Improvements in Regulating Electric Currents.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 21st May, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 21st Mar., 1890.—Accepted, 26th Apr., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Regulating Electric Currents.
'I, WILLIAM MORRIS MORDEY, of Victoria Works, Belvedere Road, in the County
of Surrey, Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference to an improved automatic electric current or potential
regulator which may be used for the control of any circuit whether supplied by direct
or alternate current machines, secondary batteries, transformers, or otherwise..
The apparatus consists of three principal parts, the relay, the regulator, and the
resistance or other device required to be moved, controlled, or varied. The relay
consists of a core and solenoid arrangement preferably comprising two fixed hollow
wooden bobbins wound with wire and placed vertically and parallel and having a
U shaped core freely suspended and entering the bobbins from below. The core is of
laminated iron or iron wire to increase its sensitiveness by reducing reactions to a
minimum, especially when used with alternate currents. This core controls a contact
maker of any suitable form.
The winding of the bobbins, when used for controlling potential, is preferably of
platinoid, and is placed as a shunt on the circuit. To enable the potential to be
controlled with reference to a distant point a second and thicker winding is placed on
the bobbins and placed in series with the main circuit. The relay acts by its contact
maker closing, or it may be short circuiting, one or other of two circuits on the
regulator, according as the E.M.F. or current, or energy is required to be increased
or decreased.
Under some circumstances (as in controlling the speed of an electro-motor) the
relay may consist of a centrifugal device which acts by closing one or other of two
circuits if the speed vary above or below a pre-determined rate.
The regulator consists of two hollow metal bobbins, wound with wire, placed one
above the other on a common vertical axis.
A long straight iron core is loosely supported axially in the bobbins. This core is
carried by a float, usually a sealed vessel of thin sheet metal, placed in a larger vessel
containing water, oil, or other suitable liquid. This provides a simple means of
support which has little friction. This float also supports a metal plate hung between
two fixed plates forming the electrodes of a liquid resistance, the suspended plate
being so disposed that its movement, up and down, varies the liquid resistance between
the said electrodes. This arrangement has the advantage that there is no necessity
for any flexible or other electrical connection with the suspended plate.
Instead of this form of resistance, other forms may be used consisting either of
resistance, or of impedence, or other devices arranged to be controlled by the move-
ment of the regulators.
The two bobbins or solenoids of the regulator are so connected with the contact
making portion of the relay, that one or other of them is energised when the current
or potential or other quantity required to be controlled is not steady at the normal
amount and the core is thus drawn up or down until the required effect is obtained,
when it remains stationary until a further irregularity occurs.
The object of making the regulator bobbins of thick metal, preferably copper or
brass, is to increase the reaction which occurs when the current through their winding
is stopped and in this way causing the motion of the core and float to be more.
suddenly stopped than would otherwise be the case. If need be I may increase this
effect so as even to produce a slight reversal of the motion in order to prevent the
"hunting" which has hitherto been a cause of inconvenience in various forms of
automatic regulators.

page_text: Sometimes instead of making the float-vessel and float separate and distinct from
the regulator bobbins and core, I combine them by winding or placing the coils round
the outside of the float-vessel, which I make of brass, and using the float as the core,
making it of galvanized or tinned iron.
Dated this 21st M... 1000
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Regulating Electric Currents.
I, WILLIAM MORRIS MORDEY, of Victoria Works, Belvedere Road, in the County of
Surrey, Electrician, 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 has reference to an improved automatic electric current or potential
regulator which may be used for the control of any circuit whether supplied by direct
or alternate current generators, secondary batteries, transformers, or otherwise, or for
the control of electric motors.
The apparatus consists of three principal parts, the relay, the regulator, and the
resistance or other device required to be moved, controlled or varied. The relay Fig. 1
consists of a core and solenoid arrangement preferably comprising two fixed hollow
wooden bobbins B, B, one of which is shewn in section, wound with wire w, W, and
placed vertically and parallel and having a U shaped core C, freely suspended and
entering the bobbins B, B, from below. The openings at the top of the bobbins B, B,
are preferably fitted with another core piece C which, as well as the core C is
of laminated iron, or iron wire to increase its sensitiveness by reducing reactions
to a minimum, especially when used with alternate currents. This core controls
a contact maker, a suitable form for which is shewn in Fig. 1. This contact
maker comprises a light metal beam b which is pivotted at p on a support not
shewn and is caused by an adjustable connection p¹ on the movement up or down
of the core C, to make a contact at one or other of the contact points D, D¹,
which are so arranged as to be brought into contact with mercury cups d d³, or
it may be with metal or carbon blocks, connected with terminals T T¹.
A mercury
cup dis provided by means of which the beam 6 is connected with the
terminal T. When the beam b is in a middle position no contact is made at
or D¹. A spring S is provided for purposes of adjustment.
The winding w of the bobbins B, B when used for controlling potential is preferably
of platinoid, and is placed as a shunt on the circuit to be controlled. To enable the
potential to be controlled with reference to a distant point, or to rise or fall with the
increase of current, as is often required in the parallel systems of supply, a second and
thicker winding W, is placed on the bobbins and placed in series with the main
circuit. The windings w W are connected either differentially or so as to assist one
another as may be required for the purpose of enabling the main current in the
winding W to decrease or to increase the magnetising power exerted on the core C.
The relay acts by its contact maker closing, or it may be short circuiting one or other
of two circuits on the regulator according as the E.M.F. or current or energy is
required to be increased or decreased.
Under some circumstances (as when used for regulating the speed of an electro
motor) the relay consists of a centrifugal device which acts by making one or
other of the two contacts D D¹ if the speed rises above or falls below a pre-determined
rate.
The regulator shewn partly in elevation and partly in vertical section in Fig. 2 is
constructed as follows:-A doat F, consisting of a hollow sealed vessel of sheet iron,
is placed in a larger vessel V of brass or copper, containing water, oil, mercury, or
other suitable liquid. This float, which provides a simple means of support having

page_text: little friction, carries a metal plate P or two connected plates P P, hung between two
fixed metal plates P1 P1 forming the electrodes of a liquid resistance R, the suspended
plate or plates P being so disposed that its or their movement up or down varies the
liquid resistance between the plates P¹ P¹. This arrangement has the advantage that
it obviates the necessity for any flexible or other electrical connection with the moving
parts of the regulator. The plates P are carried by a rod P³ that passes through a
central tube in the vessel V and is connected to a cross head P³ connected to the float.
Sometimes, however, no fixed plates are used, but in lieu thereof two plates are
supported by the float F the resistance being varied by the movement of the float F
causing more or less of the said plates to be immersed. Instead of a liquid resistance
other forms of resistance may be used such as resistance coils, impedence coils or other
back E.M.F. devices arranged to be varied or controlled by the movement of the
regulator.
on
The iron float F is caused to move up or down by magnetic action depending on
the passage of an electric current in one or other of two coils or solenoids of
wire W¹ W¹, wound the outside of the vessel V. The two bobbins or
solenoids W W₁ of the regulator are so connected with the contact making
portion of the relay that one or other of them is energised when the current or
potential or other quantity required to be controlled, is not steady at the normal
amount, and the core is thus drawn up or down until the required effect is obtained,
when it will remain stationary until a further irregularity occurs.
The winding and connections of these coils W₁ W", depends upon the particular
function required to be performed by the regulator. Thus for most purposes of
controlling the E.M.F. of a circuit of which the variable resistance forms a part one
or other of the coils W' W" is simply connected to a source of current by means of
the contacts D or D¹. For maintaining a constant current as on an arc lighting
series circuit I usually wind each of the two coils W' W" with two equal windings in
opposite directions, so that when both windings are traversed by the current no
magnetising effect is produced, and I cause the regulator to act by short circuiting or
open-circuiting one of the windings thus allowing the other winding to exert a
magnetic effect and cause a movement of the float F, in the required direction.
The regulator bobbins W' W" are preferably made of copper or brass, to
increase the reaction which occurs when the current through their winding is
stopped and in this way cause the motion of the core and float to be more
suddenly arrested than would otherwise be the case. If need be I may increase
this effect so as even to produce a slight reversal of the motion in order to
prevent the "hunting" which has hitherto been a cause of inconvenience in various
forms of automatic regulators. To increase the power exerted by the coils W W' I
sometimes place outside of these coils an iron cylinder, which however is not shown in
the figure.
The float is usually arranged so that it is balanced in any position, but sometimes it
is made to have a slight tendency to rise or fall, in order that when not in use it may
take up a position suitable for starting on the next occasion when it may be
required.
In some cases the coils and core may be separate from and placed above or below
the float vessel, the float having no magnetic function.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. For regulating electric currents, a relay constructed with one or more bobbins
each having two windings and a core of laminated iron or iron wire which core con-
trols a contact making device, one of the windings being placed as a shunt on the
main circuit to be controlled and the other in series with such circuit substantially as
herein described for the purpose set forth.
2. For regulating electric currents the combination with a variable resistance of a
regulator constructed with a magnetic core for operating said variable resistance,

page_text: such core being carried by, or itself forming a float within a vessel containing liquid
and controlled by one or other of two solenoids or windings by means of a relay
substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein described.
3. The use conjointly of the hereinabove described construction and arrangement of
relay regulator and resistance operating as set forth with reference to the drawings
for regulating electric currents.
Dated this 21st day of March 1800
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.