Improvements in and relating to Electrical Apparatus, Chiefly Designed for Welding, Shaping, Tempering, Annealing, and otherwise Treating Metals.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 7th Aug.. 1890-Accepted, 18th Oct.. 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abrovd by HERMANN LEMP, of 19, Allen Avenue, Lynn,
Massachusetts, United States of America, Electrical Engineer.]
Improvements in and relating to Electrical Apparatus, Chiefly
Designed for Welding, Shaping, Tempering, Annealing, and
otherwise Treating Metals.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to improvements in machines or apparatus for welding,
shaping, tempering, annealing, or the like, by aid of electricity and is chiefly
designed to improve the construction of the same.
The said invention comprises various improvements hereinafter set forth which are
also applicable to other suitable electrical apparatus.
The said invention may be conveniently and advantageously applied to a machine
or apparatus for the electrical treatment of metals such as for welding, shaping,
tempering, annealing, or. the like, by means of electricity, of that kind or class in
which a single turn of conducting material forms the secondary circuit of un
induction coil of which the primary may consist of a suitable number of turns of,
for instance, smaller wire, in the following manner, that is to say:-The external
portion of the secondary circuit is completed by the metal to be treated or in any
other suitable manner in accordance with the nature of the application. The internal
circuit of the secondary is formed of an incomplete or interrupted rectangular or
curved length of metal formed of one or more pieces and terminating at the surfaces
where the external secondary current is attached. This internal secondary is formed
channel or U-shaped, or of any other suitable shape in cross-section perpendicular
to its length so as to form as it were a trough into which turns of the primary circuit
may be placed and thus be more or less enclosed or surrounded by the said secondary
internal circuit. The magnetic relation of the primary and secondary circuits may
be increased in the usual manner by surrounding any suitable portion of the secondary
and the enclosed primary with turns of iron wire, laminated iron sheets, or in other
convenient manner.
By constructing the said secondary of the above described channel or U shaped or
other suitable form in transverse section, so as to enclose or surround to a greater or
less extent the primary windings or turns which are placed in the trough thus formed
advantages of both an electrical and mechanical nature are obtained. In order to
still further reduce the cost of construction the said internal secondary may be pre-
erably constructed of cast metal of suitable electrical conductivity instead of forged
or rolled metal as hitherto. This is more especially advantageous in those cases in
which the internal secondary is constructed of the channel, U or trough shaped form
bove described. When formed of cast metal the said secondary may be made in a
ingle casting, or in several pieces united together in any convenient manner so as to
fford the necessary electrical conductivity.
Although the above improvements have been described more particularly with
eference to a machine or apparatus intended for the electrical treatment of metals
herein the internal secondary consists of an interrupted single turn of a heavy con-
ucting material, it is obvious that they may be also advantageously applied in cases
here there are more than one turn in the secondary or where the primary consists of
e heavy single turn or turns or in other forms of apparatus which any specific
pplication may require.

page_text: Another important feature in the said invention consists in the provision of
suitable means for enabling contact to be formed between two or more different
portions of the same circuit and at the same time permitting any desired motion of
the said portions of the circuit relatively to each other.
In a machine or apparatus for the treatment of metals such as welding, shaping,
annealing, tempering or the like this motion is necessary or desirable in the cases
where the clamps holding the piece or pieces of metal intended to be treated must be
relatively moveable to each other. These clamps moreover are generally in electrical
connection with the extremities of the internal secondary circuit and one or both must
be free to move relatively over the corresponding extremity or extremities of the said
internal secondary.
In carrying this portion of the said invention into practice, suitable rollers of a
cylindrical, spherical or any other suitable shape formed of any metal or material
which is a sufficiently good conductor of electricity, are placed between the said
portions of the circuit, and employed so as to form a rolling contact. Guides,
grooves or other suitable means may be provided for directing the movements of
the said portions of the circuit and the rollers, and suitable stops or other means are
sometimes employed for limiting the said movements. By increasing the number of
the above mentioned rollers any required amount of contact may be obtained, and
springs, weights or the like may be employed for ensuring the perfect contact between
the said rollers and the circuit.
Although I have hereinbefore described the said invention as applied more
particularly to a machine or apparatus for the electrical treatment of metals such as
welding, tempering, annealing or the like it will be readily understood that the said
improvements or any portion of them are also applicable by obvious modifications to
electrical apparatus of any other suitable description.
Moreover although I have hereinbefore described a convenient and advantageous
method of carrying the said invention into practice it is obvious that the improved
apparatus may be somewhat modified without however in any way departing from the
nature of the said invention.
Dated this 11th day of November food.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Electrical Apparatus, Chiefly :
Designed for Welding, Shaping, Tempering, Annealing, and
otherwise Treating Metals.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firmn of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 machinery or apparatus for welding,
shaping, tempering, annealing or the like by means of electricity and is chiefly designed
to improve the construction of the same.
The said invention comprises certain improvements in the construction of a
transformer for use in electric welding or other metal-working apparatus, and also
certain improvements in the manner of mounting the clamp-slide or block which
carries the clamping devices by means of which the work is held in place in the electric
circuit.
It is a well known fact that the greatest output from a transformer is obtained if the
secondary wires are interlaced with the primary conductors or are intimately related
to the same so that the lines of force generated by the primary shall cut the secondary
to as great an extent as possible.
It is also well known that when the alternating currents in the secondary are of

page_text: rent volume, and such secondary is a solid copper conductor, the carrying capacity
f the conductor does not increase in proportion to the section, on account of the
ncrease of self-induction. The lamination or splitting of the conductor into a number
The conductor should be
f small conductors does not fully remedy the difficulty.
pread out so as to occupy a large cross section of space for a given cross section of
opper, or the primary should be intimately interlaced with the secondary. This
onstruction which entails the use of a large number of strands for the heavy secondary
urrent involves considerable difficulty in practical construction.
In transformers for electric welding or metal working operations it is customary to
orm the secondary coil or the like as a single turn and it is especially important that
he structure should have as few joints as possible and should possess considerable
strength and rigidity.
The main objects of this invention are to increase the efficiency and to facilitate the
construction of the transformer, and to provide means whereby good electrical
connection may be preserved with the movable portion of the apparatus which
serves to carry the work, while at the same time the free movement thereof shall
not be interfered with.
A further object of my invention is to obtain a large output for a given weight
of copper, to avoid as far as possible the difficulties arising in large transformers
from the self-induction of the current in the secondary and to facilitate and cheapen
the construction.
My invention consists essentially in forming the secondary for the transformer from
an incomplete or interrupted rectangular or curved length of metal having one or
more grooves or depressions in its side or in its edge in which the primary coil may lie.
The secondary bar or conductor thus constructed may be formed by casting, forging or
other desired operation. Preferably I make the secondary bar or conductor as a solid
single piece of metal by which means the work of constructing the transformer is
greatly facilitated. The groove or depression may be forined on the edge or outer
circumference of the mass of copper, or may be on the side or face of the same.
Preferably, for facility of construction, the groove or trough to receive the primary
is made on the side or face.
In the accompanying drawings I have shown how the said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatns.
Figure 2 is a transverse section thereof on the line, Figure 1.
Figure 3 represents a transverse section through parts of a typical form of converter
hitherto commonly employed.
Figure 4 is a cross section through a transformer constructed and arranged in
accordance with the present invention.
Figure 5 shows a perspective view, and
Figure 6 a cross section of modified forms of the solid secondary conductor or bar
hereinafter described.
Figure 7 is a plan of one end of the apparatus.
In the construction heretofore employed and illustrated in Figure 3, the secondary S
is usually a heavy copper bar placed close to a part of the primary P. The primary
and secondary portions surround respectively the two legs of a magnetic circuit or
core of iron C, preferably built up of laminated iron. In this form of apparatus there
is a liability to the formation of consequent poles at a, a by the joint action of the
secondary and the primary, that is to say, lines of force instead of circulating
throughout the core try to crowd out together at the points a thus increasing the
reaction of the primary without doing any useful work. Now if the secondary
portion is formed of a copper bar having a groove in which the primary wires are
placed, as illustrated in Figure 4 thus bringing the two into a more intimate relation,
the formation of consequent poles is not possible, and the lines of force will expand
from the primary through the secondary into the iron core.
In Figures and 2 the secondary S, of this form in cross section, is shown as
rectangula in circumferential outline or shape, but is split or interrupted at the

page_text: point i, to prevent the currents developed in it by the alternating currents flowing in
the primary wire P', from flowing in short circuit. At opposite sides of the cut i, are
mounted the clamp or holding devices which receive the piece or pieces of metal to
be heated by the passage of the current from one terminal of the secondary bar to the
other preparatory to the welding or other operation.
The iron core of the transformer, as indicated at C, C is made of two bundles of
sheet iron plates, the ends of which are adapted to match, as shown in Figure 1, and
are held in position by means of end plates or frames D, D, bolted together. The iron
forms a magnetic circuit through the centre of the secondary and primary, as shown,
and around the outside thereof. Each bundle of sheet iron plates is held together by
suitable bolts applied at c. The magnetic circuit or core of iron might be formed in
other ways.
When the groove is formed in the side of the secondary, as shown, the
primary may be wound on a suitable mould or form and then slipped into place in
the groove.
The groove or depression in the secondary bar might be formed on the outer edge
or periphery thereof, instead of on the side, though this is not so desirable, since the
primary P, could not in such case be wound on a bobbin and slipped into place.
The secondary bar might have two grooves or depressions formed on opposite faces
instead of on one face thereof.
It is obvious, also, that the secondary bar might be formed, as indicated in Figure 5,
in the general shape of a round bobbin or cylinder having a groove at its outer
circumference, or that the bobbin might have a number of grooves, as shown in
Figure 6 to receive the primary conductor. In this form a ring or cylinder D, of
copper might be slipped over the primary as indicated, thus enveloping the primary
completely by the secondary.
M, M2, indicate the two clamp bodies or rests in which the work to be welded or
otherwise treated, after heating by the electric current, is clamped and supported.
In the present instance I have shown the apparatus as employed for welding together
two pieces of wire or other conductors W, W. The clamp body or block M, may
rest upon and be fastened to one end of the secondary bar or may be formed integral 3
with such bar. The clamp body M, is made as a slide by which it may be moved
towards the opposite clamp body. For the purpose of moving such slide I may
employ a screw H, working in a crosshend I, which is guided on the bar K, below
and is connected at the top to two bars I, extending rearwardly from the clamp
slide or body M. The slide M, is suitably guided upon the end of the copper 3
secondary as shown. Between the same and the surface of the copper secondary
upon which it bears and from which current is supplied to it, I interpose
suitable rolling contacts which may be in the form of cylinders, balls, or other
suitable shape and of metal which is a sufficiently good conductor of electricity,
preferably copper. These balls or rolls permit the slide to move with the greatest 40
freedom, but do not interfere with the free conduction of electricity from the rest
or bed on the top of the secondary to the slide. The slide may be held down to its
support by gravity, though I prefer to employ spring-pressure for which purpose I
provide the clamp slide with the rollers R, R, that run beneath a projection upon the
secondary, forming a rail for them as indicated in Figure 1, and are supported on 45
rods B, which pass down through said projections from the slide, and are provided
at their top with springs S³, that tend to pull the clamp-slide down against its seat.
The rollers H, might be sometimes omitted in small machines, but it is ordinarily
preferable to retain them.
I find in practice that an electric current of great volume may be passed from 50
the seat or bed to the slide without any undue heating even though the rollers be
employed.
I do not limit myself to any particular form of rollers, though I prefer to use
rolls in the form of cylinders, as indicated.
Any desired means may be employed for moving the one clamp towards the other. 55
Suitable devices for holding the work down in the clamp are employed as indicated.
The devices shown consist of a clamp lever A³, which is pressed down upon the

page_text: work by means of a lever A+, pivoted eccentrically to the lever A³, but engaging
with the upper and lower sides thereof. A indicates a removable piece which may be
replaced by another having an upper surface fitted to a different shape or size of wire
or conductor W, when different kinds of work are to be done.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is :-
First. In an electric metal working apparatus, a transformer provided with a
secondary conductor consisting of an incomplete or interrupted rectangular or other
shaped length of metal having one or more grooves, depressions or troughs in its
side or edge adapted to receive the primary wires or conductors of the apparatus, as
and for the purpose described.
Second. In an electric metal working apparatus, a transformer consisting of a solid
bar of copper cast in one piece and provided with a groove or depression in its edge
in which the primary conductors lie, in combination with suitable metal holding
clamps mounted on the terminals of said secondary, as and for the purpose described.
Third. The combination in an electric welding or metal working apparatus, of a
sliding support to which the metal to be operated upon is connected, a conducting
bed or bearing therefor from which the heating electric current is supplied, and inter-
posed conducting rolls or cylinders of copper or other good conducting material, as
and for the purpose described.
Fourth. The combination with the movable slide in an electric welding or metal
working apparatus, of suitable downward pressure-springs applied in the manner
described so as to hold the slide down to the bearing from which it receives the
heating electric current.
Fifth. The improved electrical transformer constructed substantially as berein-
before described with reference to the accompanying drawings and for the purposes
set forth.
A UMAS
Dated this 7th day of August 1890.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, Loudon, Agents for the Applicant.