Improvements in Apparatus for Producing Radiation and Light by Electricity.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Producing Radiation and Light by
Electricity.
We, CILARLES HENRY STEARN, of 4, Branstone Road, Kew Gardens, Surrey,
Electrician, and CILARLES FRED. TOPHAM, of 4, Station Avenue, Kew Gardens,
Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In the shunt circuit of an exhausted vessel furnished with a sparking chamber
similar to that described in our former Specification No. 21218 of 1896, we inter-
pose, on each side of the spark tube, a condenser and in the same circuit is an inter-
rupter which is actuated by an electro magnet placed in the principal circuit of the
exhausted vessel.
As soon as the current in the main circuit of the exhausted vessel rises to-or
above the normal-the electro-magnet attracts its armature sufficiently to over-
come the resistance of a counter balancing spring or weight and interrupts the
current which charges the condensers in the shunt circuit.
If the current in the main circuit falls below the normal degree, the armature
is drawn back by the spring or weight and the condensers charge & cause a succes-
sion of sparks through the sparking tube-during the period that the deficit of
current continues.
To supply a number of lamps in parallel from the same high tension circuit,
we sometimes interpose an exterior resistance in the principal circuit of each lamp.
Instead of causing the sparking to take place by means of a shunt from the
main circuit a separate generator or a separate transformer or branch of a trans-
former at a different tension may be employed-the interruptor in the sparking
circuit being actuated by the electro magnet in the principal circuit of the exhausted
vessel. In this case a switch should be provided to break both circuits simul-
taneously when the lamp is put out of action.
By a suitable winding on a transformer an initial high potential may be sup-
plied sufficient to cause the current to start through the high resistance of the lamp
when cold & to fall to the desired extent as current is taken by the lamp.
Wires may be brought from two intermediate points of the secondary winding
of the transformer and connected with the spark tube so as to supply current to it
at a lower potential difference than that supplied to the principal circuit of the
lamp or exhausted vessel which is connected to the terminals of the transformer.
A resistance may-when required, be interposed in the circuit of the spark tube.
When each lamp is connected to a separate transformer the regulating magnet
may be placed in the primary circuit.
When the electrical radiation is required for the purpose of producing light by
incandescence of a solid body, the electrodes may more conveniently be placed near
one end of the bulb so as to be capable of attachment to the leading wires by a
cap or fitting. The incandescing body may be made in a V shape or in that of a
triangle each side of the ✓ being opposite to one of the metallic cap shaped
electrodes. One part of the bulb may be silvered if desired to reflect the rays in
D .

page_text: any given direction. Or the incandescing body may be made in a hemi-spherical
spherical, or other convenient form, & more than two concave electrodes may be
used within the lamp. Or if a more elongated incandescing surface be desired a
cylindrical form may be given to the electrodes. The interposition of a condenser
on each side of the spark tube prevents an electrical discharge from occurring
between the spark tube & the interior electrodes of the principal circuit. The
same object may also be effected by interposing between the aperture of the spark
tube and the interior of the lamp a long & narrow tube through which the current
will pass with difficulty owing to the small section of the tube.
In this case the condensers may be dispensed with.
For convenience of use when there is a separate transformer for each lamp---
we sometimes attach the transformer directly to the lamp as a base or fitting-or
we may attach the transformer as part of a chandelier from which a group of
lamps is branched.
Total thin 94th 1. T
1000
Improvements in Apparatus for Producing Radiation and Light by
Electricity.
We, CILARLES HENRY STEARN, of 4, Branstone Road, Kew Gardens, Surrey,
Electrician, and CHARLES FRED TOPHAM, of 4, Station Avenue, Kew Gardens,
Surrey, Electrician, 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:-
In describing our invention which relates principally to improvements on an
invention for which Letters Patent No. 21218 of 1896 were granted to us we will
refer to the accompanying drawings.
Figures 1 and 2 are diagrams shewing arrangements according to our present
improvements and Figures 3 and 4 are sections at right angles to each other of
a lamp arranged according to our present invention.
In the shunt circuit of an exhausted vessel a furnished with a sparking chamber b
as described in the Specification of the said Letters Patent No. 21218 of 1896, we,
according to our present invention, interpose on each side of the sparking chamber
a condenser e and in the same circuit is an interrupter d which is actuated by an
electro-magnet d in the principal circuit of the exhausted vessel a (see Figure 1).
As soon as the current in the principal circuit of the exhausted vessel a rises above
the normal (owing to diminished resistance in the vessel a) the electro-magnet o
attracts its armature sufficiently to overcome the resistance of a counterbalancing
spring e or weight, and interrupts the current which charges the condensers in
the shunt circuit. This interruption is caused by the attraction of the armature
causing the lever carrying it to turn on the centre and lift the contacts from the
mercury cups d³. When the current in the principal circuit falls below the
normal (owing to increase of resistance in the vessel a) the armature is drawn
back by the spring e³ (or weight) and the condensers c charge and cause a succes-
s:on of sparks through the sparking chamber 6 during the period that the deficit
of current continues.
To supply a number of lamps in parallel from the same high tension circuit we
sometimes interpose an exterior resistance in the principal circuit of each lamp.

page_text: Instead of causing the sparking to take place by means of a shunt from the
principal circuit a separate generator, or a separate transformer, or branch of a
transformer, at a tension different from that in the principal circuit, may be
employed to give the current for the sparking, the interrupter in the sparking
circuit being actuated by the electro-magnet in the principal circuit of the
exhausted vessel as before. In this case a switch should be provided to break
both circuits simultaneously when the lamp is put out of action.
By suitable winding on a transformer an initial high potential may be sup-
plied sufficient to cause the current to start through the high resistance of the
lamp when cold, and to fall to the desired extent as current is taken by the lamp.
Two wires may be brought from two intermediate points of the secondary winding
of the transformer, as at f-g in Figure 2, and connected with the sparking
chamber so as to supply current to it at a lower potential difference than that sup-
plied to the principal circuit of the lamp or exhausted vessel, which is connected
to the terminals of the transformer. When each lamp is supplied by a separate
transformer the regulating magnet may be interposed in the primary, instead of the
secondary, circuit of the transformer.
When the electrical radiation is required for the purpose of producing light by
the incandescence of a solid body the electrodes may more conveniently be placed
near the end of the bulb, or exhausted vessel as shewn at h in Figures 3 and 4,
so as to be capable of attachment to the leading wires by the cap, or fitting, i. The
incandescing body should then be made in a triangular or ✓ shape with each
side of the V opposite to one of the metallic curved, or cup-shaped, electrodes h.
A part or parts of the bulb or exhausted vessel may be silvered, if desired, to
reflect the rays in any required direction. Or the incandescing body may be made
in spherical, hemispherical, or other convenient, form, and more than two concave
electrodes may be used within the lamp. Or if a more elongated incandescing
surface be desired the electrodes may have a cylindrical form. The interposition
of the condenser on each side of the sparking chamber prevents a discharge from
occurring between the sparking chamber and the electrodes in the interior of the
lamp. The same object may also be effected by interposing between the aperture
of the sparking chamber and the interior of the lamp a long and narrow tube
through which the current will pass with difficulty owing to the small section of the
tube. In this case the condensers may be dispensed with.
For convenience in use where there is a transformer for each lamp we sometimes
attach the transformer directly to the lamp as a base or fitting as shewn at K in
Figures 3 and 4 or we may attach the transformer as part of a chandelier from
which a group of lamps is branched.
The foregoing description presumes that an alternating electric current is used
but a direct current with an interrupter may be used with one condenser and one
concave electrode.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. In apparatus for producing radiation and light by means of cathode rays the
combination with a sparking chamber of a condenser or condensers substantially
as hereinbefore described.
2. In apparatus for producing radiation and light by means of cathode rays the
combination with a sparking chamber of an interrupter and a condenser or con-
densers substantially as herein before described.
3. In apparatus for producing radiation and light by means of cathode rays the
combination of two transformers, or two sections of the same transformer, with the
main circuit and with the sparking chamber respectively and an interrupter in the
sparking circuit actuated by the current in the principal circuit of the lamp or
exhausted vessel.
4. In apparatus for producing radiation and light by means of cathode rays

page_text: worked by means of a transformer a regulating magnet interposed in the primary
circuit of the transformer substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. In a lamp for giving light by means of cathode rays electrodes situated at
one end of the bulb or exhausted vessel and an incandescing body with the sides
or surface or surfaces to be rendered incandescent opposed to such electrodes sub-
stantially as herein before described.
6. In apparatus for giving radiation and light by means of cathode rays, a
narrow tube situated between the aperture of the sparking chamber and the
interior of the bulb or exhausted vessel substantially as, and for the purpose, herein-
before described.
7. The combination with apparatus for giving light by means of cathode rays
of a transformer which forms a part of a lamp or of an electrolier or the like sub-
stantially as herein before described.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.