An Automatic Circuit Closing Device for Series Circuits.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Sept, 1889-Accepted, 26th Oct.. 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Automatic Circuit Closing Device for Series Circuits.
I, ALBERT AUGUSTUS GOLDSTON, of Post Office Buildings, Middlesborough, in the
county of York, Electrical Engineer, 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:-
When operating incandescent or arc lamps in direct "series" with one another, it
is highly essential that the continuity of the entire circuit be preserved, whatever
may occur to any single lamp or its individual connections, even though the lamp
itself may have an effective individual circuit closer or cut-out in respect to the
filament or carbons.
The object of my invention is to automatically close the circuit between the junctions
of the main series line with the leading wires of the lamp should the lamp and its
fittings or wires or conductors, &c., be broken bodily away by accident or otherwise
from the said junctions; or should either or both of the leading wires be severed or
partially severed between the lamp and the said junctions.
According to my invention I provide a switch connected to the main series line and
having one or more springs, levers or contact-makers to which are attached the leading
wires of a lamp or lamps, the said wires being maintained in a state of tension by the
weight of the said lamp or lamps or weight or tension of the fittings, so that the
said springs, levers or contact-makers are maintained in such a position as to compel
the electric current normally to pass through the lamp or lamps, but upon the tension
of either or both of the wires being relieved by breakage or other means, one or
more of the said springs, levers or contact-makers will be caused to move so as to form
a short circuit between the junctions of the main series line with the leading wires of
the lamp or lamps.
My invention relates more especially to cases where the lamp and its holder &c.
are merely suspended by flexible or other conductors direct from its junction at the
main series line, although my device may be employed with equal advantage in con-
nection with "fittings" of a rigid nature when the tube or stem of the fitting in such
a case normally tends to prevent the circuit-closing taking place by its opposing
tension being maintained upon the wires or conductors preferably than by the weight
of the lamp.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe how it can
be carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 represents an elevation illustrating an automatic circuit closing device or
switch for series circuits constructed according to my invention and having an incan-
descent electric lamp suspended thereto.
Figure 2 is an inverted plan of the same. Figures 3 and 4 are elevations of modi-
fied forms of my automatic circuit closing device.
Figure 5 is an inverted plan of Figure 3.
Figures 6, 8 and 9 are vertical sections of the cap and part of the glass bulb of an
incandescent lamp shewing my automatic circuit closing device or switch applied to
the said cap.
Figure 7 is a horizontal section on line A B of Figure 6.
Similar reference letters indicate similar or corresponding parts throughout the
drawings.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, a is a base of insulating material
having fixed thereto two metal coupling pieces b, c to which are connected the
main series line wires d, e with which the lamp or lamps to be operated upon
are in connection as hereinafter described. f, g are two flat metal conducting
springs connected at one end respectively to the two coupling pieces b, c. The

page_text: free ends of the springs fand g are adapted to make contact with two contact pieces /
and i, connected respectively by conductors h¹, to the coupling pieces c, b.
:
The coupling pieces b, c bave elongations forming stops or supports b, c for the two
springs, g when the weight of the lamp is being borne by the latter, but when the
weight is released from the said springs then they immediately make contact at their
free ends with the contacts h, i respectively, which they have a normal tendency
to do.
The wires or conductors j, k leading down to the lamp (or lamps) are connected to
the conducting springs at f¹, g¹.
The lamp (a portion only of which is shown) is joined and supported on the
leading wires j, k but the wire is shewn broken or disconnected in order to
clearly explain the circuit closing action which is as follows, that is to say, when
the lamp with its holder and accessories is suspended upon the leading wires j, k
the weight of the said lamp is so adjusted (by additional weight if necessary) that it
counteracts the upward pull of the springs f, g and therefore holds their free ends
away from connection with the two contact pieces h, i, the springs being supported by
the two stops b, c on the coupling pieces, which latter thus take the weight of the
lamp. If, however, the continuity of either of the leading wires j, k is broken, the
spring, to which the broken wire is attached, will immediately be released and make
connection with its adjacent contact piece, thus preserving the continuity of the main
series line, that is to say, if the wire j be broken, as shewn in the drawing, the
spring will be caused to make contact with the contact piece has shewn, thereby
allowing the electric current to pass from the main line wire e through the coupling
piece c, wire ', contact piece h, spring f, coupling piece to the main line wire d
thereby maintaining the main line circuit intact. If the wire be broken a
similar action takes place, the circuit being maintained, however, through the
parts b, i, i, g, c.
"
As a matter of fact the continuity of the current is not, of necessity, broken whilst
the above action is taking place should the current be on, as an
" arc is set up
between the broken ends of the wire so that, although the mechanical continuity of
the conductor be broken, there is no rupture of necessity in the electrical conductivity,
as the arc being maintained gives the spring contact ample time to act, which action
however takes place instantaneously.
Moreover, the partial giving way of one or either of the wires and the con-
sequent stretching at such weak point would allow the device to act upon the slack
side.
In the arrangement shewn at Figures 3 and 5 I provide spring lever contact-
makers f, g attached to the coupling pieces b, c by spiral springs f¹, g' and pivotted
to the said coupling pieces at b, c respectively. The extremities f², g of the
levers f,g form the supporting stops for the weight of the lamp. The spiral
springs, gare arranged to cause the levers f, to make contact with contact
pieces, which in this instance are prolongations of the coupling pieces c, b
respectively.
In order to ensure perfect conductivity between the coupling pieces and the
levers I provide additional conducting wires m, n as shewn. The action being
precisely the same as in the arrangement shewn at Figure 1 will therefore need no
further description.
In the arrangement shewn at Figure 4 I arrange the two contact making levers f, g
to make contact with each other and so cause a short circuit instead of by means of
separate contact pieces as in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 5.
It will be obvious that my circuit closing device may be used for the purpose
of extinguishing the lamp, by supporting the weight or tension of the latter by
some temporary means, or by removing a portion of the weight from both lamp
or fitting arranged detachably for that purpose, thus allowing the contacts to act
and thereby to form a short circuit for the current above the lamp and thus extin-
guish the lamp.

page_text: I also sometimes extend the use of my circuit closing device to the branch circuits
of a fitting, it being arranged in the stem and arms of the fitting for the purpose
of forming a short circuit for the current upon a breakage in the wires forming the
series circuit within the arms and stem, and in these forms I prefer to arrange the
lamp holder at one end of the stem, the circuit closing contacts being kept away
normally by the tension of the connecting wires.
I can use my circuit closing device with "are" lamps in series when supported
by their own conductors, the action being precisely the same as when use for
incandescent lamps in series, the circuit closing being controlled in such a case by the
weight of the arc lamp.
I also use my device as described for the purpose of preserving the continuity of
the series circuit with regard to the connections made between the incandescent lamp
leading-in wire terminals themselves situated outside the lamp and the connecting
pieces or lugs on what is known as the lamp "cap" so that should the leading-in
wires or terminals of the incandescent lamp become detached or broken away from the
connection with the cap terminals or lugs, the latter are immediately short circuited
by the removal of the tension upon the side of the circuit closing device upon which
the break has taken place.
Figures 6 to 9 are views illustrating three different arrangements suitable for this
purpose.
In Figures 6 and 7, the base a of insulating material is formed by the upper part
of the cap a¹; the terminals d, e of the lamp-cap carry the contact springs f, g
which cross each other in the manner indicated in Figure 7. The lower ends of the
terminals d, e inside the cap a are provided with contact pieces h, i with which the
free ends of the springs fand 9 respectively make contact when one or both of the
wires j, k break or fail. The ends of the wires j, k where they join f, g. may be
detachably attached.
In the arrangements shewn in Figures 8 and 9 the springs ƒ and g are adapted to
make contact with one another upon the breakage or failure of one or both of the
wires j, k, the contact pieces in Figure 8 being kept apart by the wires being attached
to the springs, while in Figure 9 they are kept apart by wires j', k¹ fixed to the springs
and hooked onto the leading-in wires j, k which, in this case, are attached to the
terminals d, e.
I can obviously use a weight in the various forms of my device in place of the
springs alluded to, to counteract the weight or tension caused by the lamp keeping
away the contact-makers, but I find the spring more decided and quicker in its
action and more satisfactory.
The leading-down wires j, k are shewn somewhat short in all the figures, but it is
obvious they may be of any convenient length.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
(1.) A circuit closing device or switch for series circuits controlled by the weight
of suspension or tension of an electric lamp or its pendent fittings in such a manner
that upon the removal of the said weight or tension by the breakage or disconnection
of the leading-in wires by accident or otherwise a short circuit or cross connection
above the leading-in wires of the lamp will be automatically caused for the purpose of
preserving the continuity of a series circuit.
(2.) An electric circuit closing device or switch for lamps arranged in series
circuits in which the leading-in wires are so maintained in a state of tension that
upon the breakage or disconnection of either or both of the said wires or upon the
removal of the tension upon either or both of the said wires a short circuit or cross-
connection between the points of junction of the main wires and the leading-in wires
of the lamp will be automatically caused for the purpose of preserving the continuity
of a series circuit,

page_text: (3.) The manufacture and use of the automatic circuit closing devices hereinbefore
described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, Figures 3 and 4, Figure 5 and Figures
6, 7, 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 6th day of September 1889.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.