Improvements in Electric Arc Lamps.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Feb., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Nov., 1898-Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Arc Lamps.
A communication from PIERRE VASSLA, of Paris, in the Republic of France.
I, ARTHUR FREEMORE SPOONER, of 323, High Holborn, in the County of
London, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows;---
This invention relates to electric arc lamps and is designed to provide improved
means for the automatic regulation of the carbons in a regular manner by means
of a comparatively feeble current of electricity.
This lamp like all those of this description has two vertical tubular or hollow
rods, uprights, or standards, forming guides or supports for the carbon holders,
which standards are attached to a plate or platform upon which are located the
different parts of the regulating mechanism of the lamp.
Upon this plate or platform are also fixed two other rods, uprights, or standards
attached at their upper extremities to a second or upper plate and between these
latter rods, uprights or standards, is mounted a horizontal axis carrying a grooved
pulley, a toothed wheel, and a ratchet wheel the pawl of which is mounted upon
the said toothed wheel. This toothed wheel gears or meshes with a pinion keyed
upon an axis, which latter has also keyed upon it another toothed wheel gearing
or meshing with the pinion of a flier which operates to regulate the speed of
the entire train of gearing, and to obviate or moderate any jerks or shocks which
might otherwise occur through the working of the said gearing. Upon the same
axis as this flier is mounted a star or spur wheel the function of which will be
hereinafter described.
A trident or three pronged fork shaped balance lever is pivoted at a convenient
height between the upper rods uprights or standards through the ends of the
two outer arms of its forked end and is arranged so as to admit of the first
mentioned toothed wheel, the pawl, and the second toothed wheel passing between
its arms.
This forked balance lever has, moreover, its central branch or prong
prolonged beyond the upper rods, uprights, or standards and is arranged to carry
a grooved pulley so placed that a vertical line touching its periphery will be in
line or coincide with the axis of one of the tubular rods, uprights or standards
forming the guides or supports for the carbon holders. The above mentioned
branch or prong is also provided at its extremity with a spring, the tension of
which can be regulated by means of a screw adjustment.
Upon one side arm or prong of the forked end of the hereinbefore mentioned
balance lever is provided a finger piece or stop so arranged that when the said
lever is oscillated or moved in one direction it will act upon or engage with the
star or spur wheel so as to arrest the movement of the latter.
The above balance lever terminates in, or has at its other end, a curved tail
or projection the end of which is connected to the movable core or plunger of a
solenoid mounted upon the lower plate or platform. The travel of this core or

page_text: plunger and consequently the oscillations of the balance lever can be regulated
by screws or stops provided in an arch-shaped piece mounted upon the coil of
the solenoid.
A third grooved pulley so placed that a vertical line touching its periphery will
coincide with the central axis of the lamp, is mounted upon a bracket fixed to
one of the upper rods, uprights, or standards and supports a cord or its equiva-
lent which is attached to the upper carbon holder and passes under the grooved
pulley upon the first mentioned horizontal axis and over the grooved pulley upon
the balance lever, finally passing down one of the tubular hollow rods, uprights,
or standards of the carbon holders where it is attached to the end of a stem con-
nected to the cross piece of the lower carbon holder.
Suitable binding posts for the electric wires are provided upon the upper plate
or platform and a globe for surrounding the arc is supported from a suitable
bracket.
The operation of the lamp is as follows:-
The carbons having been placed in position the positive in the upper carbon
holder, and the negative in the lower one in such a manner that their points are
not in contact and the current arriving by one of the binding posts, the said
current will be shunted through the coil of the solenoid which becoming mag-
netized will attract its central movable core or plunger, which latter will draw
down with it one end of the balance lever and cause it to pivot or oscillate so
that the finger piece or stop upon the forked end thereof will become disengaged
from the star or spur wheel, and the train of gearing will be then liberated, and
will rotate under the action of the weight of the upper carbon holder, to a suffi-
cient extent to bring together the carbons, and consequently to produce the arc.
When, however, the power of attraction of the solenoid diminishes and is
overcome by the force of the spring connected to the end of the central prong
of the balance lever the latter will be drawn down and the other end rise so
that the finger piece or stop thereon will again engage between the arms of the
star or spur wheel. As soon as, by reason of the consumption of the carbon the
arc commences to go down, the current will again act upon the solenoid which
will once more move the lever through its core or plunger and render possible the
rotation of the gearing so as to admit of another descent of the carbon. These
different actions will take place successively and without perceptible jerk or
shock for the production of the arc.
The lamp may be operated either by means of alternating or continuous
currents.
Dated thi. 04th
T 1
1000
Improvements in Electric Arc Lamps.
A communication from PIERRE VASSIA, of Paris, in the Republic of France.
I, ARTHUR FREEMORE SPOONER, of 323, High Holborn, in the County of
London, Chartered Patent Agent, 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:-
-
This invention relates to electric arc lamps and is designed to provide improved
means for the automatic striking of the arc and regulation of the carbons in a
regular manner by means of a comparatively feeble current of electricity.

page_text: In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention,
Figure 1 is a front elevation, the outer casing of the mechanism being in
section.
Figure 2 is a part side elevation, and
Figure 3 is a sectional plan on the line y Figure 2.
This lamp like all those of this description has two vertical tubular or hollow
rods, uprights, or standards, A, A' forming guides or supports for the carbon
holders B, B', which standards are attached to a plate or platform C upon which
are located the different parts of the regulating mechanism of the lamp.
Upon this plate or platform C are also fixed two other rods, uprights, or stan-
dards D, D attached at their upper extremities to a second or upper plate C¹ and
between these latter rods, uprights or standards D, D¹, is mounted a horizontal
axis E carrying a grooved pulley e, a toothed wheel F, and a ratchet wheel & the
pawl of which is mounted upon the said toothed wheel F. This toothed wheel F
gears or meshes with a pinion F keyed upon an axle H, which latter has also
keyed upon it another toothed wheel I gearing or meshing with the pinion J of
a flier which operates to regulate the speed of the entire train of gearing, and
to obviate or moderate any jerks or shocks which might otherwise occur through
the working of the said gearing. Upon the same axis as this flier K is mounted
a star or spur wheel K¹ the function of which will be hereinafter described.
A trident or three-pronged fork-shaped balance lever L is pivoted at a con-
venient height between the upper rods uprights or standards D, D' through the
ends of the two outer prongs 1, of its forked end and is arranged so as to admit
of the first-mentioned toothed wheel F, the ratchet wheel and pawl G, and the
second toothed wheel I passing between its prongs. This forked balance-lever L
has, moreover, its central branch prolonged beyond the upper rods, uprights
or standards D, D₁ and arranged to carry a grooved pulley f so placed that a
vertical line touching its periphery will be in line, or coincide, with the axis of
one of the tubular rods, uprights or standards A, A¹ forming the guides or sup-
ports for the carbon holders B, B. The above mentioned branch is also pro-
vided at its extremity with a spring R, the tension of which can be regulated by
means of a screw adjustment r, and thumb-nut rl.
Upon the outer prong of the forked end of the lever L is provided a finger
piece or stop M so arranged that when the said lever is oscillated or moved in
one direction it will act upon or engage with the star or spur wheel K' so as to
arrest the movement of the latter.
The above balance lever L terminates in, or has at its other end, a curved tail
or projection L the end of which is connected to the movable core or plunger N
of a solenoid S mounted upon the lower plate or platform C. The travel of this
core or plunger N and consequently the oscillations of the balance lever L can be
regulated by screws or stops 0, 0 provided in an arch-shaped piece l' mounted
upon the coil of the solenoid S.
A third grooved pulley g so placed that a vertical line touching its periphery
will coincide with the central axis of the lamp, is mounted upon a bracket
fixed to one of the upper rods, uprights, or standards D, D and supports a cord T
or its equivalent which is attached to the upper carbon holder B and passes under
the grooved pulley e upon the first mentioned horizontal axis E and over the
grooved pulley f upon the balance lever L, finally passing down one of the
tubular rods, uprights, or standards of the carbon holders A, A¹ where it is
attached to the end of a stem connected to the cross piece of the lower carbon
holder B¹.
Suitable binding posts U, U₁ for the electric wires are provided upon the upper
plate or platform C₁ and a globe V for surrounding the are is supported from a
suitable bracket.
The operation of the lamp is as follows:-
The carbons having been placed in position, the positive in the upper carbon
holder B and the negative in the lower one B¹ in such a manner that their points

page_text: are not in contact and the current arriving by one of the binding posts U, U¹,
the said current will be shunted through the coil of the solenoid S which becom-
ing magnetized will attract its central movable core or plunger N, which latter
will draw down with it one end of the balance lever L and cause it to pivot or
oscillate so that the finger-piece or stop M upon the outer prong will become
disengaged from the star or spur wheel K'. The train of gearing will be then
liberated, and will rotate under the action of the weight or by the force of
gravitation of the upper carbon holder B bringing the carbons momentarily
together, but the circuit then being completed through the carbons, the
plunger N of the solenoid S becomes demagnetized. Thereupon the lever L
returns under the influence of the spring R until the stop O is reached, the
rotation of the train of gearing is again intercepted by the re-engagement of the
finger M with the star or spur wheel K¹ and as the cord T runs over the pulley f
and the latter is lowered with the movement of the lever L the lower carbon
holder falls and the arc is struck.
As soon as, by reason of the consumption of the carbons the resistance of the
arc increases, the current will again act upon the solenoid S which will once more
move the lever L through its core or plunger N and permit the rotation of the
gearing so as to admit of further feed of the carbons. These different actions will
take place successively and without perceptible jerk or shock.
The lamp may be operated either by means of alternating or continuous
currents.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this 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:-
1. In an electric arc lamp a pivoted lever connected at one end to the plunger
of a solenoid and having at its other end a pulley over which the cord connecting
the carbon holders passes and carrying a finger which intercepts the motion of a
train of gearing substantially as set forth.
2. In an electric arc lamp, the combination, with a train of gearing actuated
by force of gravitation of the carbon holder, of a lever which carries the plunger
of a solenoid a finger to intercept the rotation of the gearing and a pulley over
which the cord connecting the carbon holders passes, whereby the arc is struck
and the carbon feed maintained substantially as set forth.
3. The electric arc lamp constructed substantially as described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of Nawanshan 1000