Electric Light Regulating Switches.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Jan., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 26th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 30th Dec., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Electric Light Regulating Switches.
ROBERT JOHN SANSOME Electrical Fitter and HENRY HAWES Gentleman,
both of 69 St. James' Road, Southsea Portsmouth, in the County of Hants, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :—
An invention to regulate the light of incandescent electric lamps, from its
greatest brilliancy till it reaches redness, and to switch off altogether, so that users
can regulate the light to their own taste, without interfering with any other lamps.
in the same circuit.
We construct a switch as follows:-First we construct a coil of silk-covered.
German silver wire (or other material) offering the same resistance as the lamp:
with which it is intended to be used, by winding the wire on to an elongated piece.
of wood or other non-conducting substance, covered with a thin layer of asbestos.
The wire is connected with metal stops, placed at equal distances in the elongated
piece of wood or core, and one end of the wire is connected with the return or
negative wire of the lamp, which will be the lower end when the switch is placed
in position. The metal stops are so placed as to be near but not in contact with
each other..
We then construct what we call a bridge, consisting of a flat, curved, hardened
brass spring, rainbow shape, with the ends slightly turned up, about three eighths
of an inch wido and thicker in the centre of the bow. This is screwed on to a
piece of ebonite about three times the width of the spring by a screw in a hole in
the centre of the bow, in a slot cut in the ebonite long-ways, about a quarter of an ·
inch deep, the ebonite to be about three eighths of an inch thick and the spring to
be on the lower side.
A bar of metal is placed along-side of the coil, not in contact with it, but
connected with the positive wire of the lamp.
.. The bridge is so arranged that one end of the spring is in contact with the metal .
bar, and the other end with the stops in the coil.
The whole of this is secured to a wood base, and covered by a rectangular metal
box, with a slot in the top, also secured to the wood base.
A guide is secured to the top of the ebonite of the bridge, consisting of a piece
of brass fitting in the slot of the metal box, and projecting above the box
Bufficiently to fasten an ebonite knob.
The whole is so arranged, that by pushing the bridge up to the top of the metal'
box, the whole of the electric current continues to pass through the lamp. By
bringing the bridge in contact with the first stop, a portion of the current is
shunted through the coil to tho negative wire, thus reducing the light of the lamp.
By bringing the bridge to the next stop a greater portion is shunted through the
reduced coil, and the light is more reduced. And so on till the whole of the
urrent is shunted into the return wire, and the lamp is virtually switched off.
Dated this 21th day of January 1803
06
a

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
'
Electric Light Regulating Switches.
We, ROBERT JOHN SANSOME, Electrical Fitter, and HENRY HAWES, Gentle-
man, both of 69 St. James Road, Southsea, Portsmouth in the County of Hanta
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 an improved electric light regulating switch and has for
its object to enable users of incandescent electric to regulate them according to
requirements from their greatest brilliancy until redness is reached or to switch off
altogether without interfering with any other lamp in the same oireit.
For this purpose we construct a coil of silk, covered 'German-silver wire, or ?
other-suitable material, offering an equal-resistance to the lamp, or it may be to a
motor, cooking or other appliance intended to be used therewith. The sald wire.is
wound on an oblong or circular piece of wood, slate or other non-conducting
substance covered with a thin layer of asbestos. The wire is connected with metal
stops placed at equal distances apart at the side of the coil but insulated therefrom,
and one end of it is connected with tho return or negative wire of the lamp or
other appliance. The metal stops are placed near to but not in contact with each
other. In combination with the coil we also provide what we term a bridge
consisting of a flat curved, hardened brass spring fixed by a screw át-its-centre to
a piece of ebonite about three times the width of the spring and recessed underneath
for the reception of the said spring. A bar of metal is fixed alongside of the coil,
but out of contact with it and connected with the positive wire of the lamp. The
bridge is so arranged that one of its ends is in contact with the metal bar and the
other with the metal stops. The whole is secured to a wooden base and covered
by a rectangular wooden or metal box likewise secured to the base. A brass pin,
acting as a guide, is secured to the top of the ebonite piece carrying the bridge,
the said pin passing through a longitudinal .slot formed in the box or dover and
being provided with an ebonite 'knob whereby the 'switch is operated.
:
The apparatus is so arranged that by pushing the bridge up to the top of the
box the whole of the current is caused to pass through the lamp or other appliance.
By bringing the bridge in contact with the first stop a portion of the current is
shuated through the coil to the negative wire thus reducing the light of the lamp
or the amount of the current passing to the cooking or other appliance. By
bringing the bridge to the next stop a greater portion of the current is shunted
through the reduced coil and the light or amount of current is further reduced.
By continuing the oporation a greater portion of the current is shunted until the
bridge being brought to the bottom of the box the whole of the current is shunted
into the return wire and the lamp or other appliance is virtually switched off.
Referring to the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 represents a diagrammatic view of our improved switch the outer case and
contact bridge being omitted for the sake of clearness :
Fig. 2 is a plan to about half size with the outer case and coñtadt bridge in
position, and Fig. 3 is a cross section.
Figs. 4 and 5 show a modification in which a circular opil istused; and Ejgs. 6
and 7 show a further modification.
a represents the coil consisting of an oblong piece of wood, slate or other non-
conducting substance-wound with German-silver wire a, b are the metal contact
stops secured at equal distances apart to an ebonite block or strip b'fastened to the
base. The coil is likewise fastened to the base by screws a³, is the contact
bridge consisting of a curved spring connected at its centre to an ebonite block c
by a screw e within a recessed portion e' of the said block. d is tho metal bar
fixed to the base ƒ alongside, but out of contact with the coil. The curved ends

page_text: of the bridge o bear with sufficient friction against the stops b and the_bar ɗ to
canse the bridge to remain in any position to which it may be moved. The wire
of the coil is connected by wires 6 with the metal stops b, e is the box or cover
constructed of wood or metal and formed with a slot e and secured to the base f
by screws g. To the top of the block o' is secured a brass pin & provided with an
ebonite knob forming a handle for operating the switch. The pin h passes
through the slot e and acts as a guide for the bridge c.
Should the whole of the current from the dynamo m be required to pass through
the lamp the bridge c is pushed up to the top of the box so as to be out of
contact with the stops b, but should a reduced current be required to be passed
the bridge is pushed down so as to come into contact with the first or any lower
stop according to the amount of current required. One end of the wire a' is
connected with the negative wire ' by the terminal ', the terminal & connecting
the positive wire . Upon pushing the bridge c to the bottom of the box the
whole current is caused to pass through the coil, thus switching it off wholly from
the lamp or other appliance.
Figs. 4 and 5 show a modification of our improved switch in which a circular
coil is used. A curved contact spring e is connected to the operating spindle h
its outer end overlapping two of the contact pins 6 so as to switch the current
from the lamp circuit, the spring c being moved round more or less by the haudle i
according to the amount of current to be switched off.
In the modification shewn in Figs. 6 and 7 a metal barn is secured by sorews n'
to an ebonite or wooden block o fixed to the base of the switch on one side of the
coil a, the said screws being placed at a distance from each other equal to the
stop required. The bar n is then cut in a slanting direction just behind the head
of each screw, the screws are slackened, and a sheet or strip of mica p is placed
in the cuts formed in the bar, between the separated pieces of the bar, thus
forming the stops, which are perfectly insulated from each other by the strips p :
the screws are then screwed down tightly and the whole smoothed off. The wire
from the coil is secured to the bar n by passing it through double slits q formed
in the upper surface of the bar, the wire being rivetted in position. The
operation and construction of this modification is otherwise similar to that
described with reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and needs no further description.
It is to be understood that our improved switch is to be connected up in series
and not parallel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The improved electric regulating switch consisting of the coil a, regulating
stops b, metal bar d contact bridgo e, operating device, h, i, box or cover e, and
base substantially as described and shown in the drawings annexed.
2. The modifications shown in and described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5 and
to Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings annexed.
3. The improved electric regulating switch substantially as described and shown
and for the purpose set forth.
HUGHES & YOUNG,
12, Basinghall Street, London, E.C., Agents.