Improvements in Trembler Interruptors for Electric Currents.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd June, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 20th Mar., 1899-Accepted, 22nd Apr.,
1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Trembler Interruptors for Electric Currents.
We, ALFRED WYDTS and OCTAVE ROCHEFORT, both of 46, Boulevard Haussmann,
Paris, in the Republic of France, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
:―
This invention relates to certain improvements in trembler interruptors of
electric currents which we have devised with the object of obtaining a rectilinear
movement of the movable rods which, as a consequence of the operation of the
apparatus, establish a contact in order to allow the current to pass, and then break
this contact owing to the successive oscillations of these movable rods.
The armature which during the operations of the apparatus, is successively
attracted by the electro-magnet and withdrawn by the flat counter spring, oscillates
upon a support by means of the said spring. This armature is continued by a
rod which is bent at its end and connected by means of a flat piece of foil or
plate to a lower rod which enters a vessel containing the insulating liquid which
covers the opposite electrode formed by the mercury placed at the bottom of the
said vessel.
Owing to the successive attractions of the armature the point of the rod attached
to the armature describes arcs of a circle around the top of the support and the
lower portion of the rod does not describe a vertical rectilinear movement but
a certain oscillatory movement producing a very violent eddy in the liquid contained
in the vessel and consequently retarding the rapidity of the movement of the
trembler.
These eddies also prevent the lower rod from making a good contact with the
mercury, which is frequently projected by the sweeping movement produced by the
rod.
In order to convert the oscillatory movement of the lower rod into a vertical
rectilinear movement, we divide the rod into two portions and slightly flatten the
immersed portion in order to increase the surface immersed in the liquid, so that
this latter may oppose greater resistance to the movements of lateral displace-
ment, which tend to be produced. We unite the two portions of the rod, by means
of an exceedingly flexible foil spring as above indicated.
Owing to the very slight resistance of the sheet of foil, and owing, on the other
hand, to the resistance offered by the liquid to the lateral displacement of the
lower rod in the vessel this rod instead of receiving an oscillatory movement, has
imparted to it a vertical rectilinear movement, because the sheet of foil will bend
according to the position of the said rod.
It is obvious that, in order that the lower rod may remain vertical, it is abso-
lutely necessary that the resistance of the part interposed between the two rods
and in particular of the sheet of foil just referred to, should be less than the
resistance opposed by the liquid to the inclined displacements of the lower rod.
Instead of arranging between the rods a sheet of foil, it is obvious that we might
provide any other resistance sufficiently weak to permit of the results which we
have just considered. Thus, for example, the sheet of foil might be replaced by
SD Q77

page_text: a spring of any kind, by a hinge, a ball and socket joint or by any other suitable
device.
We do not desire to limit ourselves to the arrangement of the trembler inter-
runtor above described. This arrangement, apart from the sheet of foil has no
special importance.
Dated this 23rd day of June 1898
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in Trembler Interruptors for Electric Currents.
We, ALFRED WYDTS, and OCTAVE ROCHEFORT, both of 46, Boulevard Haussmann,
Paris, in the Republic of France, Engineers, 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 relates to certain improvements in trembler interruptors of
electric currents which we have devised with the object of obtaining a rectilinear
movement of the movable rods which, as a consequence of the operation of the
apparatus, establish a contact in order to allow the current to pass, and then break
this contact owing to the successive oscillations of these movable rods.
In order that our invention may be clearly understood, we have represented
in the accompanying drawings, by way of example, a trembler-interruptor pro-
vide with the improvements which form the subject of this invention."
Referring to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is an elevation of a trembler interruptor for electric currents embody-
ing our improvements.
Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the flexible connection between the two
rods, and Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view hereinafter referred to.
The armature A which during the operation of the apparatus is successively
attracted by the electro-magnet B and withdrawn by the flat counter spring a,
oscillates upon a support C by means of the said spring a. The said armature A
is continued by a rod D which is bent at its outer end as at d and connected by
means of a flat piece of exceedingly flexible foil or plate F to a lower rod D¹ which
enters a vessel E containing the insulating liquid which covers the opposite
electrode formed by the mercury placed at the bottom of the said vessel E.
Owing to the successive attractions of the armature A, the point d describes
arcs of a circle around the, top of the support C, while the lower rod D¹ does not
describe a vertical rectilinear movement but a certain oscillatory movement pro-
ducing very violent eddies in the liquid contained in the vessel E and consequently
retarding the rapidity of the movement of the trembler.
These eddies also prevent the lower rod D¹ from making a good contact with
the mercury which is frequently projected by the sweeping movement produced
by the red.
In order to cause the lower rod D₁ to have a reciprocating vertical rectilinear
movement we connect the said rod with the rod D by means of an exceedingly
flexible piece of foil plate F (Figure 2) and slightly flatten the immersed portion
of the rod D¹, in order to increase the surface exposed to the liquid, which thereby
opposes greater resistance to any lateral displacement of the rod D₁ which may
tend to be produced in the direction indicated by the arrows L L¹.
Owing to the very slight resistance of the sheet of foil, and owing, on the other

page_text: hand, to the resistance offered by the liquid to the lateral displacement in the
directions Z Z, of the rod D₁ in the vessel E, this rod D¹, instead of receiving
an oscillatory movement, has imparted to it a vertical rectilinear movement,
because the sheet of foil F will bend according to the position of the rod D.
If this movement be analysed (referring for this purpose to the diagrammatic
view Figure 3) it will be seen that when the point d is at d₁, the rod 1 remain-
ing vertical, the sheet of foil F' will be inclined from the right to the left hand.
When the point d reaches the position d₂, the rod D¹ still remaining vertical, the
sheet of foil F will be inclined from the left to the right hand. Finally, when
the point d reaches the position d3, the sheet of foil F will be inclined from the
right to the left hand, and parallel with the first position which it occupied when
the point d was at d₁.
It is obvious that, in order that the lower rod D¹ may remain vertical, it is
absolutely necessary that the resistance of the part interposed between the two
rods D D', and in particular of the sheet of foil just referred to, should be less
than the resistance opposed by the liquid to the lateral or inclined displacement
of the lower rod D¹. Under the conditions, and in view of the very great rapidity
of the movement, the displacements of the sheet of foil will be those which we have
considered.
Instead of arranging between the rods D and D) a sheet of foil, it is obvious that
we might provide any other part of sufficiently weak resistance to permit of the
results which we have just considered. Thus, for example, the sheet of foil might
be replaced by a suitable spring of any kind, by a hinge, a ball and socket joint
or by any other suitable device.
We do not desire to limit ourselves to the arrangement of the trembler inter-
ruptor above described and illustrated in the drawing. This arrangement, apart
from the sheet of foil F, has no special importance.
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:-
-
In trembler interruptors of electric currents, the adaptation to movable rods
making contact through a liquid of a sheet of foil, hinge, spring, ball and socket
(joint or other suitable part, for the purpose of connecting such rods to the
armatures of the electro-magnets, for the purpose of converting the oscillatory
movements of the said rods into a vertical rectilinear movement, which takes place
owing to the very slight resistance of the connecting part, and to the considerable
resistance offered by the liquid to lateral displacement of the said rods.
Dated this 20th day of March 1899.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.