IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY OPENING CLOSING AND CONTROLLING OR DIRECTING ELECTRIC CIRCUITS.
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Frederick Carrington Phillips at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th August 1883.
FREDERICK CARRINGTON PHILLIPS, of 110 Cannon Street, in the City of
London, "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY OPENING CLOSING
AND CONTROLLING OR DIRECTING ELECTRIC CIRCUITS.'
"
According to my invention the varying weight of one or more plates of a
secondary battery or other battery or of an ordinary electrolysis cell is utilized for
automatically controlling an electric circuit, for which purpose the said plate or
plates is or are made moveable and in connection therewith I provide a device
such as a loaded lever operated by the variations of weight of the plate or plates
which occur under the influence of the current so that the circuit to be controlled
is regulated by the said device. The moveable plate or plates may be placed
either in the circuit direct or in derivation to it when the cell in which the
same is or are placed acts as an accumulator like the battery to be controlled. If
the said cell is simply an electrolytic cell, as for instance two copper plates in a
copper solution, it must be placed in the main circuit of the battery being charged,
and not in derivation thereto. If placed in a derivation means must be provided
to change the direction of the discharging current through the cell.
By the use of my invention in conjunction with accumulators of electric energy
or secondary batteries the circuit from which such accumulators are being charged
may be connected to or disconnected from the charging source, according as the
state of the accumulator may require.
This has heretofore usually been effected by causing the variation of the
difference of potential which resulted on the batteries becoming fully or nearly
fully charged or discharged to more or less energize an electro-magnet to effect the
object desired.
In carrying out my invention I may either utilize the varying weight of the
plates of the battery charged or put into the (or into a derivation to the) charging
or discharging circuit or both one or more cells the plates of which shall become
greater or less in weight by the action of the current and which therefore when
sufficiently altered in weight will bring about the desired adjustments.

page_text: The diminishing or increasing weight of the plates or electrodes of a secondary
or other battery may be caused to effect the required action on suitable mechanisin
or an ordinary copper or other plating or decomposition cell can be put into the
circuit of the secondary or other batteries circuit or in derivation thereto; the
plates or electrodes of which shall by becoming lighter or heavier in weight actuate
or cause to be actuated the mechanism to properly control and direct the circuit
which charges the battery or the discharging circuit or the actual generators or
motors themselves causing the generators to act or cense to act as such. For
instance during the charging of an accumulator a plate becomes heavier and
heavier until the necessary movement takes place. When however the accumulator
discharges its energy and becomes exhausted so to speak this plate will become so
much lighter that a movement the reverse of the previous one will take place and
the battery will be brought into the charging circuit again.
In one arrangement of apparatus according to my invention the contact making
and breaking lever is controlled and operated by a lever connected to a plate or
plates of the battery and furnished with an adjustable load and with a perpen-
dieular arm provided with an adjustable weight. On becoming sufficiently
charged (and the extent to which the charging process shall be carried depends on
the position of the adjustable weight on the perpendicular arm) the plate (by
reason of having increased in weight) pulls down the one end of the controlling
lever the result being that the weight on the perpendicular arm being in a state of
unstable equilibrium will make a rapid fall which will ensure the contact making
and breaking lever being pushed off the contact instantly which is of importance.
Thus by adjusting the weight on the perpendicular arin the extent of charging of
the battery may be governed. An adjustable weight (or its equivalent) on the
controlling lever permits of any adjustments which from time to time may be
necessary on account of the changing initial weight of the plate. In other words
the plate when beginning to get heavier after charging of the battery has
commenced will unore or less vary in weight and this variation can be compensated
for by adjustment of the weight on the controlling lever.
The rapid and periodic movement obtained by mechanisin such as above
described may be utilized to make and break other circuits for various purposes
such as stopping a generator or motor.