Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 5th July, 1886.
Complete Left, 5th Apr., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 10th May, 1887.
I LUTHER HANSON, of the Bowling Dyke Dye Works, Halifax, Yorkshire, Dyer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My improvements in electric arc lamps consist.-
Firstly. In simplyfying its construction, and
Secondly. In ensuring a positive and regular descent of the upper carbon as it is
consumed, and also ensuring a rapid descent of the said carbon if by any means
it should break.
In carrying out my invention I employ an ordinary separating electro magnet
which attracts its armature on the completion of the circuit, and I also employ an
ordinary electro magnet shunt of high resistance for feeding the carbon. Instead of
the carbon being connected to a rack and pinion and all the wheels accompanying
such method, I dispense with these and attach the upper carbon to one end of a cord
or string from which it is suspended, the other end of the said cord being attached
to a weight or to a spring drum, but preferably a weight. Between the carbon and
the weight, the cord passes over small pullies and around a barrel carrying a spur
wheel and a ratchet wheel, the said spur wheel gearing in a pinion, on the shaft of
which is a brake pulley employed for purposes and actuated in the manner hereinafter
described. According to my improvements there are only two wheels, consisting of a
wheel and pinion, and these along with the brake pulley are carried by an oscillating
frame hinged or pivoted on the top of a short pillar, which frame carries an armiture.
Therefore when the electro magnet attracts the armniture the hinged frame is
attracted in such manner as to form an are as the cord around the barrel is slightly

page_text: drawn down, and as the carbon is being consumed the counter-balanced cord is
allowed to descend at the same ratio as consumption, but no quicker as the armaturo
attracted by the shunt magnet bears upon the periphery of the brake pulley and
maintains the are at one uniform distance, permitting the carbon to give off one
uniform and steady light, but should the carbon break it would descend almost
immediately and keep the light sustained until all the carbon is exhausted.
By this means a simple and effective lamp is produced, and one that gives and
maintains a steady light.

page_text: I, LUTHER HANSON, of the Bowling Dyke Dye Works, Halifax, Yorkshire, Dyer,
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 that class of are lamps wherein the positive or upper
carbon is lifted to establish the arc by means of an electro-magnet in the main-circuit,
and is fed downward as the carbons consume by the action of a magnet in a shunt
around the are. The positive carbon holding rod carrying the upper carbon is
suspended by means of a cord or chain, which is wound around a drum or spool, the
rotation of which drum is governed by a friction-brake actuated by the feeding
magnet in the shunt-circuit. The drum is mounted in a frame which is tilted by the
lifting magnet in the main-circuit, thus moving the said drum, pulling the cord, and
lifting the carbon to establish the arc. The release of this frame throws off the brake,
permitting the carbon to run down freely, whilst the other end of the said cord is
weighted, by being connected to a dead weight, or to the negative or bottom carbon
holder.
Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved lamp, partly in section; Figure 2 is a
sectional elevation of the regulating mechanism on a larger scale; Figure 3 is a plan
of the mechanism partly in horizontal section cut in the plane of line 3-3 in
Figure 2 Figures 4 and 5 are diagrams, designed to illustrate the lamp in a modified
forin; and Figures 6 and 7 are diagrammatic elevations illustrating modifications.
Let A designate the frame or case in which the regulating mechanism is placed,
B the positive carbon holding rod or carrier for the upper carbon C, and C¹ the lower
carbon. D is the lifting magnet, with its coil in the main circuit, and E is the
feeding magnet in a shunt circuit situated around the arc as shewn in Figure 4. The
rod B slides freely up and down in bearings a a' in the frame A (Fig. 2.) and is
suspended from a cord b, or a chain or other flexible connector, which extends up to
the top of the upper tube F, and passes over a sheave c, thence extends down (at b³)
and takes one or more turns around a drum or spool G, and extends up again to
another sheaved, and thence down again to a weight H, to which its end is fastened,
This weight is too light to counterpoise the rod B, its chief function being to keep the
cord taut and make it bind around the drum.

page_text: g.
The drum G is mounted in a frame J which is free to work on its fulcrum j, where
it is pivoted between two pedistals e e. At one end of this frame is the armature f
of the lifting magnet D, so that the excitation of that magnet draws down that end of
the frame. The drum G has a large toothed wheel 9 connected to it through the
medium of a ratchet hand pawl i, so that this wheel g turns with the drum while the
rod B is descending, but the drum may turn backward without turning the wheel
This wheel g gears with a pinion k on a spindle I which has bearings in the frame J.
On this spindle is a fly-wheel or brake-wheel K and a flyer or fan L, the object
of the latter being to retard the rotation of the spindle. Against the brake-wheel K
rests a brake-lever m one end of which constitutes or carries the armature of the
feeding magnet E. This lever plays between adjustable screw-stops
and an
P, and
adjustable retracting spring n draws it away from the magnet and toward the brake
wheel.
The arrangement of the drum G and spindle I in the frame J is important. The
drum is mounted on the same side of the fulcrum as the armature f, so that when the
magnet D is excited and draws down its armature, it also draws down the drum, and
as the drum pulls down the cord b with it, the rod B is consequently lifted, and the
arc is formed. But the spindle I is on the opposite side of the fulcrum, so that it is
raised by the same movement, in order that the wheel K which before was low enough
to clear the brake-lever m is lifted sufficiently to touch it, so that the contact of the
lever holds the wheel stationary.
The operation is as follows: While at rest the parts occupy the position shewn in
Figure 2. When the current is first turned on, it excites the magnet. D, which tilts
the frame J to the position seen in Figures 1 and 4, thus lifting the upper carbon and
striking the arc. The frame remains in this position so long as the current is un-
interrupted. The lamp burns thus until the arc becomes of maximum length,
whereupon the increased resistance diverts sufficient current into the shunt circuit
to excite the magnet E, which attracts the brake-lever m and draws it away from the
brake-wheel K. The weight of the rod B and carbon C then acts through the cord b
to rotate the drum G and the gears gk and wheel K, and the carbon runs down, being
retarded only by the fan L, until the are is shortened to the proper extent, whereupon
the magnet E releases the lever m which is drawn by the spring n against the wheel K
and stops its rotation. In practice the feed is almost incessant, the magnet E keeping
the brake-lever barely in contact with the brake-wheel, and the carbon being thus
lowered as fast as the carbons waste away, so that the arc is maintained of uniform
length. My improved lamp is especially steady and free from flickering, jumping and
pumping.
In case of the interruption of the current by the breaking of the carbons or
other cause, the magnet D releases the frame J, which tilts until it is stopped by a
screw r. By this movement the brake-wheel K is moved out of contact with the
brake-lever m, and the feeding mechanism is thus freed, so that the upper carbon
rapidly runs down until it rests on the lower carbon again.
In order to put in new carbons the rod B is pushed up. In so doing the weight H
is permitted to run down, turning the drum G backward. The ratchet h and pawl i
permit the drum to be turned backward freely, and without rotating the wheels g k
and K.
In Figure 1, I have shewn the weight H in the form of a tube surrounding the
rod B, and itself enclosed by the tube F fixed on the frame A. This form of weight is
most compact, but requires that the cords shall be carried over guide sheaves. The
arrangement shewn in the diagram Figure 4, is simpler and more compact.
The adjustments required in my lamp are but two. The screw determines the
length of the arc when it is first established, and the spring n determines the
subsequent length of the arc.
Figure 5 shews a modification, wherein my invention is reduced to its simplest
form. The drum G has the brake-wheel K. fixed to it, all gearing being dispensed
with, and the brake-lever m and feeding magnet E are arranged beneath the wheel in

page_text: order to utilize the lift thereof, when freed by the magnet D, to carry the wheel K
out of contact with the lever m. The counterweight H is here omitted, the cord being
reeled on the drum, or the end of the said cord can be attached to the frame A and the
negative carbon holder L used as the weight, the arrangement being such that the arc
is formed or struck by the opposite movements of the positive and negative carbons,
which is also shewn in another arrangement Figure 4.
Instead of checking the feed by means of a friction-brake, this may be accomplished
by a projection on the lever m engaging a toothed wheel K, as shewn in Figure 6. or
by a similar projection engaging the fan L, as shewn in Figure 7. or by other
equivalent arresting device. It will of course be understood that solenoids or any
other electro-motive devices may be substituted for the magnets D and E, as their
equivalents.
I am aware that are lamps have been used in which the upper carbon has been fed
downward by a cord wound around a drum; also that in are lamps the feed has been
regulated by a friction-wheel moved against a brake by the excitation of a magnet in
the main circuit, and also that in lamps having a friction feed a brake has been
normally pressed against the friction-wheel, and released by the agitation of a magnet
in a shunt circuit, to permit the feeding to take place. I make no claim to either of
these features by itself.
What I claim and desire, to secure by Letters Patent is :-
Firstly. In an electric arc lamp the combination of the positive carbon holding
rod B, a cord 6 from which said rod is suspended, a drum G around which said cord
is wound, a friction wheel K, (or equivalent) connected to and rotating with said
drum, a friction-brake m or stop adapted to engage said wheel and arrest its rotation,
a moveable frame J in which said wheel is mounted, the main-circuit magnet D
adapted when excited to move said frame, and thereby carry said wheel into engage-
ment with said friction-brake or stop, and the shunt-circuit magnet E adapted when
excited to draw said brake or stop away from said wheel, in order to release the same
and permit a feed of the carbon, substantially as set forth.
Secondly. In an electric are lamp the combination of a friction-wheel K (or the
equivalent) by which the feed is determined, a friction-brake or stop m adapted to
engage said wheel, a main-circuit magnet D adapted when excited to move said wheel
into engagement with said brake or stop, and a shunt-circuit magnet E adapted when
excited to move said brake or stop out of engagement with said wheel, substantially as
set forth whereby said wheel is released when either the main-circuit magnet is
passive or the shunt-circuit magnet is excited.
Thirdly. In an electric arc lamp the combination of the positive carbon holding
rod B, a cord 6 from which said rod is suspended, a drum G around which said cord
is wound, a friction-wheel K (or equivalent) geared to and rotating with said drum, a
friction brake or stop m adapted to engage said wheel and arrest its rotation, a tilting
frame J in which said drum and wheel are mounted, pivoted on a fulcrum arranged
between the axes of said drum and wheel, the main-circuit magnet D adapted when
excited to tilt said frame and thereby move said drum and wheel in opposite directions,
whereby the arc is established and the said wheel is brought into engagement with
said brake or stop, and the shunt-circuit magnet E adapted to actuate said brake and
stop, and thereby to regulate the feed, substantially as set forth.
Fourthly. In an electric arc lamp, the combination of the positive carbon holding
rod B, a cord 6 from which said rod is suspended, a drum G around which said cord
is passed one or more times, and a weight H hung from the opposite end of the cord,
whereby the cord is kept taut around the drum, and the carbon holding rod is partly
counterpoised, substantially as set forth.
Fifthly. In an electric arc lamp the combination of the carbon-holding rod B,
a cord b from which said rod is suspended, a drum G around which said cord is passed
one or more times, a weight H hung from the opposite end of the cord, a friction-
wheel K (or its equivalent) connected to said drum, a ratchet h and pawl i interposed

page_text: between said drum and wheel, whereby the drum turns with the wheel to feed the
carbon downward, but turns backward independently thereof, substantially as set
forth, whereby when the rod is pushed up the descent of the weight rotates the drum
freely backward.
Sixthly. In an electric arc lamp, the combination of the positive carbon holding
rod B, a cord from which said rod is suspended a drum G around which said drum
the cord is passed one or more times, whilst the other end of said cord is attached to
frame-work A, the negative carbon holder L interposing and forming the counter-
poising weight to the positive carbon holder, the feed mechanism of the carbons being
regulated by the action of the shunt-magnet E all substantially as described and as
shewn in Figs. 4 and 5.