Improvements in Lightning Arresters.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lightning Arresters.
We WILLIAM RICHARD GARTON, Electrical Engineer, of 218 Main Street,
and JOHN CURRAN DANIELS, Lumberman, of 111 High Street, both in Keokuk,
in the County of Lee, and State of Iowa, United States of America, 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:-
The object of our invention is to construct a lightning arrester for electric lines,
for the protection of all electrical apparatus connected therewith, and for the
protection of the dynamos and lamps upon the lines. Our invention consists in a
solenoid provided with an armature arranged to slide in the solenoid provided at
one end with a guide rod which receives a flexible conductor, and furnished at the
opposite end with a carbon rod, and in the combination with the said solenoid and
carbon-carrying armature, of a pair of serrated plates arranged with their faces
near each other but not in contact, one of the plates being connected with the
ground, the other being normally in contact with the carbon carried by the
armature. It also consists in the combination with the carbon carried by
the armature and the carbon lightning arrester plate, of a closed chamber which
is nearly air tight, enclosing the upper surface of the plate and the carbon carried
by the armature, all as will be hereinafter more fully described.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing which is a vertical section
of the improved lightning arrester.
To the back board A, is attached a shelf a at right angles, which supports the
lower serrated carbon plate B, the said plate being connected by the wire 6 with the
ground. Above the plate B is supported another carbon plate C, with its serrated
surface opposite and near the serrated surface of the plate B, but electrically
insulated therefrom. Above the plate C is placed a solenoid D, which is rigidly
connected to the back board A.
To the solenoid D is fitted an armature E, provided at its upper end with a
guide rod F, terminating in a binding post c. The upper end of the armature E is
provided with a flange d, which fits the bore of the solenoid D practically air tight,
and the upper end of the bore of the solenoid is contracted to form a guide for the
rod F. The lower end of the armature E is enlarged in diameter and bored
longitudinally to receive the carbon rod G, and the upper end of the enlarged
portion of the armature is beveled to facilitate its entrance into the bore of the
solenoid.
The upper portion of the carbon plate C, the lower end of the armature E, and
the carbon rod G, are enclosed in a chamber H, which is nearly air tight. The
binding post c is connected with one terminal of the solenoid Ď by the flexible
cord d', the remaining terminal of the said solenoid being connected with the line
wire by the wire e.
When the lightning strikes the line with which the instrument is connected, the
charge passes through the winding of the solenoid through the flexible cord d',
guide rod F, armature E, carbon rod G, carbon plate C, through the air space
between the plates C, B, to the ground through the ground wire b. During the
passage of the lightning charge an arc is established between the plates C, B, and
after the energizing of the solenoid an arc is formed between the carbon rod G and
plate C, but the solenoid D, being energized, the armature E is drawn up into the
solenoid thereby removing the carbon rod G from the carbon plate C, elongating
the arc existing between the rod and plate until the current is weakened to such an
extent as to cause the arc to become extinguished.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is―
1. In a lightning arrester for electric lines, the combination of a pair of serrated
plates arranged parallel with each other, but electrically insulated from each other,
a solenoid arranged above the upper plate, an armature inserted in the solenoid and
connected with one terminal of the solenoid, a carbon rod carried by the armature
and arranged to contact with the upper plate, and the ground and line connections,
substantially as specified.
2. In a lightning arrester for electric lines, the combination of the serrated
plates B, C, the air tight chamber H, the solenoid D, armature E provided with
the guide rod F, the carbon rod G carried by the armature, and the electrical con-
nections, substantially as specified.
3. In a lightning arrester, an air tight chamber enclosing the discharging points
or surfaces, substantially as specified.
Dated this 13th day of December 1909
W. R. GARTON,
J. C. DANIELS,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.