Improvements in or connected with Electric Arc Lighting.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 2nd May, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Electric Arc Lighting.
I, IGNACE HIPPOLYTE HEGNER of 16 Rue Drouot, Paris in the Republic of
France, Telephone Works Employee, 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:-
My invention relates to improvements in electric arc lamps and has for its object
to enable three lamps to be lighted at an electromotive force of 110 volts and is
particularly characterised by the system of distribution of electricity for feeding
the three lamps in series. This system consists in placing immediately after the
rheostat a shunt coil at the terminals of a group of three lamps. This shunt coil
fulfils the duties of the fine wire coil which acts as regulator of potential in the arc
lamps at present employed with this difference that instead of having in the interior
of each apparatus a coil of this kind working separately on its own account, I only
employ a single coil for the whole of the three lamps, which act like a single one
as regards the difference of potential at the terminals of the group.
By the application of this system I obtain the following advantages:-
1. My shunt coil serving as a simple relay and having no mechanical work to
effect by means of its magnetic parts can be made so sensitive as to work under the
influence of the slightest variations of current, and as the permanency of the lighting
depends only on the regularity of the current which passes through the lamps and
consequently on the precision of the carbon regulating mechanism, by the use of
my invention a perfectly ideal effect from the point of view of maintaining the
potential at the terminals of the lamps may be obtained.
2. There must be within the lamp at the moment when the regulating apparatus
operates as a regulator the strongest possible motive force in order to act in an
absolutely sure manner on the mechanical movement which effects the approaching
of the carbons. This motive force is obtained by electro magnets having relatively
feeble resistance which are suitably arranged in the interior of the lamps and
receive current sent by the regulator of the potential and which therefore act with
very great energy on the parts which they operate.
3. By the use of a single regulator of current for the three lamps as hereinbefore
mentioned, the electro-motive force may be maintained constant at the terminals of
the three lamps and consequently can reach the 110 volts of electro-motive force
which is possible in the supply conductors. By this system therefore, I solve the
problem of three lamps arranged in series for one current of 110 volts which could
not hitherto be done by the systems of lamps which employed two line wires and in
which each lamp had its own separate shunt coil or regulator of potential each
working on its own account.
On the accompanying drawings
--
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of three arc lamps on my system mounted in a
three wire circuit and regulated by means of a single regulating apparatus;
Figures 2 and 3 are views in front and side elevation respectively of the lamp
itself;
Figure 4 a plan view in borizontal section of the same lamp ;

page_text: Figure 5 a view in elevation of a modified form of construction of the same
lamp.
The same reference letters relate to the same parts in the various figures.
The lamp is composed of two "movements," a movement of descent for the
upper carbon which is held at 1 and a corresponding movement of the lower
carbon which is held at 2. These two movements comprise the following parts:-
1. For the movement of the upper carbon a rod 3 suitably guided and having at
one end an arm carrying the carbon 1. This rod is supported by a cord 13 which
passes successively over pulleys 14, 4, 15 and 16, said cord being connected or
booked on a fixed point 17 and supporting by the intermediation of said pulley 16
the rod 31 of the lower carbon bolder. The pulley 4 forms part of a clockwork
movement 5 which is provided with a fly 6, the wings or vanes of which fly may be
stopped by spring bolts or catches 7 and 8 respectively operated by electro-
magnets "A" and "E."
2. The movement of the lower carbon is effected by analogous parts. A rod 31
which also carries a carbon holder 2 draws by its weight and by the intermediation
of the cord 13 passing over the pulley 15, a lever 18 movable on an arbor 19 on
which latter are mounted a ratchet and pawl 20, and a spiral spring 22 connected
with a fixed point 23, and a wheel 21 forming part of a clockwork movement 4', 51
which is also provided with a fly 6', the vanes of which may be stopped or arrested
by bolts or catches 9 and 10 respectively operated by the electro-magnets C and D.
Three lamps furnished as above are grouped as shown in the diagram in Figure 1
and comprise for each group a rheostat 12 and a regulator of potential B A designed
to effect the regulation of the system.
The mode of operation is as follows:-
When the carbons are placed in their holders some of the carbons may be in
contact and some may be separated.
If the carbons be in contact when the current is turned on, the regulator BA
will not move, and consequently the catches 7 will prevent the fly 6 from revolving
and the upper carbons will remain fixed whilst the series coils D will disengage
the catches 10 from the fly 6' and allow the lower carbons to descend (the lever 18
moving downward) until the electro-motive force at the terminals of each coil C
reaches for instance 24 volts. At this moment these coils C will operate and lock
the carbons by means of the catches 9 engaging the fly 6¹ and the carbons being
stopped the lighting will take place. The coils C must have only a secondary
influence on the adjustment of the lamps. They serve only to prevent a closing
together and too great a separation of the carbons during the normal working.
The lamps thus lighted burn until the electro-motive force at the terminals of
coil B A reaches 90 volts for instance. At this moment the regulator of
potential B A closes the circuit on the coils A and the upper carbons are released.
If the three ares at this moment present the same maximum resistance, the coils E
will have succeeded in fully attracting their armatures and the catches 8 will be in
a position to allow the carbons to descend, but if a pair of these latter should
happen to more closely approach one another than the others in consequence of
unequal combustion of the carbons the corresponding catch will prevent the descent
of its carbon so that the feeding does not take place except in those carbons which
require it.
If at the moment of igniting, the carbons are separated, the armature of the
regulator B A will be attracted and remain in contact and bring the catches 7 into
position to release the fly, and the coils E releasing the catches 8 will also release
the same. At this moment the upper carbon descends and the lower carbon rises
seeing that they are connected with each other by means of the cord 13 and this
proceeds until they are in contact. The carbons having thus arrived in contact the
lamps light up as before.
When the lever 18 has arrived at the end of its course, that is to say, is in such
a position that the lower carbon cannot fall further, it must be returned to its

page_text: initial position and for this purpose it is sufficient to slightly raise the rod 3', and
the spring 22 recoiling will return the lever 18 to its initial and most elevated
position.
It is quite evident that in the construction of my lamp, I do not limit myself
strictly to the arrangements shown in the drawings. This arrangement, which is
very rudimentary, is only shown to render the explanation of my system clearer and
more easy to understand, and the system remains always the same if the parts and
their position be changed, provided the essential economical feature of the system
remains, which consists in the combined operation of a shunt coil or magnet and an
independent electro-magnet fed by the general regulator both acting reciprocally
to cause the carbons to close or approach in only those lamps which require them
to do so, and enabling those carbons to be separated which have arrived in contact.
One of the modified forms of construction is shown in Figure 5 where the coil C
is completely dispensed with and its action replaced by the combination of coils E
and D as a differential balance. The catches 8 and 10 are mounted on a lever 11
pivoted centrally at the point a. This suitable balance releases the fly 6 when the
electro-motive force at the terminals of the lamp is raised to a certain maximum.
In this case as the intensity diminishes in the coil D, the coil E having a greater
action than D will attract the lever and release the fly 6 and the carbons of the
lamp may descend under the action of the respective coil A of the potential relay
or regulator B A. On the other hand when the carbons have descended to a
certain minimum distance apart and the electro-motive force is consequently lowered
and the intensity increased, the action of the coil D becomes greater than that of
the coil E and the coil D will therefore attract the lever and the fly 6 will be again
stopped and fixed. If in consequence of an accident, the carbons should come in
contact, the action of the coil D continues and the fly 61 will be released in its
turn and will allow the lower carbon to descend until the equilibrium is again
established.
The lighting takes place in the same manner. If the carbons are separated at
the moment of the closing of the circuit the coil E releases the fly by its own action
whilst the coil A releases it under the action of the regulator BA. Once the
carbons have arrived in contact, the coil D, attracting the lever, locks the fly 6,
releases the fly 6' and the lower carbon moves away until the are becomes
normal.
It will be readily understood that various modifications may be introduced as
regards form and construction of the improved arc lamp to meet different applications
and I reserve the right of applying my system of distribution to any suitable
number of lamps of varying forms, dimensions and accessory parts, and of employing
in their construction any materials which I may deem suitable.
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. In arc lamps working in series the use of a single regulator of potential in
the form of a relay placed either in shunt or in series with the three lamps for the
purpose of suppressing individual action of the lamps and the variations and
interruptions which result therefrom and which if arising in a single lamp derange
the working of the whole group to which the lamp belongs.
2. The combination with a regulator of potential such as described, of a system
of electrical distribution for arc lamps working in series substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated.
3. In arc lamps working in series, the combination of a coil or electro-magnet in
shunt with the lamp carbons and an independent coil or electro-magnet receiving
current from the general regulator, both coils being mounted on the mechanism
which causes the carbons to approach, and both acting reciprocally with one another
to move together the carbons of only those lamps which require it and to separate
carbons which may have come in contact substantially as described.

page_text: 4. The construction and combination of parts taken as a whole forming the
improved arc lamp substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 18th day of December 1895.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.