as in wattmeters.
in my present improvement which is applicable to any of the ordinary
mechanical combinations of parts, whether trains of wheels, arrangements of
cords and pulleys, brake-wheels, or clutches, I apply electromagnetic devices in a
wholly new way.
In the annexed drawing, I have shown in diagrammatical view and for the
purpose of illustration only, my invention as applied to a group comprising three
lamps in series, in which the lamps are shown as provided with a brake-wheel
mechanism.
In this drawing, 1 is the upper carbon and 2 is the lower carbon.

page_text: I govern the mechanical device as hitherto by an electromagnetic or solenoid a, or
combination of the same, wound either with fine wire, or differentially, so as to
allow the feed motion to take place when the difference of electric potential at
the terminals of the lamp exceeds a certain predetermined amount, say, for
example, 32 volts. To the mechanical device so governed I add a second and
independent governing device, such as an electromagnetic or solenoid b wound
with thick wire and connected in the main circuit and adjusted so that it will not
permit the feed motion to operate unless and until the main current through the
lamp shall have fallen below a certain pre-determined value, say, for example
seven amperes. As there are thus two independent items of electro-mechanism
governing the feed motion, the operation of feeding cannot occur until both
conditions have been attained. Now as the fine wire device a depends for its
operation on the electric state of the individual lamp and as the thick wire
device b depends for its operation on the state of all the lamps in the series, my
combination of these devices to operate independently upon the feed motion has
the result that the lamps in any such series operate in harmony one with the
other, their burning being uniform and steady; and thereby I am enabled to
attain the economy of using three lamps (or more) in series, as in my aforesaid
specification, but without the complication of a third circuit, such as was therein
described.
.
In conclusion, I wish to point out that I do not claim separately the device
of a fine wire coil or differential coil to control the voltage at the terminals of
the lamp or of a thick wire coil receiving the total current to control the
feed-motion.
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 an electric arc lamp, the combination of a mechanical feed-motion or
feeding-device with two independent controlling or governing devices, the one
operating to permit or effectuate the feed motion only when the voltage at the
terminals of the lamp exceeds a certain maximum, the other operating to permit
or effectuate the feed-motion only when the current through the lamp (or group
of lamps) falls below a certain minimum.
2. In electric arc lamps, the use of a double independent mechanical controlling
mechanism, such for example as two brakes on one brake-wheel, as shown in
annexed drawing, or two detents on one fly, two clutches on one rod, the two said
parts being subject to independent control, preventing motion unless and until both
such parts are brought into operation.
3. In electric arc lamps, the combination of a thin wire or of a differentially-
wound coil-device with a thick wire coil device in such a way that each device acts
independently upon the feed-motion.
Dated this 13th day of February 1807
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.