Improvements in Means for Distributing Electric Currents.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 25th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 28th May, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Distributing Electric Currents.
I, HENRY EDMUNDS of 10 Hatton Garden in the City of London, Electrical
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
--
The object of my invention is to provide a system of distribution of electric
currents such as will give an approximately uniform potential with a minimum of
copper or conductor.
According to my invention I connect the several mains (whether simple or com-
pound) by which the supply of the current is conducted to the several places of
utilization with a number of generators of current in such a manner that the
adjacent mains form the positive and negative conductors to the respective generators
the mains other than the outermost ones constituting the negative and positive
conductors from and to the corresponding generators.
Thus presume there are four mains arranged parallel with each other and of the
kind known as taper mains with their thicker and thinner ends respectively
oppositely placed their thicker ends being connected to the generators. No. 1 main
is connected to the negative pole of No. 1 generator. No. 2 main is connected to
the positive pole of No. 1 generator and to the negative pole of No. 2 generator.
No. 3 main is connected to the positive pole of No. generator and to the negative
pole of No. 3 generator and No. 4 main is connected to the positive pole of No. 3
generator. Nos. 2 and 3 mains may then act according to condition of load as
either positive or negative conductors from and to the generators.
I have named four mains and three generators but I do not limit myself to those
numbers. As the load varies in the work the pressure may have to be adjusted at
the generators. This may be effected by an automatic device for altering the
strength of the field magnets or the speed of the armature in the case of using
dynamos as generators or in the case of batteries by altering the number of cells in
series. In this case in order to prevent short circuiting or opening circuit I may
couple the cells in parallel and arrange in combination therewith the contact maker
which varies the number of cells so that it does not leave contact with the whole of
the cells at the same time.
Dated this 23rd day of July 1891
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Distributing Electric Currents.
I, HENRY EDMUNDS of 39 Victoria Street in the City of Westminster, late
of 10 Hatton Garden in the City of London Electrical Engineer do hereby declare
the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of my invention is to provide a system of distribution of electric
currents such as will give an approximately uniform potential with a minimum of
copper or conductor without resorting to feeders such as are necessary in what is
known as the three or five wire system.
According to my invention I connect the several mains (whether simple or
compound), by which the supply of current is conducted to the several places of
utilization with a number of generators or sources of electric current in such a
manner that the adjacent mains form the positive and negative conductors to the
Price d

page_text: respective generators or sources of current the mains other than the outermost
ones, constituting the negative and positive conductors from and to the corre-
sponding generators the outer conductors being connected at opposite ends to the
respective poles of the generators to which they are connected as hereinafter more
fully explained. Thus presume there are four mains (as illustrated by the diagram
Figure 1) arranged parallel with each other and of the kind known as taper mains
with their thicker and thinner ends oppositely placed. The thicker ends are con-
nected to the generators.
No. 1 main is connected to the negative pole of No. 1 generator. No. 2 main
is connected to the positive pole of No. 1 generator and to the negative pole of
No. 2 generator. No. 3 main is connected to the positive pole of No. 2 generator
and to the negative pole of No. generator and No. 4 main is connected to the
positive pole of No. 3 generator at the end of the system opposite to that at which
the connection of the negative pole of No. 1 generator is connected to No. 1 main.
Nos. 2 and 3 mains may then act according to condition of load as either positive
or negative or become neutral whilst the mode of connection to the generators of
Nos. 1 and 4 mains at opposite ends of the system will greatly tend to the
equalization of potential throughout the system.
I have shewn four mains and three generators but I do not limit myself to those
numbers. As the load varies in the work the pressure may have to be adjusted at
the generators. This may be effected by a device for altering the strength of the
field magnets or the speed of the armature when using dynamo machines as
generators. I find however that I can with advantage use secondary batteries as
the generators (as illustrated by way of example in Figure 2). A. B. C. are the
batteries in series connected to the mains 1, 2, 3, 4, but when I use batteries I do
not limit myself to connecting the mains Nos. and 4 to the batteries at opposite
ends of the system as shewn by the dotted line as I may in this case connect them
both at the same ends of the system as shewn in full lines. D is the dynamo (or
there may be more than one in multiple arc) which stores the batteries and will
supply the mains in the event of conditions arising enabling it to do so.
Figure 3 shews an arrangement wherein in order to prevent short circuiting or
open circuit I couple the cells in parallel sets in each case (as shewn at A, A²; B B³;
and C C) and arrange in combination therewith a contact maker which varies the
number of cells so that it does not leave contact with the whole of the cells at the
same time, as in altering the number of the cells in one of the parallel sets the other
set maintains the circuit during the change. In this figure I have shewn three
dynamos D in multiple are but I do not limit myself thereto.
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 distributing electric currents the combination of mains and electric
generators the connection of the generators and the maius being made as herein-
before described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings what I
have termed the outer conductors (or mains) being connected with the generators
at opposite ends of the system substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
.described.
2. In an electrical distribution system the combination of conductors with
secondary batteries in series and connected with the conductors as hereinbefore
described in combination with a dynamo or dynamos or several dynamos in multiple
are substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore explained with regard to
Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.