IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC LAMPS OR LIGHTING APPARATUS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, &
Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
A com-
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC LAMPS OR LIGHTING APPARATUS."
munication from abroad by Bernard Lande, of the City and State of New
York, United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st February 1882.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC LAMPS OR
Southampton Buildings, London.
LIGHTING APPARATUS." A communication from abroad by Bernard Lande, of the
City and State of New York, United States of America.
This Invention relates to that class of electric lamps known as arc-lamps, and
has for its object to provide a simple and reliable feeding device, which is not liable
to derangement, for raising the upper carbon to form the arcs between the points of
the carbons, and to allow the said carbon to gradually move or be fed downward
as the carbons are consumed.
The said Invention comprises two grooved pulleys fixed in yokes depending in
brackets from the lower side of the electro-magnetic device, these grooved pulleys
having the upper carbon rod between them, and being held in contact therewith
by means of springs, which are so adjusted as regards strength or tension, that the
carbon rod will fall down freely by its own weight, turning the pulleys as it
descends, but will be held between the said pulleys when they are prevented from
turning. Two brake-arms projecting downward from the moving core or armaturo
of the electro-magnetic device partly surround the said grooved pulleys. These
brake-arins are brought in contact with the pulleys when the moving core or
armature first commences to rise, and so lock them by friction; and then the
pulleys, with the carbon rod, move up with the moving core or armature to form
the arc between the two carbon rods. As the carbons are consumed the magnetic

page_text: action of the current passing through the electro-magnet weakens the armature
with the brake arms, falls and releases the pulleys, and so allows them to turn, and
the upper carbon to approach the lower one; this descent of the upper carbon is
instantly arrested by the brake-arms when the arc is of normal length.
By this arrangement it will be understood that the upper carbon rod falls with
a perfectly steady uniform motion, and is in no wise bruised or marred by the
grooved pulleys; the liability of the clamping device to become inoperative is
therefore reduced to a minimum.
Tho said Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a vertical section of an electric lamp embracing my improvements, and
showing the arc formed between the carbon rods.
Figure 2 is a front view of the clamping and feeding device and its actuating
electro-magnets, and showing the feeding device free.
Figure 3 is a vertical section of the same on the line x, x, Figure 1; and
Figure 4 is a horizontal section on the line y, y, Figure 1.
The electro-magnet consists of the two helices a, a, the upper ends of which are
secured to the bars 6 of the frame, inade of insulating material, or to the iron
plute c, which is secured to the bar b, and has two short cores c', c', passing for a
short distance down into the said helices a, a. Two other cores d, d, fit loosely in
the helices a, a, and are connected by the bar d', adapted to slide freely on
brackets e, e, connected to the lower heads of the helices a, a¹. The upper carbon
rod passes through holes in the bar b, the plate c, and bar d'.
The electric current enters the lamp by the binding post g, passes through the
two helices a and a' down by the flexible wire g' to the lower end of the carbon-
rod f, and down the carbon h, carried thereby, and to the lower carbon k¹, carried
by the bar h² of insulating material up the side bar i of the frame, and out of the
Jump by the binding post j.
The electric current passing through the helices a and a' causes the cores d, d,
to approach the fixed short cores c², c¹, so that this electro-magnetic device is a
combination of a horseshoe electro-magnet and axial magnets, and by this arrange-
ment I obtain the long movement of axial cores with the advantage of the more
powerful attraction of magnets of the horseshoe form.
Passing through holes in the brackets c, e, are the necks of the yokes k, the
upper ends of which are provided with light springs h, k, to ensure the descent of
the yoke, their limit of downward movement being governed by the ends of slots
in their sides coming in contact with the small screws e¹, e', in the brackets e, e.
In the bifurcated ends of these yokes h, k, are pivoted the pulleys l, l, grooved to
fit the carbon rod f, and these pulleys L, L, are pressed against the said rod f by means
of the springs m, m, tending to draw them together, the yokes k, k, being loosely
fitted in the brackets e, e, to allow of a small movement of the yokes and the
pulleys l, L.
Connected to the bar d³, joining the cores d, d, are the two brake-arms n, n,
extending downwards and partly surrounding the pulleys L, L. Or the brake arms
may be arranged to bear on pulleys much longer than the pulleys L, L, connected
thereto, so as to give the brakes greater leverage over the rotation of pulleys 1, 1,
due to the falling carbon rod ƒ.
The said brake-arms are out of contact with the pulleys when the cores d, d, are
in their lowest position, so that the said pulleys are free to be rotated by the
falling of the carbon rod f. The tension of the springs m, m, is such as to enable
the pulleys l, l. to rotate when the carbon rod fmoves longitudinally, and to hold
the said rod between the pulleys by friction when their rotation is prevented,
which occurs as soon as the brake arms n, n, come in contact with them on the
cores d, d, being attracted within the helices a and a'. The pulleys L, L, and the
rod are then raised, the extent of such upward movement, which forms the arc,
being governed by the set-screws o, o, passing through the bar d', and abutting 5
against the heads of the helices a, a¹.
Instead of only two pulleys I, 1, and their supporting yokes and brakes, three or

page_text: more of the same may be arranged around the rod f, as will be readily understood
without further description.
It is obvious that other forms of actuating electro-magnets may be used in com-
bination with this improved carbon rod clamping and feeding device; for instance,
the plate c with the short cores c', c', may be removed, leaving the magnet as
shown, an axial magnet of horseshoe form, or a single straight hollow core axial
magnet, or an ordinary horseshoe magnet with moving armatures may be used.
It is also obvious that any of the forins of electro-magnets having two or more
coils of wire connected upon the differential principle may be used. I do not
therefore confine myself to the combination of the particular form of electro-
magnet shown in the Drawing with the carbon rod clamping and feeding device.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under-
stood that I claim,-
-
First. An electric arc-lamp regulator composed of the following instrumentalities
in combination, namely, the friction-guide-pulleys embracing the upper carbon
holding rod and the moving core or armature of an electro magnetic device,
provided with brake-arms adapted to prevent the rotation of the said guide-
pulleys and raise them with the carbon-holding rod clamped between them when
the core or armature is acted on by induction from the electric current passing
through the coils of the said electro-magnetic device, substantially as above set
forth and for the purpose specified.
Second. The combination, with the moving core or armature of an electro-
magnet, of the brake-arms, the pulleys 1, 1, fitted in the vertically-sliding yokes,
and the carbon rod f, substantially as above set forth and for the purpose
specified.
Third. The combination of the rod f, the pulleys L, L, the yokes having the
slotted necks, the brackets e, e, having the set screws, and the brake-arins con-
nected to the bar d' of the moving cores d, d, substantially as above set forth and
for the purposes specified.
Fourth. The electro-magnetic device composed of the helices a, a', the fixed
connected cores c³, c', and the movable connected cores d, d, with the brake-arms,
the pulleys 1, 1, the yokes and carbon rod f, substantially as above set forth and for
the purposes specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.