NEW OR IMPROVED SUSPENSIONS FOR ELECTRICAL INCANDESCENT LAMPS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I, Sir WILLIAM THOMSON, Knight of Glasgow College, Doctor of Laws and
Professor of Natural Philosophy in the University and College of Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention
for "NEW OR IMPROVED SUSPENSIONS FOR ELECTRICAL INCANDESCENT LAMPS" to
be as follows:-
This Invention relates to new or improved suspensions for electrical incandescent
lamps:
When the lamp is one having its electrodes terminating outside the glass in
platinum or other metallic books or rings (which, whether they be closed rings or
open rings or hooks, I shall call the "lamp rings" to avoid circumlocution)
I support it on two platinum hooks soldered to the ends of two flexible springs,
preferably of flat watch spring, set so as to keep the hooks at a considerable
distance apart when they are free, and so that it is necessary to pull them together
through a considerable range in order to hook the two lamp rings upon them. Thus
by a very moderate but approximately constant force a good electrical connection
is permanently maintained between the lamp rings and the bearing springs. These
bearing springs may be placed with their planes either vertically downwards, or
inclined or horizontal, or vertically upwards, according to the position in which it
is desired that the lamp should hang or be supported. It is to be preferred
generally that the lamp should be allowed to hang down quite free, in which case
the plane of the bearing springs should be vertically downward below the support
of the springs. But when any other position of the lamp is to be arranged for,
there must be one or more stops preferably bordered with soft material as for
example asbestos to hold up the lamp in the proper position by pressing lightly on
its neck. For installations of incandescent lamps on board ships or vessels such
stops as are now referred to may be conveniently used when the lamps are hanging
vertically downwards to prevent risk of damage to the lamp or to its globe or shade
from the motion of the ship or vessel when at sea.

page_text: The bearing springs are metallically connected with the two conductors by means
of which the electric activity is conveyed to the lamp. In cases where the lamp is
carried by a hollow metallic bracket it is convenient to use the metal of the bracket
as part of the circuit of one of the conductors, the other conductor being constituted
by an insulated conducting wire or rope carried along the inside of the hollow 5
bracket. Where this arrangement is adopted the bearing springs are connected one
to the metal of the bracket and the other to the insulated central conductor.
Dated this eighth day of March 1884.
J. H. JOHNSON, DAY & JOHNSON,
Petitioner's Agents,
* 115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow.
10

page_text: I, Sir WILLIAM THOMSON, Knight of Glasgow College, Doctor of Laws and
Professor of Natural Philosophy in the University and College of Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
for NEW OR IMPROVED SUSPENSIONS FOR ELECTRICAL INCANDESCENT LAMPS 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 new or improved suspensions for electrical incandescent
lamps:
When the lamp is one having its electrodes terminating outside the glass in
platinum or other metallic hooks or rings (which, whether they be closed rings or
open rings or hooks, I shall call the "lamp rings" to avoid circumlocution) I support
it on two platinum hooks soldered to the ends of two flexible springs, preferably
of flat watch spring, set so as to keep the hooks at a considerable distance apart
when they are free, and so that it is necessary to pull them together through a
considerable range in order to hook the two lamp rings upon them. Thus by a
very moderate, but approximately constant force a good electrical connection is
permanently maintained between the lamp rings and the bearing springs. These
bearing springs may be placed with their planes either vertically downwards, or
inclined or horizontal, or vertically upwards, according to the position in which it
is desired that the lamp should hang or be supported. It is to be preferred generally
that the lamp should be allowed to hang down quite free, in which case the plane
of the bearing springs should be vertically downward below the support of the
springs. But when any other position of the lamp is to be arranged for, there
must be one or more stops preferably bordered with soft material as for example,
asbestos to hold up the lamp in the proper position by pressing lightly on its nock.
For installations of incandescent lamps on board ships or vessels, such stops as are
now referred to may be conveniently used when the lamps are hanging vertically
downwards to prevent risk of damage to the lamp or to its globe or shade from the
motion of the ship or vessel when at sea.
The bearing springs are metallically connected with the two conductors by
means of which the electric activity is conveyed to the lamp. In some cases when
the lamp is carried by a hollow metallic bracket, it is convenient to use the metal
of the bracket as part of the circuit of one of the conductors, the other conductor
being constituted by an insulated conducting wire or rope carried along the insido
of the hollow bracket. Where this arrangement is adopted, the bearing springs
are connected one to the metal of the bracket and the other to the insulated central
conductor.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
When the lamp is an incandescent one having its electrodos terminating outsido
the glass in platinum or other metallic hooks or rings (which, whether they be closed
rings or open rings or books, I shall call the "lamp rings" to avoid circumlocution)
I support it on two platinum hooks a, (Figures 1 and 2) soldered to the ends of
two flexible springs b, preferably of flat watch spring, set so as to keep the hooks at a
considerablo distance apart when they are free, and so that it is necessary to pull
them together through a considerable range in order to hook the two lamp rings c,
upon them. Thus by a very moderate but approximately constant force, a good
electrical connection is permanently maintained between the lamp rings c, and the
bearing springs b.

page_text: These bearing springs b, may be placed with their planes either vertically down-
wards as shewn, or inclined, or horizontal, or vertically upwards according to the
position in which it is desired that the lamp d, should hang or be supported.-It is
to be preferred generally, that the lamp d, should be allowed to hang down quite
free, in which case the plane of the bearing springs should be vertically downwards
below the support of the spring b, as shewn-But when any other position of the
lamp is to be arranged for, there must be one or more stops, preferably bordered
with soft material, as for example, asbestos, to hold up the lamp in the proper
position, by pressing lightly on its neck. For installations of incandescent lamps
on board ships or vessels, such steps as are now referred to, may be conveniently
used when the lamps are hanging vertically downwards to prevent risk of damage
to the lamp or to its globe or shade from the motion of the ship or vessel, when
at sea.
The bearing springs 6 are metallically connected with the two conductors by
means of which the electric activity is conveyed to the lamp.-In many cases it
is convenient to have the two springs parallel and vertical, when the lamp is not
hung on; the distance between the parallels being considerably greater, for
example, about twice as great as the distance between the lamp rings.-In cases
where the lamp is carried by a hollow metallic bracket f, a portion of which only
is shewn on the accompanying Drawings, it is convenient to use the metal of the
bracket as part of the circuit of one of the conductors, the other conductor being
constituted by an insulated conducting wire or rope g, carried along the inside of
the hollow bracket f-Where this arrangement is adopted, the bearing springs are
connected one to the metal of the bracket and the other to the insulated central
conductor as represented more particularly at Figure 2.
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
The means of supporting incandescent lamps by hooks secured to flexible springs
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying
Drawings.
TYL Aim kombit of Otakon 188.1.