Improvements in Lamp Posts or Columns for Electric Arc Lighting.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 5th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 5th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 5th Mar, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lamp Posts or Columns for Electric Arc Lighting.
JOHN LEA, 5 Aberdeen Terrace St. James End Northampton Electrical
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is
First to place the regulator or feeding apparatus in the lower part of the
lamp-post.
Secondly to protect the working parts from the effects of weather, and dust
consequent upon the disintegration of the carbons.
Thirdly to balance the moveable parts, that the arc making magnet or solenoid
shall be able to work with a small amount of power although the parts shall be
made rough and heavy.
A post, pillar, or colum, has near its top end an opening or door, to admit of the
carbons being put in. Another opening or door at the base or near the bottom of
the post to admit of the working parts being placed.
Inside the post are two platforms placed upon flanges which are cast or fixed in
the post, these platforms are of non-conducting material, the top one has firmly
fixed to it a stout metal tube which stands up in the middle of the post some
distance towards the top. Over this stout rigid tube to whatever distance from the
top end required, is a thin light tube of non-conducting material, or a metal tube
covered with insulating material, this light tube is loose upon the stout one and
has at the top of it a metal stopping or end, upon this end is the carbon holder, and
from this carbon holder and stopping is a centre rod passing down the whole length,
inside the stout tube, through the centre of the upper platform, and is attached to
the rack or rod which is allowed to move when the carbons are too far apart. To
the bottom end of this rack, I fasten a chain, cord, wire rope, or catgut, which
passes up the length (or more) that the rack is intended to move, it then passes
over a pully placed over the fulcrum of a rocking bar, or pullies one on each side
of the fulcrum, which is a knife edge like that used in scales, and has a weight
pulling upon it which is heavy enough to sustain the before mentioned rack, centre
rod, carbon holder, and outer tube, and whatever driving power required.
The rack has geared to it a wheel which is part of the regulating train which
may be any of the successful methods adopted for checking and regulating
an arc.
The fram containing the regulating train is attached to the above mentioned
rocking bar, fulcrumed upon a standard or outer frame in which the regulating
train frame moves. At one end of this rocking bar is the moveable part of a
solenoid or electro magnet which strikes the arc.
A ring formed of insulating material is placed at the top of the post to carry a
top carbon holder to which a wire is attached to compleet the circuit.
The kind of regulator used is discribed in 376787.
Dandhi with 1 of M-1001

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lamp Posts or Columns for Electric Arc Lighting.
I, JOHN LEA, of 5 Aberdeen Terrace, Northampton, Electrical Engineer, 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 ;-
1. Placing the regulator or feeding apparatus in the lower part of a lamp post.
2. Protecting the working parts within a lamp post from the effects of the
weather and dust consequent upon the disintegration of the carbons.
3. Balancing the moveable parts within a lamp post that the are making magnet
or solenoid shall be able to work with a small amount of power although the parts
shall be made rough and heavy.
For the purpose of my invention, I employ a post, pillar, or column, which has
near its top end an opening to admit of the carbons being put in, another opening
or door at the base or near the bottom of the post to admit of the working parts
being placed inside.
The post has two platforms placed upon flanges which are cast or fixed in the
post, these platforms are of non-conducting material. The top platform has firmly
fixed to it a stout metal tube which stands up in the middle of the post some
distance towards the top, over this stout rigid tube to whatever distance from its
top end required, is a thin light tube of non-conducting material or a metal tube
covered with insulating material, the light tube is loose upon the stout one and has
at the top of it a metal stopping or end, upon which is the carbon holder. From
this carbon holder and stopping is a centre rod passing down the whole length
inside the stout tube, through the centre of the upper platform and is attached to
the rack or rod, which is allowed to move up when the carbons are too far apart.
To the bottom end of this rack or rod, I fasten a chain, cord, wire, rope, or catgut
which passes up the length (or more) that the rack is intended to move, it then
passes over a pulley or pullies of a rocking bar which is balanced on a knife edge
like that used in scales, and has a weight suspended which is heavy enough to
sustain the before mentioned rack, central tube, carbon holder, and outer tube also
whatever driving power that may be required. The rack is in gear with a wheel
forming part of the regulating train.
The frame containing the regulating train is attached to the above mentioned
rocking bar fulcrumed upon a standard or outer frame in which the regulating train
frame moves. At one end of this rocking bar is the moveable part of the solenoid
or electro-magnet which forms the arc; this is all placed upon the lower platform
and all shut in.
A ring formed of insulating material is placed at the top of the post to carry a
top carbon holder to which a wire is attached to complete the circuit, the kind of
regulator preferred to be used is described in British Patent No. 376787.
My invention will be clearly understood by the annexed drawings.
Figure 1 is a transverse section of the lower part of a lamp post with the first
and third parts of my invention exemplified.
Figure 2 shows the upper part of the same post with the second feature of my
invention.
A is the post constructed for the purpose of my foregoing invention.
P and P are platforms made of any kind of insulating material (wood saturated
with rosin answers the purpose very well), these platforms are fixed on flanges f
and formed with the post. The upper platform has a hole through the centre
and a stout tube made fast to it by washers and nuts, this tube C stands up
within the post, say as high as shown at C', it is there bushed and a hole is made
in this bushing to allow the rod B to pass through; the rod B has at the top a

page_text: carbon holder t, and at the lower end a rack or rod at t¹; this rack or rod has at
its bottom end a cord or chain n. A thin tube S is also attached to the rod B with
a top stopping. This thin tube is sufficiently long to keep any dust from passing
down the stout tube C, and as it is much longer than the length of carbons to be
consumed there is always a considerable length over to top part of the stout tube C
and all dust from the carbons that falls, passes on the outside of the thin tube S
and remains on the upper platform Pl, this platform with its washer and nut and a
few inches up the stout tube is coated with insulating paint to prevent the carbon
dust making any connection with the post.
i and i¹ are guides to keep the bottom carbon in the centre, they are made to
spring open to allow the carbon holder t to pass and are so placed that the screw
may pass freely.
Above these two guides at the top of the post is a recess for holding a ring of
hard insulating material on which the top carbon holder k is fixed. One of these
uprights of this holder may be a tube and the conducting wire may pass up and be
connected to the cross bar of the top carbon holder. This cross bar is insulated.
A piece of pipe or tube / may be fixed to the inside of the post A from top to
bottom to place the wire in. is a small reflector placed above, which also acts as
a shield to protect the glass of the lantern or globe from rain or snow.
platform P fixed upon the flange f carries the regulator mechanism.
The lower
The rack wheel m is in a frame attached to the balanced bar Y provided with a
pulley or pullies for sustaining the weight of the rods and counterpoise W. The
projecting end of this bar, as a lever carries the core p of an electro magnet q.
The cord from the bottom of the rack passes up over the pullies, and the
weight W or its opposite end is heavier than the rack, rod, tube, etc., so that the
weight pulls the core of the electro-magnet up, the bar rocking on the knife-edge S..
The extra weight on the W side of the knife-edge is as much as is required to drive
the regulator.
When the current is "put on "the electro-magnet, the core is pulled in, this
raises the weight and lowers the rack, rod, and lower carbon to form an arc. The
top and bottom carbon may be made reversed as regards thickness and positive or
negative.
D, D¹, and D are doors. D is for the purpose of arranging the regulator.
D¹ enables carbon dust to be cleared out, and D" facilitates the placing in of
bottom carbons.
There are several regulators that can be employed in my post for producing a
steady light, one being in my previous Patent No. 3767 of 1887.
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. As my improvements in lamp posts, or electric arc light supports, the placing
of the regulating mechanism in the lower body of the post or support and operating.
the carbon therefrom.
2. In connection with posts, columns, or supports for electric arc lamps, the
arrangement or method of protecting the working parts of the regulating mechanism
from the damaging influence of the weather.
3. In connection with posts, columns, or supports for electric arc lamps, the
balanced bar Y with pullies, said bar having an extension with solenoid core
attached and acting in the manner and for the purposes set forth.
TL 1 f Wahan 1000
JOHN LEA.