Improvements in connection with the Mechanism of Electrically Illuminated Devices for Automatically Making and Breaking Electric Circuits used in such Electrically Illuminated Devices
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Sept.. 1898-Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in connection with the Mechanism of Electrically
Illuminated Devices for Automatically Making and Breaking
Electric Circuits used in such Electrically Illuminated Devices.
We, JOHN SIBLEY RICHARDSON, of 53A, Suffolk Street, Birmingham, Electrical
Engineer, SAMUEL JEVONS, of the Minories, Birmingham, Electrical Engineer, and
WILLIAM ALFRED GENT, of 53A, Suffolk Street, Birmingham, Electrical Engineer,
all three in the County of Warwick, do hereby declare the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:
Our invention has for its object improvements in connection with the mechanism.
of electrically illuminated devices for automatically making and breaking electric
circuits used in such electrically illuminated devices by which we are enabled to
dispense with the use of motors and lessen the cost of manufacture and main-
tenance and also to illuminate such devices in a steady and regular manner and
this we accomplish by the use of a weight and a solenoid which actuate or operate
the mechanism for making the contacts of such electrically illuminated devices
as advertising signs, pictures, and the like. That is to say the weight by its
descent operates the mechanism, which produces the necessary electrical contacts
and at a given point causes the main current to be directed through the solenoid
thereby pulling or lifting the weight to its normal position ready for the next
action.
In order that our invention may be more clearly understood and easily carried
into practical effect we have appended hereunto 3 sheets of drawings upon which
we have illustrated an example of our mechanism for operating electrically
illuminated devices.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of our apparatus with the front plate removed.
Figure 2 is a broken plan view of Figure 1 with the magnet removed.
Figure 3 is a view shewing the mechanism of the solenoid cup break.
Figure 4 is a view shewing the mechanism of the main breaks.
Figure 5 is a view shewing the cam action for making the different contacts
for the electrically illuminated devices.
Figure 6 is a diagram view shewing the various connections.
In carrying our invention into practice we mount the solenoid with its bob-
bins A on the support a¹ which is fixed to the frame a² of the machine. Fitted
into these bobbins are the cores, B, B made in two parts the top halves being
brass and the lower halves being soft iron which pass up the centre of these
bobbins and are fixed at their lower ends to the cross bar or crown piece band
this crown piece is supported or carried by the perpendicular bar 62 which is free
to work in the bearing fixed to the frame of the machine. Mounted on the
top of the cores B, B is the weight D for lowering the bar after it has reached
the limit of its upward stroke. Fixed on the shaft E which is mounted in tho
frame is the gear wheel E', provided on its face with the studs or projec-
tions e, 3, &e fixed at equal distances apart which engage with the movablo
catch b' pivoted at 65 to the bar 62 and this catch is kept in its normal position

page_text: by the flat spring 66. The bar 62 as shewn at Figure 1 is at its lowest position
but when it is raised by the action of the solenoid on the cores B, B the catch b*
which is resting upon the stud is pressed backwards as it comes in contact with
the stud euntil the bar 2 has reached the limit of its upward stroke and the
catch has cleared the stud e³, this catch then shoots forward into its normal
position by the action of the spring be so that it rests upon the stud e³. The com-
bined weight of the weight I the cores B, 13 and the bars and now cause
the bar be to descend and the catch to bear upon the stud e³ thereby revolving
the wheel E one quarter of a revolution and in order to regulate the speed of
this wheel Ewe gear it with the pinion wheel e fixed on the shaft e mounted
in the frame of the machine. Also mounted on the shaft e is the wheel es gearing
with the worm e formed on the end of the spindle 10 mounted in the frame a
and on the other end of this spindle we mount the "Hyer" all thus by adjusting
the wings of this flyer we can further regulate the downward motion of the bar b²
Coupled to the shaft E, or formed in one with this shaft, is the shaft F which
revolves a quarter of a revolution each time the bar descends. One end of this
shaft is mounted in the standard f' and on the other end we fix the cam f2 which
engages with the catch formed on one end of this cranked lever f³ pivoted at f*
to the frame a², and on the other end of this lever we fix the fork f which spans
and dips into the mercury cups H and H¹ to which the ends of the solenoid are
connected. When the bar 2 has reached the limit of its downward stroke the
cam is timed to be in the position as shewn at Figure 3 thus suddenly releasing
the catch on the end of the lever which drops into one of the notches in the
cam by the action of the spiral spring fo thereby raising the fork f out of the
mercury cups which causes the solenoid to pull the cores and weight up again
ready for another quarter revolution as hereinbefore explained. Also fixed on
the shaft Fare a series of the cams J one for each electrical circuit according to
the number used in displaying the advertisement operating the cranked lever j
and pivoted to the bracket 10 for completing the respective electrical circuits
in the following manner. As the cam revolves a quarter of a revolution in
the direction shewn by the arrow Fig. 5 it allows the fork 3 fixed on the end of
the lever, the other end of which rests against the cam by reason of its own
weight to suddenly drop into and bridge the mercury cup and trough thus
completing a circuit and at the same time the fork on the end of the lever
is resting in the mercury cup and trough as clearly shewn at Figure 5 and
during the same quarter revolution the lever with its fork will be gradually
raised out of the mercury cup and trough by the pressure of the cam J on
the opposite end of this lever until the point on the cam J reaches this end
of the lever when it will suddenly drop as the pressure ceases and the forkj
re-enters the mercury cup and trough then as the cam continues to revolve
the fork on the end of the lever which still remains in the mercury cup
and trough will be gradually raised out of the mercury cups by the pressure
of the cam on the opposite end of the lever until the point on the cam
reaches this lever j and so on first one lever and then the other being gradually
raised. The series of cams mounted on the shaft F are so formed that each lever
on one side drops in rotation during one quarter of a revolution and all rise
gradually at the same time during the next quarter revolution. The cam shewn
represents the first to drop. Each succeeding cam being so formed as to allow
the levers on the one side to fall in any required order and those on the other
side to rise simultaneously during the same quarter revolution. This process
being reversed during the next quarter revolution.
In order to switch off the current entirely when the levers with their forks are
all dipping in the mercury cups on the one side the current which passes along
the main cable W (see diagram Fig. 6) goes straight to the mercury cups H
and H which is also joined up to the solenoid A and from thence to one side of
each of the two main cup breaks and so that whatever current is in the main
circuit passes through the solenoid fork which is in the mercury cups H, H

page_text: and not through the solenoid, but when the quarter of a revolution is completed
the lever f is released by the cam f as previously explained and the fork lifted
out of the cups H, H¹ consequently whatever current was passing through this
fork must now pass through the solenoid which thus lifts the cores B, B and the
weight D and consequently the bar upwards and as this bar which is provided
with the two projections d rises the lower projection 2 catches under and
lifts one end of the lever L which is pivoted at to the frame a² thus causing
the catch on the other end to descend and pull the eight toothed ratchet
wheel which is fixed on the shaft also mounted in the frame, round one tooth,
that is one eighth revolution. Also mounted on this shaft 4 is the main break
cam M which revolves one eighth of a revolution each time the ratchet wheel is
moved one tooth. Thus with every one eighth revolution of the cam M it will
be seen that the cranked levers N and N' which are pivoted to the bracket n² and
held against this cam by the spiral springs ³ will rise and fall alternately,
thereby making and breaking their respective main circuits. In the examples
as shewn at Figure 4 the end of the lever N to which is fixed the fork n has just
sprung up out of the mercury cups thus breaking the circuit in these cups
but the end of the lever n which is provided with the fork has been pushed
by the action of the cam M on the opposite end into the mercury cups n thus
making the circuit in these cups. At the next one eighth revolution of the
cam M the lever N will make the circuit and the lever N will break it and so
on alternately and automatically. The forks in all cases which dip into the,
various mercury cups are insulated from their levers and as these forks bridge
their respective cups which are filled with mercury they complete the electrical
circuit. Figure 6 shews connections for 14 circuits, 7 for spelling a word in
white lamps and when that circuit is switched off the other 7 circuits are lighted
up with colored lamps. The current starts from the cable W to the solenoid
cup H. As this is now bridged by the mercury switch f5, it goes through this
to the mercury cup H, and thence to the two mercury cups and 7 which are
joined up. Suppose the lever N be down, with the fork in the mercury
cups the current goes along this to trough then along to the various lamp
circuits X and returning to the negative circuit which does not come to this
gear. The next time the current passes through the lamps circuits X' shewn in
diagram on left hand side and so on alternately.
To make the action of the solenoid clear refer again to Fig. 6. It will be seen
It can either go
that the main circuit splits up into two at the cup and 7.
to the right hand set of cups or to the left. Let us call the first set of 7 circuits
the right hand set and the others the left hand set. The weight falls and we
will assume the 7 levers in left hand side fall by the action of the cams J. The
current is now going through cups n. When the solenoid pulls this weight up
it breaks the circuit through cups 5 previously explained and at the same time
lowers the fork 6 into cups n². As no levers on the right hand side are down,
having all been raised by the previous movement of the cams J it follows that
no current will flow on the right hand circuits till their respective levers fall
into their cups. Consequently the breaking of the circuit at n³ cuts off the entire
current the solenoid then ceases to act, and the weight is allowed to fall again
when the action is repeated only reversing the circuits. If only one colour of
lamp is wanted that is 7 circuits only, both sides are connected with the one set
of lamps. It will be evident that the solenoid may be fixed under the mechanism
or in any other convenient portion instead of above as shewn so long as it is
connected in such a way as to enable it to raise the weight and its attachments.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is;-
CLAIM.
11
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page_text: devices for automatically making and breaking electric circuits used in such
electrically illuminated devices consisting essentially in the use of a falling weight
or weights for producing the necessary electrical contacts in connection with a
solenoid or solenoids operated by the current passing through the illuminating
lamps for raising the said weight or weights in order to repeat the process all
operated in the manner substantially as herein set forth and as shewn upon the
accompanying sheets of drawings.
JOHN SIBLEY RICHARDSON,
SAMUEL JEVONS,
WILLIAM ALFRED GENT.
By George Barker,
Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents,
Agent for Applicants, 77, Colmore Row, Birmingham.