An Improved Apparatus FOR CIRCUIT CLOSERS AND CONNECTIONS FOR ELECTRIC ALARMS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Weybridge Ferris of 9 Dorset Road Merton in
the County of Surrey Gentleman for an Invention of An Improved Apparatus
FOR CIRCUIT CLOSERS AND CONNECTIONS FOR ELECTRIC ALARMS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Weybridge Ferris at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th August 1883.
HENRY WEYBRIDGE FERRIS of 9 Dorset Road Merton in the County of Surrey,
gentleman AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CIRCUIT CLOSERS AND CONNECTIONS
FOR ELECTRIC ALARMS
My invention relates to mats rugs & other articles in which an apparatus is
fixed for giving notice of the tread of any persons on such mats, rugs, or other
articles by the closing of an electric circuit and the consoquent ringing of a bell or
making some other signal.
In my improved apparatus I place in the mat, rug, or other article a central
layer or sheet, consisting either wholly or partially of india-rubber or other
insulating material having in it a number of perforations, orifices, or interstices:
under each of such perforations I place a metallic plate having a boss, sliding-bit,
contact guide or other projection extending upwards into the orifice, & above this
orifice I place a metallic plato, having a similar boss, sliding-bit, contact guide, or
other projection extending downwards into the orifice, but not touching the boss
(sliding bit, contact guide, or projection) of the lower plate. I connect all the upper
plates by means of a series of metallic wires or ribbons, crossing. (diagonally or at
right angles) to each other, and connected to the plates by suitable joints to insure
the flexibility of the whole apparatus, and I further connect this system with one
of the poles of a galvanic battery.
Similarly I connect all the lower plates in the other system, which I place in
connection with the other pole of the said battery.
When a person treads on the mat so as to press upon one or more of the upper
plates the elasticity of the india-rubber allows the plate to sink till the projections

page_text: of the corresponding upper & lower plates are in contact and the electric current
is completed, whereby a bell placed in the circuit is rung or some other signal is
made.
The insulating sheet may be either a sheet of india rubber with the necessary
perforations, or a series of india-rubber rings or pieces of india-rubber kept in their
places by attachment to some intermediate flexible material or may consist of india
rubber bands or pieces of tubing crossing each other at right angles diagonally or
otherwise with suitable interstices. I also use a slip joint of particular con-
struction for connecting the wires of the battery to the mat; which joint may
also be used for connecting the conducting wires of other electrical apparatus
My slip-joint consists of a centre piece containing two wires (with their respective
terminals) one on each surface, and a split piece so hinged that the two parts will
open when presented to the centre piece & cover it; each piece having a wire with
a terminal to correspond with one of those in the centre-piece. When the centre-
piece is forced between the two parts of the split piece, its respective terminals are
brought into contact with those of the split-piece. The two parts of the split-pieco
are preased together upon the centre-piece by a spring or elastic band to insure
completo contact.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patont filed
by the said Henry Weybridge Ferris in the Patent Office on the 7th February
1884.
HENRY WEYBRIDGE FERRIS of 9 Dorset Road Merton in the County of Surroy
Gentleman AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CIRCUIT CLOSERS AND CONNECTIONS
FOR ELECTRIC ALARMS
My Invention relates to mats, rugs, and other articles in which an apparatus is
fixed for giving notice of the tread of any persons on such mats, rug and other
articles by the closing of an electric circuit, and the consequent ringing of a bell or
making some other signal-In my improved apparatus I place in the mat, rug, or
other articlo a central layer or shect, consisting either wholly or partially of india-
rubber or other insulating material, having in it a number of perforations, orifices,
or interstices: under each of such perforations, I place a metallic plate having a
boss, sliding-bit, contact-guide, or other projection, extending upwards into the
orifice, and above the orifice I place a metallic plate, having a boss, sliding-bit,
contact guide, or other projection, extending upwards into the orifice; and above
this orifice I place a metallic plate, having a similar boss, sliding-bit, contact-guido,
or other projection, extending downwards into the orifice, but not touching the
boss, (sliding-bit contact-guide or other projection) of the lower plate. I connect.
all the upper plates by means of a series of metallic wires, or ribbons, crossing
(diagonally or at right angles to) each other and connected to the plates by suitablo
joints to ensure the flexibility of the whole apparatus; and I further connect the
system with one of the poles of a galvanic battery.
Similarly I connect all the lower plates in the other system, which I place in
connection with the other pole of the said battery.
When a person trends on the mat so as to press one or more of the upper plates,
the elasticity of the India-rubber allows the plate to sink, till the projections of the
corresponding upper and lower plates are in contact, and the electric current is
completed, whereby a bell placed in the circuit is rung, or some other signal is
made.
The insulating sheet may be either a sheet of india-rubber with the necessary
perforations or a series of india rubber rings, or pieces of india rubber, kept in
their places by attachment to some intermediate flexible material, or may consist of
india-rubber bands or pieces of tubing, crossing each other at right angles diagonally
or otherwise. with suitable interstices.
I also use a slip-joint of particular construction for connecting the wires of tho
battery to the mat, which joint may also be used for connecting the conducting
wires of other electrical apparatus.
My slip-joint consists of a centerpiece containing two wires, (with their respective
terminals) one on each surface, and a split-piece, so hinged that the two parts will
open when prosented to the centre-piece & cover it, each piece having a wire with
a terminal to correspond with one of those in the centre-piece.
The terminals, or contact surfaces, are not placed opposite to each other, but
are so placed that when the faces of the split-piece are in contact the said
terminals or contact-pieces are not in contact, and consequently the electric current
is not in action.
When the centre-piece is forced between the two parts of the split-piece its
respective terminals are brought into contact with those of the split piece. The
two parts of the split-piece are pressed together upon the centre-piece by a spring
or elastic band to ensure contact.

page_text: In the accompanying drawings, representing an improved circuit closer and
connections, suitable for electric mat-alarms and other similar apparatus;
Figure 1, A A represents the series of upper plates, as described, with their
connections.
Figure 2, B B represents the series of lower plates with their connections.
Figure 3, CCC represents the upper layer of material to which the upper plates
are attached.
DDD represents the lower layer of material to which the lower plates are fixed.
E E are two of the upper plates,
FF two of the lower plates.
GGGG are two insulators, each of which separates an upper from a lowor
plate.
Figure 4, H represents one upper plate.
Figure 5, K represents one lower plate.
Figure 6, L is the wedge Piece or centre-piece.
M M are the contact surfaces.
.
Figure 7, N N are a pair of receiving-pieces, having the terminals or contact
surfaces 00, which are to be brought in contact with the surfaces M M
respectively.
:
PP represents the conducting-wires with their insulating coverings.
The said invention having been described and shown in the accompanying
drawings, the following are the particulars of my claim.
I do not claim as my invention the principle of the construction of a mat or
floor alarm with-an-electric signal-apparatus; but I claim
1, the improved circuit-closer, consisting of a pair of plates, having bosses or
projections on one or both of the plates, and of an india-rubber insulator,-separating
the plates when the apparatus is not in operation;
2ndly, The improved system or network of wires, connecting all the upper plates
together, and similarly connecting all the lower plates-;-
3rd, The improved slip-joint as shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said. Henry Weybridge Ferris, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of February in the year of our Lord, One thousand
eight hundred and eighty-four.
TEND V 117 WEDDIN
Witness
WH LE FEVRE
26 Budge Row
EC.
UENDY WEED DIS
(25)