Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 29th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1888
1, WILLIAM EDWARD HAYNE of No. 12 Ella Road, Crouch Hill, in the county of
Middlesex, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
The object of iny invention is to provide a simple and reliable safety fuse, device or
cutout, for preventing the passage of too strong a current of electricity through a
circuit, (containing lamps, for instance), which would be damaged thereby.
I place in the circuit to be protected from an excess of current a short piece of
lead, tin or other suitable fusible material, fixed at its extremities by any convenient
means, the said fuse piece being acted upon by a spring or springs, which exert either
a pulling or pushing force upon it; the spring (or springs) itself, however, forming
no part of the electrical circuit.
When the strength of the current is in excess of that normally required, the lead or
other fusible material becomes more or less plastic, and being acted upon by the
spring force is pulled or pushed apart, the circuit being consequently broken.
The breaking of the fuse, or the releasing of the spring or springs, may be
utilized to bring into circuit, automatically, a second fuse to take the place of the one
broken so that the circuit may be again completed without loss of time.
This may be done either by causing the spring, when released by the breaking of
the fuse, to move a switch which shall bring a second fuse into circuit; or the
releasing of the spring or springs may either directly or through a system of cogs,
levers, springs, or other similar means, or any combination of these, draw or push a
second fuse into the circuit to replace the broken one.
Or the system of cog wheels, or other convenient device, may be so arranged as to
cause a short interval of time to elapse before the second fuse is brought into circuit.
Instead of two, any number of fuses may, if necessary, be so arranged, to come into
circuit, automatically, one after another, to replace the broken fuses, either immediately
or after a short interval of time.
Dated this 20th day of Donember 1887

page_text: I, WILLIAM EDWARD HAYNE, Electrical Engineer of No. 12 Ella Road, Crouch
Hill, London, in the county of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion 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 simple and reliable safety fuse, device or
cutout, for preventing the passage of too strong a current of electricity, through a
circuit containing lamps, for instance, which would be damaged thereby.
I place in the circuit to be protected from an excess of current a short piece of
lead, tin, or other suitable fusible material, fixed at its extremities by any convenient
means, the said fuse piece being acted upon by a spring or springs, which exert either
a pulling or pushing force upon it; the spring (or springs) itself, however, forming
no part of the electrical circuit.
When the strength of the current is in excess of that normally required, the lead or
other fusible material becomes more or less plastic, and being acted upon by the
spring force, is pulled or pushed apart, the circuit being consequently broken.
The breaking of the fuse, or the releasing of the spring or springs, may be
utilized to bring into circuit, automatically, a second fuse to take the place of the one
broken, so that the circuit may be again completed without loss of time. This may bo
done either by causing the spring, when released by the breaking of the fuse to move
a switch which shall bring a second fuse into circuit; or the releasing of the spring
or springs, may, either directly or through a system of cogs, levers, springs, or other
similar means, or any combination of these, draw or push a second fuse into the circuit
to replace the broken one.
Or the system of cog wheels, or other convenient device, may be so arranged as to
cause a short interval of time to elapse before the second fuse is brought into circuit.
Instead of two, any number of fuses may, if necessary, be so arranged, to come into
circuit automatically, one after another, to replace the broken fuses, either immediately
or after a short interval of time.
Fig. 1 is a transverse section on the line e e Fig. 3 of my improved safety fuse.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, the cover or cap being removed.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a cross section of a modification in which the fusible wire is stretched
between two movable plugs instead of being fixed by screws as in the foregoing
arrangement.
Fig. 5. is a plan view of one of the plugs fand connecting parts g g¹.
Fig. 6 shows one of the movable plugs.h separately.
Fig. 7 is a plan view of another modification for use when it is required to
automatically bring into action a new fuse to take the place of the one which has been
destroyed.

page_text: Figs. 8 & 9 are detail views to be referred to.
Referring to the first mentioned arrangement, ; is the base piece of the cutout,
usually of wood or earthenware, and having a thread cut upon it on the. upper part
as at . This thread takes into another thread cut upon the lower portion of a
suitably shaped cover ; are holes through which screws pass to secure the
cut-out in position.
On the top of the base piece jare secured blocks of brass, or other conductor of
electricity, (omitted in Fig. 3. for the sake of clearness on the drawing), having
each two terminals m n screwed to them. To each of the terminals m is secured one
end of a piece of fusible wire A of any desired degree of fusibility. To the terminals n n
are connected the main leads of the circuit which may conveniently pass-through
holes in the base piece j.
At or about its centre the fuse A is acted upon on its under side an kept taut by a
spring B secured to the base by a plate and screws p or in other convenient
manner.
In operation when a current passes of greater strength than is required in the
circuit the fuse A becomes plastic, and, being pressed upon by the spring B, gives
way, and the circuit is thereby broken, the passage of the current being thus pre-
vented.
In place of one spring B having an upward pressing force, two or more springs,
may be employed, and the spring or springs may exert either a pulling or pulling
force, and may be either flat spiral or of other form.
In the modified arrangement shewn in Fig. 4, the fuse A has each of its ends
secured between internally screwed rings 7, working up and down upon the
similarly screwed stems of metal plugs ff, and enlargements formed upon these
stems. The plugs ff may conveniently be provided with insulating handles. A
spring B acts upon the fuse A in manner as described with reference to the previous
figures. This arrangement may be used without a spring if required.
To the base piece are affixed in suitable manner, say by screws s, two | shaped
pieces of flexible metal-preferably brass, the former of which has its upper end turned
over at g² to form a lip. The upright part of the piece g' is bent as shown at t in the
plan (Fig. 5) in order to allow the plug no lateral movement. These metallic pieces g g'
together form a receiver into which the plugs ff can be inserted and keeps it in
position. Terminal screws are provided in the pieces g g* for connecting up the
main leads.
In place of two separate pieces of metal gy', one piece may be employed of circular
or other section, the plugs ff being shaped to fit into it correspondingly.
In use, when by the passage of an excessive current the fuse A has given way the
plugs are removed from their position as shown in the drawing (Fig. 4), and two
similar plugs having a fuse connected up in like manner are inserted into the parts g g',
and the circuit is thus again completed.
By this means great saving of time is effected in completing a circuit after breaking
by destruction of a fuse, as the plugs ffare very easily inserted in position between
the parts g g' even in the case of darkness, and several pairs may conveniently be kept
ready for immediate use.
It is sometimes of great importance that a circuit should be completed again as soon
as possible after being broken, such for instance as in the case of the electric light,
when darkness may cause serious inconvenience. When it is thus desired to rapidly
complete a circuit, I automatically bring into circuit a second fuse to take the place
of the one which has been broken, and to do this 1 make use of the apparatus shewn
in Fig. 5.
0 is a fuse arrangement somewhat similar to that shewn in Fig. 1, G G being two
blocks of brass or other suitable material but being of preferably greater length than
those illustrated in Fig. 1 and having secured to their upper surfaces by the screws e e
strong springs consisting of a strip of metal H. A is the fuse of plastic material
secured between two screws ff as described and acted upon by the spring B. A short
distance above the end of this spring B is the end of a rod lever V W pivoted so as

page_text: to move vertically at U and being provided with guide pieces X X. To the other end
of this lever and at right angles thereto is secured a flat piece of metal W (see detail
view Fig. 9.), which, when the fuse A is intact rests between the prongs of a forked
plate S rigidly secured to an axis g. This axis g rests on a base at g' and at its upper
end is supported by a plate 2 affixed to a suitable bracket or support. On the axis g
is also mounted a toothed wheel Q above which is a spring R coiled around the axis 9,
having one end secured to it and the other end affixed to a bracket and having a
tendency to rotate it in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 7). The toothed wheel Q
engages with a toothed rack P secured to the end of an arm K pivotted at / to a
suitable bracket. At. the other end of the arm K is provided a second fuse arrange-
ment consisting of two metal plates J J having wedge shaped or semi-wedged ends
preferably of the form shewn in detail view Fig. 8. To each of the plates J J is
secured by screws f¹ fl a fuse A¹ acted upon by a spring B in manner similar to that
shewn in arrangement 0. To the underside of the arm K and at or about the end
thereof is affixed a suitable bracket carrying a small friction wheel M.
In operation when too high a current passes through the fuse A it breaks, under
the action of the spring B and this spring in rising lifts up that end V of the
lever V W, which is directly above it, causing the other end with the plate W attached
to descend, until the plate W is free of the forked plate S. When this is the case
the toothed wheel Q is rotated on its axis y under the action of the spring R, the
wheel being previously prevented from rotating by the plate S rigidly secured to
its axis, being held by the plate W. The toothed wheel being rotated, its teeth
engage with those of the rack P, and the laiter, together with the arm K and its
attachments is rotated in the direction shewn by the arrow (Fig. 7). During this
rotation the outer end of the arm K runs upon the friction wheel M which serves as a
support. By this rotating movement the wedge shaped plates J J are brought into
contact with the blocks GG and being adjusted to the right level, engage between
the blocks G G and the springs H H, and are held by them in position, electrical
contact being thus established. The current now finds a path across the fuse A¹,
which will, should the current again become too strong, break under the action of the
spring B1.
In place of the toothed wheel and rack arrangement shewn in Fig. 7, 1, in some
cases, apply a spiral or other spring between the parts and tending to bring the
plates JJ into engagement with the receiving parts G H, G H. The spring may be
applied so as either to exert a pulling or a pushing force. Ordinarily the arm K
and part are prevented from flying forward by means of a lever moving vertically and
having its one end suspended over the spring B its other end being turned down and
catching in a notch or hole on the underside of the back of the arm K. Upon the
breaking of the fuse A the one end of the lever is raised by the spring B and the
other end descending frees the arm K, and the latter flying forward brings
the plates J J between the parts GH, G H. In the place of one lever, a system of
levers, or levers and catches, may be used to effect the purpose of bringing these parts
into operation.
The arrangement shewn in Fig. 7, although more complicated has many advan-
tages. For instance after the breaking of the fuse a certain short interval of time
will elapse before the second fuse is brought into operation, thus giving an opportunity
for the current to lessen in strength so that the danger of the second fuse breaking
just after completing the circuit again, is avoided. This refers, as above stated, to
cases where the excess of current is produced by a temporary cause.
The interval between the breaking of one fuse and the insertion of the second can
be regulated by the length of the rack P, or by the insertion of one or more toothed
wheels between the wheel Q and the rack P; or the distance between the parts
and may be increased. Although in Fig. 7 I have only shewn two fuses yet it will
be obvious that in the same manner any number of fuses may be arranged to come
into operation one after another.
.
In most case in order to secure a very good contact and to avoid any risk of the
plates JJ not coming properly within the receiving parts GH, GH, after the

page_text: breaking of the fuse A. I make use of a further device (see Fig. 7) consisting of a
rod lever a rotating horizontally on an axis b, and being turned down or having a
pin Z at one end; its other end being flattened out and turned down, or having a plato
attached as at k. Against this end k presses a spring Y secured at m in any con-
venient way.
When the arm K has rotated a certain predetermined distance it comes
in contact with the pin Z projecting from the lever a, and pushing it forward moves
the end outwards in the direction of the arrow and the spring C being thus set free
flies forward. Adjustments have been so made that when this occurs the arm K has
moved so far forward that the spring C comes behind it, and pressing upon it pushes
the plates J J well into and keeps them securely in position between the blocks G G
and springs H H.
In some cases I find it convenient to have a signal bell in connection with the cut-
out so that warning may be given upon the breaking of the circuit. This may be
effected in many ways, such as by the arrangement shewn in Fig. 9, wherein two
metal blocks or springs d d forming the terminal of a circuit containing a bell or other
signal are situated beneath the plate W, so that when that plate descends, upon the
breaking of the fuse A, as explained, it presses upon the blocks or springs dd, thus
completing the signal circuit."
It will be observed that the device shewn in Fig. 7, for bringing automatically into
circuit a new fuse, need not necessarily be confined to my improved cut outs but may
be applied with advantage to some forms of cutouts at present in use, without materially
altering the construction.
It will be seen from the foregoing description that my improved cutout, in its various
modifications may be used in any position desired, which in many cases is of great
importance.
The fuse may be caused to break at any required strength of current by adjusting
the strength of the spring or springs acting upon it, or by employing a fuse of
greater or smaller cross section, or of a higher or lower fusing point, as the case
may be.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The construction and use of an electrical safety fuse or cutout consisting of a
wire or strip of plastic material acted upon by spring pressure, the spring or springs
exerting this pressure forming, however, no part of the electrical circuit, substantially
as described in respect of Figs. 1, 2, 3.
2. The construction and use of an electrical safety fuse or cutout consisting of a
wire or strip of plastic material acted upon if desired by a spring or springs, (not
forming part of the circuit) and secured to movable plugs fitting into suitable receiving
parts substantially as described in respect of Figs. 4, 5, and 6.
3. The construction and use of a combination of electrical safety fuses or cutouts
consisting of wires or strips of plastic material, acted upon by a spring or springs (not
forming part of the circuit) and operated by lovers and toothed wheels and racks, or
by levers springs and catches, or by a combination of either or any of these, substantially
as described.
4. The method of automatically bringing into circuit one or more new electrical
safety fuses or cutouts to take the place of a broken one substantially as described.
Dated this the Twenty-ninth of September in the year One thousand eight
hundred and eighty sight
WILLIAM E. HAYNE.