IMPROVEMENTS IN SHUNTS OR SWITCHES FOR PROTECTING TELEGRAPHIC AND OTHER ELECTRICAL SHUNTS OR SWITCHES FOR PROTECTING TELEGRAPHIC AND OTHER ELECTRICAL INSTRUMENTS FROM THE EFFECTS OF ABNORMAL OR EXCESSIVELY POWERFUL CURRENTS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Taylor Howard of Providence State of Rhode
Island United States of America, for an invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
SHUNTS OR SWITCHES FOR PROTECTING TELEGRAPHIC AND OTHER ELECTRICAL
SHUNTS OR SWITCHES FOR PROTECTING TELEGRAPHIC AND OTHER ELECTRICAL
INSTRUMENTS FROM THE EFFECTS OF ABNORMAL OR EXCESSIVELY POWERFUL
CURRENTS
,,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Taylor Howard at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th June 1882.
CHARLES TAYLOR HOWARD of Providence State of Rhode Island, United
States of America "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHUNTS OR SWITCHES FOR PROTECTING
TELEGRAPHIC AND OTHER ELECTRICAL INSTRUMENTS FROM THE EFFECTS OF
ABNORMAL OR EXCESSIVELY POWERFUL CURRENTS
My invention relates to an improved shunt or switch, which is arranged to cut
off all electric currents from the interior of dwellings or other buildings whenever
it is desired to do so on account of a thunder storm, or when the air is excessively
charged with electricity, and which will also carry off any excessive currents
accidentally produced, either by atmospheric electricity, the contact of telegraph
or telephone wires, with wires charged with electricity of a high tension, or from
other causes, without entering the building. The said invention comprises a shunt
or switch placed around, or in close proximity to, a plate connected with the
ground, and a movable bridge operated from the interior of the building, whereby
the electric current can be shunted froin the instrument and from the interior of
the building or connected with the same and in which a portion of any abnormally
powerful current of electricity will be automatically carried to the ground whether
the connection is made with the instrument or not. In carrying the said invention
into practice I employ a line wire connecting with one portion of the switch and
a continuation of the said line wire extending from another portion of the switch.
I also employ a wire leading to the telephone or other instrument and a wire
extending from the same. I also provide two plates to which are connected the

page_text: aforesaid line wire and its continuation which plates are hereinafter termed the
first and second plates I also employ two other plates hereinafter termed the third
and fourth plates and connected by a wire. I further employ two other plates
hereinafter termed the fifth and sixth plates and connected with clamp posts to
which the wires extending from the instrument are secured. The connection
between the said fifth and sixth plates and the aforesaid wires or lines connecting
with the instrument is preferably made with lead or other material, which, by an
abnormal powerful current of electricity is liable to fuse or by a connection of lower
conductivity than the line wires so as to prevent abnormal powerful currents from
entering the building even when the line is directly connected with the instru-
ment. I provide a ground or earth plate placed in close proximity to the aforesaid
six plates; this ground plate is preferably provided with a serrated edge and made
of circular form such form being the most convenient in an apparatus wherein the
shunt is operated by turning a knob, any other form of plate can be used and the
aforesaid six plates placed near the same when a sliding motion is used to operate
the shunt. I also provide two metallic bridges secured to an arm, which, being
made of non-conducting material is secured to a rod extending through the wall of
the building and provided on its interior end with a knob by which it can be
freely turned. The first and second plates are preferably provided with serrated
ends near the ground plate and the third, fourth, fifth and sixth plates may also, if
desired, be provided with serrated ends. A good and reliable ground connection is
connected with the ground-plate so that any electric currents may be quickly
carried to the ground and thus discharged from the lines. The operation of the
said apparatus is as follows that is to say-When, in the normal condition, the lino
is connected with the instrument located in the building and the device is located
on the outside of the same, the current enters through the line wire and passes to
the first plate which being connected with the fifth plate by one of the aforesaid
bridges carries the current to the said fifth plate and through the connection made
with it and the post to the wire leading to the instrument and so to the instrument
from which it passes through the wire extending from the instrument and the
connection between the clamp to the sixth plate and by the other bridge to the
second plate and thus to the continuation of the line wire. If now, from any
cause, an abnormal excessively powerful current of electricity is produced, the
excess will be carried to the ground by means of the ground plate and its ground
connection assisted by the dam or stoppage of the inferior conducting power of
the connection between the wires communicating with the instrument and the fifth
and sixth plates. When the instrument is not in use and when it is desirable to
disconnect the same on account of atmospheric disturbance to avoid the annoyance
of the calls on a telephone or for any other reason, by turning the knob the bridges
will be swung over to connect the first and third and the second and fourth plates.
The instrument is now cut off from the line, the current passing from the line wire
to the first plate by one bridge to the third plate, by the connecting wire to the
fourth plate, thence by the other bridge to the second plate and then again into
the line wire. The proximity of the ground-plate to the current causes the same
to act as a safety or relief outlet for any abnormally excessive powerful current
by carrying the surplus to the ground. The arm carrying the bridges is limited
in its motion by suitable stops so that the turning of the knob until the stops
are reached will always effect the desired connection of the instrument with, or its
disconnection from, the line

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Taylor Howard in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th December 1882.
CHARLES TAYLOR HOWARD of Providence State of Rhode Island, United
States of America "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHUNTS OR SWITCHES FOR PROTECTING
TELEGRAPHIC AND OTHER ELECTRICAL INSTRUMENTS FROM THE EFFECTS OF
ABNORMAL OR EXCESSIVELY POWERFUL CURRENTS
"
My invention relates to an improved shunt or switch, which is arranged to cut
off all electric currents from the interior of dwellings or other buildings, whenever
it is desired to do so on account of a thunder storm, or when the air is excessively
charged with electricity, and which will also carry off any excessive currents
accidentally produced, either by atmospheric electricity, the contact of telegraph
or telephone wires, with wires charged with electricity of a high tension, or from
other causes, without entering the building. The said invention comprises a
shunt or switch placed around or in close proximity to, a plate connected with
the ground, and a movable bridge, operated from the interior of the building,
whereby the electric circuit can be disconnected from the instrument and from the
interior of the building, or connected with the same, and in which a portion of
any abnormally powerful current of electricity will be automatically carried to the
ground, whether the connection is made with the instrument or not. Figure 1 is a
view of my improved shunt or switch, showing the electric circuit disconnected
from a telephonic instrument. Figure 2, is a view of the same, showing the line
connected with the said instrument. Figure 3, is a sectional view showing the
bridge connected with a knob placed within a building, so as to operate the said
bridge from the interior. In the drawings, A, is the line wire connected with one
portion of the switch, and A¹, is a continuation of the said line wire; B, is the
wire leading to the telephone or other instrument, and B1, the wire from the same;
a, and a, are plates connected with the line wire; b, and b, are two plates
connected by a wire; c, and c', are two plates connected with the binding posts to
which the wires B, and B', are secured; The connection between the plates c, and c¹,
and the lines B, and B', connected to the instrument, is preferably made with lead
or other material, which, by an abnormally powerful current of electricity, liable
to fuse, or by a material of lower conductivity than the wires A, and A', so as to
prevent abnormally powerful currents from entering a building even when the
line is directly connected with the instrument. D is a grounded plate, placed in
close proximity to the plates a, b, c, and a, b, c¹; the said grounded plate is
preferably provided with a serrated edge, and is of circular form, such forin being
the most convenient for the device shown, wherein the shunt is operated by
turning a knob; but any other form of the plate D, can be used and the plates
a, b, c, and a, b, c, can be placed near the same, when a sliding motion is used to
operate the shunt. E, E, are two metallic bridges secured to an arm F, which, is
inade of non-conducting material and secured to the rod G, extending through the
wall of the building, the said rod on its inner end is provided with the knob H,
by which it can be freely turned. The plates a, and a¹, are preferably provided
with serrated ends near the plate D; and the plates b, b, c, c¹, may also, if desired,
be provided with serrated ends. A good and reliable ground connection I, is
connected with the plate D, so that any electric current may be quickly carried to
the ground and thus discharged from the lines; the direction of the currents is
indicated in Figures 1, and 2, by the arrows. The operation of the device is as
follows that is to say when in its normal condition the line is connected with

page_text: the instrument located in the building, and the shunt is located on the outside of
the same, it will be seen, on reference to Figure 2, that the current enters on the
line A, and passes to the plate a, whence, (being connected with the plate e, by
the bridge E,) the current passes to the plate c, thence through the connection
made with it and the binding post, to the line B, and so to the instrument, from
which it passes through the line B', the binding post and connection to the plate c',
by the bridge E, to the plate a', and thence to the line wire A'. If now from any
cause, an abnormal or excessively powerful current of electricity is produced,
the excess will be carried to the ground by means of the plate D and its ground
connection, assisted by the dam or stoppage offered by the inferior conducting power
of the connection between the line B, B, and the plates c, c¹. When the instrument
is not in use, and when it is desirable to disconnect the same on account of
atmospheric disturbance-(to avoid the annoyance of the calls on a telephone, or for
any other reason), by turning the knob H the bridges E E will be swung over to
connect the plates a, b, and a, b, as is shown in Figure 1. The instrument is
now cut off from the line, the current passing from the line wire A to the plate a,
through the bridge E to the plate b, through the connecting wire to the plate b¹,
thence by bridge E, to the plate a', and thence to the line wire. The proximity
of the ground plate D, to the current, also cause the said plate to act as a safety
or relief outlet for any abnormally excessive, or powerful current, by carrying the
surplus to the ground. The arm F, is limited in its motion by stops shown in
Figures 1, and 2, so that the turning of the knob until the stops are reached, will
always effect the desired connection of the instrument with or its disconnection
from, the line.
Having thus fully described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure
by letters patent, First: The combination, with a shunt, constructed to connect
the line wires with an electric instrument, or disconnect the same, and arranged
upon the outside of a building,--of a hand device operated on the inside of the
said building, as, and for the purpose, described. Second: The combination, with
a shunt located outside a building, of a bridge operated from the inside of the said
building, and constructed to connect an instrument with or disconnect it from the
line, as described. Third: The combination, with the line wires,-of plates placed
in close proximity to a grounded plate, and connections with the terminal plates
of the line wires, which connections are made of a material of less conductive
power than the line wires and are constructed to carry off any abnormal or
excessively powerful electric currents, as described. Fourth The combination,
with the line wires A, and A¹, of the plates a, b, c, and a, b, c, with their
connections, the arm F, and bridges E, E, operated from the interior of a building
to connect the line with and disconnect it from the instrument, as described.
Fifth The combination, with terminal plates connected with the line wires, of
terminal plates connected with an instrument,—a shunt or bridge located on the
outside of a building, a hand device located in the said building, and stops
constructed to limit the motion of the said bridge, so as to connect the instrument
to, or disconnect it from, the line, as described. Sixth: In a shunt located on the
outside of a building, the combination, with the terminal plates of a line, of a grounded
plate placed in close proximity to the said terminal plates and so constructed
as to relieve the line from excessive currents of electricity, as described. Seventh:
A shunt placed outside a building and consisting of the plates a, a, b, b', c, and c',
connected as described the knob H, the lever F, and bridges E, E, and the
grounded plate D, placed in close proximity to the plates a, a,-the whole con-
structed to connect or disconnect the instrument, and carry off abnormally powerful
currents of electricity, as described. Eighth The combination, with line wires and an
electric instrument, of a link or connection, (interposed at some point in the line
wire before reaching the instrument)-made of a material of greater resistance
than the wire and liable to fuse, and thus break the connection by an abnormal, or
excessively powerful electric current, as described. Ninth: The combination, with
the line wires, of terminal plates placed in close proximity to a grounded plate,

page_text: and connections with the lines to the instrument, of fusible conducting links,
constructed to melt by an abnormal or excessively powerful electric current, and
thus break the connection with the instrument, as described.
In Witness whereof, I, the said Charles Taylor Howard have hereunto set my
hand and seal this the Fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
CHARLES TAYLOR HOWARD (L.S.)
In presence of:
JOSEPH A MILLER
Solicitor of Patents,
Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.A.