An Improved Method of Arranging the Coils of a Set of Electrical Resistances, and means for manipulating the same.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 20th May, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 21st Feb., 1898-Accepted, 14th May, 1898
An Improved Method of Arranging the Coils of a Set of Electrical
Resistances, and means for manipulating the same.
I, JOHN HORACE REEVES, M.A., of 9, Frederick Place, Clifton, Bristol, Private
Tutor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the arrangement of the coils in "sets" of electrical
resistances, and the means employed for manipulating the same, and has for its
object the provision of appliances whereby the resistances in two distinct electrical
circuits can be altered simultaneously by one operation.
For certain purposes of electrical measurement, it is necessary to have two
distinct circuits, and to be able to alter at will the resistance in either or both of
them, and generally the alteration in one circuit has to be bear a constant ratio
to that made in the other circuit.
«
"
The usual method of altering the resistance in a circuit is to insert in it a box
ог Bet of resistance coils, and by manipulating a plug or other suitable con-
trivance, the coil pertaining thereto can be thrown in or out of the circuit.
When two circuits are used, it is necessary to insert in either circuit such a set
of coils as is herein described, and to adjust each set separately to the amount
required, and my invention consists in the provision of means whereby these adjust-
ments may be facilitated.
To accomplish this, I take two distinct sets of coils, each set arranged in some
conveniently ascending or descending order of magnitude, and with each coil of the
one set, a coil of the other set is made to correspond, the resistance of each coil
of the one set bearing a constant proportion, including that of equality, to the
resistance of its corresponding coil in the other set. I then arrange these two
sets in a box or other suitable receptacle, placing each coil of one set in close
proximity to its fellow of the other set. I then provide means similar to those
used at present in ordinary resistance boxes for throwing any one coil in or out
of its circuit, and in addition, I so connect the arrangement pertaining to any one
coil of the one set with the arrangement pertaining to the fellow coil of the other
set, that one operation throws both coils in or out of their respective circuits.
J. G. WESTLAKE,
Applicant's Agent, 2, John Street, Bristol.

page_text: An Improved Method of Arranging the Coils of a Set of Electrical
Resistances, and means for manipulating the same.
I JOHN HORACE REEVES, M.A., late of 9, Frederick Place, Clifton, Bristol, now
of 85, Eltham Road, Lee, S.E., Private Tutor, 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:-
My invention relates to the arrangement of the coils in sets of electrical
resistances, and to means for manipulating the same, and has for its object the
provision of appliances whereby the resistances in two distinct electrical circuits
can be altered simultaneously by one operation.
For certain purposes of electrical measurement, it is necessary to have two
distinct circuits, and to be able to alter at will the resistance in either or both.
Generally the alteration in one circuit has to bear a constant ratio to that in the
other.
The usual way of altering the resistance in a circuit is to insert in it a box
or set of resistance coils, and by manipulating a plug or other suitable arrange-
ment, the coil pertaining thereto can be thrown in or out of the circuit;
and when two circuits, as described, are used, it is necessary to insert in either
circuit such a set of coils, and to adjust each set separately to the amount required.
My invention consists in the provision of means whereby these adjustments can
be facilitated; to accomplish this, I take two distinct sets of coils, each set
arranged in some conveniently ascending or descending order of magnitude, and
with each coil of the one set, a coil of the other is made to correspond, the resistance
of a coil of the one set bearing a constant proportion, including that of equality,
to the resistance of its corresponding coil in the other set. I then arrange these
sets in a box or other suitable receptacle, each coil of the one set being in close
proximity to its fellow of the other set.
I provide means similar to those at present used in ordinary resistance boxes
for throwing any one coil in or out of its circuit; and in addition, I so connect
the arrangement pertaining to any one coil of the one set with the arrangement
pertaining to the fellow coil of the other set that one operation throws both coils
in or out of their respective circuits.
A variety of means or methods may be adopted for manipulating the coils
simultaneously, two that appear to be the most suitable, are described and shown
in connection with the accompanying sheet of drawings, but I do not in any way
limit myself to the use of these particular devices or arrangements.
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively plan and sectional elevation of a portion of
the top of a set of resistance coils, fitted for the purposes of my invention, and
Fig. 3 is an appropriate plug for use in connection with the same. Figs. 4, 5,
and 6 respectively represent similar views and parts of another method of arranging
the coils and a plug for their manipulation.
Figs. 1 and 2 represent an elaboration of the brasses, conical plug, and socket
with which the tops of ordinary resistance boxes are fitted; in the drawings the
lined or heavily shaded parts indicate any suitable non-conducting material; and
the lightly shaded, or unlined parts, are the brasses or other conducting metal.
The pieces A', A³, A³, &c., are termed the lower brasses, and the pieces B¹,
B2, 133, &c., the upper brasses, and these are completely insulated by means of
the non conductor placed between them, as shown in Fig. 2. The plug, Fig. 3,
is compound, and consists of the insulating handle P, a spindle, screwthreaded
at each end, and nuts X and N for locking the parts firmly in position; circular

page_text: discs a and b, the latter insulated from the spindle and from a, are placed on the
spindle as shown, and when tightened by the lock nuts, the taper surface of the
plug is ground to fit accurately in the corresponding socket in the brasses.
Between the brasses A1, A2, &c., the resistances R1, R2³, &c., are attached in
the usual manner, forming one of the two sets of coils described; and between the
brasses BB, &c., the corresponding coils of the second set, ri2, 23, &c., the
coil 12 corresponding with the coil R, and similarly all the others of both sets.
With a box so constructed, and containing the parts of two distinct circuits,
with all the R coils in the one and the r coils in the other, the maximum resist-
ance, as far as the box is concerned, is in each circuit; but if any one plug be
inserted, the conducting disc b short circuits, or cuts out the resistance between
the two adjacent upper brasses, which have been connected by the disc on the plug,
and simultaneously, the lower disc « in a similar manner, cuts out the corre-
sponding resistance between the lower brasses, and thus by the insertion or removal
of one plug, the resistances in both of the circuits are instantly changed as required.
Figures 4, 5, and 6 represent another method of arriving at the same result.
The brasses A', A³, &c., B1, B2, &c., are placed side by side, and their respective
resistances are joined to them in the ordinary manner; the brasses are conveniently
lettered and numbered to correspond. The plug consists of two pieces of brass D D,
fitted as shown into an insulating handle P, conveniently shaped as in the drawings;
in Figs. 4 and 5, a plug is shown inserted between the brasses A1, A2, and B1, B2,
thus cutting out of circuit the corresponding resistances R12, 12, in a manner
similar to that already described, and as with the conical plug, the manipulation
of one plug simultaneously adjusts the resistances in both circuits.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
In boxes or sets of resistance coils, the use of two distinct sets of coils related
to one another in the manner described, so arranged that the operation of inserting
or removing a plug or similar contrivance which cuts out any one resistance from
its circuit, will simultaneously cut out the corresponding resistance of the other
set, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth and described, and illus-
trated in the accompanying drawings.