New and Useful Electric Switch Device for the Temporary Lighting of Staircases, Floors, Cellars, and the like, also for Indicating the Heating of Shafts and Bearings and for Fire-alarms.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Sept., 1898-Accepted, 8th Apr., 1899
New and Useful Electric Switch Device for the Temporary Lighting
of Staircases, Floors, Cellars, and the like, also for Indicating the
Heating of Shafts and Bearings and for Fire-alarms.
I, WILHELM BLANCKENHORN, of 79, Kaiserallee, Aix-la-Chapelle, Rhenish
Prussia, Germany, Manufacturer, 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 a double-pear shape electric switch device for temporary
lighting of staircases, floors, cellars and the like, also for indicating the heating
of shafts and bearings and for fire-alarms.
In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters refer to similar parts
throughout the several views, different ways of applying the switch device are
illustrated.
Fig. 1 represents a device of the kind for temporary lighting of stair-cases and
the like, which like all the other kinds illustrated, is intended to serve at the
same time as a fire alarm.
Fig. 2 shows the switch as an electric indicator for indicating the heating of
shafts and bearings and the like, and which may also be inserted in material that
is liable to take fire, for instance, wool and the like, and indicates any combus-
tion of the same before fire actually breaks out.
Fig. 3 represents the device specially as a fire-alarm for manufacturies.
counting houses, dwellings and the like. In this form it can also be employed as
an ordinary electric call.
Figs. 4 and 5, finally, represent the switch in combination with an ordinary
door-switch.
The device illustrated by Fig. 1 serves specially for lighting staircases, floors,
cellars and the like, temporarily electrically, and for the automatic extinction
of the light.
In
For this purpose, the contact make and break device C is arranged within a
sleeve or casing H capable of being rotated as hereinafter described and enclosed
in an outer case B. The cover of the case B is omitted from the drawing, but a
curved slot S in the cover is indicated by means of dat and dash lines. Through
the slot S a pin T fixed in the sleeve or casing H, projects above the cover.
the narrow centre E of the double-pear-shaped vessel C two platinum wires are
fused, each of the wires being carried to an insulated adjusting screw fixed side-
ways to the sleeve or casing H. From this adjusting screws two spiral or similar
insulated wires run to the adjusting screws A A' fixed on the side of the case B,
from the outward projecting ends of which screws two line-wires lead to an elec-
tric lamp.
If now the sleeve H be turned from right to left, or in the contrary direction by
means of the pin T, the quick-silver Q contained in the one pear-shape.compart-
ment runs out of that compartment into the other, passing by the narrow open-

page_text: ing E between the two compartments, in which opening the platinum wires are
fused. The quicksilver passing through, effects a contact and lights the lamp
connected with the switch device, the light remaining as long as quicksilver
flows through and the lamp hereafter being automatically extinguished. If fire
break out in a space where there is such an apparatus, the quicksilver rises, the
electric lighting takes place, and an alarm of fire is raised by the ringing appa-
ratus connected with the automatic switch.
The same double-pear-shape vessel is made use of in the other forms of the
invention as illustrated. In the form shown in Fig. 2, the contact make and
break device C is suspended on an insulated ring R, fixed to the wooden closing
cover of the apparatus by means of two metal rods M.
The contact inake and break device which is enclosed within a perforated
mantle N, is furnished with two platinum wires 22 in the narrow part E, which
wires are soldered to the previously mentioned metal rods. From the metal rods,
which are also insulated at the top, run the line wires LL, which join a twisted
conducting coil above the cover D. By means of the lower screw-spindle A the
apparatus can be screwed to a shaft-bearing, and, in such a position, in the
event of the temperature rising in consequence of the heating of the shaft, will set
the electric ringing apparatus in operation. The fire-alarm may also be inserted
in a heap, or pile of wool, and will then act in the same way as soon as the tem-
perature increases in the interior of the pile.
The apparatus represented in Fig. 3 is constructed substantially as the fore-
going and is also intended for indicating in precisely the same manner the break-
ing out of fire. It is hung on the wall or otherwise fixed in places which are
exposed to danger from the breaking out of fire. The apparatus is also furnished
with a small pressing-button, which, when lightly pressed, can be brought to
close the contact by means of the spring-plates which are fixed below the
adjusting screws. This apparatus is also surrounded by a perforated mantle.
The last of the forms illustrated relates to the application of the present device
to one of the ordinary door switches, the latter acting thereby simultaneously
as such and as fire-alarm.
The arrangement of the apparatus is best seen from Fig. 5, where the mantle
shown in Fig. 4 is omitted and indicated by a black section line. To the elastic
mantle N, which is connected by means of the wire O₁ with the battery, the
spring-plate B is screwed.
Underneath the mantle, but separated therefrom by means of an insulating
plate i, the second spring plate B, is arranged, to which the second line wire O₂
of the battery runs. So far, the door-switch between the spring-plates of which
a metallic current closing pin moves backwards and forwards when the door is
opened and shut resembles substantially the hitherto known spring switches.
In the perforated metallic mantle, the double pear-shape contact device which
has already been described in many forms, is fixed and one of its platinum
wires p screwed to the mantle, whilst the other p passing downwards through
the insulating plate which is perforated in the middle, is connected with the
spring-plate B₂.
!
In the event of an increase of the temperature in consequence of the breaking
out of fire, the quicksilver rises in the lower compartment and produces a metallic
connection between the two platinum wires. Then, without any pin striking
through the spring-plates BB, the current runs from the line wire O₂ to the
mantle N, through the platinum wire ? connected therewith, through the quick-
sliver and the other platinum wire P₁ to the spring plate B₂ and finally through
the line wire O, connected by the letter with the battery, and is closed.
The ordinary door switch has thus become at the same time a fire alarm by
the introduction into the circuit of the mantle N with the double-pear-shape con-
tact device.
In this way the automatic switch device forming the present invention can be
included in any system.

page_text: Having thus fully described and ascertained the nature of my present invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that, what I
claim is:-
1. In an electric switch device for temporary lighting of staircases, rooms,
cellars and the like, also for indicating the heating of shafts and bearings and
for fire-alarms, the combination of a double pear-shape glass-receptacle, the one
pear-shape compartment of which being filled with quicksilver, two platinum wires
fused separately from each other in the narrow and central part of said double-
pear-shape receptacle, each of said platinum wires being connected with one of
the circuit wires of an electric incandescent lamp, or, of a ringing apparatus or
of both together, all essentially as set forth and for the purpose specified.
2. In an electric switch device for temporary lighting of staircases, rooms,
cellars and the like and for fire alarms, the combination of a double-pear-shape
glass-receptacle, the one pear-shape compartment of which being filled with quick-
silver. two platinum wires fused separately from each other in the narrow and
central part of said double-pear-shape receptacle, each of said platinum wires
being connected with one of the circuit wires of an electric incandescent lamp and
of a ringing apparatus, a sleeve or casing containing the said double-pear shape
receptacle and being adapted to be turned alternately to the right and to the left,
the said casing being enclosed in an outer case, the latter bearing on its outer
surface the set-screws for the said circuit-wires, essentially as described and for
the purpose specified.
3. In an electric switch device for heating of shafts and bearings, also for fire-
alarmis, the combination of a double-pear-shape glass-receptacle, the one pear
shape compartment of which being filled with quicksilver, two platinum wires
fused separately from each other in the narrow and central part of said double-
pear-shape receptacle, a perforated mantle enclosing the said receptacle and being
provided with a wooden cover, two metal rods, bearing at its under extremity on
an insulated ring the receptacle and being connected each with one of the said
platinum wires, the said rods being connected with the circuit wires penetrating
through the said wooden cover and being joint above the cover to a twisted con-
ducting coil, a screw spindle at the lower end of the above named perforated
mantle, all essentially as described and for the purpose specified.
the
4. In an electric switch device for fire alarms the combination of a double-
pear-shape glass receptacle, the one pear-shape compartment of which being filled
with quicksilver, two platinum wires fused separately from each other in
narrow and central part of said double-pear-shape receptacle, a perforated mantle
bearing the said receptacle arranged on an insulated ring, the said mantle being
provided with a spring plate and connected with one of the said platinum wire
and with one of the circuit wires, a second spring plate arranged under the said
mantle and separated therefrom by means of an insulating plate, said second
spring plate being connected with the other of the platinum wires and simul-
taneously with the second circuit wire, all essentially as set forth and for the
purpose specified.
Dated this 3rd day of September 1898.
JOSEPH MÖHLIG,
Agent for Applicant, Aix-la-Chapelle, Germany.