IMPROVEMENTS IN AD COLLED nt TRADES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Graham of Graces Road Camberwell in the
County of Surrey Electrical Engineer, for an invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AD COLLED nt TRADES
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Graham at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th March 1882.
ALFRED GRAHAM, of Graces Road, Camberwell, in the County of Surrey,
Electrical Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR REGULATING THE
BURNING OF CARBON OR OTHER ELECTRODES IN ELECTRIC LIGHTING APPARATUS
"
This Invention relates to mechanism to be applied to electric lamps or lighting
apparatus for regulating the burning of the carbon or other electrodes thereof by
currents generated in a dynamo-electric machine or in a battery.
Various contrivances have been adopted by inventors and manufacturers of
electric lighting apparatus to obviate the inconvenience arising from irregularity in
the burning of the carbons or electrodes this irregularity being in some lamps
sufficiently conspicuous to materially impair the lighting effect and to counter-
balance the advantages arising from the brilliancy and other properties of the
electric light. Some of these contrivances have been found to serve the desired
purpose to some extent that is to say they reduce the unsteadiness or "jumping
of the light but none of them have proved quite satisfactory and some of them are
80 complicated in their construction as to render their maintenance in proper
working condition a matter of great difficulty.
"
Now my invention is designed to afford the means for obtaining the desired
result that is to say ensuring a practically perfect regularity or uniformity of the
light by the use of mechanism or apparatus which is simple in its construction and
not easily liable to disarrangement.

page_text: One form or modification of my improved regulator is constructed as follows
that is to say, I arrange in combination with the electrodes and their holders an
escapement device such as that known as the "Dutch clock escapement" for con-
trolling the rotation of a wheel over which passes a chain whose opposite ends are
connected to the holders of the two electrodes the said wheel allowing the chain to
pass over it at a slow and uniform rate by the action of the escapement which by
means of devices hereinafter described is alternately released and stopped in such
a manner as to act automatically for regulating the burning of the carbons or
electrodes. One end of the said chain is fastened to the lower end of the top carbon
holder and it passes thence over a guide pulley to the said chain wheel which is
provided with pins on its periphery to engage with the links of the chain. The
said chain wheel is fixed on the arbor of the escapement wheel; from the said chain
wheel the chain extends to and over an insulated pulley affixed to a tube which
forms a guide for the lower end of the bottom carbon holder. Near this guide
tube I arrange an electro magnet and an armature attached to a pivotted lever.
One end of the armature lever is connected to a spring which tends to separate the
armature from the magnet and its other end is forked and arranged to support the
aforesaid bottom carbon holderguide tube.
The end of the armature lever which is connected with the spring is provided
with a pin which projects toward a pin carried by the escapement arbor these
pins being so arranged in relation to the electro magnet and armature that when
the magnet overcomes the resistance of the spring the pin on the armature lever
projects into the path of the pin of the escapement arbor and thereby arrests the
movement of the chain wheel.
The parts of the lamp are so arranged that the current enters the lamp by a
terminal insulated from the other parts of the apparatus; then passes through the
coils of the electro-magnet to the bottom carbon holder and through the bottom
carbon to the top carbon and thence through the frame to the other terininal. The
armature (which as above described carries the bottom carbou-holder guide-tube)
being by the passage of the current attracted by the magnet separates the carbons
so that the electric arc is formed between them. The armature when thus
attracted by the magnet raises the pin on the lever against the pin on the escape-
inent as above described and thus arrests the movement of the escapement wheel.
Then as the carbons burn away the strength of the current is diminished and the
electro-magnet becomes gradually weakened until the armature is pulled off by the
action of the spring on the other end of the lever, the pin on the said lever being
thus withdrawn from contact with the pin on the escapement arbor; the escape-
ment being thus released will act in the well known manner that is to say the
weight of the top carbon holder pulls the chain downward and the said chain in
passing over the chain wheel on the escapement wheel arbor raises the bottom
carbon rod the rate of movement of these parts being regulated or governed by the
action of the escapement so that there will be a regular and steady movement of
the carbon rods. As the carbon rods approach each other the strength of the
electro-magnet is again increased the armature is attracted and the escapement
stopped by the pin, the carbons burn again and the above described actions are
repeated until the carbons are consumed.
It will be obvious from the above description that the employment of the
aforesaid device known as the "Dutch clock escapement" is an important feature
of my invention and I adapt this device to various forms or modifications of my
improved regulating apparatus. For instance I sometimes adopt an arrangement
wherein the top carbon holder is formed with a rack which gears with a pinion
fixed on the side of a chain wheel from which a chain extends over the wheel on
the escapement arbor to another wheel which has fixed on it a pinion that gears
with a rack on the bottom carbon holder. The downward movement of the top
carbon and carbon holder causes the movement of the chain and raises the bottom
carbon rod at the rate permitted by the escapement as above described the two
rods approaching each other at an equal rate. When it is desired that one carbon

page_text: rod or electrode should move more quickly than the other I use pinions of different
diameters to gear with the racks on the carbon-holders. The arrangement of the
electro-magnet and armature in relation to the escapement is the same as that
above described.
In the lamps above described the carbons are above the regulating mechanism
but according to another modification of my invention. I construct a lamp with
the carbons below the regulating mechanism. The electro magnet and armature
are arranged in connection with the escapement substantially as in the lamps
above described but their position is reversed. The current from the machine or
battery enters the electro-magnet coils and passes thence to the top carbon holder
and carbon and through the same and the bottom carbon and its holder to the
machine. The armature when attracted by the magnet lifts with it the top carbon
and places the pin on the armature lever against the pin on the escapement arbor
thereby locking the escapement when the carbons burn away the power of the
electro-magnet is diminished as above described and allows the armature to descend
and release the escapement which then acts and as the carbons approach each other
the strength of the electro-magnet again increases, the armature is attracted the
pin on the armature lever again engages with the pin on the escapement arbor and
stops the movement of the carbons and the operations are repeated as above
specified.
According to another modification of my invention I provide the top carbon
holder with a rod which has inclined teeth on one side with which teeth a pawl
engages. Over the lower end of this rod is fitted a tube or sleeve which is split
so that it will hold the said rod by friction but is capable of sliding therein as
hereinafter specified. To this tube is fixed a ring or piece of iron which forms the
armature of the electro-magnet.
An iron tube coiled with wire to form the electro magnet is so arranged that the
lower part of the said toothed rod and the split tube are enclosed thereby and the
armature is placed below the said magnet the upper carbon holder being below the
armature and the carbon or electrode projecting down therefrom. Below the said
magnet I place small pieces to serve as stops to limit the descent of the armature
therefrom. The current enters the coil of the electro-magnet and passes thence
through the top and bottom carbon rods and returns to the machine or battery.
The said ring or armature being attracted by the electro magnet separates the
carbons or electrodes. As the latter burn away the strength of the electro magnet
diminishes until it is not sufficient to hold up the top carbon rod which then
descends the carbons being thus brought close together the current renews the
strength of the magnet and the armature is again attracted to the magnet the
alterations or variations of the current thus serving to produce the automatic
regulation of the light in a very efficient manner.
It is necessary in this arrangement that the armature should rise without raising
the carbon with it and for this purpose I have provided the aforesaid inclined
teeth and pawl. The said teeth and pawl are so arranged that the rod can descend
freely but its rising is prevented by the pawl Therefore each time the armature
is released from the magnet and falls with the carbon the said rod descends but
when the armature is attracted and raised by the magnet the tube or sleeve to
which the said armature is attached slides up on the rod without raising the
latter. But to facilitate the separation of the carbons when in contact I attach
the said pawl to a small pivotted arm which will rock or vibrate sufficiently on its
pivot to permit the separation of the carbons whatever may be the position
of the pawl. The movement of the pivotted arm is regulated by an adjusting
screw.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alfred Graham in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th September 1882.
"
ALFRED GRAHAM, of Graces Road, Camberwell, in the County of Surrey,
Electrical Engineer.
IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR REGULATING THE
BURNING OF CARBON OR OTHER ELECTRODES IN ELECTRIC LIGHTING APPARATUS
"
My Invention relates to mechanism to be applied to electric lamps or lighting
apparatus for regulating the burning of the carbon or other electrodes thereof, and
maintaining the arc at its normal length.
Various contrivances have been adopted by inventors and manufacturers of electric
lighting apparatus to obviate the inconvenience arising from irregularity in the
burning of the carbons or electrodes, this irregularity being in some lamps sufficiently
conspicuous to materially impair the lighting effect and to counterbalance the
advantages arising from the brilliancy and other properties of the electric light.
Some of these contrivances have been found to serve the desired purpose to some
extent, that is to say, they reduce the unsteadiness or "jumping" of the light; but
none of them have proved quite satisfactory and some of them are so complicated
in their construction as to render their maintenance in proper working condition a
matter of great difficulty.
Now my invention is designed to afford means for obtaining the desired result,
that is to say, ensuring a practically perfect regularity or uniformity of the light by
the use of mechanism or apparatus which is simple in its construction and not liable
to be easily deranged.
My Invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of an improved device for regulating the rate
of movement of the carbons and holders.
Figure 2 represents a plan of the same, and
Figure 3 represents a section on the line x, x, Figure 1.
Figure 4 represents a vertical sectional elevation of an electric lighting apparatus
to which the said regulating device is applied.
Figure 5 represents a front elevation of part of the same with the front of the
casing removed.
Figure 6 shows a vertical sectional elevation of a modification in which the carbons
are below the regulating device.
Figure 7 represents a vertical sectional elevation of an electric lighting apparatus
in which the carbons come together at an angle or in the form of a V, and having
a modified form of the improved regulating device applied thereto.
Figure 8 represents the said device detached and drawn to an enlarged scale.
Figure 9 represents the said regulating device applied to a lamp in which the
carbons are horizontal.
Figure 9 is a front view of the armature F.
Figure 10 represents the device applied to a lamp in which the carbons come
together at an angle, and,
Figure 11 represents a vertical sectional elevation of an electric lighting apparatus
to which improved regulating mechanism made according to another part of my
invention is applied.
One form or modification of my improved regulating device is constructed as
follows, that is to say, I provide an escapement consisting essentially of a crown-
wheel or drum a having teeth cut upon one side thereof. This drum or crown-
wheel is fixed on the axle b one end of which has a bearing in the bracket c and
0

page_text: The
the other end in the projecting piece d which forms a part of the bracket e.
arbor has bearings in the bracket e and in the base plate g and is made with two
flat faces which are adapted to engage with the teeth on the drum or crown-wheel a.
When this drum is made to rotate in one direction it imparts a vibratory or oscillatory
motion to the arbor f. This arbor f is provided with a cross-arm h which carries a
pin or a series of pins i at one end and a balance weight; at the other. On the
side of the drum or crown-wheel opposite to that on which the teeth are cut is a
pawl k pivotted on a pin or stud and adapted to engage with the teeth of the
ratchet-wheel kl. The ratchet-wheel k¹ is secured to a pulley or chain-wheel and
both are free to rotate upon the axle b. The device above described is mounted or
fitted on the base-plate g and can be applied to electric lamps or lighting apparatus
in which the carbon or other electrodes are either horizontal, vertical, or inclined;
it is designed to be employed in combination with a pin or blade operated by an
electro-magnet or other suitable means to alternately engage with, and be released
from, one of the said pins and thereby automatically regulate the burning of the
carbons or electrodes, a cord or chain being passed around the said pulley. or
chain-wheel and secured to the carbons or carbon-holders. The said wheel allows
the chain or cord to pass over it at a slow and uniform rate governed by the action
of the escapement; but it is obvious that the said device may be used with wheel
gearing or other devices in place of the cord or chain.
In Figures 4 and 5 A, A₁ are the carbons or electrodes held in sockets B B'. The
socket B¹ is fixed to the top of a metal rod C which extends to the bottom of the
guide-tube D, this guide-tube is provided with a long slot D¹ (Figure 2) in which
Attached to the side of
the projecting arm E fixed to the rod C is free to slide.
the guide-tube D is a piece of soft iron F acting as an armature and placed opposite
to the pole of the electro-magnet G; or I may use, in place of the electro-magnet, a
piece of iron rod acting as a core within a solenoid. The guide-tube D is arranged
to be moved up and down, and this up-and-down movement is limited by means
of an adjusting device H. When the current is passed through the lamp, the
armature F is attracted by the electro-magnet G and the lower carbon is thereby
separated from the upper carbon to form the arc. When the current ceases to flow
through the lamp the springs Q, Q, again raise the armature F and bring the carbons
together. I represents the regulating device shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3. Over
the chain-wheel or drum is passed a chain or cord_m. One end of the said chain
or cord is fastened to the lower end of the top carbon-holder J and the said chain
or cord passes thence over a guide pulley or pulleys K and round the chain-wheel
or drum l. From the chain-wheel or drum Z the chain or cord m extends over an
insulated pulley K₁ carried by a pin or projection upon the guide-tube D, and is
secured to the arm E. The guide-tube D is preferably supported by the two spiral
springs Q, Q, but in place of this arrangement the armature or core may be attached
to a pivotted lever, one end of which is connected to a spring which tends to separate
the armature from the magnet, the other end of the said lever being forked and
arranged to support the guide-tube D. 1 provide also an electro-magnet G¹, wound
with a thick wire and a fine wire, opposite the pole or poles of which magnet I
place an armature D' supported on a pillar L and provided with a pin or blade D²
to engage with the pin or pins i on the cross-arm h.
The current is, by preference, caused to enter the lamp or lighting apparatus
by a terminal M insulated from the frame of the apparatus as shown; thence it
passes through the thick wire of the electro-magnet G' and through the coil
of the electro-magnet or solenoid G to the bottom carbon-holder, through the
bottom carbon to the top carbon, and thence through the frame to the
terminal M. The fine wire coiled around the electro-magnet G is connected
to the guide-tube D at one end and to the terminal M' at the other end, or
to the frame of the lamp. The armature being, on the passage of the current,
attracted by the magnet G, the said armature and the guide-tube D are moved
downward and thus the carbons are separated so that the electric arc is
formed between them. At the same time the armature D' is attracted by the

page_text: electro-magnet G³ and the pin or blade D is moved into the path of the pin or
series of pins, and thus arrests the movement of the same. By using a series of
pins the pin or blade D' is enabled to arrest the said movement at any portion
of an oscillation of the cross-arm h instead of only at one point in such oscillation.
As the carbons burn away and the resistance increases, the current passing through
the fine wire of the electro-magnet G' overcomes the action of the current passing
through the thick wire, and thus repels the armature D¹, and the pin or blade D'
is thereby withdrawn from contact with the pin or series of pins h thereby
releasing the cross arm h of the regulating device which then acts in the following
manner, that is to say, the weight of the top carbon-holder pulls the chain or cord
downward, and the said chain or cord, in passing over the chain-wheel or drum
of the regulating device, raises the bottom carbon rod, the rate of movement of
these parts being regulated or governed by the oscillations of the cross-arm h so
that there will be a regular and steady movement of the carbon rods. As the
carbon rods approach each other the current passing through the thick wire of the
electro-magnet G¹ overcomes the action of that passing through the fine wire and
the magnet again attracts the armature D¹ and the pin or series of pins i is again
arrested by the pin or blade D', the carbons burn again, and the above described
actions are repeated until the carbons are consumed. In place of the electro-
magnet G¹ I may employ an ordinary electro-magnet for attracting the armature D'
against the force of a spring, as will be readily understood..
It will be obvious from the above description that the employment of the crown-
wheel or drum, the arbor, and the cross-arm having the pin or series of pins at one
end thereof, as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, without any intermediate gearing or
balance wheel is an important feature of my invention, and I adapt this device to
various forms or modifications of electric lighting apparatus.
In the apparatus shown in Figures 4 and 5, the carbons are above the regulating
device, but according to another modification of my invention, illustrated in
Figure 6, I construct a lamp with the carbons below the regulating device. The
electro magnet or solenoid, and the armature or core are arranged in connection
with the escapement device substantially as in the lamp above described, but their
position is reversed; the action of the device is similar to that above described.
In Figure 7 is shown an arrangement of a lamp with the carbons coming
together in the form of a V; the carbons are separated by the attraction of the
armature F to the electro-magnet G. The operation of this lamp is similar to that
above described, with the exception that two chains or cords are employed in this
case and pass over two drums or chain-wheels (Figure 8) provided on the
regulating device, and thence to weights W for maintaining a suitable tension on
the said chains or cords. In Figures 9 and 10 the said regulating mechanism is
shown applied to other forms of lamps. These arrangements will be readily
understood by referring to the drawings.
According to another part of my invention, illustrated in Figure 11, I provide
the top carbon-holder with a rod a' which has inclined teeth on one side, with
which teeth a pawl b¹ engages; over the lower end of this rod is fitted a tube or
sleeve which is split so that it holds the said rod by friction but is capable of
sliding thereon as hereinafter described. To this tube is fixed a ring or flange d¹
or a piece of iron which forms the armature of the electro-magnet C. The iron
tube e coiled with wire to form the electro-magnet is so arranged that the lower
part of the said toothed rod and the split tube are enclosed thereby and the
armature is placed below the said electro-magnet, the upper carbon-holder being
below the armature and the carbon or electrode projecting downward therefrom.
Below the said magnet I place small stops or screws f¹ to limit the descent of the
armature. The current enters the coil of the electro-magnet and passes thence
through the rod P and bottom and top carbon rods and returns to the machine
or battery. The said ring or armature being attracted by the electro-magnet
separates the carbons or electrodes. As the latter burn away, the strength of the
electro-magnet diminishes until it is not sufficient to hold up the top carbon rod

page_text: which then descends; the carbons being thus brought close together the current
renews the strength of the electro-magnet and the armature is again attracted to
the magnet, the alterations or variations of the current thus serving to produce the
automatic regulation of the light in a very efficient manner.
It is necessary in this arrangement that the armature should rise without raising
the carbon with it, and for this purpose I provide the aforesaid inclined teeth and
pawl. The said teeth and pawl are so arranged that the rod can descend freely,
but its rising is prevented by the pawl. Therefore, each time the armature is
released from the magnet and falls with the carbon, the said rod descends, but,
when the armature is attracted and raised by the magnet, the tube or sleeve.to
which the said armature is attached slides up on the rod without raising the latter.
But to facilitate the separation of the carbons when in contact I arrange the said
pawl, as shown, so that it will rock or vibrate sufficiently on its pivot g¹ to permit
the separation of the carbons whatever may be the position of the pawl. The
movement of the pivotted arm is regulated by an adjusting screw h¹
Having thus fully described my said invention and the manner of performing
the same, I wish it understood that I claim,
First. The regulating device consisting essentially of the crown-wheel adapted
to impart oscillatory motion to the arbor having the cross-arm provided with a
pin, or a series of pins, arranged to be stopped and released by a pin or the like
operated by an electro-magnet, the pulley or chain-wheel having the ratchet-wheel
secured thereto and free to rotate upon the axle of the crown-wheel, and the pawl
pivoted to the said crown-wheel and adapted to engage with the said ratchet-wheel,
all substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Second. The combination, with the regulating device above described, of cords
or chains connected with the carbons or carbon-holders and passed over the pulley
or chain-wheel of the regulating device in such a manner that the gravity of the
said carbons and holders, or of a weight or weights provided for the purpose, will
tend to feed the carbons towards each other as they are consumed, substantially as
set forth, and as shown in Figures 4 and 5, Figure 6, Figures 7 and 8, Figure 9,
and Figure 10, and for the purposes specified.
Third. The combination, with a fixed lower carbon-holder and a movable upper
carbon-holder having its rod provided with teeth, of the tube or sleeve fitting over
the rod of the upper carbon-holder and within the electro-magnet and having the
ring or flange forming the armature whose movement is limited by the screws or
stops, and the pawl adapted to engage with the said teeth and capable of a limited
movement upon its pivot regulated by the adjustable nuts, all substantially as, and
for the purposes, set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Alfred Graham have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Seventh day of September in the year of our Lord One
L1
ALFRED GRAHAM. (LS)