Improvements in Sockets or Receptacles and Regulators for Incandescent Electric Lamps.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Dec., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Sept., 1894-Accepted, 13th Oct., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by CHARLES ALBERT HUSSEY, Electrician, and
CHARLES COULTHURST EDEY, Broker and Banker, both of No. 56, Broad-
way, in the City, County and State of New York, United States of
America.]
Improvements in Sockets or Receptacles and Regulators for
Incandescent Electric Lamps.
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our improvement relates to sockets or receptacles into which incandescent electric
lamps may be fitted and regulators for varying the light in such lamps.
The socket may consist of a cylindric internally screw-threaded shell.
The
regulator comprises a number of pencils or rods of material having a high electrical
resistance and made preferably, by mixing together a material of low resistance,
such for instance, as plumbago, with a material of high resistance, such for instance
as peroxide of manganese. It is understood that they shall be introduced one at a
time into the electric circuit of a lamp fitted to the socket or receptacle for the
purpose of varying the brilliancy of the light and hence each of the pencils or
rods must be of a different resistance from the others.
The pencils or rods may advantageously be fitted at their ends into metal cups.
To one of the discs of mica is connected the socket or receptacle for the electric
lamp; to the other mica disc is connected a device, such for instance as a metal
disc provided with an internally screw-threaded hole for attachment of the entire
contrivance to a supporting fixture. Between the mica discs may be arranged a
mica piece having a number of metallic contact points attached to it in an arc-
shaped row and with these contact points will be combined an oscillating finger
operated by a hand key, the purpose of the finger being to make contact with any
one of the contact points.
The electrodes or terminals of an electric lamp will make contact with corre-
sponding parts in the socket or receptacle for the lamp and there will of course, be
provided a number of electrical connections of wire or other material between
these parts and the various pencils or rods and the several contact points excepting
only one of the latter.
By swinging the finger onto the contact point which has no electrical connection
with other parts the lamp will be put out and by adjusting it onto any one of
the other contact points, a light of desired brilliancy may be obtained in
the lamp.
1
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicaut.

page_text: Improvements in Sockets or Receptacles and Regulators for
Incandescent Electric Lamps.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 4 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 relates to sockets or receptacles and regulators for incandescent
electric lamps.
According to this invention sockets or receptacles for incandescent electric
lamps are provided with regulating devices by means of which the current supplied
to the lamp and the light given out by the same may be varied within considerable
limits.
In order that the invention may be clearly understood, I will describe the same
with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is a side view of an electric lamp holder, fitted with an electric lamp,
and comprising the present improvements.
Figure 2 is a central vertical section of the lamp holder.
Figure 3 is a central vertical section, taken on a plane at right angles to that of
Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4, 4 Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a horizontal section on line 5, 5 Figure 3.
Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the circuit.
Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.
A is a head, which may be made of metal and as here shown, is of circular
form. Said head is provided with a centrally located and upwardly extended
tubular portion a, which may advantageously be screw-threaded for attachment to
a fixture, but which, in the present instance, simply serves to permit the passage of
insulated electric circuit wires B1, B2, through it.
This head is provided with a flange a near its outer edge, which flange is
externally rebated to receive a cylindrical shell A'. The shell A¹ may be made of
metal.
The shell A at the end which is distant from the head A is shown as being
contracted into a tubular portion a². It has fitted into its extremity a bushing A
of insulating material, the latter being provided with a cylindric body, entering the
shell, and also with a shoulder which extends across the extremity of the shell.
This bushing is internally screw-threaded to engage with a socket C. This socket
is made of metal and is screw-threaded externally and internally. This socket is
connected, through intermediate parts with the head A, and with it, secures the
bushing A and also the shell A' in place.
D', D2 designate dises of insulating material, which, for instance may be
composed of a number of sheets of mica, laid one upon the other. Preferably
these discs are of a size to bear against the interior of the shell A¹.
The disc D is fastened to a block or bar E of insulating material, and the latter
is secured to the head A, by screws e', e, passing through the head into the ends
of the bar. The screws e, e, are shown as extending through the shoulder
portion of the bead, the shell A' having notches in its edge so as to pass over
these screws. The latter will then serve as a means for preventing the rotation of
the shell.
Between the discs D', D2, a bar D extends. This is made of metal, and is shown
as having the ends shouldered or tenoned, so as to fit into holes provided in the
central portions of the discs. Screws d¹, d' serve to secure the ends of the bar D

page_text: to the discs. The screw d¹ is shown as passing through the bar E, as well as
through the disc D¹ and into the bar D. The screw d passes through a block F
of insulating material, which may advantageously be of circular form, and to which
the socket is fastened as follows. The socket C is provided with a flange at its
inuer end, and is secured in place by screws passing through this flange. One of
such screws may merely pass into the block F. The other screw f¹ passes through
the block F, through the disc d and into a binding post f; the engagement of
the screw and binding post serves to clamp together the parts which are intermediate
of the binding post and the head of the screw, and also to establish electrical
contact between the binding post and the socket C.
G, G, G, G, designate resistance devices, here shown as made in the form of
pencils, and which are preferably so made that each has a different resistance from
the others. They may be advantageously made of composition of good conducting
material and a poor conducting material, such, for instance as graphite and peroxide
of manganese; they may be mixed in a powdered condition, and, after mixing, the
composition may be forced through a dic. These pencils are of cylindric form,
and, at the ends they fit in cups g, y the latter being shouldered or tenoned, so as
to fit in holes, with which the discs D', D' are provided, and being fastened in place
by screws g. As here shown, plates g² are interposed between the heads of the
screw gl and the discs D', D'; these plates being made of metal, and serving, in
connection with the heads of the screws, to clamp circuit wires, and also to establish
communication between the resistance devices.
H designates a piece of insulating material arranged between the discs D', D*.
It may be of any suitable insulating material and may advantageously be made of
a number of sheets of mica, here shown as being made of segmental form.
H' designates a rotary metallic shaft having, at one end a thumb piece or key H'.
of insulating material, the latter being extended through the cylindric shell A¹..
This shaft H is fitted in a bearing formed in the bar D, so as to be free to rotate
or oscillate. As here shown, a bearing is provided, by inserting a sleeve d trans-.
versely into the bar D, for thus a very long and serviceable bearing can be given.
to the shaft. The oscillation of the shaft is limited by means of a pin /, extending
radially from it and co-acting with shoulders formed at one end of the sleeve d,.
these shoulders being obtained by notching the end of the sleeve.
The shaft H' is provided with a metallic finger H3 and the side of the piece H,.
which is adjacent to this finger is provided with a number of contact buttons or
pieces 1, 2, 13, 14, 1³, 18. These may consist of metal cylinders externally
shouldered or tenoned, so as to fit into holes in the piece H, and when so made,.
they can be conveniently secured in place, by means of screws h', extending
from the opposite side of the piece H into tapped holes in these buttons or
contact pieces. The heads of the screws may also serve as a means for con-
necting wires to establish electrical communication. The buttons or contact pieces,.
of course, are arranged in a circular row concentric with the shaft H'.
The cylinder A' is provided with a long notch opposite the shank of the
thumb screw or key H2 and to fill this notch I preferably attach to the head A
a strip of metal a' fastened to the shoulder portion of the head A, by means of a
screw a
J designates a block of metal fastened by screws j', to the block F of insulating
material, said blocks J being arranged inside of the socket C.
The circuit connections may best be understood by reference to Figure 6. The
wire B' connects with the bar D and hence is in electrical communication through
the sleeve d and shaft H' with the finger H³. While the lamp is not in use this
finger rests upon the contact piece ', and as this is unconnected with any other
metallic part of the lamp, no current then proceeds to the lamp. By oscillating
the thumb piece of key H³, the finger H may be adjusted on to either of the
contact pieces h², h³, h, h³, h. From the contact piece 2, a wire 1, extends to the
screw g¹.
From the resistance device G₁, the circuit is continued, by a plate g³ to one end

page_text: of the resistance device G. Thence it is extended along another plate g to one
end of the resistance device G³. Thence it is continued along another plate g² to
one end of the resistance device G From the latter it is continued by wires 2
and 3 to the block J, which is within the socket C..
From the contact piece a wire 4 extends to that plate 92, which extends,
between the resistance devices G1, G2. The resistance device G', therefore, will be
cut out of the circuit previously described whenever the finger H³ is shifted on to
the contact piece /³.
From the contact piece, a wire 5 extends to that plate y² which extends
between the resistance devices G2, G3. Hence when the finger H³ is shifted on to
the contact piece H the resistance devices G1, G2 will be cut out of the circuit.
Toe wire B communicates with the screw f¹ and hence with the socket C.
A wire 6 extends from the contact piece to the resistance device G', hence
when the finger H³ is adjusted on to the contact piece ³, the resistance
devices G, G, G³, will be cut out of circuit.
From the contact piece a wire 7 extends to the wire 3, hence when the finger H³
is adjusted on to the contact piece, all the resistance devices G₁, G², G³, G* will
be cut out of circuit.
By cutting out or introducing resistance devices through the agency of the
oscillating finger H³, the current may be varied, so as to increase or decrease the
light from the lamp.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In an electric lamp holder, the combination of a socket or receptacle for a
lamp, two electrodes for connection with the electrodes of the lamp, connections
for leading in wires or conductors, a number of resistance devices made in the form
of pencils or rods of a composition produced by mixing materials of high and low
resistance together, or of other suitable material, and cach having preferably a
different resistance from the others, a number of stationary contact pieces and an
adjustable contact piece for switching in and out the resistance devices, substantially
as specified.
2. In such a lamp holder, two discs of non-conducting material with pencils
or rods of different resistance fitted in metal cups connected with said discs, a
piece of non-conducting material, such as mica, being arranged intermediately of
the said discs, with a row of contact pieces mounted thereon and separated from
each other, and an oscillating finger co-acting with said contact pieces, substantially
as specified.
3. A lamp holder constructed substantially as described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
*45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.