Improvements in Arc Lamps.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 6th May, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 13th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 6th May, 1897
Improvements in Arc Lamps.
I ANTOINE BLAHNIK of 33 Rue Jean Jacques Rousseau, Paris, in the Republic
of France Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to an arc lamp in which the distance between the two
carbons (and consequently the size or amplitude of the arc) is regulated by means
of discs having their axes of rotation set eccentrically so that any variation in the
internal resistance of the lamp causes such discs so to revolve as to regulate or
adjust the distance between the carbons.
To attain the object of this invention the carbon holders are supported by a
pulley adapted to revolve on a central spindle or shaft and, inasmuch as the upper
carbon holder is usually the heavier of the two such pulley is capable of readily
approaching either the upper or the lower carbon holder. On either side of the
said pulley there are discs of soft iron or any other suitable magnetic material.
The diameters of these discs are practically equal to that of the pulley, but they
are arranged to turn upon a pivot or spindle placed eccentrically in relation to the
said pulley.
Upon the periphery of these discs and the said pulley rests a flexible band
stretched by suitably arranged springs. This band is adapted normally, to rest
upon the pulley which extends beyond the discs and serves as a brake for such
pulley, so as to check to a certain extent any tendency of the carbons to move
towards each other. But if the resistance in the arc lamp should increase, say, by
reason of too large a distance separating the carbons at the time, then a more
powerful current will pass through the induction coil and by acting upon the discs
will magnetize and rotate them. Inasmuch as the discs turn upon an eccentric
pivot, they will develope or unwind a flexible band as they turn; and as such band
is retained by pins, for example, they will carry it along in their movement.
It follows that the pulley may turn more readily than before and retain the points
of the carbons at the normal distance from each other.
The discs, as well as the parts acting upon the same, may, however, be arranged
differently if required.
In practice an iron plate is secured on each side of the pulley to the lamp frame
so as to cover the lower portion thereof. These plates also serve as supports for
the pulley and the moveable discs, while the pulley turns, say, about its shaft or
spindle. The moveable discs revolving on an eccentric pivot cover nearly the
whole side of the pulley and consist of segments of approximately semi circular
shape, to which is added a quadrant which is magnetically insulated.
The centre of the upper segment is situated under the turning point of the pulley,
and the mechanism is subjected to the action of an induction coil in the upper part
of which there is situated an armature in order still further to increase the action
or extent of the magnetic field. In addition a similar armature may if required be
added below so as to deaden or check the movement.
If therefore the current should increase in the conductor around the coil, the iron
pieces become magnetic owing to the action of the current and attract or repel each
other, as the case may be; thereby causing the discs to turn, carrying along with
them the band as it is removed from the pulley.

page_text: A modified magnetic device may be employed instead of the induction coil which
surrounds the discs and pulley, such device being arranged underneath the said
discs, and it may consist, say, of a horse-shoe electro-magnet. In this case the
discs are circular and the pulley in the centre is placed concentrically, while
the discs are situated concentrically. When the resistance of the main circuit
increases, the action in the conductor round the coils becomes more powerful and
the magnetism developed in the electro-magnet acts upon the discs.
This causes the discs to be attracted by the electro-magnet and to be set in
rotary motion by reason of the eccentricity of their pivots and of their position in
relation to the magnet; they accordingly rotate about their axes. The magnetism
acts upon the central pulley according to the nature of the material of which it
consists, exercising a checking or deadening influence upon the motion.
The eccentric dises may be retained in their normal position by means of weights;
or springs, arranged in suitable positions.
Upon the periphery of the discs there rests a flexible band to the end of
which are attached the carbon holders when at rest, the band lying upon the
peripheries of the eccentric discs, whereby the positions of the two carbon holders is
determined.
If the action in the coils becomes stronger owing to the increasing resistance of
the main circuit, the action of the magnetic device causes the eccentric discs to
turn in such a manner that the flexible band comes outo the concentric disc, whereby
the carbons are brought nearer to each other.
Various means may be employed to extend the magnetic field and its action upon
the parts that are influenced by it.
This improved arc lamp may be constructed for continuous currents as well as
for alternate currents; and in the case of moderate intensities of current, the lamp
may be so arranged in any suitable way either in series or in multiple arc.
For rapidly and simply centreing the carbons, whenever this may be required,
the following arrangement may be used. Within a frame there are arranged two
cheeks adapted to turn about pins or pivots. Each of these cheeks is provided with
a slot on one side through which slot passes a screw entering the other cheek; and
in the centre, each cheek has an aperture for the carbon.
In fitting up the apparatus it is only necessary to sufficiently tighten the two
screws, to retain the carbons in the central position. When this is done it is
sufficient to loosen one of the screws or to tighten it (as the case may be), to cause the
carbon to resume its concentric position. Whether the attendant happens to be on
one side or the other of the lamp there is always a screw within his reach, and this
renders the whole arrangement not only simple and reliable, but also convenient in
the extreme. The construction may be still further simplified by substituting one
single screw for the two.
Dated this 6th day of May 1896.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in Arc Lamps.
I, ALEXANDER CHARLES SCHONBERG of Whitehall Court, in the City of
Westminster, Gentleman, Administrator of the Estate of Antoine Blahnik,
deceased, late of 33 Rue Jean Jacques Rousseau, Paris, in the Republic of France,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described aud ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This invention has for its object to provide an electric arc lamp in which the

page_text: regulation of the arc is effected in a very efficient manner by very simple mechanism
not liable to get out of order.
According to this invention the regulation of the arc is effected through the
medium of discs or partial discs mounted eccentrically so that the change of the
interior resistance in the lamp causes these discs to move or turn in such
way as
to release the braking arrangement and allow it to be reapplied so as thereby to
regulate the distance between the carbon points automatically.
I will describe this invention with reference to the accompanying drawings
which shew by way of example two forms of lamp constructed in accordance with
this invention.
In these drawings
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the upper part of a lamp constructed according
to this invention the section being taken on the line A B of Figure 3.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same taken upon the line CD of
Figure 3.
Figure 3 is a horizontal section of the same taken upon the line E F of
Figure 2; the grooved pulley and the discs being however shewn in plan.
Figure 4 is a plan view of the lower tie-piece of the guide tubes of the carbon
holders.
Figures 5 and 6 are a front elevation and a horizontal section respectively of the
holders for the upper and lower carbons, and,
Figure 7 is a transverse vertical section of the same.
Figure 5A is a front view and Figure 6ª a plan of a slightly modified construction
of the holder.
Figure 8 is a vertical section of a modified form of the same lamp, the lower
mechanism being here shewn. The lower mechanism of the lamp Figures 1, 2
and 3 may be similar to this.
Figures 9 and 10 are side elevations at right angles to each other of the upper
part of the lamp, Figure 8.
Referring first to the arrangement shewn in Figures 1, 2 and 3 a grooved
pulley 1 supports the carbon holders which are suspended at the two ends of a
cord 2 running in the groove of the said pulley 1. This pulley 1 turns upon a
central axis 3, and as the upper carbon holder is usually heavier, this pulley
when free will allow the upper and lower carbon holders to approach each
other.
On each side of the pulley 1 is a disc (or a partial disc) 4, 4 of soft iron or other
suitable magnetic material. These discs are of nearly the same diameter as the
pulley 1, but they turn on a centre 5 which is eccentric to the centre of the
pulley 1.
Holes 4 are made in the discs 4 to allow of the passage of the spindle 3 and of
the movement of the discs.
Extending over the peripheries of the discs 4, 4 and pulley a is a brake strap or
spring 6 which is attached to the discs at 12 and is stretched by springs 7 and 8.
Normally this brake strap rests on the pulley 1 which then projects up above the
discs and serves as a brake to give the requisite resistance to prevent the carbons
from approaching each other.
When the resistance increases in the lamp for example, by reason of a too great
separation of the carbons, a stronger current passes through the coils 9, 9 of the
electro-naguet 10, which then attracts the discs 4, 4 and causes them to turn on
their axis in the direction of the arrow 11 (Figure 1). As their axis is eccentric
to that of the pulley I the upper parts of the said discs 4, 4 on turning will rise
above the upper part of the pulley 1 and lift the brake strap 6 from off the said
pulley 1.
The pulley I will then on being liberated turn and allow the carbons to approach
each other until they reach their normal distance apart when the current through
the coils will no longer attract the discs which will return to their normal position
and the brake strap will again act upon the pulley 1.

page_text: The bearings of the pulley 1 and the discs 4 are in plates 13, 13. A central
piece 14 attached to the two discs 4 limits their upward movement by impinging on
the periphery of the pulley 1.
In the modification shewn in Figure 8 the construction and working are the same
with this difference that the brake strap 6 is replaced by a brake block or shoe 15.
attached to the discs 4, 4 by the screws and nuts 16 by which the pressure of the
brake block on the pulley 1 can be regulated by interposing a blade spring 17
between the back of the brake block and a bridge piece through which the screws
pass and on which the nuts bear. The discs 4, 4, are drawn to their normal
position of rest by the spring 18. When the current passes through the electro-
magnet coils the magnet 10 causes the discs 4 to turn and move the brake block
from the pulley a to release it to feed the carbons. When the current ceases
owing to the carbons having approached sufficiently the spring 18 will return the
discs to their normal position and the brake block will bear on the pulley 1.
In combination with the regulating mechanism above described there is provided
a very convenient system of carbon holders, illustrated in Figures 5, 6, 7, 5
and 64 of the drawings.
The upper carbon holder 19 and the lower carbon holder 20, suspended at the
two ends of the cord 2, are each carried by a rod 21, and each guided in a slotted
tube 22 preferably with the intervention of insulating balls 23. At the end of each
carbou holder opposite to the end attached to the rod 21, is a socket or eye 24
preferably containing insulating balls 25 of glass, porcelain, or other suitable
material kept in place by screws 26 so that they run freely on the tube 22 and
prevent the contact of the tube 22 with the socket 24, the current passing to the
carbon holder by flexible wires not shewn in the drawings or by any other
suitable means. The tubes 22 are connected at bottom by the piece shewn in
Figure 4.
These carbon holders serve for rapidly and simply centreing the carbons,
whenever this may be required. Each carbon holder is essentially composed of a
metal frame p in which are arranged two jaws or cheeks g adapted to turn about
pins or pivots r. Each of these jaws or cheeks in the arrangement illustrated by
Figures 5, 6, and 7, is provided with a slot a on one side through which slot passes.
a screw t entering the other cheek; and in the centre, each cheek has an aperture u
for the carbon.
In fitting up the apparatus it is only necessary to sufficiently tighten the two
screws to retain the carbons in the central position. When this is done it is
sufficient to loosen one of the screws or to tighten it (as the case may be) to cause
the carbon to resume its concentric position. Whether the attendant happens to
be on one side or the other of the lamp there is always a screw within his reach,
and this renders the whole arrangement not only simple and reliable, but also
convenient in the extreme.
In the arrangement shewn in Figures 54 and 64 the construction is still further
simplified, one single screw being here substituted for the two.
The system of are lamp according to this invention is applicable to continuous
current as well as alternating current.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. An are lamp with a regulating arrangement consisting of or comprising discs
or partial discs of magnetic material, which are centred eccentrically with regard
to a pulley and a brake overlapping the discs and the pulley, and an electro-magnet
so arranged in connection with the circuit that an increase of intensity of the
current passing through the coils of the electro-magnet will operate the discs or
partial dises so as to take the brake off the pulley.
2. In an are lamp, a carbon holder consisting of jaws or cheeks noveable from
and towards each other in guides and with screws for forcing them together

page_text: substantially as berein before explained and shewn more especially in Figures 6, 7,.
8, 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
3. The arrangement and combination of parts in an are lamp substantially as
hereinbefore described and shewn in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying
drawings.
4. The arrangement and combination of parts in an arc lamp substantially as.
hereinbefore described and shewn in Figures 8, 9 and 10 of the accompanying-
drawings.
Dated this 13th day of January 1897.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents..