Improvements in and Apparatus for Effecting the Distribution of Currents of Electricity.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Jan., 1887
Complete Left 7th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 25th Nov., 1887
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Apparatus for Effecting the Distribution of
Currents of Electricity.
We ROOKES EVELYN BELL CROMPTON, Engineer, and JORGEN HENRICK
FERDINAND SOLL, Engineer, both of the Arc Works Chelmsford in the County
of Essex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in and apparatus for effecting the
distribution of electric currents, and more particularly to multiple or regulating
switches or commutating apparatus. Such multiple switches are used for switching
the current on to a series of terminal blocks in order. In place of the radial arm
switches hitherto employed, we place the desired contact blocks in line and make these
contact blocks of ring form; and we make the connection to these rings by forcing
through them in turn one or more of elastic discs, formed of thin plates of copper or
other suitable metal of high conductivity or of brushes of similar metal, arranged
radially. We hereafter call this elastic disc, the disc.
The disc is moved forwards or backwards so as to be forced in contact with the
various rings in the desired order by being mounted on a spindle, the axis of which
coincides with the axis of the discs themselves.
The disc can be traversed on this by being itself mounted on a nut, and thus
obtaining the longitudinal traverse desired, or the spindle itself can revólve in a
fixed nut, or it can be moved by a rack or a plunger acted on by hydraulic or other
fluid pressure.
We sometimes control the movements of this spindle by various well known forms
of electrical governors, so that the whole apparatus may be rendered automatic in its
action. We can convey the current from the source supplied to the disc through
the spindle itself or through a flexible connection; in such cases where we employ
the spindle itself, we get connection to this spindle through a revolving elastic disc
of similar form to the main contact disc above described.
The contact rings first mentioned may be solid, but we prefer to cut them at
one side and provide each of them with a tightening screw, in order that we can
adjust and regulate the pressure of the ring on the disc, when it is inside it,

page_text: and thus we can render the contact of the disc with the ring as perfect as we
desired it.
In those cases where it is desired to obtain a supply of electricity from one or
more dynamos working parallel to accumulators, we apply our present invention as
follows:-
:-
In place of the double set of multiple switches hitherto generally employed, and
which we called the charging and discharging switches, we can employ one multiple
switch of our form now described. We connect the various contact rings in order
to the corresponding regulating cells, and we connect the main conveying the
charging current from the dynamo to the batteries, and again taking the discharging
current away from the same terminal of the batteries to the contact disc or flexible,
connected to the spindle above described, in such manner that this contact disc may
be brought into action with any of the contact rings in turn, and thus the regulation
can be effected.
By combining on the same switch board with our new form of regulating switch,
3 ordinary 2 way switchies, the first one of which can break the main line and switch
it to the end cell of the accumulators, the second one of which is connected in
between the main line and the branch which leads to the contact disc of the regulating
switch and the third inserted in the other or return main line, we have a combination
which enables us to charge and discharge the accumulators at the same time that
we are supplying current to the main line, and through any one of the regulating
cells, to measure the current to the main line, and to measure the current to the
accumulator.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: Currents of Electricity.
We ROOKES EVELYN BELL CROMPTON Engineer and JORGEN HENRICK
FERDINAND SOLL, Engineer, both of the Arc Works, Chelmsford in the County
of Essex, 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:-
Our invention relates to improvements in and apparatus for effecting the
distribution of electric currents and more particularly, to multiple or regulating
switches or commutating apparatus. Such multiple switches are used for switching
the current on to a series of terminal blocks in order.
In place of the radial arm switches hitherto employed we place the desired contact
blocks in line and make these contact blocks of ring form; and we make the
connection to these rings by forcing through them in turn one or more of elastic
discs formed of thin plates of copper or other suitable metal of high conductivity or
of brushes of similar metal arranged radially. We hereafter call this elastic disc,
the disc.
The disc is moved forwards or backwards so as to be forced in contact with the
various rings in the desired order by being mounted on a spindle the axis of which
coincides with the axis of the discs themselves.
The disc can be traversed on this by being itself mounted on a nut and thus
obtaining the longitudinal traverse desired, or the spindle itself can revolve in a fixed
nut, or it can be moved by a rack or a plunger acted on by hydraulic or other fluid
pressure.
We sometimes control the movements of this spindle by various well known forms
of electrical governors, so that the whole apparatus may be rendered automatic in its
action. We can convey the current from the source supplied to the disc through the
spindle itself or through a flexible connection; in such cases where we employ the
spindle itself, we get connection to this spindle through a revolving elastic disc of
similar form to the main contact disc above described. The contact rings first
mentioned may be solid, but we prefer to cut them at one side and provide each of
them with a tightening screw, in order that we can adjust and regulate the pressure
of the ring on the disc when it is inside it and thus we can render the contact of the
disc with the ring as perfect as we desired it.
In those cases where it is desired to obtain a supply of electricity from one or
more dynamos working parallel to accumulators we apply our present invention as
follows:-
In place of the double set of multiple switches hitherto generally employed and
which we called the charging and discharging switches we can employ one multiple
switch of our form now described.
We connect the various contact rings in order to the corresponding regulating

page_text: cells and we connect the main conveying the charging current from the dynamo
to the batteries and again taking the discharging current away from the
same terminal of the batteries to the contact disc or flexible connected to the
spindle above described in such manner that this contact disc may be brought into
action with any of the contact rings in turn, and thus the regulation can be
effected.
By combining on the same switchboard with our new form of regulating switch,
3 ordinary 2 way switches, the first one.of which can break the main line and switch
it to the end cell of the accumulators, the second one of which is connected in
between the main line and the branch which leads to the contact disc of the
regulating switch and the third inserted in the other or return main line, we have a
continuation which enables us to charge and discharge the accumulators at the same
time that we are supplying current to the main line, and through any one of the
regulating cells, to measure the current to the main line, and to measure the current
to the accumulators.
Figure 1 shows in side view, Figure 2 in plan, Figure 3 in sectional end view and
Figure 4 in part section one form of our ring switch distributing apparatus arranged
in this case as a charging and discharging regulating switch for a battery of electric
accumulators.
a. a. a are the ring shaped confact blocks and b is the elastic circular brush which
is forced through them in turn by the screwed spindle c. c. c which is supported by
the bearings d. d. The contact rings a. a. a are split at the points e. e as shown so
that the rings can be tightened on to the contact ring by a screw bolt g placed in the
holes Figure 4 shows a double circular brush contact and These two
contacts are insulated from one another and from the spindle, but are connected by
the resistance coil h. h. The distance between the two disc contacts b and 6' is such
that at the time they are advanced from one ring contact to another the interval
between the ring contacts is bridged by the two discs and the accumulator cells
which are connected to these ring contacts are short circuited through the
resistance. This arrangement prevents an absolute break in the continuity of the
circuit which would be the case if one disc were employed of insufficient width to
bridge the gap between the two rings. This simple arrangement however may be
employed when this break of contact is not an important matter. One mode of
connection of the various cables to the ring contacts is shown at k Figure 3 and
consists of a bridge piece connecting the two ring contacts into which the cable
conveying the current to and from the accumulators may be soldered.
In order to convey the current to or from the screwed spindles we prefer to employ
a circular revolving contact as shown in plan and side view at l. 1. and in section
at m Figure 4. But other modes of conveying the current to the screwed spindle
may be employed.
In some cases we find it convenient to make our regulating apparatus consist of
one set of contacts for charging the cells, and one, two, or more sets of contacts for
discharging the cells to an equal number of circuits.
This combination is of great utility where it is desired to raise or lower
independently the E. M. F. of several circuits taken off one battery of accumulators,
and we find it particularly useful for the regulation of scenic effects in theatres and
other places.
Figures 5, 6, and 7 shew multiple regulating apparatus arranged for these
purposes the lettering of the various parts corresponding to that of the parts in the
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4.
We have shown one set of ring contacts for charging and four sets for
discharging two of these for varying the E. M. F. through twenty six stages and
two additional ones for varying it through twelve stages.
The cable attached to the fixed contact on the spindle of the short range sets being
used for such stage representations where the change of lighting need not be very
considerable, and those of greater range where the change of lighting is more
considerable.

page_text: As each of these graded circuits are arranged in pairs it is possible to so operate
the contacts that the E. M. F. of one circuit may be rising at the same time as the
other is falling, such an operation being of great use where it is desired to change the
lighting of a stage from full light of one color by insensible gradations to full light of
another color.
In these Figures we have shown the movement of the flexible contact through the
rings to be effected by the direct thrust of rocking levers. The screws may be
employed as before described, or the motion of a bar furnished with pins at regular
intervals, this bar being free to rotate on its own axis this being effected by a
hand wheel or other suitable means. This bar can also rotate in a direction
co-incident with its axis, this being effected by the lever referred to shown in
Figure 5.
The circular contact is carried by a hollow bush having a longitudinal slot through
its entire length as shown in Figures 8 and 9 and a partial ring slot at right angles
and in the middle of the longitudinal slot.
By bringing the pin to the middle of the longitudinal slot, and turning the pin
into the ring slot, the circular brush is thus firmly geared to the spindle and can be
moved to either contact, also the spindle can be moved without moving the circular
brush, so that by this means the distance to be travelled by the spindle may be one or
more times the distance between the two neighboring contact rings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim as our improvements in and in apparatus for effecting the distribution of
currents of electricity, is-
1. The arrangement and use of regulating switches consisting of circular brushes
forced through ring shaped contacts substantially in the manner shown.
2. The arrangement or construction and use of ring formed contacts split at one
side so as to ensure a good contact on to the circular contact brush, and which
enables same to be adjusted to compensate for wear substantially as set forth.
3. The arrangement and use of one or more rows of contact rings side by side with
operating mechanism to act as a regulating apparatus to accumulator or other electric
batteries substantially in the manner shown.
4. The combination of parts of means or apparatus for operating several circuits
requiring a current of different E. M. F. from one and the same source of electricity
by means of several rows of ring contacts arranged as herein described and shown in
Figures 5, 6, and 7.
5. The apparatus herein described and shown in Figures 5, 6, and 7 for use as a
means of varying the E. M. F. of the currents employed for lighting scenery and
other parts of theatres so as to enable several currents of varying E. M. F. to be
obtained from one source of supply.
Dated the 7th day of October 1887
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicants.