An Improved System of and Appliances for Outdoor Electric Lighting.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 13th June, 1898-Accepted, 3rd Sept., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved System of and Appliances for Outdoor Electric
Lighting.
I, GEORGE WILKINSON, of No. 12, Dragon View, Harrogate, in the County of York,
Electrical Engineer, 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 :-
My invention relates to an improved system of, and appliances for out door electric
lighting, and has for its object the utilisation of bare conductors, and an arrangement
whereby incandescence or glow lamps may be expeditiously placed in circuit, the
conditions of insulation and protection from the weather being fully carried out.
In order that my invention may be the better understood I have appended the
accompanying two sheets of drawings, in which Figure 1 Sheet 1 is a general view of
part of an installation between two posts. Figure 2 is a front elevation of the top of a
post, and Figure 3 a side elevation thereof. Figure 4 is a front elevation of a
suspensory insulator or support, and Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the
china or stoneware insulators and used throughout, and here shown separately.
Figure 6 is a side elevation corresponding to Figure 4, and Figure 7 is a part plan view
corresponding to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 8 Sheet 2 is an elevation of a lamp holder,
the protective covering being sectioned to show the details. Figure 9 is an end
view thereof. Figure 10 is an alternative device. In all the views similar letters of
reference indicate corresponding parts where practicable.
In carrying my invention into effect I prefer to use two bare conductors carried
through insulators fixed to poles A, with a protective covering B, the lamps being
placed in parallel circuit by means of a special holder hereinafter to be described.
The post A, Figures 2 and 3, is preferably of hollow metal, and the hood or cover B
is fixed thereon by screwing or any equivalent method. Two china insulators I I¹
(shown separately by Figure 5) are placed against the post with the flat sides inwards
to procure better adhesion. Straps & are shaped to fit the grooves g of the insulators
and are fixed to the post by set screws or the like t. Suitable slots S are formed in
the cover B, Figures 2, 4 and 7 to admit of the free passage of the conductors when
wiring, but are sufficiently large to prevent short circuiting by contact. The bore of
the insulators I is truncated at each end, to allow of the sag of the conductor when
weighted by the lamps without presenting a sharp angle which would tend to cause
rupture. A modification is shown by Figures 4 and 6, in which the insulators I I¹
protected by the cover B, are not attached to a post, but are attached by the straps 8
to a base D terminating with an eye, or ringbolt E, for suspension. The bare con-
ductors are thus perfectly insulated relatively to each other and from the ground and
are protected from atmospheric influences, and are carried from one support, whether
a fixed post or a suspensory carrier in parallel lines of an equal distance apart through-
out. The lamps are supported by a holder of especial construction shown by
Figures 8 and 9, Sheet 2. A holder F of wood or other insulating substance or
material carrying metal ends ff is fitted within a hood or protective case M, and is
recessed to receive the lamp which is preferably of the type having side loops or
conductors. The metallic ends ff of the holder F are slotted at m m¹ to drop upon

page_text: the bare conductors, the distance between these being so determinated. Set
screws n n¹ serve to make contact and prevent disarrangement by vibration. A
screw or piu o o¹ is sweated or otherwise attached to spiral springs 1. I on each side
of the holder E, said springs terminating with hooks to engage with the loops upon
the lamp. The conductors c are thus brought into perfect metallic contact with
the filament of the lamp l. Two collars G G formed upon the ends f f¹ serve to
keep the springs 1. L' in tension, and also to prevent percolation of moisture from
the exposed conductors. India rubber or other washers H H are also threaded upon
the holder F for the saine purpose, to maintain a high rate of insulation between the
conductors and also the lamp terminals. Two elastic rings K K¹ pass over the
springs Land by tension tend to keep the lamp within the socket.
An alternative device is shown by Figure 10 in which the spiral springs L L are
fixed so that the tension keeps the lamp in position within the holder F.
· Thus, according to my invention, a system of bare conductors may be employed
for outdoor lighting, and the incandescence or glow lamps may be grouped accord-
ing to any design, or to fulfil the requisites of electric lighting under any cir-
cumstances.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention,
and in what manner the samne is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. In a system of out-door electric lighting the combination of hooded sup-
ports carrying insulators and bare conductors, with incandescence or glow lamp holders
substantially as hercin described and shown by the appended drawings.
Second. In a system of outdoor electric lighting the construction and employ-
ment of truncated insulators I, attached to a pole A by straps s or to a suspensory
frame and protected by a hood or cover substantially as herein described and shown
by the drawings.
Third. In a system of outdoor electric lighting, the construction and employment
of a hooded lamp holder, with spring connections L L, slotted terminals mm elas-
tic rings K K¹ and protective washers H H1 substantially as and for the purposes
herein described with especial reference to Figures 8, 9, and 10 upon Sheet 2 of the
appended drawings.
Fourth. In a system of outdoor electric lighting the general arrangement and
combination of parts substantially as and for the purposes described and shown by the
drawings.
L 7th dau of Iun 1000
ated this 74h
7th day of Jus
1000
FREDK. WALKER,
73, St. Stephen's Road, Upton Park, London, E.,
Agent for the Applicant.