Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Dec., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 5th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 14th Oct., 1899
1..
We, CECIL BURMAN CALLOW, of Newland Villas, Saint Helens, Isle of Wight,
and JUSTUS ECK, of 5, Priory Road, Bedford Park, London, W., do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
The switch consists of a vessel containing liquid of moderate electric conduc-
tivity an adjustable dashpot or other similar device for regulating movement, a
conducting plunger arranged to pass into the conducting liquid, a controlling
handle and a short circuiting device.
The controlling handle is loosely connected to the plunger in such a way that
when it is put in the starting position the plunger is able freely to pass into the
liquid but when the controlling handle is allowed to drop towards the stopping
position, it, after moving a certain distance, pulls the plunger out of the liquid.
The plunger is controlled in its rate of movement by the dashpot so that it
passes slowly into the conducting liquid.
The conducting liquid is connected to one end of the motor circuit and the
plunger to the other.
When the motor is to be started the controlling handle is put into the start-
ing position and retained there either by a catch or by the attraction of an
electro magnet in the circuit acting on an armature attached to the handle, the
plunger then passes slowly into the conducting liquid thus gradually reducing the
resistance in the circuit and starting the motor without shock or excessive
rush of current. When the plunger has nearly travelled its full course it comes
into contact with the short circuiting device making a low resistance bye-pass
to the circuit through the liquid.
When the motor is to be stopped, either the catch is released, or the circuit
broken by a switch, thus permitting the controlling handle to fall back into the
off position and with-draw towards the end of its course the plunger, first from
the short circuiting device, and then from the liquid.
Dated thie Seventh day of December 1898
We, CECIL BURMAN CALLOW, of Hillway House (late of Newland Villas), Saint
Helens, Isle of Wight, and JUSTUS ECK, of 5, Priory Road, Bedford Park, London,
6 W., do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
Price R71

page_text: is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
The accompanying diagrams represent a suitable form of this switch. Fig. 1
is a front elevation, Fig. 2 is a side elevation, Fig. 3 is a plan view and Fig. 4
is a view on a larger scale shewing part of the switch.
In the form shewn H, is a vessel containing fluid of a suitable electric conduc-
tivity which is used as the resistance path of the switch. Two conducting
plungers A, A, are suspended by conducting cords B, B, passing over, and in
some cases fixed to, grooved conducting wheels K, K, mechanically connected to
but electrically insulated from the spindle S, which is free to turn in bearings
or journals P, P.
The cords B, B, terminate at their other ends at a cross piece C, from which
they are insulated. The cross piece C, is connected to a piston F, which when
working in a cylinder G, forms a dashpot regulated after the usual manner by
cocks and valves.
The wheels K, K, make electrical contact with springs 0, 0, rubbing against
them. 0, 0, are mounted on and insulated from the frame L and are the terminals
of the switch and to them are attached the two ends of the motor circuit.
Upon the spindle S, is mounted, but left free to rotate; a third grooved wheel N,
to which is attached a handle M, which carries an armature U, or the half part
of a mechanical catch. From N, on the handle side is suspended by the cord D,
a weight E, which either rests on the piston F, or may be lifted from it by
moving the handle M, round the axis of S, to T. This weight E, is so great
that when resting on F, it will force if down into the cylinder and thus by means
of the connecting cords lift A, A, out of the fluid. On the other hand A, A, are
so heavy that if E, is lifted off F, they will of their own weight lift F, by means
of the cords and pass into the fluid. The rate of movement is controlled by the
cocks and valves in the usual manner.
Upon K, K, are projections J, J, which come into contact with R, R, which
are in contact with the insulated cross bar I, at a time when A, A, are nearly
at the end of their possible motion and thus make a bye-pass of low resistance
to the resistance in circuit from A, to A, in the vessel H.
The electric magnet T, is connected either in the main or field circuit of the
electric motor and is so placed that when M, is moved over to it the armature U,
can be attracted and held firmly. If it is not considered advisable to use the
electric magnet, the complementary part of the mechanical catch attached to M,
is used to retain the handle.
The normal position of the switch when the motor is stopped is shewn in the
diagrams. When it is desired to start the motor the handle M, is turned over
to T, and held by the catch or by hand until the electric magnet is excited and
the armature attracted.
Moving M, and consequently the wheel N, lifts the weight E. This permits A, A,
to descend into H, and thus complete the electric circuit, the resistance of this
circuit gradually decreases as more and more of A, A, pass into the fluid.
When A, A, are nearly at the end of their possible motion J, J, come into contact
with R, R, thus eliminating all the remaining resistance in H, from the motor
circuit.
When the motor is to be stopped either the catch on M, is released or the
magnetism of T, reduced sufficiently to free the armature. The handle M is then
pulled back by the weight E, which then presses on F, and thus lifts A, A, out
of the liquid by the rotation of the wheels K, K.
Alternatively to the above method of working the vessel H, may be joined to
one end of the electric circuit and both plungers A, A, to the other end but in
this case the bar I, would be connected electrically to H, and H, itself would pre-
ferably be insulated from the frame L.
It is obvious also that A, and A, may each be replaced by a series of plates

page_text: interleaved but separate from one another thus presenting a greatly increased
surface and permitting larger currents to flow without overheating or decompos-
ing the fluid.
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:-
1. A resistance switch for electric motors substantially as described.
2. A resistance switch in which the rate of decrease of resistance is prede-
termined.
3. A resistance switch so constructed that a rapid movement of the handle does
not increase the rapidity of the parts in the electric circuit substantially as
described.
4. A resistance switch which automatically provides a low resistance bye path
when the resistance in circuit is at about its minimum.
5. A resistance switch in which the rate of decrease of resistance is controlled
by a dashpot substantially as described.
6. A resistance switch in which the handle is so related to the resistance part
that it does not control the rapidity of its movement.
Dated this 4th day of September 1899.
CECIL BURMAN CALLOW.
JUSTUS ECK.