Improvements in or connected with Electric Arc Lamps.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 27th July, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 29th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 27th July, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Electric Arc Lamps.
We, JAMES JEFFRYES and JOHN LEA, both of Alpha Road, Ponders End,
County of Middlesex, Electrical Engineers do hereby declare the nature of our said
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved method of forming and feeding electric arc
lamps or regulators that the carbons shall descend or ascend, or both descend and
ascend slowly without the use of a dashpot when the clockwork is allowed to run,
or the clutch is freed from the carbon holder rod.
This we do by placing the regulating train at the end of the carbon holder rod
and making the rack a fixture in the body of the regulator, said rack being in gear
with the first pinion or tooth wheel, so that when the arc making solenoid or electro
magnet allows the clutch to separate the carbons and form the arc, it causes the
clock work to be set in motion preventing it being done too quickly, because the
whole of the regulating train has to turn.
As the carbons are consumed the solenoid by losing its power compels the carbons
to come closer together by causing the clockwork to turn in the opposite direction
thus feeding the lamp.
The carbon holder rod rises and falls between guide rods which keep it in a line
with the other carbon holder.
The clockwork may be so placed that it either allows the one carbon to
descend or the other carbon to ascend, or as in a focussing lamp, both carbons to
move.
This clockwork we control by a fly or escape movement that will work both
ways.
In lamps which are constructed with two sets of carbons, we purpose placing the
racks between the guides so that they have two sets of clockwork operated by two
carbon holder rods and clutches one working after the other, one solenoid or electro
magnet acting for both.
In lamps which are to work in series circuit we use a shunt coil working in the
opposite direction and assisting the feed.
More than two sets of carbons may be placed in the lamp and worked in the same
manner.
Dated this 27th day of July 1894.
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166 Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said James Jeffryes and John Lea.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Electric Arc Lamps.
We, JAMES JEFFRYES and JOHN LEA, both of Alpha Road, Ponders End,
County of Middlesex, Electrical Engineers, 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 method of forming and feeding electric arc

page_text: lamps or regulators that the carbons shall descend or ascend, or both descend and
ascend slowly without the use of a dashpot when the clockwork is allowed to run,
or the clutch is freed from the carbon holder rod.
This we do by placing the regulating, train at the end of the carbon holder rod
and making the rack a fixture in the body of the regulator, said rack being in gear
with the first pinion or tooth wheel, so that when the arc making solenoid or electro
magnet allows the clutch to separate the carbons and form the arc, it causes the
clockwork to be set in motion preventing it being done too quickly, because the
whole of the regulating train has to turn:
As the carbons are consumed the solenoid by losing its power compels the carbons
to come closer together by causing the clockwork to turn in the opposite direction
thus feeding the lamp.
The carbon holder rod rises and falls between guide rods which keep it in a line
with the other carbon holder.
The clockwork may be so placed that it either allows the one carbon to descend,
or the other carbon to ascend, or as in a focussing lamp, both carbous to move.
This clockwork we control by a fly or escape movement that will work both
ways.
In lomps which are constructed with two sets of carbons, we purpose placing the
racks between the guides so that they have two sets of clockwork operated by two
carbon holder rods and clutches, one working after the other, one solenoid or electro
magnet acting for both.
In lamps which are to work in series circuit, we use a shunt coil working in the
opposite direction and assisting the feed.
More than two sets of carbons may be placed in the lamp and worked in the
same manner.
In order that the invention may be thoroughly understood, we have appended
two sheet of drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a complete lamp
with some parts of the mechanism broken away to clearly show the construction.
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of part of the lamp taken through the line x-x
of Figure 3 which is a sectional plan through the line y, y, of Figure 1, and Figure 4
diagrammatically represents a duplex lamp.
The essential feature of our invention consists in mounting a train of clock gear A
upon the end of the carbon carrier rod or rods B, as more than one rod may be
attached to the carbon carrier C, if desired. The first pinion D of the clock gear A
engages with a rack E fitted to and between the base F and top.frame G of the
lamp, the said rack having reduced ends f, f, which project into enlarged holes g, gl,
of the top and bottom plates respectively.
A washer is interposed between the bottom shoulder of the rack E and the
surface of the base F and covering the enlarged holeg prevents the bottom shoulder
of the rack jamming in or catching against the edges of the said hole g¹.
Inasmuch
as the base and top frame are at a fixed distance apart and the rack is accurately
fitted between them, no vertical movement of the rack, under the action of the clock
gear, can occur; on the other hand it is free to move within the limits of the
hole gl laterally, sideways, edgeways, or turn upon its vertical centre and thereby
allow it to accomodate itself to any irregularity in the travel of the clock train
during its descent. This freedom of movement prevents any binding of the rack E
against the pinion D, with which it is kept in contact by the pin H.
The top frame G is held at the required distance from the base F by the square
rods I, I, that also serve as guides upon and between which the clock train moves,
the bottom plate of the clock train case being notched for this purposé as clearly
indicated at J,.J, Figure 3.
The bottom carbon carrier K is suspended from the pullies L, L, by the flexible
cords M, M, the ends of which are attached to the carrier rods N,N, and the other.
ends to the top of the clock train case. The rods N, N, pass through-the-base.E
and a guide plate P. secured to the end of the square rods I; I, and are insulated

page_text: therefrom by vulcanite or other suitable material Q, Q, to prevent short
circuiting.
The lamp is controlled in the example given by a series and shunt wound
solenoid R, S, respectively, the cores T, U, of which depend from opposite ends of
a lever V centrally pivoted to the top frame.
Intermediate of the shunt coil S and the central pivot of the lever V is pivoted
another rod W jointed at its lower end to a clutch plate X loosely encircling the
upper carbon carrier rod B just above the base F, so that upon the current passing
through the series coil R and attracting its core T draws down the lever V and
lifts the rod W, causing the encircling plate X to tilt and clutch or bite upon
the rod B and lift it to separate the carbons and strike the arc, in order that
this may not occur with a jump but in a slow and easy manner, the particular
features of my invention come into action namely, a spring Y interposed
between the series coil core T and the lever V absorbs the momentum of the
sudden pull by the solenoid R on said core T by putting the spring in tension
which in turn gently pulls the lever V down the required distance to strike the
arc, the lift of the carbon carrier rod B being checked as to its rate of speed
by the flyer Z and clock train A that is set in motion by its travel upwards in
contact with the rack E.
The clock train and flyer in conjunction with the fixed rack also controls or
steadies the movement of the carbons during the feed which is brought about as
follows; as the arc resistance increases the attractive force of the shunt coil S
rises as is well known, and by drawing down that end of the lever V in opposition
to the weakening pull of the series coil R on the other end, allows the carbon carrier
rod (which is weighted by a weight to overbalance the bottom carbon carrier) to
descend until one side of the clutch plate X touches the base F when any slight
further pull by the shunt coil causes the clutch to release its hold upon the rod B
and allows same to slide through but inasmuch as its movement is controlled by
the clock train A and flyer X this will be done very steadily; thus obviating any
objectionable features such as flickering or jumping, either when the arc is being
struck or during the subsequent feeding movements without the use of dashpots or
other appliances.
The bottom carbon carrier is in electrical connection with the main circuit by
means of the flexible spiral wire a surrounding the pillar band attached to the
bottom carbon carrier rod N by the arm c, so that it may close up and extend to
follow the movement of the bottom carbon carrier without entanglement with other
parts of the lamp mechanism.
In lamps having two sets of carbons arranged to burn consecutively, we employ
two clutches X, X¹, operated preferably by one solenoid R in the manner that will
be clearly understood by the following description with reference to Figure 4
where it will be seen that the rod W connected to the right hand clutch X is longer
than the left hand clutch rod W' and the clutch itself has a slightly freer hole in
it, so that when two new sets of carbons are in position and the current is sent.
through the lamp, both rods W, W', are lifted together by the bar d but the left
band clutch X bites upon its rod B first and lifts it to separate the carbons but
inasmuch as the right hand clutch X owing to its longer rod W and freer action
has not separated the right hand set of carbons, no arc will be struck in the left
hand set by reason of the current passing through the right hand carbons that are
not yet separated, but upon the continued pull of the solenoid, these carbons will
be opened out sufficiently to strike the arc, the other set being at the same time
also lifted a further distance apart making the arc resistance too great to be
overcome until the right hand set are sufficiently consumed. The clock train and
rack and spring mechanism being used in the same manner as described with
reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3. It will of course be seen that the right hand
clutch will allow its set of carbons to feed together without affecting the left hand
set by reason of it requiring less movement to release it than the other clutch.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that.what
we claim is :-
1. In an electric arc lamp, the method of and means for controlling and
regulating the speed of the arc striking and feed movements, substantially as
described and shown.
.
2. In an electric arc lamp, the employment of a train of clock gear and flyer
mounted on the end of the carbon carrier rod or rods and moving up and down
therewith, the first pinion of said gear being in contact with a vertical rack arranged
in the manner described and shown and for the purpose set forth.
3. In an electric arc lamp, the combination with a train of clock gear mounted
upon the carbon carrier rod and operable by movement up and down a rack, of a
spring interposed between the solenoid core, and the lever to which the clutch rod
is pivoted as shown and for the purpose described.
-
4. In an electric arc lamp, having a double set of carbons, the hereinbefore
described method of arranging and operating the clutches for automatically causing
said carbons to burn singly and consecutively under the control of a single solenoid
or shunt therefrom and checking the speed of movement of each carbon by a train
of clock gear and flyer mounted on each carbon carrier rod and operable by a rack.
as described and shown with reference to Figure 4.
The 27th day of April 1895.
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166 Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said James Jeffryes and John Lea..