Improvements in Electric Lighting, specially applicable for Lighting Vehicles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd June, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Mar., 1896-Accepted, 22nd June, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Lighting, specially applicable for
Lighting Vehicles.
We FRANCIS LOUIS BERNERS, Electrical Engineer, 26 Clarges Street,
Piccadilly, W., in the County of London, and FREDERICK GRIFFIN, of
69 Fore Street, in the City of London, Inventors' Commercial Medium, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention for improvements in electric lighting specially applicable for
lighting vehicles has for its principal object to provide improved means for
lighting by means of electricity omnibuses and the like although several of the
improvements are also applicable to other purposes and consists in improvements
in secondary batteries, in carriers for the batteries, in holders and switches for the
electric lamps and in connection plugs or contacts for the conductors.
The plates of a secondary battery constructed according to this invention
consist essentially of a suitable conductor plate and of a number of independent
small plates or pieces of active material held in contact with the conductor plate.
In one form of battery plate two similar perforated plates of lead having the edges
round the perforations bevelled are secured together by burning so as to form a
number of independent undercut cavities serving for the reception of the active
material. A plate so formed is not liable to get out of shape or be otherwise
damaged. In another form of battery plate two perforated vulcanite, celluloid
or other suitable non conducting plates similar to the lead plates above described
are secured together with a lead plate between them. The lead plate may have
projections passing into the holes in the vulcanite or celluloid plates. In order to
allow free vent to air and gases generated in the battery whilst preventing any
escape of liquid even when the battery is accidentally overturned, a small bent
tube having one end bent out of the plane of the tube has its bent end passed
through the bitumen or other sealing cover of the battery. A straight tube closed
by a screw plug also passes through the sealing cover so that the battery can
readily be filled. This part of the invention is also applicable to primary batters
and effectually prevents the escape of the exciting liquid however the battery may
be carried.
A carrier for batteries consists of a skeleton frame provided with a false bottom
supported from the bottom by helical springs. The box carrying the batteries is
inserted in the skeleton frame and rests on the spring bottom. In a modification
the box carrying the batteries is suspended by springs at its corners in a skeleton
frame. This arrangement neutralises the jolting of the vehicle and prevents
damage to the batteries.
In an electric lamp constructed according to this invention, the collar consists
essentially of a tube of insulating material fitting on the neck of the glass of the
lamp and of two metal projections secured on the insulating tube and connected to
the leading in wires of the lamp. The holder to correspond with the said collar
consists essentially of a double split ring, each half of the ring being secured to an
insulating space and provided with a notch groove or the like at right angles or
nearly so to the axis of the tube, the splits between the two halves serving for the
passage of the projecting pieces on the collar. An insulating disc is pressed up
against the lower side of the ring by a spring resting on the base. The collar of
the lamp is inserted in the holder, its projections passing down the slits and the

page_text: insulating disc being forced downward, until its projections are level with the
notches or grooves, when a slight turn is given to the lamp. The spring ensures a
good connection and prevents the lamp from shaking loose. In a slight modification
the two parts of the ring are prolonged to form springs and thus to make firm
contact with the projections on the lamp collar without the use of the separate
spring.
A connecting plug or contact constructed according to this invention is similar
to the lamp holder the collar of the lamp being replaced by a similar plug
connected to the wires leading to the lamp, the parts of the split ring of the
holder being connected to the service wires.
A switch constructed according to this invention is also very similar to the lamp
holder, the collar being replaced by a plug carrying the metal pieces. The spring
disc may be dispensed with, the helical spring being attached to the plug and base
plate so that it tends to open the switch. To close the switch the handle is pressed
inwards and then turned the notches or grooves being formed with a recess to hold
the projections. To open the switch it is only necessary to depress it when the
spring will return it to the open position.
Dated this 21st day of June 1895.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Lighting, specially applicable for
Lighting Vehicles.
We FRANCIS LOUIS BERNERS, Electrical Engineer, of 26 Clarges Street,
Piccadilly, in the County of London, and FREDERICK GRIFFIN, of 69 Fore
Street, in the City of London, Inventors' Commercial Medium, 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 :-
This invention for improvements in electric lighting specially applicable for
lighting vehicles has for its principal object to provide improved means for
lighting by means of electricity omnibuses and the like, although several of the
improvements are also applicable to other purposes and consists in improvements
in secondary batteries, in holders and switches for the electric lamps and in
connection plugs or contacts for the conductors.
The plates of a secondary battery constructed according to this invention
consist essentially of a suitable conductor plate and of a number of independent
small plates or pieces of active material held in contact with the conductor plate.
In one form of battery plate two similar perforated plates of lead having the edges
round the perforations bevelled are secured together by burning so as to form a
number of independent undercut cavities serving for the reception of the active
material. A plate so formed is not liable to get out of shape or be otherwise
damaged.
In another form of battery plate two perforated vulcanite celluloid or other
suitable non-conducting plates similar to the lead plates above described are
secured together with a lead plate between them. The lead plate may have
projections passing into the holes in the vulcanite or celluloid plates.
In order to allow free vent to air and gases generated in the battery whilst
preventing any escape of liquid even when the battery is accidentally overturned,
a small bent tube having one end bent out of the plane of the tube has its bent end
passed through the bitumen or other scaling cover of the battery. A straight
tube closed by a screw plug also passes through the scaling cover so that the
battery can readily be filled. This part of the invention is also applicable to
3-17

page_text: primary batteries and effectually prevents the escape of the exciting liquid.
however the battery may be carried.
In an electric lamp constructed according to this invention, the collar consists
essentially of a tube of insulating material fitting on the neck of the glass of the
lamp and of two metal projections secured on the insulating tube and connected to.
the leading in wires of the lamp. The holder to correspond with the said collar
consists essentially of a double split ring, each half of the ring being secured to an
insulating base and provided with a notch groove or the like at right angles or
nearly so to the axis of the tube, the splits between the two halves serving for the
passage of the projecting pieces on the collar. An insulating disc is pressed up.
against the lower side of the ring by a spring resting on the base. The collar of
the lamp is inserted in the holder, its projections passing down the slits and the
insulating disc being forced downward, until its projections are level with the
notches or grooves, when a slight turn is given to the lamp. The spring ensures a
good connection and prevents the lamp from shaking loose. In a slight modification
the two parts of the ring are prolonged to form springs and thus to make firm
contact with the projections on the lamp collar without the use of the separate
spring.
A connecting plug or contact constructed according to this invention is similar
to the lamp holder the collar of the lamp being replaced by a similar plug
connected to the wires leading to the lamp, the parts of the split ring of the holder
being connected to the service wires.
A switch constructed according to this invention is also very similar to the lamp.
holder the collar being replaced by a plug carrying the metal pieces. The spring
disc may be dispensed with, the helical spring being attached to the plug and base
plate so that it tends to open the switch. To close the switch the handle is.
pressed inwards and then turned the notches or grooves being formed with a recess
to hold the projections. To open the switch it is only necessary to depress it when
the spring will return it to the open position.
In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings:
Figs. 1 and 2 are vertical sections at right angles to one another of a secondary
battery constructed according to this invention, and Fig. 3 is a sectional plan of
the same.
Fig. 4 is an elevation of half of a battery plate.
Figs. 5 and 6 are sections of a modified construction of battery plate.
Fig. 7 is a section of an incandescent electric lamp holder constructed according
to this invention, and Fig. 8 is a plan of the same.
Fig. 9 is a section of an electric switch constructed according to this invention,
and Fig. 10 is a plan of the same.
Fig. 11 is a section of an electric wall plug constructed according to this
invention.
Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, the lead plates a cast, stamped or otherwise formed
with perforations & having bevelled or undercut edges c are burned together so as
to form a number of independent holes having inner enlargements. The active
material of the plate is pressed into these holes and the inner enlargements in the
holes hold it firmly in position and prevent it from falling away. Or blocks of
active material may be placed between the two plates before they are burned
together.
In the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6 two vulcanite plates d formed with
perforations having bevelled or undercut edges are vulcanized together with an
intermediate lead plate e so that the recesses or cavities f formed are wider at
the base than at the mouth to firmly hold the active material against the lead
plate.
In order to allow free vent to the gases generated in the battery whilst
preventing any escape of liquid even when the battery is accidentally overturned,
a small bent tube g having its two ends bent out of the plane of the tube is
embedded in the bitumen or other sealing cement i of the battery, its two ends /

page_text: being open to the interior of the battery at opposite sides. The tube 9 is
connected by the small tube with the atmosphere. In this arrangement which
is applicable to primary as well as to secondary batteries, the fluid cannot escape
from the battery whilst there is a free vent for gases. The object of the two ends
of the tube within the battery is to discharge any fluid entering the tube back into
the battery whatever change is made in its position.
In the lamp holder shown in Figs. 7 and 8 an insulating tube is fitted on the
neck of the lamp and has two projecting L-shaped terminals m connected to the
lamp filament. The holder proper comprises an insulating base n having fixed
thereon two-shaped pieces o opposite to one another with an opening between
them. Underneath the top of the pieces o is a disc p forced upwards by a spring pl.
The lamp is inserted by forcing it downwards against the spring p₁ and so that its
terminals pass through the opening between the pieces o and then giving it a
quarter turn. The spring pl ensures a good contact and prevents the lamp getting
loose. As shown the terminals m take into notches in the 7-shaped pieces to still
further ensure the retention of the lamp. The 7-pieces o are connected to
the leads.
The switch shown in Figs. 9 and 10 is very similar to the lamp holder. The
conducting piece is fixed on the top of the insulating disc p and the spring p' is
so fixed to the disc p and to the base n that normally the piece r is forced upwards
between the two-pieces o. The switch is provided with a handle r'. To close
the switch the handle is pressed inwards and rotated through one-quarter of a
revolution. To open the switch it is only necessary to press it inwards when the
spring will return it to its normal or open position. The spring may be attached
directly to the piece r the disc p being dispensed with.
The connecting plug or contact is shown in Fig. 11. It is similar to the lamp
holder the lamp collar being replaced by a plug s carrying two L-pieces t opposite
to one another and connected to the leads. It is operated similarly to the switch
or lamp holder.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A secondary battery plate having a number of independent pieces of active
material locked on a supporting plate.
2. A secondary battery plate constructed substantially as described to lock
independent pieces of active material on to a supporting plate and in contact with
a conducting plate.
3. A sealed battery having a tube bent substantially as described for the
purpose set forth and communicating with the outer air and the interior of the
battery.
4. An electric lamp holder substantially as described.
5. An electric switch substantially as described.
6. A wall plug substantially as described.
7. The improvements in or connected with electric lighting substantially as
described with reference to the drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of March 1896.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.