Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Aug., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 7th May, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 4th Aug., 1888
I, FREDERICK RICHARD. BOARDMAN, of No. 71 Ondine Road, East Dulwich, in
the County of Surrey, Secretary to a Public Company, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an apparatus intended to establish electrical connection
between the two carbons or electrodes of arc lamps, whereby the arc may be struck,
and light produced. The apparatus is automatic in its action, and is adapted
principally for lighting, or striking the arc in the lamp known as, the "Sun" lamp.
In this lamp, the two carbon electrodes are kept in close contact with a block of
marble or other suitable material at the required distance apart to admit of an electric
arc playing between the poles, and upon the marble, in such a manner as to make the
latter incandescent. One of the carbons is made tubular to admit a small or pencil
carbon; and this is pushed through the same, and through a corresponding groove or
canal in the marble block, until it comes into contact with the opposite or solid
carbon electrode. This establishes electrical connection between the carbon poles, and
the pencil carbon being withdrawn, the arc is struck, and the block becomes
incandescent and luminous.
My invention relates to an apparatus by means of which the pencil carbon is made
to establish electrical contact between the carbon electrodes and to break the same,
automatically; either by the action of the main current, or by a shunt current. The
apparatus consists of one or more electro magnets or solenoids, connected to one of
the terminals in such a manner that when a current passes around the bobbin or
bobbins employed, the magnetic action thereof acts upon a mechanism which projects
a rod or holder, and the pencil carbon secured thereto, into or through the tubular
electrode, as and for the purpose already described. Electrical connection is also
established between the electro magnet or magnets, and another electro magnet or
solenoid through a cut out, and the circuit extended to the other terminal, so that
when the circuit is completed through the lamp, the second magnet or solenoid acts
so as to cut out the first one, and thus to withdraw the pencil carbon: the lamp
being lighted thereby. Should the lamp go out from any cause while the current is

page_text: on, the circuit through the electro magnets is established, and at once operates to
light the lamp, as previously described. By the action described, the pencil carbon
is advanced by magnetic attraction, and withdrawn by the force of gravity; but it
will appear that this procedure may be reversed; or magnetic force used so as to
operate in both directions.
The actuating electro magnet or magnets as described above, is adapted to move a
lover working upon a fulcrum; the outer extremity of which is formed as an arc of a
circle, bearing teeth, which gear into a pinion upon the axis of a wheel. This wheel
may be formed as a pulley to actuate a rod moving backward or forward by means of
a line fixed thereto, and passing over the pulley. But the wheel may be toothed
instead and gear into teeth upon the rod thus converting the latter into a movable
rack; and one end of this being adapted to hold and retain the pencil carbon, the
same is inserted in, or withdrawn from, the hollow carbon electrode. The electro
magnets may be adapted to move the rack directly, in some cases, and. the
apparatus may have a dash pot, air cylinder, break, or a spring combined with
the mechanism described to retard the motion of the rack or holder, and to prevent
its too sudden return. The apparatus may be placed, or caused to act, either vertically
or horizontally.
Dated this 6th day of Augnst 1887
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements relating to Electric Lamps.
I, FREDERICK RICHARD BOARDMAN, of No. 71, Ondine Road, East Dulwich, in
the County of Surrey, Secretary to a Public Company, 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 :-
My invention relates to an apparatus intended to establish electrical connection
between the two carbons or electrodes of arc lamps, whereby the arc may be struck,
and light produced. The apparatus is automatic in its action; and is adapted
principally for lighting or striking the are in the lamp known as the "Sun" lainp;
but other advantages are obtained by its use. In this lamp, the two carbon electrodes
are kept in close contact with a block of marble or other suitable material at the
required distance apart to admit of an electric arc playing between the poles and upon
the marble in such a manner as to make the latter incandescent. One of the carbons
is made tubular to admit a small, or pencil, carbon; and this is pushed through the
same, and through a corresponding groove or canal in the marble block until it comes
into contact with the opposite or solid carbon electrode. This establishes electrical
connection between the carbon poles, and the pencil carbon being withdrawn, the are
is struck, and the block becomes incandescent and luminous.
My invention relates to an apparatus by means of which the pencil carbon is mado
to establish electrical contact between the carbon electrodes and to break the same,
automatically either by the action of the main current, or by a shunt current. The
apparatus consists of one or more electro magnets or solenoids, connected to one of
the terminals in such a manner that when a current passes around the bobbin or
bobbins employed, the magnetic action thereof acts upon a mechanism which projects a
rod or holder, and the smaller pencil carbon secured thereto, into or through the tubular
electrode; as and for the purpose already described. Electrical connection is also
established between the electro magnet or magnets, and another electro magnet or
solenoid through a cut out, and the circuit extended to the other terminal; so that
when the circuit is completed through the lamp, the second magnet or solenoid acts
so as to cut out the first one, and thus to withdraw the pencil carbon; the lamp being
lighted thereby. Should the lamp go out from any cause while the current is on,
the circuit through the electro magnets is established, and at once operates to light
the lamp; as previously described. By the action described, the pencil carbon is
advanced by magnetic attraction, and withdrawn by the force of gravity; but it will
appear that this procedure may be reversed; or magnetic force used so to operate in
both directions.
The actuating electro magnet or magnets, as described above, is adapted to move
a lever working upon a fulcrum; the outer extremity of which is formed as an arc
of a circle bearing teeth, which gear into a pinion upon the axis of a wheel. This
wheel may be formed as a pulley to actuate a rod moving backward or forward by means

page_text: of a line fixed thereto; and passing over the pulley. But the wheel may be toothed
instead and gear into teeth upon the rod thus converting the latter into a moveable
rack; and one end of this being adapted to hold and retain the pencil carbon, the
samo is inserted in, or withdrawn from, the hollow carbon electrode. The electro
magnets may be adapted to move the rack directly in some cases, and the apparatus
may have a dash pot, air cylinder, break, or a spring combined with the
mechanisın described to retard the motion of the rack or holder, and to prevent
its too sudden return. The apparatus may be placed, or caused to act, either vertically
or horizontally.
As ordinarily employed, the "Sun" lamp is best adapted for alternating currents
of electricity, the electrodes wasting about equally, and the orifices bored in the same
refractory material being conveniently made equal in diameter. As the coring of
the tubular carbon (for the pencil carbon) is troublesome and expensive I may
increase the diameter of the small carbon to that usually employed in arc lamps and
use it is an electrode; thus dispensing with the tubular electrode altogether. The
apparatus employed may therefore advance this electrode into contact with the other
one, and withdraw it from the same, in striking the arc; precisely the same as if it
were the pencil carbon only: the channel being prolonged for this purpose. Should
the resistance be altered, from any cause, the apparatus used will vary the distance
between the electrodes from the point of actual contact to a little more than the
maximum length of arc used. Should continuous currents be used, the positive
electrodes is preferably increased in diameter to equalize the wasting effect upon the
same.
In Fig. 1 the current comes in at the terminal A, around fixed electro magnet B,
and contact pieces C, D, and E; and out by the terminal G, through the circuit
marked 1. When the circuit is completed, the lower electro magnet and soft iron core
of the solenoid H (secured to each other,) is raised by the attraction of B, and the
pencil carbon passes through the hollow carbon and marble block to the solid carbon.
When contact is made between the carbons, part of the current passes from terminal A
to the tubular carbon, across the marble block to the solid carbon, through the
solenoid J, and out by the terminal G; along the circuit marked 2. This circuit
being formed, raises the soft iron core D, breaking the circuit 1 between the contact
pieces and E, when the weight of the lower electro magnet or core H brings back
the pencil carbon ready for lighting again, should the main circuit be interrupted.
The pencil carbon is held by a socket extension of the rack a, suitably supported upon
friction rollers a¹ and controlled by the gear wheel b, pinion and driving rack or
toothed are c forming, or actuated by, the core of the electro magnet or magnets H
and B. A dash pot or equivalent device is shown by K to prevent the carbon
moving too quickly. Figs. 1 and 2 are practically the same, but a toothed are c is
used in the former figure, instead of the straight rack e in Fig. 2.
In Fig. 3, the core A is down and the carbons B and C are in contact until the
current is switched on; when the magnetic action of the solenoid D (in the shunt
circuit 2 from the main circnit 1) acts on the soft iron core A and withdraws the
moveable carbon B to the desired distance to form the arc across the marble block E.
The distance withdrawn, depends upon the force of gravity tending to make contact
between the carbons, balanced by the magnetic effect of the solenoid D, (which may
be in the main, or in a shunt circuit,) and this arrangement admits of the resistance
being varied when it is required to use the lamp in parallel.
In Fig. 4, the current enters at the terminal G and passes by the contacts H, I,
and J through the solenoid A and out by the terminal K; as indicated by the circuit
marked 1. This propels the pencil carbon through the tubular carbon to the solid
carbon B', (as was described for Figs. 1, and 2,) by way of terminal G, between the
carbons, across the marble block E, and thence around solenoid B and out at
terminal K. This raises the iron core I and breaks the circuit through the solenoid A
which allows the core of the same to fall and withdraw the pencil carbon ready for
relighting. The solenoid C (of very high resistance) is in a shunt circuit from the
main circuit, and comes into action only when a larger current is passing across the

page_text: marble blocks than is desirable. It then acts to slightly withdraw the carbon B, and
thus to vary the resistance; as in Fig. 3.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. Automatically making and breaking contact between the carbons of arc lamps;
substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.
2. The combination of an electro magnet with a soft iron core adapted directly or
indirectly to advance or withdraw a moveable carbon within a fixed tubular carbon ;
substantially as described.
3. The combination of one or more electro magnets with a core or cores of the same,
adapted directly or indirectly to vary the distance between carbon electrodes which are
in contact with a refractory material; substantially as described.
4. The combinations or arrangements shown in Figures 1 to 4, when operating
substantially as and for the purpose specified.