Improvements in or relating to Electrical Distribution.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1887.
Specification Accepted, 23rd Aug., 1887.
[Communicated from abroad by GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE, Junior, of Pittsburg,
County of Alleghany, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Engineer.]
Improvements in or relating to Electrical Distribution.
I WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S. M.I.M.E. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street Liverpool and 6 Bank Street Manchester both in the
County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, 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 :-
The invention relates especially to that class of circuits and apparatus employed for
utilizing alternating electric currents for electric lighting and similar purposes. The
object of the invention is primarily to secure convenient and effective means for
regulating the supply of current.
It is customary to supply an alternating current from a generator of suitable
character and conduct it through one or more pairs of leads to points near where it
is to be utilized and there convert it into similar currents of different potential.
This converted current is then delivered upon main conductors and employed in
operating suitable translating devices such as incandescent electric lights for
instance.
The invention consists in employing several leads running to different converters
along the length of the main, and in placing in each of the leads a regulating device,
such for instance, as a converter having its primary coil included in the lead and its
secondary coil connected through an adjustable resistance circuit. The necessity of
some such device is found in the fact that as the translating devices are cut in and
out of circuit at different points along the length of the main, the potential at such
points is varied.
The current delivered at such point should then be varied, that the potential
throughout the main may be equalized.

page_text: In the accompanying drawing there is illustrated an organization of apparatus
and a system of circuits adapted to carry out the invention.
Referring to the figure, M and M represent two alternate current generators
having their field magnets supplied by currents from a dynamo electric generator K.
The current of this generator may be regulated by an adjustable resistance t included
in circuit with the field magnet coils. The current is led to the respective alternate
current generators through conductors u, u¹ and w, w'. Adjustable resistances r and r
are included in the conductors u and w respectively, and by means of these the current
supplied to the two generators M and M¹ may be equalized.
The currents from the one or more generators M and M³ are led to a supply
conductor, by conductors n, n¹ and 0, o respectively.
The main conductors a, a¹, 6 6¹ are to be supplied at different points along their
lengths by currents derived from converters D, E, E' and F. These have their
primary coils p, p', p² and p³ connected in circuit with the conductors 1, in multiple
arc. The coil is thus connected by conductors d and d. In the conductor d
there is included the primary coil g of a converter G. The secondary coil h has its
terminals connected through an adjustable resistance y, y'. This converter may be
so proportioned that the current through the circuit y, y will either be small with a
high difference of potential, or else large with a small difference of potential. With
suitably wound coils, incandescent electric lamps may be used with advantage for
the resistance. By the use of the converter it becomes unnecessary to handle the
primary current and the secondary may be made of such small difference of potential
that it may be handled with perfect safety. The converter E has its primary coil p¹
connected in circuit with the conductors e and el, and the converter E' has its primary
coil p connected in conductors e³ and e' derived from the conductors e and e¹. This
affords a convenient method of connecting two or more converters located near each
other in circuit where it is desired to economize the leads.
The converter F is in like manner connected in circuit by the conductors and f¹.
The secondary coils in each instance have their respective terminals connected with
the conductors a, a and b, b. In the conductors e and f there may be placed
converters similar to the converter G, or resistance such as shown at I and J. These
are simple inductive resistances consisting of adjustable cores ¹ and j¹ surrounded
respectively by coils i and j. The cores may be withdrawn a greater or less distance
as required or they may be entirely short-circuited by switch-plugs at * and *.
The incandescent electric lights or other translating devices are represented
at c, c, c, c. They are connected in circuit in the usual manner and when all are
in circuit or the system is operating under normal conditions, the full amount of
current traverses each set of leads or feeders d, d², e, e', and f, f, the equalizers being
short-circuited. This would be accomplished in the case of the device G, by short-
circuiting the secondary coil and in the devices 1 and J by means of the switch-
plug.
If now the lead diminishes toward the end a, b, the loss in the feeders d, d¹ would
decrease and the difference of potential would rise in that portion higher than toward
the end a, b. Resistance would then be introduced into the secondary circuit / of
the induction coil or converter G, and thereby the difference of potential between
the terminals of the primary coil g would be increased; in this manner the difference
of potential in the portion a, b, of the work circuit would be reduced and made equal
to that through the portion a¹, b¹.
There is shown in dotted lines at f³, f³, another set of leads or feeders provided
with a simple resistance *, more or less of which may be inserted in a conductor f
by means of a switch j³. This form of resistance may be employed instead of the
inductive resistance, in some instances.
A Converter D' as shown in dotted lines, may be employed in connection with the
converter D. The primary coils p and p* are connected in series, and the secondary
coils are connected in parallel to the conductors a, b. This arrangement is adopted in
cases when it is desired to carry a high difference of potential between the primary
leads, without unduly increasing the difference of potential between the terminals of

page_text: any one converter. The converters so connected are supposed to be located near each
other, and suitably proportioned to effect the required ratio of conversion.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :--
1st. The combination, substantially as described, of a source of electricity, two
main lines, converters having their secondary coils connected with different points
along the length of said main lines, conductors connecting the source of
electricity with the primary coils of the respective converters, and one or more
converters having their primary coils respectively included in the last named con-
ductors, and adjustable resistances included in the secondary coils, substantially as
described.
2nd. The combination, substantially as described, with two or more alternate current
generators, of a source of electrical current supplying the field magnet coils of the
same, conductors with which said generators are connected in multiple are, a system
of feeding conductors connected therewith, translating devices, and a main line
with which said translating devices are connected, and converters located along the
main line, having their secondary coils connected therewith in multiple arc, and their
primary coils connected with the feeding conductors aforesaid.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.