IMPROVE- MENTS IN ELECTRIC LAMPS
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION-left by the said George Guillaume André at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th June 1881.
George GUILLAUME ANDRÉ, of Dorking, in the County of Surrey. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ELECTRIC LAMPS."
In the so-called arc lamps, and arranged by preference vertically, I construct the
lamps and feed the upper carbon downwards in the following manner :-The upper
carbon is suspended from an iron rod, which is held up by magneto-frictional
contact with or adhesion to pole pieces from one or more electro-magnets, such pole
pieces being shaped to correspond with the round or other form of the iron rod.
This latter is allowed to slide past the pole pieces when the friction or adhesion
due to magnetic attraction becomes lessened by the lengthening of the arc. I will
now describe some modes of applying this part of my Invention. I pass a great
part of the entering current through an electro-magnet, which may be attached to
the underside of a plate, which by rods or otherwise is connected to another lower
plate, the intermediate space which may be enclosed containing the regulating
mechanism. I connect or branch from the wire entering the said electro-magnet to
two smaller electro-magnets having coils of wire of greater resistance, and arranged
on a common iron core. All three electro-magnets may be on one common brass
centre rod. The coils of the two smaller electro-magnets are wound in opposite
directions; their pole pieces are carried out to the iron rod which carries the upper
carbon, and are shaped at the end to correspond with the form of the said rod. A
fourth electro-magnet having similar pole pieces is arranged on the other side of
the said rod, and is wound with coils of wire connected to the third or lower of
the last named two electro-magnets (and so that the resistance of these two
together are equal to that of the second electro-magnet), the other end of the wire
being connected to a bracket insulated from the aforesaid upper plate, and extending
over an armature which may form electrical connection with it. The said upper
[Price 6d 1

page_text: plate carries a fifth electro-magnet, the coil of which is connected to a resistance
coil, say, of German-silver wire, forming a shunt circuit, and conveniently arranged
round a tube containing the upper continuation of the carbon holding iron rod, and
enclosed in an outer casing. The weight of the fourthly named electro-magnet is
supported by a light spring, and its lower pole pieco is in close proximity to a peg
or stop on the lower plate. From the latter, but insulated therefrom, I suspend
the lower carbon and the enclosing globe.
The action is as follows:-When the carbons are together, and the current is
turned on the first, second, and fifth magnets become excited, the whole current
passing through the first and second magnets, the pole pieces of the latter then
adhering to the carbon carrying iron rod, and the first electro-magnet drawing up
the second (with the third, which is on the same core), the arc will then be
established. When it becomes the least lengthened the fifth electro-magnet closes
the circuit through the third and fourth electro-magnets by means of the aforesaid
armature, and then neutralizes the adhesive action of the pole pieces of the second
and third, and excites those of the opposite or fourth electro-magnet, the supporting
spring of which will be slightly compressed by the superior weight of the iron rod
and carbon thus thrown upon it, and drop on to the peg or stop, whereby the
current through the fifth magnet is increased, and the circuit through the third and
fourth broken. The second magnet will then resume its action, and the pole picces
of the same and of the third electro-magnet adhere to the iron rod.
According to another arrangement, which is also applicable to incandescent
lamps, and where a lower carbon is fed upward, I clamp it to an iron rod which is
fitted with a float and a piston, supported in mercury, glycerine, or other suitablo
liquid contained in a cylinder, the piston having a packing, say, of india-rubber,
and having a small hole for the liquid to pass through slowly for the purpose of
forming a kind of retarding or brake action. A similar principle of friction or
adhesion produced by magnetic attraction, as already described, is made use of for
these arrangements of lamps for the purpose of retarding or arresting the upward
or forward motion of the carbon caused by the float or buoyant action to which it
is subject. The electro-magnets may be arranged as follows:-A pair of electro-
magnets arranged side by side or end to end have their pole picces formed to suit
the shape of the carbon supporting iron rod, and have their wire coils respectively
connected to a branch wire from the main conductor and to a shunt, which latter
is made to neutralizo the action of the branch. Another pair of electro-magnets,
with wire coils of much smaller resistance, is arranged underneath the first named
electro-magnets, and have their wire coils connected one to the positive terminal
and the other in electrical connection with the carbon supporting iron rod. Theso
electro-magnets serve the purpose of separating the carbons when first starting by
drawing down the first named or feed magnet, as in the previous arrangements.
The action is follows:-As the arc lengthens the pole pieces of the feed magnets
are demagnetized so far as to allow the rod to slide past them impelled by the
action of the float. The resistance of the arc being thereby diminished, the
neutralizing action of the shunt is lessened. The further upward motion of the rod
and carbon is arrested by the increase of magnetism of the electro-magnet in con-
nection with the branch. Instead of the branch and shunt connections here described
I may use the Wheatstone bridge arrangement above described, for the purpose of
exciting the feed magnets. The whole of the framing of the lamp may consist of a
tube, the upper end of the carbon only extending above it, and having a protecting
casing around the electro-magnets; or this latter casing may be extended up and
down, enclosing the whole of this lower part of the lamp.
Where the upper carbon is fed downwards I may arrange a tube or cylinder
containing glycerine or other suitable liquid alongside the carbon and its supporting
rod, which latter is connected to the piston rod in the cylinder; the latter may be
continued up above the liquid level, aud have a slot on one side, which serves as a
guido to the rod or its cross head. The electro-magnets inay be arranged as in tho

page_text: last described construction. Instead of one cylinder I may use two, and I may
connect the piston or pistons to a cord or chain passing over a pulley.
In all the aforesaid cases the negative carbon is (though not necessarily so)
supposed to be fixed.
Where I, as described in the Specification of my Patent, No. 225280, employ a
weight and endless cord for the feeding of a carbon in an incandescent or an arc
lamp, I make use of a retarding action somewhat similar to that described in
reference to the piston in the cylinder containing mercury, glycerine, or other
liquid, and I for that purpose provide the lower pulley over which the said endless
band passes with a crank pin or other means for working a piston in a small
cylinder containing glycerine or other suitable liquid, the piston having a small hole
through. This pulley is also provided with a dise wheel or rim of iron, and I apply
a brake against the sido or circumference of the rim or wheel by means of magnetic
friction in a similar manner to that described with reference to the pole pieces and
carbon supporting rod, so that when the are becomes lengthened (or the incandescent
carbon requires feeding up) the hold of the said magnetic brake piece is lessened,
and the pulley and endless band free to move.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Guillaume André in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th December 1881.
GEORGE GUILLAUME ANDRÉ, of Dorking, in the County of Surrey. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ELECTRIC LAMPS."
In the so-called arc lamps, and arranged by preference vertically, I construct the
lamp and feed the upper carbon downwards in the following manner:-'
-The upper
or positive carbon is suspended from an iron rod which is held up by magneto-
frictional contact with or adhesion to pole pieces from one or more electro magnets,
such pole picces being shaped to correspond with the round or other sectional form
of the iron rod; this latter is allowed to slide past the pole pieces when the friction
or adhesion due to magnetic attraction becomes lessened or destroyed by the
lengthening of the arc. I will now describe some modes of applying this part of
my Invention.
pass a great part of the entering current through an electro-
magnet, which may be attached to the underside of a plate, which by rods or
otherwise is connected to another lower plate, the intermediate space which may
be enclosed containing the regulating mechanism. I connect a branch from the
main wire entering the said electro-magnet to two smaller electro-magnets, having
coils of wire of greater resistance and arranged on a common iron core (so as to
virtually constitute one electro-magnet). These electro-magnets may be on one
common brass centre rod; the coils of these two smaller electro-magnets (or doubly
wound electro-magnet) are wound in opposite directions; their pole pieces are
carried out to the iron rod which carries the upper carbon, and are shaped at the
end to correspond with the sectional form of the said rod. A fourth electro-
magnet (that is, if the doubly wound electro-magnet be reckoned as two) having
similar pole pieces is arranged on the other side of the said rod, and is wound with
a coil of wire connected to the lower coil of the double electro magnet and so that
the resistance of these two together is equal to that of the second electro-magnet
or upper coil of the double electro-magnet. One end of these coils is connected to
the main wire forming a second branch, the other end of the same being connected
to a bracket insulated from the aforesaid upper plate, and extending over an
armature which may form electrical connection with it; the said upper plate carries
a fifth (or fourth) electro magnet, the coil of which is connected to a resistance coil,
say, of German silver wire, forming a shunt circuit past the arc, and conveniently
arranged round a tube containing the upper continuation of the carbon-holding
iron rod and enclosed in an outer casing. One end of the coils on the fifth (fourth)
electro-magnet is connected to the resistance coil at a point not far from its
entering end, and the other end is connected electrically to the rod, thus forming a
Wheatstone bridge circuit. The weight of the fourthly (thirdly) named electro
magnet is supported by a light spring, and its lower pole piece is in close proximity
to a peg or stop on the lower plate. From the latter, but insulated therefrom, I
suspend the lower carbon and the enclosing globe. Or, according to a simplified
arrangement, I make the coils on the fifth (fourth) electro-maguet to serve as
the shunt past the arc, and so render unnecessary the aforesaid resistance coil.
Figure 1 is an end elevation; Figure 2 is sectional side elevation, and Figures 3,
4, and 5, cross sections on lines A, B, C, D, and E, F; Figures 6 and 7 are sectional
view and plan of a detail modification.
The upper carbon A is suspended from an iron rod B, which is held up by
inagneto-frictional contact with or adhesion to pole pieces C and C¹, suspended
from a pair of electro magnets D, D, such pole pieces being shaped to correspond
with the sectional form of the iron rod B, which latter is allowed to slide past the

page_text: polo pieces C, C', when the friction or adhesion due to magnetic attraction becomes
lessened by the lengthening of the arc.
I pass a great part of the entering current through the electro magnet D, which
may be attached to the under side of a plate E, which by three rods For otherwise
is connected to another lower plate G, the intermediate space which may be
enclosed in a tubular casing H containing the regulating mechanism.
I connect a branch 11 from the main wire I, entering the electro-magnet D, to a
smaller electro-magnet K, having two coils of wire of greater resistance; both
electro-magnets may be on one common brass centre rod; the coils of the small
electro-magnet K are wound in opposite directions; the pole pieces C, C', are
carried out to the iron rod B, and are shaped at the end to correspond with a
sectional form of the rod as stated. A third electro magnet L having similar pole
pieces C, C3, is arranged on the other side of the rod B, and is wound with a coil
of wire I, connected to one of the coils of the electro magnet K, and forming a
second branch 12 from the main wire I, and so that the resistance of this coil and
the coil on the magnet L together are equal to that of the other coil on the electro
magnet K; the exit end of the said wire 12, is connected to a bracket M which is
insulated from the plate G, and extends over an armature N which may form
electrical connection with it. The plate G carries a fourth electro-magnet O, tho
coils of which are wound with wire of very high resistance, and form a shunt
circuit past the arc. The weight of the magnet L or rather of its core is supported
by a light spring R, and its upper pole piece C³ is in close proximity to a peg or
stop S, under the plate E. From the plate G, but insulated therefrom, I suspend
the lower carbon A¹ and the enclosing globe T.
The action is as follows: When the carbons are together and the current
turned on, the magnets D, K, and O become excited, the main current passing
through D and K; the pole pieces C and C¹ will then adhere to the rod B and the
electro-magnet D will draw up the electro-magnet K; the arc will thus be
established. When it becomes the least lengthened the magnet O closes the circuit
through that coil of the magnet K which is connected to the bracket M, and
through the coil of the magnet L by means of the armature N, and thus neutralizes
the adhesive action of the pole pieces C, C', and excites the pole pieces of the
magnet L, the spring R of which will be slightly compressed by the superior
weight of the rod B and carbon A and drop onto the peg S, whereby the current
through the magnet O is decreased, and the circuit through one of the coils of the
magnet K and through the magnet L broken; the magnet K will then resume its
action and the pole pieces C, C', adhere to the rod B.
In the modification, Figures 6 and 7, the electro magnet L is omitted, and I
surround the tubo P on the top of the lamp with a cylinder Q, containing glycerino
or other suitable liquid and having an annular weight or easily fitting piston U,
which has two holes g through; these are covered by a ring valve V. The rod B
is by means of two wire cords or chains W passing over pulleys w connected to
the weight U.
The action of this arrangement is to exert a retarding force on the rod B when
it slides down past the pole pieces C, C, by reason of the glycerine having to pass
from the top to the bottom of the weight U between the latter and the sides of:
the cylinder Q; the holes 7 allow the weight U to drop quickly when the rod B is
raised, in which case the ring valve V will be raised and allow the glycerine to
pass up through the holes q. The magnetic action is the same as described
above.
According to another arrangement, illustrated by the part sectional view,
Figure 8, and where a lower carbon is fed upwards, and which is also applicable to
incandescent lamps having such a carbon rod, I clamp the lower or positive
carbon A to an iron rod B, which is fitted with a float piston U supported in
mercury contained in a cylinder V; the piston is long and has an easy fit for the
mercury to pass slowly by (or having a small hole for the liquid to pass through
lowly) for the purpose of forming a kind of retarding or brake action. A similar

page_text: principle of friction or adhesion produced by magnetic attraction, as already
described, is made use of for these arrangements of lamps for the purpose of
retarding or arresting the upward or forward motion of the carbon caused by the
float or buoyant action to which it is subject. The electro magnets K may be
arranged as follows and as shown at Figure 0 in plan and at Figure 10 in side
elovation. A pair of electro magnets K, K¹, arranged side by side, have their polo
pieces Cat top and bottom formed to suit the shape of the carbon supporting iron
rod B, and have their wire coils respectively connected to the inner coils forming a
branch wire from the main conductor I, & the outer coils of high resistance
forming a shunt past the arc, and being wound in the opposite direction made to
neutralize the action of the branch as the arc lengthens. Another pair of electro-
magnets with wire coils of much smaller resistance and corresponding with the
electro magnets D in Figures 1 to 5 is arranged underneath tho first named
electro magnets, and have their wire coils connected one to the positive terminal,
and the other in electrical connection with the carbon supporting iron rod, theso
electro magnets serve the purpose of separating the carbon when first starting by
drawing down the first named or feed magnets as in the previous arrangements.
The action is as follows:-As the are lengthens the pole pieces C₁ of the feed
magnets K, K¹, are demagnetized so far as to allow the rod B to slide past them,
impelled by the action of the float piston U; the resistance of the are being thereby
diminished, the neutralizing action of the shunt is lessened, the further upward
motion of the rod and carbon is arrested by the increase of magnetism of the inner
coil of the electro magnets K, K', in connection with the branch. Instead of tho
branch and shunt connections hero described, I may use the Wheatstone bridge
arrangement above described for the purpose of exciting the feed magnets. The
whole of the framing of the lamp may consist of a tube, the upper end of the
carbon only extending above it, and having a protecting casing around the electro-
magnets, or this latter casing may be extended up and down, enclosing the whole
of this lower part of the lamp.
In all the aforesaid cases the negative carbon is (though not necessarily so)
supposed to be fixed. Where I as described in the Specification of my Patent,
No. 225250, employ a weight and endless cord for the feeding of a carbon in an
incandescent or an arc lamp, I make use of a retarding action somewhat similar to
that described in reference to the piston, the cylinder containing mercury, glycerine,
or other liquid, and I for that purpose provide the lower pulley over which the said
endless band passes with a crank pin or other means for working a piston in a
small cylinder containing glycerine or other suitable liquid, the piston having a
small hole through; this pulley is also provided with a disc wheel or rim of iron,
and I apply a brake against the sido or circumference of the rim or wheel by means
of magnetic friction in a similar manner to that described with reference to the pole
pieces and carbon-supporting rod, so that when the are becomes lengthened (or the
incandescent carbon requires feeding up), the hold of the said magnetic brake piece
is lessened, and the pulley and endless band is free to move.
I claim,—
First. The mode herein described of taking hold of and of feeding up a carbon or
other electrode in an electric lamp by means of magneto-frictional adhesion.
Second. The mode herein described of feeding up a carbon or other electrode in
an electric lamp by wholly or partly neutralizing or destroying the magucto-
frictional adhesion at the required moment.
Third. The mode herein described of giving a definite amount of feed to the
carbon or other electrode in an electric lamp by means of a balanced electro-magnet
and a stop in connection therewith.
Fourth. The mode herein described of feeding up a carbon or other electrode in
an electric lamp by means of a piston float in a cylinder containing mercury, so
that the latter has both a propelling and retarding action.
Fifth. The combination of parts forming the mechanisms for regulating the feed
in electric lamps, as described with reference to the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: Sixth. The means herein described for applying magneto-frictional adhesion in
connection with the feed appliances described in Patent Specification, No. 2252,
of 1880.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Guillaume André, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
GEO. G. ANDRÉ. (L.S.)