Improvements in Apparatus for Inducing Electric Sparks for Gas Lighting and like Purposes.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Inducing Electric Sparks for
Gas Lighting and like Purposes.
I, ALEXANDER REID MOLISON, of 17 Fern Terrace, Swansea, in the County of
Glamorgan, Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDUCING ELECTRIC SPARKS FOR GAS LIGHTING AND
LIKE PURPOSES to be as follows:-
"
My invention relates to statical electrical induction apparatus, for which Letters
patent were granted to me under No 1295 and dated 12 March 1883 and also to
me, in conjunction with Otway Edward Woodhouse and Frederick Lawrence
Rawson, under No 5036 and dated 23rd October 1SS3 and an application allowed
to myself under N° 9724 and dated 3rd July 1884 and it is designed to render the
said apparatus more compact and convenient of construction and to cause it to
operate by a simple mechanical driving mechanism as suggested, but not specified
in detail in the specifications filed in pursuance of the former said Letters Patent
and application.
To carry out my present invention I make the containing chamber of my
inducing apparatus of a non-conducting material, such as vulcanite, in the form of
a shallow circular box. Within this box and on the inside bottom face thereof
I place the inducing plates or armatures conveniently in the form of tin foil,
attached in any convenient way to the bottom of the said box. Over this I mount a
circular rotating plate, carrying also the other inducing metallic plates, or foil, upon
the same or opposite face to that presented to the bottom of the box. I then close
the shallow containing box by a cover let down on to a shoulder or in any other
convenient way to a definite position within the shallow box, leaving room for the
free rotation of the disc.
Upon the face of this diaphragm, turned towards the revolving disc I attach the
brushes or springs, pressing with their spring points upon the metallic sectors of
the revolving disc, or upon metallic buttons electrically connected thereto.
These springs I make in the form of thin slips of elastic metal, terminated, at
he end raised from the attaching base, in solid buttons, or pressed up hemispheres,
o as to form an easily sliding surface contact with the revolving disc.
The relative arrangement of these inducing surfaces of the contact springs, and
of the other circuit connections, which are conveniently made upon the surface of
he diaphragm away from the revolving disc, are carried out similar to those in the
Prine 71

page_text: inducing apparatus described in the aforesaid Letters Patent, already granted to
me and others in conjunction with myself.
To effect the rotation of the revolving disc, I mount a pinion, free to revolve
upon the spindle of the said disc, and attached to a ratchet wheel, the pawl,
engaging with the said ratchet, being pivoted upon a plate, securely attached to
the said spindle. I mount also a geared quadrant or sector, of a circle, movable on
a fixed pivot, in which the quadrant gears into the said pinion, and is provided
with a thumb tail or lever, by which it may be operated against the reaction of a
spiral spring.
The action of the said mechanism is, that when the thumb lever of the quadrant
is moved by the operator, the quadrant communicates rotary motion to the revolving
disc through the fixed ratchet wheel and pawl. The momentum of the revolving
disc then suffices to continue the revolution for some time the ratchet pawl slipping
over the ratchet, and the quadrant being brought back to its normal position by
the reaction of a spiral spring The said driving mechanism is then enclosed
between the aforesaid fixed diaphragm of vulcanite, or other insulating material,
and an external cover, which is secured in place to close the aforesaid shallow
circular containing box.
A suitable handle is provided to hold the apparatus and the discharged circuit is
completed by the exterior walls of an external elongated tube and an internal
insulated wire. The upper part of this external tube is conveniently removable.to
allow free access to the sparking points, for cleansing purposes when required. It
is obvious that the position of the inducing metallic surfaces or foil upon the
revolving disc, may be varied in any of the ways described in the aforesaid Letters
Patent, and the driving mechanism herein described may be applied to any forms
included in those specifications.
The arrangement described of the revolving disc enclosed between the bottom of
the box and the diaphragm may be duplicated if required, to multiply the action
of the inductive surfaces.

page_text: Gas Lighting and like Purposes.
I, ALEXANDER REID MOLISON of N° 17 Fern Terrace, Swansea, in the County
of Glamorgan, Electrician do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDUCING ELECTRIC SPARKS FOR GAS LIGHTING
AND LIKE PURPOSES 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 chiefly to the addition of driving gear to apparatus for
gas lighting for which letters patent were granted to me under N° 1295 and dated
12th March 1883 and also to me in conjunction with Otway Edward Woodhouse
and Frederick Lawrence Rawson under N° 5036 and dated 23rd October 1883 and
also to myself under N° 9724 and dated 3rd July 1884.
It also relates to improvements in the arrangement of parts, so as to render the
apparatus compact portable, handy and easy in construction and will be readily
understood on reference to the annexed sheet of drawings.
Fig. 1 represents a shallow circular box of non-conducting material or what is
equivalent, a metallic or other box lined with a non-conducting substance, having
metallic foil placed on and stuck to its bottom forming the inducing armatures and
similar to the arrangement in my former inventions referred to. These are marked
by dotted lines, as the rotating plate is seen in its place above this, with its six
metallic plates on the side remote from the armatures.
Fig. 2 represents a thin diaphragm of insulating material such as vulcanite, with
six springs attached by rivets, their points being cupped or pressed up so as to
present a smooth rubbing surface where they touch the revolving disc. Instead
of these springs small pieces of thin elastic metal may be used with their ends
pointing in the direction of the rotation of the plate or disc, when in position.
This diaphragm is placed in the shallow box face downwards, the ends of the
springs touching the revolving disc leaving room for the otherwise free rotation of
the disc.
Fig. 3 is the plan of the box fitted with the driving gear but with the external
cover or lid removed. A A A is the diaphragm B B, C C¹, D D₁ are the metallic
connections with the springs through the rivets, B and B are connected electrically
by a strip of tin foil or in any other convenient way C and C¹ are connected
electrically each to an armature at the bottom of the box, D the upper rivet is
connected to the insulated wire in the tube while D¹ (not shewn) is put in metallic
connection with the bandle or other outside and conducting part of the apparatus.
E represents the curved rack or quadrant hinged or pivoted at its centre of
curvature F, and having a tail piece or thumb leaver G projecting through a slot
in the box. This rack engages a pinion to which is attached a ratchet wheel H;
and moves or turns on the spindle carrying the disc. The spindle also carries a
plate I securely fixed to it and having a spring pawl which engages the ratchet.
Jis a spring the reaction of which brings back the rack to its normal position
after the removal of pressure on the thumb lever.

page_text: An extra wheel and pinion might be placed between the rack and middle pinion,
to increase the rotation, if found desirable. K is an arm carrying one end of the
spindle the other end being in a bearing at the bottom of the box. L is the handle
M is the tube in which is the insulated wire N is the sparking top being similar
to my former arrangement, but made with a joint in the tube at O so that the
insulating material may be cleaned from dust.
Fig. 4 is a section of the apparatus which is sufficiently clear without further
description.
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 is
1st The driving mechanism substantially as described.
2nd The diaphragm to hold the spring substantially as described.
3rd The removable top for cleaning purposes substantially as described.
4th The springs substantially as described.