A New or Improved Apparatus for Closing and Opening Electric Circuits, applicable to the Temporary Illumination of Rocks on Coasts and of Staircases and other analogous purposes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Aug., 1899-Accepted, 24th Feb., 1900
A New or Improved Apparatus for Closing and Opening Electric
Circuits, applicable to the Temporary Illumination of Rocks on
Coasts and of Staircases and other analogous purposes.
I, JACQUES LEVY, a Civil Engineer, residing Nr. 6, Brandgasse, in Strassburg,
in Alsace, Germany, do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
"
The object of this invention is to construct an apparatus capable of effecting,
by aid of Herz undulations," the closing of an electric current for a definite
time and at a great distance, without the use of large movable parts and without
conducting wire.
This invention is designed for lighting up the ridges of rocks coasts or
canals without requiring the illuminating object or body to be attended to.
The closing of the current can be effected from any approaching ship by
means of a single spark inductor; after a definite time the said current being
automatically broken. The result is that no continuous attendance or super-
vision is needed, the required power and lighting bodies being of the smallest
possible description in consequence of their intermittent use.
The essence of the invention consists in the excitement of a "coheror", by
means of a spark inductor, placed on board a ship, in such a manner that this
coheror (rendered conducting) closes by means of relays, a main circuit, the
current of which passes not only through the lamps or other apparatus to be
excited but also through a wire spiral having for its object the heating of the
air gases or vapors contained in a closed vessel. The fluid thus heated causes
after a given time a liquid (such as mercury) placed in the same vessel, to pass
through connecting pipes into another vessel until the level of the ascending
liquid closes another electric circuit, the current of which breaks the main
circuit by the excitement of an electro magnet.
And in order that my said invention may be particularly described and ascer-
tained reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings in which similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 shows the apparatus when used for intermittently lighting canals or
the ridges of rocks.
A and B are the two main conductors which are supplied with an electric
current either from a central electric station or from a periodically charged
accumulator. The Herz's undulations produced by a spark inductor placed on
board a ship (for instance) render the coheror C conductive and the latter closes
the circuit of the battery G. This current circulates around the electro-mag-
net D, which attracts the armature E, in order to close the mercurial contact in F
and to cause the coheror C to be vibrated by the clappers E¹ and to cease to be
conductive. The armature E remains in its position as it is pivoted at in
mistable equilibrium.
But as soon as the contact is closed in F the electric current naceos through

page_text: this mercury contact and the armature E, circulates in the spiral wire H, and
causes the lighting of the lamps J, or the function of other alarm devices. The
spiral wire H is heated by the electric current passing through it, to such an
extent as to heat the surrounding fluid enclosed in the vessel K; such heated
fluid expands and exerts a pressure on the level of the mercury which com-
municates, through the connecting pipe L, with the mercury of the higher
placed vessel M. The level of the mercury ascends accordingly in the vessel M
until it reaches two contact wires N, N. The current then passes along the
coils of the electro-magnet O, and the latter attracts the armature E, and thus
breaks the main circuit at F. When the vessel K becomes cool the liquid runs
back from the vessel M, the third circuit is thereby broken at N, and the
apparatus is ready for a new excitement.
The wires N are so fitted that their height can be conveniently adjusted in
order to regulate the duration of the closing of the main circuit.
Fig. 2 shows another form of the apparatus intended for lighting stairs and for
other similar purposes. The coheror is replaced in this case by a single pressure
contact C, so that the closing of the circuit at the contact C produces the prime
movement of the armature E. The apparatus operates in all other respects
like that shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 shows another arrangement having the same object as the apparatus
in Fig. 2, the only difference being that the vessel with the heat producing
spiral H, (Fig. 2) is replaced by a straight metal piece H, (Fig. 3).
When the main current passes through the lamps or apparatus J.
the armature E, and the metal bar H, the latter, if of suitable
dimensions, expands sufficiently when heated, to overcome the resistance of the
spring L, and to thus close at N the circuit of the battery G, so that the current
can pass through the coils of the electro-magnet 0 and open the main current
contact F. The body or substance (such as carbon for instance) surrounding
the metal bar H, has for its object to retard the heating of the said bar.
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. The improved means for causing the periodical closing of an electric
lighting current at a considerable distance by means of Herz's undulations,
that is to say, by the undulations produced by the discharges of a spark inductor,
which undulations render conductive a "coheror" substantially as described.
2. An apparatus for intermittently closing and opening or making and break-
ing an electric circuit characterized by causing the current from such circuit,
closed by relays or by any other suitable devices, to exert a heating action on
air gases, vapars, metals, and the like, and causes, in consequence of their
change of form, a circuit to be closed or made by any suitable mechanical trans-
mission; the current from which circuit breaks the main circuit after a regulated
period of time by means of suitable relays, substantially as described.
T 1
1000
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JACQUES LEVY.
By George Downing & Sons,
Chartered Patent Agents, 8, Quality Court, London, W.C.