IMPROVE- MENTS IN ELECTRIC ARC LAMPS
Year: 1884

page_text: I WILLIAM GEIPEL of 112 Belvedere Road Lambeth in the County of Surrey,
Electrical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ELECTRIC ARC LAMPS to be as follows :-
. My Invention relates to Improvements in Arc Lamps whereby the same may be
made more reliable and simple, also less costly and more compact and to have at
the same time a very sensitive feeding action.
First I employ two friction rollers to hold the upper Carbon or Carbon rod one
of these preferably larger than the other one and here after termed the large roller
is geared with a brake controlled train of wheels in a frame resting on pivots or
feet at the end distant from large roller but free to move up and down at the end
containing the large roller and the other a smaller roller may be either tightly
pressed against the carbon or carbon rod by means of a spring or preferably in
order that the carbon or carbon rod be perfectly free from train of wheels when the
Lamp is not in action the smaller roller may be fixed in an arm of a bell crank and
does not grip the carbon or carbon rod till the other arm of the bell crank is
actuated by the keeper of a magnet or core of a Solenoid.
When the lamp is switched into circuit the bell crank is canted by the attraction
of the Magnet or Solenoid and the small roller brought up to the carbon rod or
carbon thus gripping it between the two rollers a further movement of the keeper
or core effects the lifting of the upper carbon or rod in the framework on the above
mentioned pivots or feet:
.
When the are becomes too long the brake is raised by the regulating solenoid
the rollers are then free to revolve and the carbon is fed down by the force of
gravity.
In the case of a Lamp for series working I employ the regulating solenoid which
is of course a shunt on the arc also to act as a cut out, thereby obviating the use of
the usual special cut out arrangement this spool is also wound with thick wire
which short circuits the terminals of lamp through the thick wire of the cut out
spool thereby freeing the positive carbon which falls in contact with the negative
carbon when the lamp cuts itself into operation again without any external aid.
Dvi C37

page_text: In case of a lamp for burning in parallel I either employ a regulating solenoid
wound with thick wire in series with the arc or I abolish the use of a separate
regulating solenoid and cause the striking solenoid to regulate in the following
manner; the action of lifting the rod also lifts the brake wheel against an adjust-
able brake and the rollers hold the carbon until the arc is long enough to reduce
the strength of the solenoid, which releases the wheels from the brake and the
rollers feed till the arc is regulated.
I do not bind myself to the use of two rollers but may use one larger roller
above mentioned and in the place of the small roller a smooth surface of metal or a
brush of metal.

page_text: WILLIAM GEIPEL of 112 Belvedere Road, Lambeth London Electric Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC
ARC LAMPS and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My Invention relates to Improvements in Arc Lamps whereby the same may be
made more reliable and simple, also less costly, and more compact, and to have at
the same time a very sensitive feeding action.
First I employ two friction rollers to hold the upper carbon or carbon rod, one of
these preferably larger than the other, and hereafter. termed the large roller, is
geared with a brake-controlled train of wheels in a frame resting on pivots or feet
at the end distant from the large roller, but free to move up and down at the end
containing the large roller; and the other preferably a smaller roller may be either
tightly pressed against the carbon or carbon rod by means of a spring, or preferably
in order that the carbon or carbon rod be perfectly free from train of wheels when
the Lamp is not in action, the smaller roller may be fixed in an arm of a bell crank,
and does not grip the carbon or carbon rod till the other arm of the bell crank is
actuated by the keeper of a magnet or core of a solenoid when the lamp is switched
into circuit the bell crank is canted by the attraction of the magnet or solenoid and
the small roller brought up to the carbon rod or carbon thus gripping it between
the two rollers, a further movement of the keeper or core effects the lifting of the
upper carbon or rod in the framework on the above mentioned pivots or feet.
When the arc becomes too long the brake is raised by the regulating solenoid
the rollers are then free to revolve and the carbon is fed down by the force of
gravity.
In the case of a Lamp for series working I employ the regulating solenoid, which
is of course a shunt on the arc, also to act as a cut out, thereby obviating the use
of the usual special cut out arrangement, this spool is also wound with thick wire
which short circuits the terminals of the lamp through the thick wire of the cut
out spool thereby freeing the positive carbon which falls in contact with the
negative carbon when the lamp cuts itself into operation again without any
external aid..
"
..
In the case of a Lamp for burning in parallel, I either employ a regulating
solenoid wound with thick wire in series with the arc or I abolish the use of a
separate regulating solenoid and cause the striking solenoid to regulate in the
following manner; the action of lifting the rod also lifts the brake wheel against
an adjustable brake and the rollers hold the carbon until the arc is long enough to
reduce the strength of the solenoid which releases the wheels, from the brake and
the rollers feed until the arc is regulated. I do not bind myself to the use of two
rollers but may use one large roller above mentioned and in the place of the small
roller a smooth surface of metal or a brush of metal.
But in order that my invention may be more readily understood I have illus-
trated it in the accompanying drawings and will proceed to describe it with
reference thereto.
Figure 1 is a vertical section giving a view of the regulating device. Figure 2
gives a view of the connections as applied more especially to a Lamp for series
working, showing the action of the regulating and cut out spool. Figure 3 is a
section of the friction rollers when the carbon is frec. Figure 4 is a plan of the
same shewing the train of wheels connected to the friction brake,

page_text: The lanp frame consists of top plate A preferably of wrought iron and bottom
plate A preferably of brass held together by the usual distance rods. B is the
carbon or carbon rod,,a a¹ are the friction rollers a being in gear with the brake
wheel b by means of the train of wheels held in the frame c one end of which is
shown resting on pivots c¹ the other end containing the roller a being free to move
up and down, a is held between the bell cranks which work on the pivots e,
f forms the armature or core to the electro-magnet or solenoid C and is attached
to the bell cranks d; when fis attracted by the magnet C it raises the arm of the
bell crank so as to first bring the roller a¹ up to the rod B and grip it between the
rollers aa then a further upward movement of the armature causes the rod B to
be lifted between the rollers in the frame c on the pivots c¹. So long as the brake
wheel is held by the brake b¹ the carbon is held fast but when the are becomes
too long the core 62 is attracted by the solenoid D the brake is raised and the
roller a is free to revolve and the carbon B fed down by the weight E which works
up and down in the tube or chimney F, I is the positive terminal of the Lamp,
K is the negative terminal, both being insulated from the frame the end of thie
wire with which the magnet C is wound is led through one of the tubes L to the
terminal I while a wire running through the other tube L connects the terminal K
with the rods M which are insulated from the frame A A¹.
D is the regulating and cut out spool which in figure 2 is shewn.wound partly
with coarse wire in series with the arc one end of which wire terminates at 66 the
other end being connected to the rods M or terminal K, and partly with fine wire
in parallel with the arc. 63 is a cut out lever insulated from the frame A A¹
pivotted at b but attached to the core b² at the other end with which it moves up
and down, it is of course insulated from the core, this lever is connected to the
positive terminal of the lamp; L is a platinum or other suitable contact, when b³ is
brought into contact with 6 the magnet or solenoid C together with the arc is
short circuited since the other end of the coarse wire is connected with the negative
terminal of the Lamp.
The action of the Lamp is as follows,-the current passes from the positive
terminal I through the magnet or solenoid C, the lamp frame A A¹ to the positive
carbon B, thence to the negative carbon, frame M, and to the negative terminal K;
as heretofore described the magnet attracts the keeper or core fand strikes the
are; when the are becomes too long the fine wire of the solenoid D which is wound
as a shunt on the arc, becomes sufficiently excited to attract the core 62 against the
pull or thrust of any convenient regulating spring, and so frees the controlling
brake wheel until the arc is readjusted by the feeding of the top carbon. Should
the feed mechanism fail to act through the sticking of the train of wheels or any
other cause the core 2 is further raised until contact is made between 1 and
thus causing the cut out to act giving the current a passage from I to through b³
to thence to 6, through the coarse wire of the solenoid D to the terminal K; the
magnet C is short circuited the armature or core f ceases to be attracted and falls
liberating the carbon B which should then fall into contact with the negativé
carbon, the attraction of the coarse wire in the solenoid D is just sufficient to
maintain a good contact at 65b, but when the carbons are in contact the coarse
wire is partly shunted by the circuit first described and the core 62 falls, then the
arc is again struck as above described; this action generally frees the clock work
but should the train of wheels be permanently stuck the lamp continues to regulate
by means of the intermittent cutting out and restriking of the arc.
-
Figure 5 shows another arrangement of my Lamp which I prefer for working in
parallel circuit; the frame c works on pivots c¹ arranged somewhere between the
roller a and brake wheel b, b is the brake which may be adjusted by the set screw.
as shewn. When the current starts the core is raised, the rollers grip the carbon
and the rod is raised in the frame c on the pivots c¹ the brake wheel is controlled
by the brake b¹. When the are becomes too long the current is weakened and the
core together with the friction rollers a a¹ and carbon B fall until the brake
wheel is released when the carbon B feeds down until the arc is readjusted, the

page_text: core is then sufficiently attracted to actuate the brake again. As previously
explained the small roller a¹ may be replaced by a block of metal or brush or any
other suitable means of keeping the carbon tight against the large roller a.
Having thus described the nature of my said invention and the means I adopt in
carrying the same into practical performance I declare that what I claim is :-
First. The improved arc lamp or regulator constructed and operating substantially
as herein described.
Second. In an arc Lamp the positive carbon lifted and held at the proper
distance from the negative carbon by a friction roller in gear with a brake
controlled train of wheels mounted in a frame pivotted or held stationery at the
end distant from the roller and attached at the other end to the armature or core
of the striking magnet or solenoid.
.
Third. The employment of two friction rollers or one friction roller and a rubbing
block between which the positive carbon is held or gripped either by means of a
spring or by means of the bell crank attached to the armature or core as herein
described so that the positive carbon is free from the regulating mechanism when
the Lamp is not in operation.
Fourth. In an arc Lamp in which one solenoid only is employed to perform the
operation of regulating the arc and of cutting the Lamp out of circuit substantially
as hercin set forth.
Fifth. In an arc Lamp the two independent feeding actions one of which comes
into operation in the event of mishap to the other feeding action as herein
described.
In witness whereof I the said William Geipel have hereunto set my hand and
seal this twenty first day of November one thousand eight hundred and