Improvements in Incandescent Electric Lamp Fittings.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 16th July, 1892
Complete Specification Left. 6th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 6th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Incandescent Electric Lamp Fittings.
I, KILLINGWORTH WILLIAM HEDGES, of 7 Carteret Street, Westminster.
London, S.W., Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists of an improved arrangement for taking up the slack of
the twin flexible wires through which the current of electricity passes from a wall
plug or fixed connection to a portable electric lamp; the slack is taken up auto-
matically on a roller when the lamp is lifted, a brake arrangement controlling
the spring which acts on the roller, when the lamp is set down, so as to obviate
the pull which would tend to upset the lamp, if the spring which is carried in a
tube which forms the support for the electric burner, were acting against the
flexible wire. This locking arrangement can be effected by means of a lever,
either weighted or controlled by a spring, one end of which lever presses against
the rotating drum on which the wire is coiled; when the lamp is lifted, the other
end of the lever is pressed so as to release the drum from the action of the brake
and allow it to revolve. Another simple plan is to make a false bottom to the
base of the lamp and furnish it with one or more pins or projections which either
press against the spring roller or fit into suitable cavities in the spring roller
when the lamp is put down the weight of the false bottom causes it to drop
slightly and release the drum from the pressure or from the pins when the lamp is
lifted.
:
The arrangement of the pulley or roller which I prefer is to mount it horizontally
in the base of the lamp, the current passing from the flexible wire on the pulley
to the incandescent lamp through two rubbing contacts.
If required I may mount, in the base of the lamp, a safety- fuse or cut out,
which can be got at by unscrewing the false bottom of the lamp. The form of
fuse which I prefer to use is an improvement on that described in a previous
Specification of mine in which a piece of insulating material such as mica or
vulcanized fibre carries a fuse of foil, in this improvement I thicken or intensify
the two ends by doubling the foil over and over so as to make a good surface
contact with two metal strips bent so as to form springs. A new fuse can be
easily substituted by slipping it under the two spring contacts. To prevent
abrasion of the foil I sometimes protect the points of contact with small wrapping
pieces of thin brass or copper. In order to prevent the plug connection being
drawn out from the wall piece by the pull of the spring when the lamp is lifted,
I sometimes form the plug so that it locks itself either by giving it a half turn
and causing a pin to engage as in a bayonet joint or in any other suitable manner.
Dated 15th July 1899
GEO.
DOWNING,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C., Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Incandescent Electric Lamp Fittings.
1, KILLINGWORTH WILLIAM HEDGES, 7 Carteret Street, Westminster,
London, S.W., Electric Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
My invention consists of an improved arrangement for taking up the slack of the

page_text: twin flexible wire, through which the current of electricity passes, from a wall-plug,
or fixed connection, to a portable electric lamp.; in which the slack is taken up
automatically by a roller or reel when the lamp is lifted; and consists in a brake
arrangement; acting automatically, for controlling the spring which acts on the
roller at the time when the lamp is set down, so as to neutralize the pull of the
flexible wire, which would otherwise tend to upset the lamp if the spring continued
to pull against the flexible wire. This invention can be carried into operation in a
variety of ways, the principle being that whenever the lamp is set down the tension
in the conductor, tending to upset the lamp, shall be automatically counteracted.
For example, it may be effected by means of a lever, either weighted or controlled
by a spring, one end of which lever presses against the rotating reel on which the
wire is coiled, when the lamp is lifted; the other end of the lever is pressed so as
to release the reel from the action of the brake and allow it to revolve. Another
simple plan is to make a movable bottom to the base of the lamp, and furnish it
with one or more pin or pins or projections, or rubbing surfaces, which either press
against the spring roller or fit into suitable cavities in the spring roller, when the
lamp is put down or otherwise; the weight of the movable bottom causes it to drop
slightly and release the roller from the pressure, or from the pins when the lamp is
lifted. If preferred a flexible bottom may be applied to the lamp, for producing a
similar effect. The arrangement which I prefer, is, to mount the reel horizontally
in the base of the lamp, the current passing from the flexible wire on the reel to
the incandescent lamp, through two. rubbing contacts. Another method of con-
trolling the tendency of the roller or reel to wind up the cord, is by mounting the
spring in such a way that it exerts a pressure on the roller, which may be released
by means of a collar containing projecting pieces, which are grasped by the hand
when lifting the lamp, when it is desired to move the lamp and wind up the cord.
If required; I may mount, in the base of the lamp, a safety fuse or cut out, which
can be got at by unscrewing the movable bottom of the lamp. The form of fuse
which prefer is one in which a piece of insulating material, such as mica or
vulcanised fibre, carries a fuse of foil. I thicken or intensify the two ends by
doubling the foil over and over, so as to make a good surface contact.
electric connection can be made either by means of screws, or with two metal strips,
bent so as to form springs. If the latter is used, a new fuse can be easily sub-
stituted by slipping it under the two spring contacts. To prevent abrasion of the
foil. I sometimes protect the points of contact with wrapping pieces of thin brass or
copper.
The
And in order that my said invention may be particularly described and ascertained,
reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of
reference indicate corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation, showing one method of constructing my improved.
lamp stand..
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation, showing a modification of the construction shown
in. Fig. 1, with the supports removed.
Fig. 3 illustrates another method of working the brake.
Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views of my improved fuse.
}
a is a lamp standard, the lower end of which, at a' is enlarged, and made
sufficiently heavy to impart steadiness to the lamp. b is a reel fitted inside the
base a', the reel is connected by the insulator or connector d, with the spiral spring e,
the tendency of the spring e being to wind up the flexible cord f which branches
into the two leads f' and' and are both fixed to the reel b.
Electrical contact is made between band. the lead, which passes up the centre
of the spring e to the lamp holder by means of rubbing contacts at g and gl to
which the ends of f¹ and ƒ are also connected.
To prevent the reel b revolving until the lamp standard is raised; the movable
base which may be either constructed of metal, or of any other suitably weighted
Inaterial, engages by means of the studs and into recesses on the reel b, formed
in an.annular brake ring v r. When the lamp is lifted the plate / drops a short

page_text: distance away from the stand a' the pins then fall out of the annular brake
ring, and thereby leave the reel free to revolve. When the lamp is set down
the pins resume the position shown in Fig. 1 and stop the revolution of the
reel b.
Fig. 2 shows my self winding mechanism applied in a different manner and is
especially suitable for high floor standards or pedestal lamps. The outer tube, a,
is fixed to the standard, and the pulley mechanism is fastened thereto under the
legs. Three arms kk, are screwed to an insulating piece c, which carries the lower
bearing, m, to which one end of the wire down the centre is connected by a screw.
The tube n is fixed to the washer 9, and rubs against the washer o, which is screwed
to the insulator p. The upper end of the spring, which would be about half way
up the standard, is fastened to a brass piece 7, which has four projecting arms, the
outer tube having slots for the arms, so that they can be raised and release the
brake at the lower end of the inner tube r, which has two pins s, s, projecting
inwards and engaging in the slots cut in the top of the tube t. The lower end of
the spring is fixed to the insulating connector d. The spring is in tension longi-
tudinally, so that the pins prevent the pulley moving until the arms are raised.
In Fig. 3 another method of working the brake is shown. is the reel, is a
pin attached to a weighted levert. u is an arm attached to the lever t. When
lifting the lamp, the hand grasps the standard a and lever u, pressing the lever u
against the standard a. This action lifts the pin h away from the brake thus
leaving the reel free to revolve.
w is a
Fig. 4 is a plan and Fig. 5 an edge view of my improved form of fuse.
strip of mica round one side of which a strip of foil is wrapped, the ends lapping
over as shown at all.
In order to obtain good electrical contact at the ends y, y, I intensify or thicken
these surfaces with additional pieces of foil; and, if powerful currents are to be
used, I wrap and sometimes solder on to each end of the fuse or mica foil, a thin
sheet of brass or copper. By these means I either make good contact in the cut-out
by screws passing through the holes zz, or I slide the fuse or mica foil under a
metallic strip, which is made with sufficient resilience to hold the mica foil in place
and prevent heating at the points of electrical contact.
Having now described various methods by which my invention can be put in
practice I claim as my invention.
1. Automatically controlling the apparatus for winding and unwinding the flexible
conductor for electric lamps in such manner that when the lamp is in its place, there
shall be no tension in the conductor tending to overturn the lamp.
2. The particular apparatuses as described and shown for effecting the said
purpose.
GEO. DOWNING,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C., Agent.
GEO.
DOWNING,
8, Quality Court, London, W.Č., Agent.