IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC TAXES »
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert James Hatton of Janson Road Stratford in the
County of Essex and Andrew Louis Paul of Kensington Square Kensington
in the county of Middlesex, for an invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC
TAXES »
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert James Hatton &
Andrew Louis Paul at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
6th June 1882.
ROBERT JAMES HATTON of Janson Road Stratford in the County of Essex and
ANDREW LOUIS PAUL of Kensington Square Kensington in the County of
Middlesex IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC LAMPS
The object of this Invention is to produce an Electric Lamp which will give a
clear steady illuminating electric are by a novel arrangement of apparatus which
will regulate and maintain the points of the carbons between which the arc is
formed at one even and uniform distance apart
In carrying our Invention into practice we proceed as follows,
We employ as is usual two Electrodes one of which may be movable and the
other stationary or both may be made movable, if one only is movable, the
stationary one is fixed to the framing of the lamp in any convenient position, and
the second or movable Electrode is supported in a sliding frame or holder provided
with a rack suitably arranged and placed in a position which will allow a pinion
to gear into the said rack.
The spindle of the pinion gearing with the rack is provided with a ratchet wheel
or its equivalent and a spring catch or pawl is made to engage with and give
motion to the said ratchet through the medium of a solenoid or its equivalent.
This solenoid and pawl or catch are so arranged that when the current of electricity
is applied, the catch moves the ratchet wheel a portion of a revolution necessary to
form the arc between the points of the carbons or Electrodes.
In order to preserve the uniform length of the arc during the time the carbons

page_text: are gradually consuming or being reduced the spring catch of the solenoid is caused
to release its hold of the ratchet wheel in a manner which allows the Electrode to
feed the distance required or rather maintain the uniformity of the are the said
easing and tension of the hold upon the ratchet being governed and checked by the
action of the solenoid or its equivalent.
The same action as that herein described applies to the arrangement where both
Electrodes are movable the only difference being that instead of fixing one of the
carbons to the Lamp it is placed in a sliding holder working on the opposite side of
the pinion and geared with a wheel the size and feed of which will correspond with
the consumption of the carbons so as to keep the arc in a fixed position.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Robert James Hatton & Andrew Louis Paul in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 6th December 1882.
ROBERT JAMES HATTON of Janson Road Stratford in the County of Essex and
ANDREW LOUIS PAUL of Kensington Square Kensington in the County of
Middlesex 'AN IMPROVED ELECTRIC LAMP "
"
The object of this Invention is to produce an electric lamp which will give a
clear steady illuminating electric arc by a novel arrangement of apparatus which
will regulate and maintain the points of the carbons between which the arc is
formed at one even and uniform distance apart.
In carrying our invention into practice we proceed as follows:
We employ as is usual two Electrodes one of which may be movable and the
other Stationary or both may be made movable, if only one is movable the
stationary one is fixed to the framing of the lamp in any convenient position and
the second or movable Electrode is supported in a sliding frame or holder provided
with a rack suitably arranged and placed in a position which will allow a pinion
to gear into the said rack directly or indirectly
The spindle of the pinion gearing with the rack is provided with a ratchet
toothed or plain wheel or a wheel with milled edge actuated by a spring catch or
clip or pawl which engages with and gives motion to the said ratchet wheel or
equivalent through the medium of a solenoid or its equivalent, the solenoid and
pawl or catch or clip are so arranged that when the current of electricity is
applied the catch or equivalent moves the ratchet or other wheel a portion of a
revolution necessary to form the arc between the points of the Carbons or
Electrodes.
In order to preserve the uniform length of the arc during the time the carbons
are gradually consuming or being reduced the spring catch or equivalent of the
solenoid is caused to release its hold on the ratchet or other wheel in a manner.
which allows the Electrodes to feed the distance required or rather maintain the
uniformity of the are the said easing and tension of the hold upon the ratchet
or other wheel being governed and checked by the action of the solenoid or its
equivalent. The same action as that herein described applies to the arrangement
where both Electrodes are movable, the only difference being that instead of fixing
one of the Carbons to the lamp it is placed in a sliding holder working on the
opposite side of the pinion and geared with a wheel the size and feed of which will
correspond with the consumption of the carbons so as to keep the arc in a fixed
position
In order that the Invention may be well understood and explained in detail we
have hereunto annexed Two sheets of drawings made on a scale about half the
full size similar letters of reference being marked on corresponding parts on all the
figures alike
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
Sheet 1. Fig: 1. represents our improved construction of Electric arc lamp in
1
117
11 2

page_text: upper carbon A. is secured by the set screw b to the rack c which is supported in a
position which will allow it to be acted upon in the manner as hereinafter
described for the purpose of automatically feeding and maintaining a uniform
distance between the points of the Carbon forming the arc of light whilst the
current of electricity is flowing and gradually consuming the Carbons. Into the
tooth of the rack c gears the pinion c¹ on the axle or arbor of which is secured
the ratchet wheel d.
The lever e which has its fulcrum at e¹ is connected at the end of its longer
arm by the link e² with the plunger f which is surrounded and actuated by the
solenoid g. Also to the end of the longer arm of this lever e is secured the
spring pawl and to the other or shorter arm of the said lever is secured the
spiral spring k.
A train of wheels and fly m are employed to regulate the speed of the descending
carbon by means of a catch and ratchet wheel, they are only actuated as the
Carbons descend.
The Action of the various parts herein referred to giving motion to the upper
Carbon A whilst slowly consuming during the time the current of electricity is
flowing between the points of the Carbons forming the are will be understood on
reference to the drawings and following description thereof.
When the current is applied the plunger fis drawn down into the solenoid the
action of which brings with it the lever e which causes the spring pawl i to engage
with and give motion to the ratchet wheel d the action of which transmits through
the pinion c¹ and rack c a lift to the upper Carbon A and forms the arc. As the
current weakens through the lengthening of the arc by reason of the consumption
of the Carbon the attraction of the solenoid becomes less and the plunger f is
withdrawn by the spiral spring k acting on the lever e. The rise thus given to
the plunger and long arm of the lever e lifts the spring pawli from the ratchet
wheel d, and thus allows the Carbon A to descend until the arc is readjusted and
the spring pawli again engages with and comes into gear with the ratchet wheel d.
The spring pawl i when the lamp is burning is just on the point of releasing
the ratchet wheel d so that the slightest weakening of the current is at once
corrected by a release of the ratchet wheel and consequent feed of the Carbon
as already described. The length of arc may be regulated by means of the
adjusting screw l.
Fig, 2 on this Sheet represents a similar view of the apparatus to that shewn at
Fig 1.
In this case an Electro magnet g is used instead of a solenoid, the action of the
parts is similar to that previously described in Fig: 1 except that instead of the
plunger being drawn into the solenoid the armature o is drawn over the poles
of the magnet. In this arrangement both Carbons A, and B are caused to feed
simultaneously, this is effected by placing another pinion on the same Arbor with
pinion c¹. and geared with the rack p to which is attached the lower carbon which
is made to feed upwards either at the same rate as the upper one is made to feed
downwards for alternating currents or at half the rate if the current is continuous,
this rate of feed for maintaining a steady arc is varied according to the relative
size of the two pinions which of course are insulated one from the other.
Further modifications of the lamp are shewn on Sheet 2, that shewn at Fig: 3,
dispenses with the balance lever e of Fig: 1, the spring pawl i of such lever is
attached directly to the plunger f. of the soleniod g the plunger and spring pawl
being kept in position for acting on the ratchet wheel d by means of the guide
roller n.
.
In Fig 4 the ratchet wheel d is dispensed with and a disc wheel used instead
over the periphery of which the break strap t is passed, one end of this strap is
attached to the plunger f of the solenoid g and the other end to the spring k
which is provided with a means for adjusting the tension of the said strap on the
wheel d.
Fig 5 represents a further modification of the application of the brake wheel

page_text: in this view the plunger f is connected by the link f. to the lever pivotted to
the strap t partly or wholly surrounding the wheel & the action produced by this
arrangement is that when the plunger fis drawn into the solenoid g the long arm
of the lever r having its fulcrum at t¹ forces its short arm into contact with the
wheel d and so gives it a partial turn which transmits motion through the pinion c¹
and rack c which regulates the arc when the arc lengthens and so weakens the
electric current the slightest movement outward of the plunger f releases the
wheel d and so maintains the determined and just position of the arc.
A further
modification of this principle is shewn at Figs: 6 and 7.. In Fig: 6 when the
lever is drawn into the solenoid the brake blocks S and S¹ grip the wheel d and
so act in manner as described in the previous Fig: and in Fig 7 when the plunger f
is drawn into the solenoid the point 8 on the lever r of the brake strap t moves
through a larger arc than the point s¹ thus causing the strap t to nip the wheel d
and give it a partial revolution in the manner and for the purpose described herein.
Any one of the arrangements herein shewn or any modification thereof may
be employed for maintaining a true arc between the carbons. whether the
bottom Carbon is fixed and the top carbon is movable or both carbons are movable
and fed simultaneously towards each other. When necessary the Electrodes may
be made to meve uniformly by means of a train of wheels and fly substantially as
shewn in figs 1. 2. and 3 or by means of any convenient form of brake.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention together with the
method we adopt for carrying the same into practice we would wish it to be
understood in conclusion that we do not wish to confine ourselves to the precise
arrangements shewn as they simply represent a few convenient forms and
adaptations of our improvements and as other modifications may be made and
adopted without departing from the principle intended we would wish it to be.
understood in conclusion that what we claim as new and as of our Invention is.
Forming the arc and regulating the feed of one or more Electrodes by means of.
a Solenoid or Electro Magnet causing a spring catch Clip or pawl as shewn in
Figs: 1. 2. or 3 or their equivalent some of which are shewn in Figs 5. 6. and 7. to
engage with a suitable wheel directly or indirectly which actuates the Electrode
holders, either by means of the Rack and Pinion motion shewn in the drawings or
by cords chains or straps so wound round or connected with drums that they will
answer the purpose of their design in the manner as herein substantially set forth
and illustrated in the Drawings annexed
In witness whereof I the said Andrew Louis Paul have hereunto set my
hand and seal this the fifth day of December in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
Witness―
THOMAS WRIGLEY
75 Chancery Lane W.C
A LOUIS PAUL (L.S.)