AN IMPROVED MEANS FOR OPENING OR CLOSING AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT AND AN IMPROVED MEANS OR DEVICE FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH INCANDESCENCE ELECTRIC LAMPS
Year: 1885

page_text: HARRY WILKINSON, Stamford Hill, in County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention for AN IMPROVED MEANS
FOR OPENING OR CLOSING AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT AND AN IMPROVED MEANS OR
DEVICE FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH INCANDESCENCE ELECTRIC LAMPS (a com-
to me from abroad by J. G. W. Fairbairn Vienna Austria) and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
This contrivance relates first to an improved form of switch or contact maker
for Electric currents of any magnitude, in which the essential parts are a screw in
making contact; and secondly to a combination of the above, with an attachment,
holder, or carrier, for use with any piece of Electrical Apparatus; shewn in the
drawings (for illustration) as a Holder for an Incandescence Lamp.
The switch or contact maker is shewn in drawing I, Figs 1, 2, 3 in which a is a
screw working in a nut, or bearing b, c, c¹ are contact pieces, through which the
circuit is made by rotating the screw a The reverse action being employed to
break the circuit. The other parts shewn on the drawing being e, el terminal
screws for wires-f. f. f. f screws for holding down contact pieces c, ch is a block
of wood or other material upon which the whole is mounted-i is a disc, or wheel,
or cross handle for rotating the screw a-At g, g, as shewn, pieces of India Rubber
or other elastic material are inserted to ensure the contact piece & touching c, c¹
but I sometimes prefer to leave this out.
Instead of rotating the screw a I sometimes prefer to rotate the bearing or nut
in which it works, in which case the bearing b is made with a moveable piece or
nut, carrying the screw-This nut is sometimes made as a whole nut, embracing
the entire circumference of the screw, and I sometimes employ a segment only of
a circle.

page_text: The second portion of the contrivance relating to the apparatus to be used in
connection with Incandescence Lamps or other Electrical Apparatus, as shown in
drawing II, and comprising the switch before described in connection with a
Holder, or Carrier for an Incandescence Lamp. The parts comprising the switch
are lettered as before a. b. c. d, being respectively the screw, bearing or nut, contact
plate, and end of screw making contact with contact plate c-The Holder or
Carrier for the Lamps comprises ka metal block through which pass the leading
wires 1, l, as sbewu-m is a piece of insulating material such as vulcanized fibre,
or ebonite, or other suitable material-n. n. n. are screws for attaching m to k
c shews the connection of one wire 4, to one terminal of the Lamps attachment
o shews attachment to the other terminal.
The circuit through p as will be seen includes the switch.
The advantages claimed by the use of this described form of switch are as
follows:-
The metal piece k is first screw'd or otherwise attached to the pipe or rod
carrying the Lamp, it being, if screw'd, free to rotate round the wires l. l. The
insulating piece is next attached by the screws n. n. n. the wires having been
. previously threaded through it-The wires are then attached at o and p. and form
the connections to the Lamps.
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 as new and original in the above described contrivances are
1st The use of a screw and nut or bearing for making an Electric Contact
generally as above described.with reference to accompanying drawings.
2nd The use of the above described switch in combination with the Holder or
Attachment above described for use with any form of Electrical Apparatus
substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this Fifth day of January 1885