A New or Improved Electro-magnetic Cut-in and Cut-out.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 15th July, 1897-Accepted, 5th Mar., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Electro-magnetic Cut-in and Cut-out.
I, JOHANN LÜHNE, of Aix-la-Chapelle, Germany, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of my said 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 an improved electro-magnetic cut in and cut-
out, that is to say, an apparatus wherein an electro-magnet attracts its armature,
when the intensity of the current exceeds a given limit.
Moreover, the construction is characterized by the substitution, for the ordinary
cut out levers, of two receptacles having the form of cylinders or discs, containing
contact makers and breakers brought, in consequence of an oscillatory motion,
into contact with a liquid conductor consisting of mercury. Each receptacle con-
stitutes a complete pole which is much less liable to be disturbed than the cut
out levers hitherto used, and the arrangement of several receptacles upon one
axis allows the making and breaking instantaneously of the communication of
all poles, which is a very great advantage.
The combination of the two receptacles mounted upon one axis not only supplies
a highly sensitive arrangement, but enables perfect insulation and great uniformity
in the breaking of the current to be obtained. The makes and breaks of the
circuit are localized by a special gear actuated by the electro-magnets.
The grooves formed in the receptacles and having the form of annular channels
have the advantage of not only requiring less mercury but of allowing the make
and break of the circuit to be effected much more rapidly than heretofore which
could not be done with any former cut out.
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.
Figs. 1 and 2 are sectional elevations, at right angles to each other, illustrating
the construction of the apparatus.
Fig. 3 and 4 are half plan views of Figs. 1 and 2, and Figs. 5 and 6 are detail
views.
The receptacles a a¹, having the shape of cylinders or discs, are connected by
the axis c carried by points in the supports d, and acted upon by the armature m
of the electro-magnet go by means of a toothed sector e gearing with the toothed
sector ffixed to the axis c; the receptacles receive an oscillating motion which
makes or breaks the circuit. The receptacles a and a¹ are each provided with an
annular channel b, containing the circuit breaking devices h and h¹. This channel
is half filled with mercury the upper half containing vaseline oil, so as to expel
all the air. The filling with oil of vaseline is of great importance, as other oils
do not keep, and become decomposed.
The points or positions at which the makes and breaks occur are determined
by a gear consisting of a fork n n', pivoted at g and pressed upwards by a spring r,
so that the roller o¹ stops either of the blocks por pl of the receptacle a (Figs. 1
and 6). When the circuit is to be broken or closed, the electro-magnet attracts

page_text: first the fork n or n' and thus releases the receptacle a in order that the armature m
may move the receptacles a a¹ in the required direction, by imparting an oscilla-
tory movement to the toothed sector e.
The gear is guided by the pillar s, so that the roller o¹ works at a forced stroke.
The parts h and h¹, serving to close the circuit, are fixed to the receptacles by
means of screws passing through the same.
Fig. 1 shows by full lines the connection of rigid conducting pieces i i¹ these pieces
dip into the small boxes u and u¹ where they communicate through the mercury
with the line conductors v v¹.
Fig. 1 also shows, by dotted lines, the method of fixing movable or flexible
cables, which may, in some cases, be utilised in the place of rigid conducting
pieces.
The small boxes uu¹ form a part of the glass casing; two of these boxes are
used for each pole. Glass covers kk enable the operator to control the filling
of the disc shaped receptacles. The perforated screws t t serve for filling purposes,
and the heat can escape through the small perforations, should its devolopment
be too great. The bell w covers the whole of the apparatus.
. This apparatus is particularly suitable for closing the circuit between the
conductor charged with a strong current and the transformer, it is inserted
between the latter and the branch conductor, and is connected by movable cables
to the circuit closing devices h and h¹. h is the breaking device while h dips
constantly into the mercury.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
An instantaneous electro-magnetic cut in and cut-out, characterized by the
arrangement in couples of cylindrical receptacles a furnished with grooves or
channels 6 containing the circuit closing devices h h¹, which receptacles are carried
by their common axis c upon central points, and actuated by toothed sectors e and f,
the positions of these receptacles for closing and opening the circuit, or the makes
and breaks, being determined with the aid of the blocks p and p¹, by the gearn n¹
and s, while the gear and the sectors are actuated by electro-magnets, and the small
boxes u hold and guide the conductors, the whole operating substantially as herein
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated 15th Tul., 1907
GEORGE DOWNING & SONS,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C., Agents.