Improvements connected with Electric Arc Lamps.
Year: 1893

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Date of Application, 7th Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 30th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 3rd Mar., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements connected with Electric Arc Lamps.
I, JOHN JAMES RATHBONE, of 6 Adie Road, Hammersmith, County of
Middlesex, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:—
This invention relates to certain improved construction or arrangement of
appliances for effecting automatically the striking of the arc in electric arc lamps
and maintaining the feed of the carbons.
To carry my invention into practice, I suspend an armature from a loop, and
fork the lower part to partially enclose a wheel on which a rubber, or other band
is preferably arranged as a bite or grip on a cord which supports the carbon
carriers. Behind, or at some convenient part of the casing, I arrange an electro-
magnet which has the power to draw the armature to it, and pull the wheel along,
this wheel may be put into contact with an incline to give it a partial rotation.
The wheel and armature fall to a perpendicular position when the lamp is not
working but the current has the power by the magnet to draw them, so that the
wheel shall ride upon a contact piece and feed the carbons.
Dated
1000
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said John James Rathbone.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements connected with Electric Arc Lamps..
I, JOHN JAMES RATHBONE, of 6 Adie Road, Hammersmith, County of
Middlesex, Electrical Engineer, 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 improved construction or arrangement of
appliances for effecting automatically the striking of the arc in electric arc lamps
and maintaining the feed of the carbons.
To carry my invention into practice, and as shown in the annexed drawings,
Figure being a side elevation, and Figure 2 a back elevation, I suspend an
armature A from a loop or frame B, and fork the lower part C, C, to partially
enclose a wheel D, on which a rubber, or other band E is preferably arranged as
a bite or grip on a cord F, which supports the carbon carriers G, H. Behind, or
at some convenient part of the casing, I arrange an electro-magnet I, which has the
power to draw the armature A to it, and pull the wheel D along. When the
armature A is attracted by the electro-magnet I, the wheel D is brought in contact
with an incline J and as it moves up the incline it gives a partial rotation to the
wheel D which raises the upper carbon carrier G and lowers the lower carbon
carrier H thus striking the arc, and as the resistance of the arc increases, the pull
of spring K overcomes that of the magnet, and allows the wheel F to move
slightly down the incline J and thus rotates the wheel D in the reverse direction to
lower the upper carbon carrier and raise the lower one to close the arc until the
normal resistance is established.

page_text: As the carbons are consumed, the magnetic pull upon the armature A decreases
the spring K consequently pulls down the opposite end sufficient to move the
wheel D away from the incline J to allow the wheel to freely rotate. The top
carrier G being heavier than the lower one H causes the carbons to feed together
until arrested by the wheel D being brought into contact with the incline J. under
the increased magnetic pull of the coil I upon the armature A.
The armature has the tension spring K at its tail in connection with the frame L;
M being a strained wire affixed to the frame I, and to a lower lug N to prevent
the carbons P, Q, and their carriers turning on the tube R.
For working the lamp in series, I prefer the arrangement of the parts shown in
Figure 3 of the annexed drawings in which the action is reversed, the spring K
being used in place of the series coil to keep the carbons apart. The feed is
controlled by an electro-magnet I operated by a shunt circuit, the action being as
follows: As the current is switched on, the shunt coil magnet attracts the
armature A, and causes the roller E to move down the incline J, and partially rotate
to make the carbons meet, the resistance being now much reduced, the reaction of
the spring K draws the arinature down upon that side, and-causes-the-wheel E to
partially rotate itself up the incline to open out the carbons, and strike the arc. As
the resistance increases, the shunt coil again operates to attract the armature A to
release the friction upon the wheel E and allow the carbons to feed together.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In an electric arc lamp, providing an incline J for a rubber banded roller E
to ride on under the action of the armature, said armature being controlled by the
series electro magnet I for regulating the arc distance of the carbons P, Q,
substantially in the manner described, and as shown with reference to Figures 1
and 2.
2. In an electric arc lamp, the combination of the incline J with a suspended
rubber, or other suitable banded roller E and armature A operated by a reaction
spring K and an electro magnet I in shunt with the main circuit, for the purpose
described, and arranged substantially as shown in Figure 3 of the annexed
drawings.
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said John James Rathbone.