Improvements in or relating to Submarine Electric Arc Lamps.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 18th July, 1899-Accepted, 19th Aug., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Submarine Electric Arc Lamps.
We, FRANCIS GRANGER HALL, Jr., and IRVING EDWARD BURDICK, Electrical
Engineers, residing at No. 76, Main Street, in the City of Dansville, County of
Livingston, State of New York, United States of America, 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 improvements in arc-lamps whereby they are adapted,
more particularly, for submarine lighting; and the object of these improvements
is to provide such a lamp with an enclosing case wherein an arc of high candle
power may be formed under water at any desirable depth and for any desirable and
reasonable continuous period of time.
Heretofore, electric lamps have been in use for submarine purposes, but for the
most part they have been of the incandescent type and have been found unsuited
for practical and efficient purposes on account of their low candle power. The
present invention permits of the use of an arc lamp of 2500 candle power and
over:
The object in view is attained by the construction of the lamp case and other
details as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which :.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of an arc lamp embodying the invention; Figure 2,
a vertical section of the same on a larger scale; and Figure 3, a transverse section
of Figure 2 on the line x-x looking downward.
Like letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
A represents the outer enclosing globe of glass, which is made of suitable. thick-
ness to withstand heavy pressures and shocks. B is a cap into which the globe A
is fitted with a water tight joint, globe A and cap B forming together what will
be hereinafter termed the combustion chamber of the lamp. Above the cap B and
integrally united thereto by means of the studs or columns c, cl, ell, ell, is a cham-
ber C, which contains the regulating or feed mechanism for the upper carbon,
and which will be hereinafter termed the mechanism chamber. The chamber C
is provided with a cap D, bolted or otherwise fastened thereto with a water tight
joint. The cap D is provided with an ear d, to which is secured the chain or cable
by which the lamp is lowered into the water and held in position therein, a ring d'
being also provided for manipulating the lamp. At the top of the cap D is an
extension through which the cable F carrying the conduit wires enters the
mechanism chamber. This extension E is provided at the top with a stuffing
box e of any desired construction whereby a water tight joint is made around the
cable; and for safety a second stuffing box e¹ may also be provided where the cable
passes into the interior of the chamber. In the cap of the stuffing box is fastened
a coil of spring wire G which passes up for a suitable distance around the cable
and terminates in a collar g which is clamped to the cable F by means of a stuffing
box constructed similar to e in Fig. 2. This coiled spring G protects the cable
where it enters the extension E and prevents it from being bent abruptly so as
to break the cable.
Chamber C may be made of any form and dimensions suitable to receive any
desirable feed mechanism for the upper carbon, this mechanism and other details

page_text: of the lamp forming no part of the present invention. After entering the mechanism
chamber through the cap D, the wires of the cable F are separated, the one, k¹,
being connected to the solenoid and thence to the upper carbon, and the other, k,
being carried down alongside the mechanism and passed through a hole in the
stude, whence it is carried to the binding post m from which the current is con-
ducted down the post m¹ to the lower carbon M. This lower carbon and the inner
or arc enclosing globe O, are supported from the plate P, which in turn is
fastened by means of studs 2, (only one of which appears), to the cap B. The
manner of supporting, and attaching the globe O and lower carbon herein shown,
as already stated, are old, and do not form part of the present invention. The
upper carbon N passes down through a central stud c which is provided with a
bushing of lava or other material which will be proof against the heat and gases
of combustion which are generated within the combustion chamber when the
lamp is in operation. This bushing is provided with a number of transverse
annular grooves which form a gas packing, as will appear later on. The studs ell ell
are solid and are designed solely to form strengthening supports between the
cap B and the case C; and more or less of them may be used. A check valve J
of any suitable construction leads out from the cap B, any excessive gas pressure
within the combustion chamber being relieved through said valve. The globe A
is flanged at the top where it enters the cap B, and is held therein by means of
the ring I, the gland i on which is adapted to enter the cap B and compress the
flange of the globe between the gaskets h. The ring I is secured in place, and the
gland forced up within the cap by means of the thumb screws f which are
pivoted in lugs b cast on the periphery of the cap B and adapted to swing in and
out of slots in the ring I. Four of these thumb screws are shown, but any
desirable number may be used whereby a tight joint may be secured. Other
clamping devices may also be used to accomplish this end. heavy wire guard
or cage H depends from the ring I to protect the globe A. To trim the lamp
it is only required to remove the ring I and globe A, after which both carbons
may be removed and fresh ones substituted, the upper carbon being passed up
through bushing n into its holder in the feed mechanism.
In a lamp of this nature it is quite essential for the best results that the gases
of combustion shall be excluded from the mechanism chamber, and also that said
mechanism chamber shall be kept at a low temperature. This is attained by
separating the mechanism and combustion chambers in the manner shown. The
water or air surrounding the lamp will circulate across the top of the cap B and
around the studs c, c¹, el, el cooling the space between said chambers and pre-
venting the heat imparted to the cap B from being conducted to the chamber C.
The walls of this chamber C may also be corrugated to provide further cooling
surface for said chamber. In order to prevent the heated gases from rising into
the chamber C a suitable stuffing box is provided around the wire k, which
stuffing box may be packed with asbestos or other suitable packing, and around
the carbon N is provided the grooved bushing n already described, which is of
a diameter just sufficient to allow the carbon to pass freely therethrough. As
the gases rise around the carbon they will enter the annular grooves in the bush-
ing, and by reason of the surrounding cool fluid, whether air or water, will become
condensed therein and provide a packing around the carbon which will prevent
the escape of gas into the mechanism chamber C. When the lamp is burned in
air, the excess of heated gases of combustion and the internal pressure attendant
thereon will be relieved through the check valve J and also where the lamp is 5
used under water at shallow depths. Where the lamp is immersed to greater
depths, the pressure within the lamp will become equalized by the pressure of the
water outside, and the lamp will be at equilibrium inside and out. It has been
found that a lamp constructed upon these principles will burn under water for
any desirable period, and that an arc of very high candle power may be used, thus J
lighting up a large area and enabling divers and other marine investigators to
carry on their work with much greater facility than hitherto. Although an arc-

page_text: lamp enclosed in this manner is especially designed and adapted for submarine
lighting, it may also be used in the atmosphere with equally good results.
The above specification describes a form and construction of the lamp case and
one that, it is believed, will give the best results, but the invention is not confined
to the exact details set forth, since deviations therefrom may be made without
departing from the spirit of the invention. For instance, the circulating space
between the mechanism and combustion chambers might be dispensed with and
the cap B united directly to chamber C; also other forms of water tight couplings
between cap B and globe A may be employed, and the guard H may be attached
to the cap B instead of to the packing ring I. It is known that arc lamps of the
enclosed type have been made heretofore with a practically air-tight enclosing
globe and a relief valve, but such lamps have not been made adaptable for sub-
marine lighting.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. A two-part enclosing case for arc-lamps comprising a combustion chamber
and a mechanism chamber, said chambers being separated and spaced apart the
one from the other by studs or columns, whereby a circulation of the surrounding
fluid is effected between said chambers, a passage for the upper carbon through
one of the studs, a passage for a current conductor through another of the studs,
and gas excluding packings in said passages.
2. The combination, with an arc-lamp, of a water-tight enclosing case or cham-
ber for the lamp mechanism, a passage thereinto provided with a stuffing box
through which the cable containing the current conductors enters said chamber,
a combustion chamber comprising a metallic cap and glass globe depending from
the mechanism chamber and spaced apart therefrom, a water-tight coupling
between said globe and cap, water-tight connections between the two chambers
through which the upper carbon and a current conductor pass, and gas excluding
packings around said carbon and conductor.
3. In an enclosing case for arc-lamps, the combination of a flanged globe
forming a part of said case around the arc, a cap or socket piece to receive the
flange of the globe, packing gaskets on each side of said flange, a ring provided
with a gland to compress said gaskets, clamping devices for securing said ring
in place, and a protective cage depending from the ring and surrounding the
globe.
4. In combination with an arc-lamp, a water-tight and pressure proof enclosing
case wherein an arc of high candle power may be produced at considerable depths
under water, said case comprising a glass globe enclosing the are, a metallic case
enclosing and supporting the lamp mechanism, a water-tight coupling between
the two, also a water-tight passage between the two for the upper carbon and
a current conductor to the lower carbon, and a water-tight packing box through
which the current conductors enter the mechanism chamber.
That th
1011 1
TI
1000
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.