Improvement in Interruptors for Electrical Circuits, more particularly applicable to Induction Coils.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Oct., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 4th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 4th Oct., 1898
Improvement in Interruptors for Electrical Circuits, more
particularly applicable to Induction Coils.
I, CHARLES EDMUND STANLEY PHILLIPS, of Castle House, Shooter's Hill, in the
County of Kent, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
According to my invention I construct interruptors, more particularly those
for induction coils, with two bodies of mercury constituting the contacts, these
being brought together and separated from each other at the required intervals,
stead of employing one mercury and one solid metal contact as heretofore; such
mercury contacts may be arranged in a variety of ways for the purposes of my
invention.
Thus according to one arrangement I provide a body of mercury in a cup, and,
above this, a glass receptacle containing a small quantity of mercury so arranged
that on lowering the vessel into the mercury cup the two bodies of mercury make
contact, and close a circuit, a lead of which is connected to the mercury cup while
the other lead is connected to the mercury in the moving vessel. The latter may be
conveniently made of a glass tube closed at the lower end, which contains the
small body of mercury, a small hole being made in the side of the tube, above
the mercury, through which this makes contact with the mercury in the cup.
According to another arrangement, I join two glass tubes at an angle to each
other, the one tube containing mercury the level of which is at the point of
junction of the two tubes.
The mercury in the other tube is situated at a slight distance from the said
junction, but can be forced forward in the tube so as to make contact with the
other body of mercury, this motion being effected by any suifuble means, such
as by compressing a flexible part of the second tube.
By preference I interpose à body of a suitable liquid or gas between the two
bodies of mercury in order to reduce the sparking and to maintain clean contact
surfaces.
Dated this 4th dow of Ontation 1007
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvement in Interruptors for Electrical Circuits, more
particularly applicable to Induction Coils.
1, CHARLES EDMUND STANLEY PHILLIPS, of Castle House, Shooter's Hill, in the
County of Kent, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven
073

page_text: tion and in what manner the saine is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:.
According to my invention I construct interruptors, more particularly those
for induction coils, with two bodies of mercury constituting the contacts, these
being brought together and separated from each other at the required intervals,
instead of employing one mercury and one solid metal contact as heretofore; such
mercury contacts may be arranged in a variety of ways for the purposes of my
invention.
Thus according to one arrangement I provide a body of mercury in a cup, and,
above this, a receptacle of glass or other non-conducting material containing a
small quantity of mercury so arranged that on lowering the vessel into the
mercury cup the two bodies of mercury make contact, and close a circuit, a lead
of which is connected to the mercury cup while the other lead is connected to the
mercury in the moving vessel. The latter may be conveniently made of a glass
tube closed at the lower end, which contains the small body of mercury, a small
hole being made in the side of the tube, above the mercury, through which this
makes contact with the mercury in the cup.
According to another arrangement, I join two glass tubes at an angle to each
other, the one tube containing mercury the level of which is at the point of
junction of the two tubes.
The mercury in the other tube is situated at a slight distance from the said
junction, but can be forced forward in the tube so as to make contact with the
other body of mercury, this motion being effected by any suitable means, such
as by compressing a flexible part of the second tube.
By preference interpose a body of a suitable liquid or gas between the two
bodies of mercury in order to reduce the sparking and to maintain clean contact
surfaces.
On the accompanying drawing are shewn by way of example two arrangements
by which my above described invention can be carried into practice.
In the arrangement shewn at Fig. 1, A is a cup of insulating material con-
taining a body of mercury M¹ which makes contact with the one terminal,T" of
a circuit, and B is a tube of insulating material having a lateral hole band
containing a body of mercury M² which is in contact with the second terminal T³
of the circuit.
On the stem C carrying the tube B receiving a slight downward motion by
any suitable known mechanism, the body of mercury M¹ will rise and make contact
with the body M2, and this contact will be broken again when the tube B rises.
In the arrangement at Fig. 2 D is a capillary tube of glass or other insulating
material having a bulb DI at one end and a closed branch 12 at an intermediate
point, which is filled with mercury M¹ connected to the terminal T¹ of the circuit.
The other end of the tube D is open and connected by a piece of flexible tubing E
to another tube F, which together with the tubing E and part of the bore of D,
are filled with the second body of mercury M2 which is in contact with the second
circuit terminal T. On slightly compressing the tubing E by any suitable
device G, the mercury M² will be forced forward in D), so as to make contact with
the mercury M¹, while on the pressure of G ceasing, the mercury M³ will move
back to its original position in D owing to the pressure of the body of air in D¹
which was slightly compressed by the forward motion of M².
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. An interruptor for electrical circuits in which the contacts consist of two
separate bodies of mercury so arranged as to be brought together for closing the
circuit and to be separated for breaking the same, substantially as described.
2. In an interruptor such as is referred to in the first claim the combination 5

page_text: of a mercury cup connected to the one lead of a circuit with a tubular receptacle
of non conducting material containing mercury connected to the other lead, such
receptacle having a lateral hole so that on immersing the tube into the mercury
in the cup, the two bodies of mercury make contact through the said lateral hole,
substantially as described.
3. In an interruptor such as is referred to in the first claim, the combination
of a tubular receptacle containing the one mercury contact with a second tubular
vessel at an angle to the first one and communicating therewith, which second
vessel contains the second mercury contact so arranged as to be first forced forward
so as to make contact with the mercury in the first receptacle and then to be
drawn back therefrom for breaking the circuit substantially as described.
Dated this 4th day of Amust 1898.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.