An Improved Cell Switch.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Sept., 1898-- Accepted, 25th Mar., 1899
An Improved Cell Switch.
We, HEINRICHI JULIUS FERDINAND VOIGT and JACOB ADOLF. HAEFFNER, both
of Bockenheim, Frankfort-on-the-Main; in the Empire of Germany, Manufac-
turers, 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:-
This invention has for its object a cell switch in the form of a cylinder which
affords considerable advantages over the disc or elongated cell switches hitherto
known.
The number of cells in a cell switch is in practice becoming always greater and
greater. For instance cell switches are now used for more than 50, cells. The
making of such cell switches in the form of a disc necessitates an extremely large
diameter whilst if in an elongated form too great a length is produced which is
deleterious not only as regards the space at disposal on the switch tables but also
as regards the reliability of the construction.
.
In order to remove these drawbacks, the cell switches are made according
to the present invention in cylinder form. For this purpose the contact pieces
are insulatingly arranged as strips on the casing of a fixed cylinder and held
together by clamp rings which serve simultaneously for supplying and carrying
off the current and also as slide tracks for the brush carriers which also have the
form of rings or segments of a circle and revolve round the clamp rings.
The object of the present invention is shown in the accompanying drawings,
in which
Figure 1 shows the improved cell switch partially in elevation and partially
in vertical section on the line ab of Figure 2;
Figure 2 shows the cell switch partially in plan and partially in horizontal
section on the line c-d of Figure 1;
Figure 3 shows a plan view of a clamp or tightening ring;
Figure 4 shows the two encountering ends of the clamp ring in side view;
Figure 5 shows a revoluble brush carrying ring.
Figure 6 is a diagram showing the connections of the switch with the cells.
On the casing of a hollow cylinder A which either consists itself of insulating
material or is coated on its outer surface with an insulating layer, there are
arranged contact pieces C in the form of strips. The contact pieces Care
separated from one another by insulating layers and after the introduction
between them of an insulating layer are held together by two clamp rings B
and B on the casing of the cylinder A. The lower clamp ring B' is provided
with bent feet, by means of which the fixed parts of the cell switch
attached to the switch board by means of screws D. The contact strips Care
may be

page_text: preferably passed through the switch board in the manner shown in Figure 1
and provided with screw threads on the ends which project through the switch
board with the object of receiving the terminal wires. The clamp rings are
formed in the manner of a belt and are held together in the manner shown in
Figures 3 and 4 in such a way that the slide ring F which serves as support
or carrier for the brushes may be completely turned round.
The slide ring in the form of construction shown in the drawings, has only
one brush E in three parts located in a projection of said ring. This projection
has a slot through which three metal or carbon brushes are inserted in such a
way that their front ends encounter the cylinder casing formed by the contact
strips C. A strip spring fixed by a screw in the ring F bears on each of the
brushes in order to obtain the necessary pressure. The form of brush is how-
ever immaterial as regards the essential part of the invention. Of course for
each cell which is to be switched on, two contact strips are necessary which are
connected in the ordinary manner by means of a resistance in order to avoid
short circuiting. Said resistances may according to the present invention be
very conveniently arranged in the inner hollow chamber of the drum.
In Fig. 6 of the drawings it is assumed there are 12 cells which can be
switched on and which are successively connected with the first, third, fifth and
so forth contact piece, whilst the second contact piece is connected with the first,
the 4th with the third, the 6th with the 5th etc., each by a resistance which
prevents the short circuiting of the respective cells.
The machine is connected with the one clamp ring and the lighting wire
with the other clamp ring.
The slide rings F are adjustable in a circle on the clamp rings B and B¹ Fig. 1
so that metallic connection always exists between each clamp ring and the slide
ring belonging to it. Each slide ring F is connected by means, of a brush E with
a contact piece and therefore also with a supplementary cell attached to this
respective contact piece.
The two clamp rings B and B thus in the present cell switching device, play
the same part as the two switch arms of the ordinary double cell switches.
If one or other of the clamp rings be turned in a circle, its brush comes suc-
cessively in contact with the various contact pieces, that is to say more or less
of the supplementary cells are switched on according to the position of the
slide ring.
As however the two slide rings may be turned independently of one another,
just like the two switch arms of a double cell switch, it is evident that by a
suitable adjustment of the slide ring the number of supplementary cells switched
on both towards the lighting wire and also towards the machine may be regu-
lated according to requirements because precisely according to the position of
the slide rings more or less of the supplementary cells are connected with the
clamp rings B and 13, one of the latter being connected with the lighting wire
and the other with the machine.
If it be desired to employ two brushes instead of one for each slide ring,.
between which two brushes lies the circuit resistance, each second metallic con-
tact piece must be replaced by an insulating body the same as in the ordinary
cell switches.
The construction hereinbefore described of a cell switch made in the form
of a cylinder or drum affords in addition to the valuable advantage of occupying.
a very small space an easy accessibility of the working parts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is:-
A cell switch having the form of a cylinder or drum and characterized by
the contact pieces being arranged as strips on the casing of a fixed cylinder (A)
and insulated, and by two clamp rings (B B¹) serving for receiving and cutting

page_text: off the current being arranged on the drum and adapted to hold together the
contact strips (C) and at the same time act as slide tracks for the sliding brush
carriers (F) which are also annular or in the form of a segment of a circle and
revoluble round the clamp rings, substantially as herein before described.
Dated this 24th day of September 1898.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicants.