Improvements in Liquid Resistances for Electrical Circuits.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Dec., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 21st Sept., 1900-Accepted, 3rd Nov.,
1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Liquid Resistances for Electrical Circuits.
We, ERNEST FRANCIS MOY, PERCY HENRY BASTIE, and ERNEST F. Mox,
LIMITED, all of No. 3, Greenland Place, Camden Town, in the County of London,
Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in the construction and arrangement of
parts of the liquid resistances used in electrical circuits. These resistances are
employed for modifying the voltage in that part of the circuit in which such
translating devices as lamps or motors are placed, so that the potential may be
gradually lowered from the maximum amount in the main supply to the minimum
required in the translating circuit, or again raised from the minimum voltage
in the translating circuit gradually to the maximum potential available without
producing sudden jumps or rushes of current in the said circuit. The object of
our invention is to avoid certain drawbacks found in the practical working of
this class of resistances.
In carrying our invention into effect, we construct a long earthenware tube
with an outwardly extending flange at one end, and a long cylindrical vessel
These are so formed
closed at the bottom, which may be of the same material.
and proportioned that the tube is made to hang within the cylindrical vessel
in a dependent manner, by the flange of the tube resting on the open top of the
vessel, with an annular space between their contiguous walls of, for example,
about one inch, while the lower end of the tube hangs clear of the bottom
of the vessel about three quarters of an inch.
An electrode of lead, cast in the form of a cone with the apex upward, is
fitted in the bottom of the cylindrical vessel, and a long strip of lead having a
terminal at the end thereof, is cast integral with the lead cone. The long strip
is bent at its junction with the base of the cone so as to pass up out of the vessel
in the space aforesaid, an orifice being made in the flange of the inner tube for
the purpose.
An upper electrode of lead is made in a tubular form, cast, with a bridge at
the top, by means of which and with a connecting rod of lead, also cast integral
with the lead tube, the latter is suspended within the inner tube. In order to
give strength to the connecting rod portion of the upper electrode a small brass
or other rod may be placed in the mould so that the said rod portion of lead is
cast around the brass rod, but in order to prevent electrolytic action this stiffen-
ing rod should not be exposed to the liquid at any part, but should be com-
pletely encased by the lead. A terminal and an insulator are fitted to the
upper end of the connecting rod, and by means of a cord connected to any suit-
able mechanism, the upper electrode is raised or lowered the required amount
through the solution placed in the vessel thus affecting the resistance of the
circuit in the known manner.
בד
1000
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
37 & 39, Essex Street, Strand, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in Liquid Resistances for Electrical Circuits.
We, ERNEST FRANCIS MOY, PERCY HENRY BASTIE, and ERNEST F. Mox,
LIMITED, all of 3, Greenland Place, Camden Town, in the County of London,
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 ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention relates to improvements in the construction and arrangement of
parts of the liquid resistances used in electrical circuits. These resistances are
employed for modifying the voltage or potential in that part of the circuit in
which translating devices, such as lamps or motors, are placed; so that the
potential may be gradually lowered from the maximum amount in the main
supply to the minimum required in the translating circuits, or again raised
from the minimum voltage in the translating circuit gradually to the maximum
potential available, without producing sudden jumps or rushes of current in
the said circuit. The object of our invention is to avoid certain drawbacks
found in the practical working of this class of resistances.
In the further description of this invention, reference is made to the accom-
panying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an exterior elevation of our improved
liquid resistance cell; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation thereof, taken on a vertical
plane at right angles to Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a plan view taken immediately
above the cover. In these figures, a is a long earthenware tube with an out-
wardly extending flange a¹ at one end, adapted to form a cover to a long
cylindrical vessel b, closed at the bottom, and which may also be of the same
material. These are so formed and proportioned that the tube a is made to hang
by the flange or cover a¹, within the cylindrical vessel b, in a dependent manner
from the top; and by means of a grooved recess or projections on the under side
of the flange a¹, as shown in Fig. 2, an annular space is left for about an inch
(for example) between the contiguous walls of the outside of the tube a, and the
inside of the vessel b. The lower end of the tube a is adapted to hang clear of
the bottom of the vessel 6 about (for example) three quarters of an inch.
An electrode of lead, c, is cast in the form of a cone with a broad flanged base,
and fitted centrally in the bottom of the vessel b, with the apex upward; while
a long strip of lead c¹, is cast integral with the cone c, and extending outwardly
from one part of the flanged base thereof, is bent upward to pass out of the
vessel through an opening provided in the cover a¹, where a terminal d is
secured to the end.
An upper or inner electrode of lead e is also cast in tubular form, with a
bridge eat the top, and by means of this together with a connecting rod e², also
cast integral with the electrode e, the latter is suspended centrally within the
tube a.
In order to give sufficient strength to the connecting rod portion of
the upper electrode e, a small brass or other strong metallic rod e³ is placed in
the electrode mould so that the lead connecting rod portion 2 is cast around
the brass rod e³, but, to prevent electrolytic action between the two metals, care
must be taken to prevent the strengthening and stiffening rod e³ from exposure
to the liquid contained in the resistance cell at any point, and therefore it must
be completely encased by the lead. A terminal f, and an insulating pulley g,
are fitted to the upper end of the connecting rod e², and by means of a cord
connected to any suitable lifting mechanism, the upper electrode e is raised or
lowered the required amount for regulating purposes through the solution placed
in the vessel b, between the highest point available, and the lowest when the
inside of the tubular electrode e rests upon the exterior of the cone c; thus

page_text: varying the resistance and regulating the potential of the circuit in the well
known manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
The herein described improvements in liquid resistances for electrical circuits,
consisting of the combination of a central tubular electrode e, with a conical
electrode chaving an integral connecting strip c¹, an intervening dependent
insulating tube a, arranged within an outer vessel b, a strengthened connecting
rod and cast integral with the said tubular electrode e, and means for
raising and lowering the said electrode e from and into contact with the said
conical electrode c, substantially as and for the purpose specified and shown by
the drawings.
Dated this 20th day of September 1900.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
Agents for the Applicants,
37 & 39, Essex Street, Strand, London, W.C.